Principal's Message
The last twelve months have seen us strengthen our ties as a community school and enter into wonderful partnerships with outside organizations who have helped us enrich the lives of the students at Lanyon High. We all know that schools are complex organizations and becoming increasingly so. Many members of staff, not teachers alone have contributed to the development of the wonderful student body we have at Lanyon High.
Fine teachers have put together balanced and thoughtful education programs to nurture the creative, academic, social, physical and emotional development of our students over many years. Many of those teachers are still here today but in paying tribute and saying thanks I acknowledge the work of the executive and in particular my Deputy Glenys Patulney.
As well as teachers, Lanyon High has had really fine administrative staff who have worked hard for our students. Their work is less public, but no less important in the contribution they make to our work as a team in a school. They attend to the details and tasks that are important in a well run school.
When I looked through this year’s year book I was just amazed at the skills and achievements of our young people in all fields of learning. Our students have been recognized through excellence in numerous Australian competitions and as a school we have achieved national awards. Our school band received a bronze in the recent eisteddfod, on the sporting fields our students are acknowledged as excellent young sports men and women. Also, professionally, our teachers have been acknowledged for their excellence by awards and invitations to speak at interstate and national and international conferences.
To our superb Year 10 students who are moving on to college or work – Thank you for your contribution!
Leigh Atkinson of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers said, “Choose not the life of limitation”. What I believe he is saying here is that you must believe in yourself and your dreams and make plans to achieve them, no matter how difficult that might sometimes seem. You must not allow yourself to fall into the trap of excusing failures by thinking you are not good enough or smart enough or talented enough. If you limit yourself like this you will never discover how far you can go!
As you begin your senior years of schooling or your employment, make plans that will help you achieve your goals and dreams. Find a passion and work towards it. Be prepared to put in the work to reach where you want to be. Find the strength to ignore those who would see you fail and never allow others to belittle your dreams and ambitions. Never compromise until you have done everything you can to reach your dream.
There is nothing wrong with aiming high and failing; but there is waste in failing if you didn’t try in the first place. So dare to dream and when you as old as me you’ll have no regrets!!! From time to time, I trust you’ll look back on your life and be proud to see your life as one well lived and filled with achievement. I hope that you will have enjoyed more laughter than tears. I trust as you grow you will use your experiences and skills learnt at Lanyon High to identify the strengths in people, their gentleness, that you will have found goodness in others and you will be kind.
I wish you good health, a strong and positive attitude to your school work, your work, your friendships and your goals. Most of all I wish you to continue to be the happy, natural and good hearted people I have found you to be. I wish you every success in the future.
As you go into this next stage of your life, look back and remember the friends you have made at Lanyon High. Know you have been part of the Lanyon High story and indeed and indeed Lanyon High is part of your story. Have a wonderful life and always remember you have attended the best high school in Canberra!! Congratulations and thank you Year 10.
Have a wonderful festive season and I will truly look forward to another year of working together in 2008.
Jeanine Catton
