Welcome to the first Grammarian of 2021.  It is great to have students back in the school again, and to be able to have assemblies resume, albeit in a modified form with the current restrictions in place.  Rather than bringing together our whole school community from Years 3 to 12 for this year’s Welcome Assembly, separate Welcome Assemblies and the inductions of our student leaders were held this week at each campus.  Even though they lacked the magnitude of our traditional Welcome Assembly, the esprit de corps was tangible at each gathering, having been unable to participate in these communal events for such a long time.

At the Warragul Secondary Welcome Assembly, we inducted our highest ATAR achievers (ATARs over 95) into St Paul’s Academic Honours Society.

These students, in alphabetical order, were:
•  Mia Alexander
•  Claire Birks
•  Jesse Buhagiar
•  Tatum Cotterrell (Coursework Dux)
•  Elyse Gordon
•  James Gourley
•  Angus Guo
•  Lachlan Hollier
•  Sage Hyde
•  Connor Ibbotson (Dux)
•  Luke Ibbotson (Dux)
•  Kieran Lewis
•  Jessica Lo
•  Phoebe O’Connor
•  Aarushi Pathania
•  Scarlett Price
•  Isaac Sadek
•  Kristen Skee
•  Sophie Vale
•  Mae Williamson
•  Ruby Zhang

The Duces of 2020, Connor and Luke Ibbotson, gave a moving speech to the assembly, paying tribute to St Paul’s, their teachers from Prep to Year 12 and especially their wonderful mum, Debbie.  A transcript of the boys’ address follows on from this article.

As I have communicated previously, the Class of 2020 achieved the highest results that we have in our records, and probably our best ever in the history of our School.  With a Median ATAR of 87, 23% of students with an ATAR above 95 and 41% of students achieving an ATAR of above 90 (41% in the top 10% of the state) St Paul’s was by far the highest-achieving academic school in Gippsland, and indeed east of the Melbourne greater metropolitan area.  There are approximately 600 secondary schools doing the VCE in Victoria, and St Paul’s was ranked in the coveted top 50 VCE results.  This equates to St Paul’s being in the top 8% of all schools in Victoria and third out of all the regional independent schools.  We thank and acknowledge the outstanding achievements of the Class of 2020 and wish them all the very best for the future.

May the positive start to the school year continue and I wish everyone in the St Paul’s community the very best for 2021.

Cameron Herbert
Principal

2020 Dux Speech

Our 2020 Duces Connor Ibbotson and Luke Ibbotson have kindly allowed us to publish their speeches from Wednesday’s Welcome and Leaders Induction in the Grammarian.  This is a tradition that we do each year and a lovely way to share their thoughts and reflection on their time at St Paul’s.

Connor:
“Good morning staff and students, guests and board members, I come here today in what is a very unlikely position; as one of two duxes, the other being my twin brother Luke.

Before continuing further, I’d like to preface this speech by paying acknowledgment to all our peers, as I’m sure everyone understands the unique challenge that COVID-19 has presented and that whilst I may be fortunate enough to be standing up here with my brother, there are many people who have worked extremely hard all year and are just as deserving to be here today.  Also, I’d like to wish the current Year 12s a great year, despite the pandemic, and I also give a warm welcome to our new Year 7 students to whom I promise a brief speech.

Overall, both Luke and I can attribute our presence here today to only a couple of things over the many years that we have been at St Paul’s, primarily including the extremely supportive and open-minded teachers who were willing to put up with all the challenges that Luke and I presented, the least of which being telling us apart.  However, as many will boast, the strongest factor in our success and in the success of our year level in general, is how cohesive we were as a cohort, and both of us can honestly say that without the rest of our year level, we would not be in the position we are today.  Having said this, my biggest regret from my schooling years is having not gotten to know everyone around me, and in this regard, I encourage all of you to make the most of your schooling years and get to know your peers so that you can walk confidently into the next stage of your life with friends and people that you know.

Luke and I both started at St Paul’s in Prep and have been here since, with neither of us regretting the decision that Mum made in terms of our school.  However, I still remember being five years old and complaining to Mum, wishing that I’d gone to the same school as my neighbour, and being the naive child that I was I, didn’t realise the world of opportunities that my Mum had just opened for me through her school selection.  Nowadays, looking back, I realise that in escaping the familiarity in my preschool friends, I was able to better integrate into the new environment that was St Paul’s, an endeavour only made easier by my supportive teachers, many of whom still work here today.  Ultimately this presents a dichotomy, on one hand it’s important to establish friendships, however on the other hand a new environment helps in an individual’s growth as a person, so a balance between the two is essential.  Overall, if there’s anything that I’d like you all to take away from this speech it’s that risk is an essential part of the reward – as cliche as it is, your school years are limited and in the future you don’t want to look back and regret what could have been, so I encourage you all to step outside of your comfort zone because at the end of the day, academic performance is not the most important take away from your schooling years, instead your growth as a person is the true measure of your success.”

Luke:
“I would like to express my gratitude to St Paul’s for the wonderful teaching and co-curricular opportunities they have provided us with over the many years we have spent here.  Connor and I have been involved with an abundance of sports at St Paul’s and I truly encourage everyone here to adopt a sport or some other recreational interest.  Especially come exam periods, physical health is of utmost importance amongst study and stress, and it really can help throughout the year to have that bit of relief from your busy school lives.

Furthermore, my appreciation for the Music Department is unparalleled – we both learnt piano and stringed instruments at St Paul’s and it was through our musical lessons which we acquired much of our dedication, perseverance and discipline which helped us strive towards our personal and academic achievements.

However, the most important piece of advice I can give to all students gathered here today is to trust those around you – your peers, teachers and parents.  Each year level has their own individual challenges and triumphs in the coming year, and at St Paul’s I know that your teachers and friends will stand beside you and help you in every way they possibly can.  In saying that, I’d like to thank my teachers, who all turned what seemed to be a bleak year into an enjoyable one, and to all other staff at St Paul’s, who contribute to the family-like nature of our school.  My Mum is the person who I thank the most for my achievements today though.  Throughout Year 12 and previous years she constantly motivated my brother and I and provided us with the best possible tools for the challenges of VCE.  The achievements I have made throughout the years are all dedicated and a product of her hard work and optimism, and I am sincerely grateful to have such a wonderful Mum.

For the current Year 12 students – within this year it is important to push yourselves, to have a passion for the goals you want to achieve.  However, it is also important to occasionally take a step back, have a break and relax, because whilst this might be a challenging year, it is also one of the most enjoyable.  Don’t be disappointed if you don’t meet your expectations on SACs or tests – the most important part of learning is gaining the resolve and determination to achieve better next time, and I believe that all of you have the willpower to triumph over all aspects of this coming year.  There will be times when you feel discouraged but I urge you to push forwards, with our school motto in mind, ‘ever onwards’.  But at the end of the day – and I’m sure you’ll hear this a lot – VCE is not the end of your educational career and there will always be a pathway which leads you where you want to go.  Whatever pathway you end up walking, I wish you well within those future endeavours.

And finally, again to the Class of 2020, I am amazed at how many people are sitting here today, and I am also truly grateful for the experiences undertaken and friendships made throughout not only this year but all years before too.  I know that your futures hold success, and as both Connor and Jesse have now mentioned, we are the golden year level.  Good luck with everything the future holds.

Thank you.”