23 Sep 2019
Principal’s Message to Year 12 – 2019
There were many significant and memorable moments in 2014. Australia had one person as Prime Minister for the entire year (Tony Abbott). Gough Whitlam dies (unrelated to Tony Abbott being Prime Minister for a whole year). South Sydney break a 43 year drought to win the NRL premiership (speak to Mr Weekes for further statistics). “Vape" became Oxford dictionary's Word of the Year. "Royals", the debut single by New Zealand singer Lorde, wins the Grammy Award for song of the year. “12 Years a Slave” wins the Oscar for best picture (but we all know that it should have been awarded to “Frozen”). Mario Cart 8 became 2014's most popular game for the Wii U gaming platform and our current graduating Year 12 students commenced Year 7.
2014 was also when I commenced my principalship at Smith’s Hill High School. Looking back over the past six years, the journey has been one of ups and downs. Nevertheless, when we look at our students and all of the hard work, patience, commitment, success and failure that they have experienced over this time, we recognise that these experiences have shaped each and every one of them into who they are today.
The past six years have given parents and teachers alike an insight into the personalities, skills, talents and abilities of each of our students. School reports, references and HSC results will paint a picture of who they have become and what they have achieved. Yet will their time at Smith’s Hill High School define who they will become or what they will achieve in the years to come? In short; yes and no.
Year 12, your identity is something that you will be constantly developing. It is not just “who you are,” it is a process that is ongoing and one in which you must be active. It’s not just imitating your parents or even the thoughts of your learned teachers. It is, now more than ever, about understanding yourself so you can become yourself. If you think that achieving something, that solving something, a career or a relationship will bring closure to this process; it will not. Change and uncertainty will always be part of your lives and it is the manner in which you interact with and manage this uncertainty that will be defining in the development of your future.
“Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it's not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won't. It's whether you let it harden or shape you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.” - Barack Obama.
At times, the amount of change and uncertainty in life can be overwhelming. Over thinking the countless possible outcomes for every action can be debilitating and leave you second guessing your life decisions. The advantage of being young, however, is that you have time to try, experience and enjoy the depth and breadth of opportunities that come your way without locking yourself into a defined future. The most important mindset to have is to take every opportunity that presents itself and see where it takes you.
Positive friendships and relationships add richness and depth to our lives. So remember that as you move on from your secondary schooling experiences and, through your words and actions, fill the world with hope. Enjoy the highs and contemplate lessons learnt from the lows. Fall down. Make a mess. Break something occasionally. Know that your mistakes are your own unique way of getting to where you need to be. Remember that the story is never over and to enjoy the scenery as it changes around you.
David C Deitz
Principal
Smith’s Hill High School - 2019