Leaver's Assembly 2023 - Principal's Speech

Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa

Today, we come together to celebrate and to mark a momentous occasion in the lives of these exceptional young individuals here on stage, our Year 13 students. After seven years of dedication, hard work, and growth their high school journey is coming to an end and we stand on the cusp of bidding farewell to our graduating class of 2023.

As we look back on your journey, we are filled with immense pride and joy. It has been an honor to watch each and every one of you grow from eager and nervous children into the accomplished and confident young adults you have become today. Your journey through high school has been one of learning, not just from textbooks, but from life's experiences.

Throughout these years, you've faced challenges and celebrated achievements. You've formed lasting friendships, discovered your passions, and, most importantly, you've shown resilience in the face of adversity. The trials and tribulations of high school have shaped you into the strong, compassionate, and capable individuals you are today who role model our values of respect, integrity, success and empathy.

I want to acknowledge the part played by our dedicated staff, supportive parents, caregivers and whānau and our wider school community. They have provided you with the support, knowledge, guidance, and encouragement needed to succeed. Your accomplishments are a testament to the power of teamwork and the unwavering support that surrounds you.

As you embark on the next chapter of your lives, remember that your journey is far from over. Graduation is not the end; it is merely the beginning. The world beyond these school walls is vast and filled with opportunities, but it is also a place where you will face new challenges and complexities.

Your education has given you a strong foundation, but it is up to you to build upon it. Continue to learn, adapt, and grow. Strive for excellence in all that you do, and never lose sight of your dreams. Your education does not stop here, but it evolves into a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and personal growth. But when it comes to thinking about your life journey, where you want to go and what you want to do, I encourage you to think outside the box. When faced with life decisions, I often think about the poem, The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost, which was one of my favourite poems which I studied when I was in Year 10. It goes:

The Road Not Taken – Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

That poem by Robert Frost is about when faced with a decision, don’t just follow in the footsteps of others because in the future you may look back and regret that decision. It is about being unafraid to forge your own path and take a risk. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail." Be your own person. Each of you has the potential to blaze your own trail rather than just being a follower and following in the footsteps of others, each of you have the potential to make a real difference, and each one of you has the potential to leave a lasting legacy in this world.

Take the values and principles instilled in you during your time here and use them as your compass to decide which path in the forest to take. Be compassionate, be resilient, be respectful and think of others, show integrity in what you do and how you act, value your personal success and celebrate the success of others, don’t tear others success down to make you feel better. Always work hard to achieve your personal best in everything that you do, and be leaders who bring about positive change. Your potential is limitless, and your impact immeasurable.

As we bid farewell to you today, remember that you will always be a part of our Ellesmere College-Te Kāreti o Waihora whānau. The memories you've created here and the lessons you've learned will stay with you throughout your lives. Embrace the future with hope and courage, for you have been prepared for greatness. We look forward to hearing about and celebrating future successes!

Ngā reire tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa!

Part 2 - End of Assembly 

On behalf of the entire Ellesmere College-Te Kāreti o Waihora community, I congratulate each and every one of you on this remarkable milestone and achievement of fully completing your high school education. We are proud of your accomplishments, and we eagerly anticipate the extraordinary contributions you will make to our world. The world is yours, and we can't wait to see what you will make of it. Congratulations to the graduating class of 2023 and well done!

Staff please form a guard of honour for our Year 13 students.

Everyone present today, as our Year 13 students exit the hall I would like you to show your appreciation for all that they have accomplished during their time at the College.

School please stand as the Class of 2023 is dismissed for the final time.

E tu.