Farewell Year 12
Year 12 were fondly farewelled at the Graduation Assembly recently with family and friends present for the momentous occasion.
Year 12 Year Adviser, Mr Steve Druce delivered a moving farewell speech that we have included below as a momento for students, their families and friends.
2019 Year 12 Farewell Speech, written and delivered by Year Adviser, Mr Steve Druce
'Good morning to family, friends and most importantly, our graduating Year 12's.
Let me begin by saying that this was not an easy speech to write. How do you find the perfect words to farewell a group of amazing young people? How do you find words of wisdom to impart on them that they will hopefully live their lives by? And how do you write a speech knowing full well you are going to be reduced to a blubbering mess by the end of it? That’s right ladies and gentlemen, don’t let the rugged facial hair fool you, I really am a bit of a softy. As my Year 12's will tell you, I’ve been on the verge of tears all week, so I’m guessing this speech won’t be any different. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleague Luke Stawski, who paved the way last year and showed us that real men do cry. I have a feeling I will be following in his footsteps.
Seeing Year 12 on their final day of school reminds me of a quote from my all-time favourite movie, The Shawshank Redemption. A quick side note, at not one moment am I suggesting that attending high school is anything like serving time in prison, although some students may agree with that comparison. With that in mind, after Andy Dufresne finally escapes from prison, fellow inmate Red, played by Morgan Freeman, narrates his feeling of missing his friend; “I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. Still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they are gone”. It is a conflicting time for us Year Adviser's when our year group spreads its wings and flies away. On one hand you are happy and proud that your year group has finally finished their schooling years after so much hard work. However, a part of you wishes that they could stay. But that would be selfish, because you all have so much to offer the world outside the school gates.
Year 12. On your last day of school, I would like to offer you some words of wisdom. Some people look towards public figures, or politicians for words that spark inspiration. Anyone who knows me would also know that my passion is music. So today I will be drawing on inspiration from the lyrics of some of the most talented artists in the world. And to those who may not have heard these songs before; number one, maybe I am a bit older than what I think I am, and number two; do yourselves a favour and look them up. You all have Spotify, don’t you?
In the song Three Little Birds, reggae legend Bob Marley sang the uplifting lyrics “Don’t worry about a thing, cause every little things gonna be alright”. Many songs have echoed this message, from Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t worry be happy” to Timon and Pumbaa’s “Hakuna Matata”, which roughly translates to “No worries for the rest of your days”. Even though we all tend to worry from time to time, the simple fact is that dwelling on the past doesn’t change things. It does quite the opposite. Worrying about what you haven’t done in the past will stop you from focusing on what you must do in the future. So as you enter the final stages of your schooling lives, my advice to you is to focus on what you have to do to get the job done.
Lyrical genius Marshall Mathers III, AKA Eminem, penned the lyrics “You better lose yourself in the music, the moment, you own it, you better never let it go. You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow. Opportunity comes once in a lifetime”. Everyone only gets one shot at life, so make the most of it. If an opportunity arises, don’t hesitate to grab it with both hands. Trust me, you have the advantage of having youth on your side. As a young person, you are about to enter into a world of opportunities. So put yourselves out there, get out of your comfort zones. But just remember, if you go for an opportunity but fail, pick yourselves up, dust yourselves off, learn from your mistakes and try again. Don’t let the fear of failure hold you back. The worst thing you could do is get to a ripe old age and look back on all the opportunities you let slip away. As the late, great Robyn Williams once said “Carpe Diem”. Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary.
And finally, I would like to share some wise words from my favourite band, Nickleback. Just kidding, there is nothing inspirational about Nickleback.
Jokes aside, my final piece of advice comes from a little band you may have heard of called The Beatles. Now there are a plethora of inspirational songs to choose from in The Beatles song book. But the one message we need now more than ever is this; "All You Need is Love". You only have to turn on the TV to realise that there is so much hate in the world today. With the rise of internet trolls, and people turning their backs on those in need it is easy to forget that we are all just the same at the end of the day. As a young generation, you have the opportunity to turn the tide. Be accepting of others. Be kind to one another. Be the person who lifts others up, not tears others down. And make sure that if you love someone, let them know about it. There is a room full of family and friends here today who love and adore you. Make sure you take the time today to let them know how much you appreciate them. Be the love generation.
It has been a privilege to be Year Adviser to our departing Year 12's over the past 6 years. What makes it even more special is that every one of our Year 12's have been at Wee Waa High School since Year 7. I have had the pleasure of watching them grow and mature into the young people they are today. Over the last few weeks, I have contemplated on the type of people they have become. They are caring, thoughtful and compassionate. They are resilient, reliable and honest. They are the type of people who commit to learning a song in two weeks, because they know how much it would mean to you. They are the type of people who selflessly raise a lot of money for a worthy cause. They are the type of people who organise the perfect wedding gift for you, even though their invitations got lost in the mail. As a father to be, I can honestly say that they are the type of people that you hope your child grows up to be. The type of people you hope your child is friends with when they get to school. They are the type of people that make you laugh, make you cry, and make it easy to come to work every day. I think we can all agree that we are proud of the people our Year 12's have grown up to be.
'At the start of my speech I said sometimes it’s hard to find the perfect words to say goodbye. So I’ll keep it simple and say this. Year 12, I’m proud of you. I’m proud of each and every one of you. I’m proud to be your Year Adviser, and I’m proud to be your friend.
And finally, Year 12, I would like to leave you with this song.' (Steve Druce picks up his guitar and plays “Father and Son” by Cat Stevens.)
