Message from the Head of the Senior School

What Are We Proud Of?

One of the most beautiful things I witnessed at our Awards Assembly this morning was the pride on our parents’ faces. As a girl walked across the stage to receive her award, I could see the joy in the eyes of the parents watching her. There is something very special about seeing your child achieve something she has worked hard for. As a parent myself, I understand that feeling. We celebrate the hours of practice, the early mornings, the sacrifices, the disappointments she has overcome and the moment when all that effort is recognised.

Awards matter, they acknowledge achievement, commitment and perseverance. They give our girls a sense of accomplishment and can motivate them to continue working towards their goals. There is nothing wrong with feeling proud when your daughter receives an award. In fact, I hope every parent allows themselves to enjoy those moments.

But as I watched the girls receive their awards, I found myself thinking about something else:

What are we most proud of in our daughters?

Is it the trophy? The certificate? The colours? The distinction? The position she holds? Is it the young woman standing behind the achievement?

Because there are so many things about our daughters that will never appear on a prizegiving programme.

The girl who notices when someone is sitting alone.

The girl who shows kindness when nobody is watching.

The girl who admits when she has made a mistake.

The girl who keeps going after disappointment.

The girl who celebrates her friend's success without needing to be in the spotlight herself.

The girl who shows courage when she is afraid.

The girl who treats the person who can do nothing for her with the same respect as someone who can.

The girl who has learnt to forgive.

The girl who is generous with her time, her encouragement and her spirit.

These things may not earn a medal, but they tell us something far more enduring about the person she is becoming.

As a school, we naturally celebrate achievement. We want our girls to strive for excellence in academics, sport, the Arts and leadership. But we also have a deeper responsibility. We are nurturing young women of character.

This is where I believe the Fruits of the Spirit provide such a beautiful measure: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

These are not always easy qualities to measure, and there is certainly no certificate handed out for them. Yet they are the qualities that will travel with our girls long after their school awards have been put away.

Awards provide external motivation. They tell us, “You have achieved something.” And that is wonderful. However, our ultimate goal must be to help our girls develop an internal compass – to do what is right because it is right; to work hard because they value excellence; to be kind because kindness matters; to serve because they understand that their lives are about more than themselves.

So, to our parents: celebrate the awards. Be proud. Take the photographs. Frame the certificates. Applaud loudly. Your daughter has worked for that moment and deserves to enjoy it.

When the certificate is eventually put away, keep celebrating her. Celebrate the qualities that cannot be printed on a certificate. Celebrate her character. Her resilience. Her compassion. Her courage. Her integrity. Her faith. Her ability to make others feel valued.

And perhaps, when we gather for Prizegiving next week, we can celebrate not only what our girls have achieved, but who they are becoming.

Awards have a moment, but character lasts a lifetime., and the qualities we nurture within our girls are the gifts they will carry with them long after they leave the gates of St Mary’s.