Reflection

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Principal’s address at final assembly, term 2, 25 June 2025

I start off by saying how proud and honoured I am to stand here this morning for the first time as the 13th Principal of Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School. I am both honoured and excited to join this great sisterhood (as an honorary member, of course), this community and this proud school — and I thank you for the welcome I have already received from so many of you. 

It is a particular privilege and a great joy to speak to you today, for the first time, as the new Principal of this extraordinary school. 

I also feel the weight and the honour of the great responsibility that rests upon me — but I feel, too, the hope that lives in this place. This school — our school — has a long and distinguished history. Since 1920, it has been home to young women of intelligence, courage, grace and purpose. For over a century, generations of GHS girls have walked through these corridors, sat in these very seats, and made their mark not only in classrooms and on sports fields, but in society, business, education, in homes – in the world beyond these gates.

But a school, no matter how great its past, must never live in the shadow of what once was. As President John F. Kennedy once said, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” We are here to as a school reclaim our future. And we begin with REFLECTION — the theme for today. After all, the end of a school term is a ideal time to take stock.

In doing so, I acknowledge that this school is certainly a STRONG one. But like any school that wants to remain great — or become greater — we must ask honest questions. We need to look honestly at what we’ve done well, and where we’ve fallen short. It is a time for each of you to consider: 

• Have I worked as hard as I could? 
• Did I give my best effort in the exams? 
• Am I proud of the kind of friend, learner, and teammate I’ve been these past months?

And reflection is not about guilt or blame. It is about growth, and courage — the courage to be honest with ourselves, and the strength to act on what we discover. It is also not about regret. It is about learning. It is about owning our journeys, celebrating our growth, and recognising that we are each a work in progress. That is true for me, and it is true for every single one of us sitting in this hall. After all, we are not just preparing you young ladies for good marks and smart uniforms. We are building future leaders. And that means holding ourselves to high standards — academically, ethically, socially, and spiritually.

You will hear me speak often about the values I hold dear — values I believe should shape everything we do here at Girls’ High:

• Hard work — because there is no substitute for consistent effort.
• Kindness and tolerance — because strength without compassion is hollow.
• Integrity — because doing the right thing, especially when it’s hard, is what builds true character.
• Ambition — because I want every one of you to believe that you are capable of greatness.
• Loyalty — to this school, to each other, and to the long green line of women who came before you.
• And most of all, a powerful sense of belonging — because this is not just a school. It is your home, and it is your sisterhood.

Some of you may feel discouraged after your exams. Some may feel proud. Either way — use this holiday to reflect, recharge, and prepare. Because when you return on 22 July, I will expect more.

• Not perfection — but commitment.
• Not popularity — but purpose.
• And not excuses — but effort.

We are not here to simply maintain the past. We are here to revive, to renew, and to RISE — together. And to do so not because we are broken, but because we are ready. Because there is fire in this place. Because you, the young women of Girls’ High, are ready to show this city, this country, and yourselves what you are made of. Together, we will re-energise this great ‘Green Machine’. But it will take all of us — learners, educators, parents, and alumni — working together, supporting each other, and pushing each other to be better.

And I want to reiterate: this is not a school looking backwards. This is a school stepping boldly into its next chapter. As the African proverb says, “However long the night, the dawn will break.” And I believe the dawn is breaking here at GHS.

As the writer Maya Angelou once said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” Girls of GHS — you do know better. And you can do better. And I – we, the staff – will walk every step of that journey with you.

You young ladies are the living spirit of this Green Machine — not just in matches and chants, but in every classroom, every performance, every exam, every act of kindness, every choice to rise, instead of retreat. And make no mistake: the world needs what we are building here. 

So, as we come to the end of this 2nd academic term and of course the gruelling and stressful mid-year examinations, enjoy the break ahead. Rest well, reflect honestly, and return ready — because on Tuesday, 22 July, we begin again. And when we do, we rise.

• We rise — not just for ourselves, but for each other.
• We rise — not to repeat history, but to make it.
• We rise — because Girls’ High is, and must remain, a beacon of hope in this city: a light that burns with courage, character, and excellence.

Thank you.