Hello and welcome to all staff, and importantly: Year 12 class of 2022. It is awesome to see you all here tonight, celebrating your success and achievements in finishing high school. I am thankful to all of you for making the effort to attend tonight and share this experience with your peers and teachers. 

It is no surprise that I strongly believe you as a year group to be the best! Other members of staff are more diplomatic. Although seeing how many of them have come to support and celebrate with you tonight is very telling of how they feel about you as a cohort Year 12. 

On that note there are a few people who I would like to publicly thank on behalf of both Year 12 & myself in getting this beautiful space and event put together. In particular our thanks goes to Mrs Susan Surreau for her work behind the scenes for many months leading up to tonight. Susan has been an incredible force of enthusiasm and creativity in making the formal so special for all of our students. Our thanks also goes to Scott Horne, Jay Jayasuriya, Mark Burian, Andrew Warfield and Michael Christie for their help in getting curtains set up, lighting, sound, other IT and instruments ready for this evening. Thank you also to Sandy Johnston, Janie Hamilton, Serena Jablonskis, Jacob Stephenson, Val & Brad Lewis, Bumpy Road Catering and Hoorah Events for all they have done in adding to our beauty space and ensuring the many different aspects tonight have run smoothly. Finally, a big thank you goes to our Year 10 and 11 students who have helped with the set up and running of tonight. 

Over the past month or so, it has been incredible to see your fresh and enthusiastic faces as you have finished your exams and have come back in to sign out your textbooks, collect reference letters and so on. Some of you have even stopped by to help staff and younger students with various things or just to say a friendly hello. I can tell the relief you are all feeling with exams done and dusted, just by the looks on your faces. As Mel & Isaac alluded to - this relief extends to the new freedom you have, in deciding how to spend your time, what to wear and when to use your phones. 

Whilst it might seem funny for me to say now, I’d like you to remember the fortune that you have all been blessed with in being a part of our amazing school community. The rules of our school and high expectations, although some of you have commented can be a lot - have provided structure and guidance to set you up well for success wherever life takes you. Our uniform has instilled a sense of pride, equality and cohesion - ensuring that you know you are all valued and important members of our community. Please remember that just because you have graduated and each year there will be new Year 12 jerseys and with increasing years on their backs that over time might start to make you feel old - you will always be a part of the St John’s family. Your stories, memories, personalities and faces will forever be part of the history of our school. 

I realise that this may sound cliche, but I genuinely mean this when I ask you to keep in touch. In a little under a month we will have our morning tea after the HSC results are released. Regardless of your score, number or bands - please come in and say hello; and beyond this as you move about in your lives, know that we would love to hear from you and what’s new. 

To conclude I wanted to echo what I said in your graduation speech, which is thank you. I am extremely grateful to have been your Year Coordinator and to have shared so many experiences and memories with you all. Thank you to all of the Captains and SRC leaders for your leadership and maturity in bringing not only our year group but the entire school together, even when it proved challenging. Thank you to our amazing staff and the Year 12 PALS team, and finally- thank you to all 111 of you sitting in front of me for being uniquely you. I am filled with gratitude that I have been able to get to know and work with all of you, and I wish you nothing but genuine happiness, success and fulfilment as you move on in the next and very exciting chapters of your lives. Enjoy the rest of your night, remember to be safe and look out for each other.