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24 October, 2019 Community

Valedictory Day – Farewelling the Class of 2019

Valedictory Day is a significant milestone for our Year 12 students and marks their final day of school and the culmination of their Valedictory Week celebrations.

As it is every year, this year’s Valedictory Day on Thursday 17 October was a wonderful opportunity for the School community to come together and farewell the graduating Class of 2019.

The graduating Class of 2019 has been a group with a diverse range of interests, passions and personalities. They leave St Michael’s with a strong sense of connectedness, both to each other and to the School community. The memory of this cohort will undoubtedly be their obvious camaraderie and support for each other, characterised by close and loyal friendships, as well as an awareness of their own agency and a desire to be the change they want to see in the world.Mr Ben Jeacocke, Director (10-12)

Year 12 students arrived at School and gathered outside St Georges Church where they enjoyed a BBQ breakfast and were entertained by musical performances from their talented classmates. In keeping with tradition, the students all created wonderful outfits inspired by the School’s various pieces of uniform.

The students then entered the School gates for the last time as students where they were greeted by the traditional guard of honour.

Watch this wonderful tradition in the video below.

A feature of Valedictory Day is the formal Valedictory Eucharist in All Saints Church, the students’ final Eucharist as students of St Michael’s.

Co-Captains of the School (7-12), Sara and Bas, addressed the congregation, offering their sincere thanks to the St Michael’s community and fondly farewelling their classmates.

Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for us all, where we move on from St Michael’s and take our next steps in the world. Everyone here has so much to offer in life beyond school as we not only leave here today as students but as our own people, who have been encouraged by those around us to excel outside of the classroom.Co-captains of the School (7-12), Sara and Bas

At the conclusion of the service, each student took a candle bearing the School Crest, lit it from the St Michael’s candle, and took their flame out into the world as they walked from the Church.

  • valedictory-day-farewelling-the-class-of-2019
    Students light their candles together
  • valedictory-day-farewelling-the-class-of-2019
    Leaving the church for the final time as students

At the conculusion of Valedictory Day, the young adults of the Class of 2019 dined with their parents, guardians and staff at the National Gallery of Victoria for the annual Valedictory Dinner.

We are extremely proud of this year’s graduating Class. We enjoyed witnessing their friendships, support of one another and celebrations during Valedictory Week, and we wish them all the best as they embark on their upcoming examinations and begin their journeys beyond the School gates.