Ithaca Creek State School Year 6 Farewell Evening

Principal, Mrs Eunice Webb; students, staff and supporters of Ithaca Creek State School.

Thank you for the invitation to join you once again for this star-filled occasion.

It is wonderful to return to Ithaca Creek State School!

It is very appropriate that the Year 6 students should have chosen the theme of Stars for tonight’s farewell, because each of them is a star in their own right.

Graduating class, it is time for your star to shine brightly at another school, but you will always have a connection to Ithaca Creek State School, to the people who have been here before you, and to the girls and boys who will follow in your footsteps.

I am proud to say I am one of those people, and I am pleased to see this fine school continues its long tradition of academic excellence.

Graduates, remember your teachers and be a credit to them.

Always be the best that you can be. Never let your star dim, no matter the challenges you face – and you will face challenges.

Earlier this year the world lost the legendary Stephen Hawking, the British theoretical physicist and cosmologist, who was a Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University.

Professor Hawking was an outstanding intellect, he was immensely resilient and always gave his best no matter how difficult the circumstances, no matter how big the challenge.

Being confined to a wheelchair and being able to talk only through a machine would slow many people, but Professor Hawking never let his physical state limit him in any way.

His advice to us was: “Look up at the stars and not down at your feet”, and I pass this advice on to you tonight.

Let your dreams be big, and don’t worry about stumbling on your way to achieve them.

I look forward to presenting the Paul de Jersey academic award tonight, and I warmly congratulate all of our award recipients.

You have excelled, and your award deservedly recognises that.

I would also like to congratulate all of you here, award winner or not, for successfully completing your primary years, and I wish you all the best for your high school journey.

In keeping with the Stars theme, I remind you of Shakespeare’s words: “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves.”

I wish you all every success in the years ahead, as you shape that destiny.

Thank you.