Senior Speech Day 2025
GHS Speech Day 2025, Address by Mr Marwick, Friday 17 October 2025
Good morning, distinguished guests, staff, parents, and of course our departing Grade 12s – as well as our other young ladies, of this, our noble school. It is an immense honour for me to address you at this, my very first Speech Day as the Principal of the Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School.
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Today is a day of celebration. It is a day to recognise perseverance and the marvellous talents of our young women. It is also a day of reflection, as we acknowledge the journey that has brought you young ladies before me to this point —the friendships forged, the lessons learned, and yes, the occasional late-night panic over a deadline or exam!
As I gaze down at you, our Grade 12s, I am struck not only by your achievements but by your poise, your character, and the energy you have brought to this school. You are, in every sense, the culmination of 15 years of schooling – but also of learning, growing, and preparing to take your place in the world. And, ladies, today is your day!
But let us also take a moment to reflect on the world you are all about to enter.
It is a world of enormous possibilities—but also of enormous challenges. Even as we celebrate this morning, we cannot ignore that international relationships remain fragile, especially in the Middle East; that conflicts continue in places like the Ukraine and Sudan; that climate change looms ever larger; that mental health concerns are real and pervasive; and that mismanagement too often threatens the cohesion of our own fragile yet determined society, here on the tip of Africa.
I tell you this not to dampen your spirits, but to emphasise the truth: the world needs courageous, capable, and resilient young people more than ever. And this is where your education, your values, and your time at Girls’ High come into their fullest significance. You have been nurtured here at the Green Machine to be thoughtful, compassionate and brave. You have, I hope, learned to balance intellect with empathy, curiosity with discipline, and independence with service.
These qualities will stand you in good stead as you step beyond the warm and protective embrace of this, your Alma Mater.
The French philosopher and writer, Albert Camus, once wrote the – FOR ME – very stirring and inspiring line –
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”
What a perfect sentiment for this moment!
For each of you, there will be winters in your life—times of challenge, of doubt, of difficulty. But you simply must believe that within you lies that invincible summer: your capacity to endure, to persevere, to hope, and to thrive.
It is that inner summer, cultivated over years of study, challenge and growth at GHS, that will carry you through the inevitable winters of life.
And yes, life is rarely easy.
But, as the great English lawyer FE Smith reminded us: “The world continues to offer glittering prizes to those who have stout hearts and sharp swords.”
The prizes are there—opportunity, fulfilment, achievement—but they are earned by hard work, and by refusing to shrink in the face of adversity.
At Girls’ High, we have also been cultivating character and courage in more immediate and tangible ways – there have been many highlights in 2025.
- From the excellent 2024 Matric results, which saw GHS girls attain a Bachelor’s Pass rate of 93% – which, I might add, was far superior to the rate attained further down the road!
- I think of the third annual STEM Fair, and the Grade 8 badge and bell-ringing ceremony that I heard such wonderful things about.
- To the fabulous Reunion Day with nearly 400 Old Girls in attendance, some grey-haired and venerable, but all united by a loyalty and love for their old school.
- I think of the Hindu Society Evening, the cook-off, the champion debaters, and (being an old history teacher) the centenary in August of the old, red-brick main school block, that has been the centre of GHS since 1925.
- I pay tribute to the success of our 1st Team basketball, I think of the fabulous music played by our bands and orchestra, the Seasons’ Ball, the art exhibition, the dancing, the revamped boarding spaces and the renovated swimming pool, which now – at long last – sparkles gloriously in the October sunshine.
- And the seemingly countless young ladies, who represented their school in Olympiads, eisteddfods, quizzes and other competitions, in the many, many initiatives driven by their societies and clubs, and in the many sports on offer, from athletics to table-tennis, from hockey to soccer, from netball to waterpolo, and from squash to, yes, RUGBY.
Ladies and gentlemen, let us acknowledge every member of this great sisterhood of the #GreenMachine, who turned up, gave of their best, and contributed to the all-round success of our school this year.
This morning, of course, we pay special tribute to a relatively small group of our young women – the prize-winners.
Many of them already wear green blazers that are heavily laden with badges, scrolls and braiding, and have already been bestowed with some of the school’s most glittering rewards.
But behind every award, certificate and trophy, today, there is effort and often the unseen sacrifice that makes success possible.
To our winners today, we honour you. Well done.
And this year, in the short time I have been here, I have seen something extraordinary: a renewed vigour in your school – in our school. In our classrooms and in our BE, in our sports and cultural programmes, in our corridors and our common rooms, and in Governing Body and management meetings —there is I believe an ever-growing sense of optimism and purpose that is palpable.
This is not boastfulness – it is simply a recognition that when young people and their teachers – and parents – come together with commitment, creativity and joy, anything is possible.
So, to our Grade 12s: you are about to embark on a remarkable journey. But remember and embrace the truth that life is a long journey, full of peaks and troughs, and that the only way to truly fail is to stop moving forward.
To our younger girls: watch these departing seniors with admiration, learn from them, and be inspired to shape your own path with the same determination.
Their successes today are a roadmap, but your future will be written by you, starting now.
As I end off, I also wish to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude.
- To our dedicated staff, whose tireless commitment shapes each girl not only intellectually but morally and socially too.
- To the parents, whose support and care – and school fees! – create the environment in which our girls flourish.
- To our Governing Body – for your tireless dedication, willingness to try new things, and creative leadership.
- And to the girls themselves, whose enthusiasm and perseverance are the very heart of our school.
In closing, let today be not only a recognition of what has been achieved by these young women, but a celebration of what is yet to come.
May the invincible summer within each of you young ladies continue to grow, may your hearts remain stout, and may your metaphorical swords remain sharp. Life will ask much of you, but you are ready. And Girls’ High is cheering for you, every step of the way.
Congratulations, Grade 12s of 2025. May your futures be bright, bold, and filled with every possible opportunity to thrive, contribute and shine.
Thank you.