Dear Distinguished guests, Parents, Teachers and Students, good morning and welcome to our Chinese New Year Concert…
If you will bear with me for a moment, I am aware that this is our A2 graduation, but allow me to digress…. And read you some important words:
“Dear teachers and students, good afternoon. In the quiet between the years, we gather and celebrate together. We gather to listen, to feel, to begin anew. And as we begin, we must remember: 2026 is the Year of the Horse. The Horse does not stand still. It signifies a journey – moving forward with purpose and grace. So let this concert be our first, shared stride into this new year. Welcome, everyone, to our New Year Concert. Let the journey begin.”
These were the opening words of our A2 students on our Student Executive Leadership Team at our New Year Concert this year. Those words themselves resonated with me as a very important introduction because they are as important for our A2 students today at graduation as they were for the concert.
This is the Year of the Horse … Oh, let me interrupt – its actually my year! I guess that must make me 24 or 36 or something!
This is the Year of the Horse, and the Horse does not stand still, as A2, you are not going to stand still you are going to walk across this stage and graduate today – all of you, and then go on to get your excellent results in August and move forward to your university destinations, to embark on your amazing further studies. Your journey begins…
Just think about those journeys… Consider how they will be and how you will be…
You are going to college and studying those fantastic courses and whither next? Where will your journey take you beyond college?
And what kind of journey will your life give you?
Past what strange vistas will you travel? What strange sights will you see?
What new environments – oceans, deserts, forests, cities and wonderlands.
Maybe for some of you, in the future your journey will even take you beyond our world and into space.
Your journey; who will you meet along the way?
I, for one have already met you on your journeys and I am proud to have fulfilled the role of Principal for you over these years as you grow and develop, learning the skills and understanding that make you who you are, paving the way for your entry into those wonderful universities that you have selected.
I am proud of your achievements, not just the exam results but all your successes
– exams and competitions and sports wins and performances but also successful presentations in lessons and personal achievements
– ones that may only have meaning for you – like a PB in a race on sports day or a presentation in class that you put so much effort into or even just asking someone for a date for the first time
– those achievements are yours – everything you have done is yours and nobody will take it away from you.
So be proud of yourselves – I, for example, being a naturally shy person remember my first ever assembly and being able to just stand up and speak, what an achievement…
A2 graduates, you are SCIEers – be proud of yourselves, you are part of a great tradition of more than 20 years of graduates from before you were even born! And all of them striding forward on their journeys.
I wonder who else you will meet as you follow the endless road of life. Greet them all for me – treat them equitably and fairly and try to get on with all of them, no matter how unimportant the meetings may seem, for you never know what else the future may have in store.
There will be people you meet over this coming year who will go on to be great friends, maybe business partners, or even life partners – and when you first meet them, those first impressions – how will they think of you?
Your journey, I know, will certainly be different, with AI engaging with and changing our world.
You will study things at college and beyond, that I have never even heard of and create new things that have no name as yet. Technology will have so many influences on your world and journey.
Some influences you may not even notice as a change – even just over your lives we have all become accustomed to pinch enlarge and scrolling up/down, even sideways. Used to be quite different.
How many more changes – when will people not understand driving because cars will have no driving seat as standard – and children will not make car sounds the same as they will all be electric…
What else will change in the very fabric of your existence? Wow, what amazing journeys you have coming.
And how will you need to adjust to live in this new world where everyone grows up with a phone attached or implanted in their hand or maybe eventually your head – with a future chatbox interface to conjure the words and visions between yourselves and reality.
A world where many people will actually live their lives through rose coloured glasses.
And how will you keep yourself grounded in reality?
For you, the challenge will be knowing what is real and what is imaginary – and that can be confusing – because it is true that: I am real but i is imaginary.
Remember your SELT’s words – the Year of the Horse signifies a journey – moving forward with Purpose and Grace.
So as you move forwards on the next step of your journey in this Year of the Horse, stride with Purpose
– choose your future and purposefully reach towards it – what options or electives do you need next year to achieve that purpose? What are you doing to help yourself succeed. Be clear to yourself of your purpose.
If you have a strong purpose, a good purpose then you should find naturally that you move with grace.
And if you have no idea of your purpose and really are just wandering aimlessly, I will give you a secret tip…
pretend you know your purpose and where you are going and step forward gracefully – most people will never notice.
And so, A2, look forward to your life ahead and your journey of exploration through your life. Think of us you leave behind and visit us sometimes to tell us about your escapades.
Be proud of yourselves for your achievements are indeed unique – there is nobody else who will achieve what you will achieve in your life – congratulate yourself, for you have done well.
Learn what you can, make good friends along the way and see all the new things in the world that we struggle to dream of.
Remember, this is the Year of the Horse. The Horse does not stand still. It signifies a journey – moving forward with purpose and grace, so move forward today.
Share a stride across this stage, moving forwards with purpose and grace – and graduate.
Congratulations A2, for You are SCIE!
