As humans, we are wired to “connect”. We gather together in villages, towns, and cities. We form societies, teams, and clubs. We join Facebook groups, we connect on LinkedIn, we stay in touch on WhatsApp, we buy and sell on EBay. We are wired to connect with others.

We get frustrated when we can’t connect. How many stories have we heard of “just missed” flight connections? Or the frustration of the Wifi message that tells us “No connection available”. We want to connect.

System and network designers talk about the “network effect”. This means that each time a new member joins a network, many more connections become possible.

The mathematicians tell us that the number of connections between nodes in a network grows as the square of the number of nodes. This is what tech entrepreneurs chase – growing a network where revenue grows much faster than costs. What they are trying to cash in on is the human desire to connect with others.

One of the great challenges of COVID has been the loss of connection. Certainly, we are fortunate to have electronic tools that kept us connected in some ways, but as many of us have said, “it’s just not the same” as being with people in real life. That is part of the joy of being able to meet again as families, as school communities, in the workplace, at a concert or over a meal. It’s reminded us how important genuine connections are, and what we miss when we don’t have them.

Not only do we want to connect with others, we also want to connect beyond ourselves. People take time out to connect with nature, to gaze at the marvel of creation, to find a new perspective. We seem to be wired not only to connect with others, but to seek a connection with something greater than ourselves. We seek meaning for our lives. We look for a bigger story beyond ourselves. Our hearts seem wired to seek out meaning and purpose, and if we can’t find that purpose, life can seem empty or aimless.

This can seem like a big call – how do we make sense of the life we’ve been given to live? And it is a big question. But we’re not left alone to figure out the answer on our own. The creator God has already made the connection with us. Our Christmas celebrations remember that God entered our world in human form, to show us how to live. More than that, He showed us His power over life and death. And at the first Easter, He demonstrated that power over life and death, in His resurrection. He showed us that the meaning of life is not something we have to invent, it’s something we need to find – by connecting with God as He connects with us.

We are greatly blessed to be part of a strong and connected school community. It’s a joy to see that community in action, to see our girls grow into young adults equipped for the world and ready to make a positive contribution, reflecting the hard work of families, teachers and many others over many years.  It’s a joy to be reconnected “in real life”, not virtually.  As we celebrate the end of this school year, we share that joy of connecting with friends and with family. My prayer is that at this time, as we look towards Christmas, we would also celebrate God’s connection with us, His great love for us shown in Jesus, and the opportunity we have to connect with Him.

… the ipad came out …

… Instagram launched …

And we had wiki leaks.

Our alphas are the first generation who will be entirely born and shaped in the 21st century, and the first generation who will live into the 22nd century as well. Our Alpha Generation are mostly in our Junior School…

Students in our Senior School are known as Gen Z, born between 1995 and 2009.

Girls say things like: slay, fam, yass queen and my personal favourite … GOAT. Now to me this is a …

But I understand now this means … 

Or this one… SMH. Which to me is… Sydney Morning Herald. Has somehow become … 

...Shaking my head!

There are other slang terms that I continue to learn from our younger generation, including… Oof, yeet, idrc, rn, hundo.

FOMO into FOBO (Fear Of Missing Out has morphed into Fear Of Being Offline). 

One of the greatest tensions appears to come from this sign …

… certainly in our household.

To society, these generations are logged on and linked up – known as "digital natives". They are the most materially-endowed and technologically-literate generation to ever grace the planet!

The words "digital", "social", "global", "mobile" and "visual" convey many things about our emerging generations. 

But more than anything else, to me, this generation represents our treasured Danebank girls.

• Ashlyn in Year 1 who wants to be a chiropractor.
• Panashe in Year 8 who imagines being a physicist.
• Amy in Year 1 who loves animals and has a cat, Pom Pom.
• Ananya Year 8 …who wants to make a meaningful contribution to society.

Our precious girls - all 1021 of them - with their dreams, hopes, desires and inspirational futures before them. These are the people of their generation, whom we nurture and inspire through powerful educational opportunities to be all they were purposed to be, under God.

These are the ones for whom we:

• ignite curiosity,
• spark passions and interests,
• light the path, and
• fuel the embers of potential within our enriched culture of learning. 

Here is where sparks become flames.

• Flames of potential
• Flames of purpose
• Flames that light the way to others and make a difference in the world.

To illustrate this phenomenon, where sparks become flames, I share the following story:

Fiona Hall and her brother were born two years apart in the 1950s. They were both brilliant in widely divergent fields. Fiona was an artist, Peter a mathematician. They were raised in Oatley with their mother and father, and they loved the bush. I first came across Fiona Hall’s work at the National Gallery of Australia, in the Know My Name exhibition of women artists. The piece, "Tender" was of birds nests constructed by shredded US dollars.

Of what ignited her love and life of art, she said her parents: “… invested a lot, in their own very leftist ways, in enjoying us when we were young. When I was growing up my mother was just my mother. I vaguely knew she had this other existence. I just knew that I'd ask her a question and she would give too long an answer!"

Fiona’s mother would take her children to the Art Gallery of New South Wales and to the museum and while she didn't push anything, she fostered her daughter's clear interest in all things visual. 

Says Hall: "When you have children, you have no idea what they are going to end up doing – the classic thing is just wanting them to be happy. But our parents never would have suspected that one of us would grow up to be an artist or that my brother would be a mathematician."

Fiona Hall’s mother was Ruby Payne-Scott, a world-renowned physicist who helped establish the field of radio astronomy by using radio waves to detect solar bursts. She was forced to resign her permanent position because she was married and later left her work as a scientist as she was pregnant.  

Ruby Payne-Scott was also a former teacher at Danebank. Ms Leece, who now teaches Year 6, was one of her former students! Her ground-breaking work has only been elevated to its proper status in recent years. The New York Times began a series of obituaries called, The Overlooked, about remarkable people whose deaths beginning in 1851 went unreported in The Times. In 2018, the Times wrote about Ruby’s remarkable life. 

This year a plaque was laid outside our school’s entrance on Park Road, in memory of Ruby Payne-Scott. As the cycle of this story shows, from generation to generation, sparks of passion, interest and purpose were ignited and kindled at a young age. Ruby Payne-Scott, Fiona’s mother, inspired her daughter and nurtured sparks of creativity and potential. From early beginnings the fire was kindled. Through her influence, and the influence of others, Fiona honed her craft over time, and in turn, has used her flame to light up the world.

Ruby’s passion and interest in science and mathematics was nurtured in school and later at university. At a young age, and with multiple scholarships, Ruby studied mathematics and physics. She was only the third woman to do so at the University of Sydney. Although thwarted by the inequity of the era, these sparks began a world-changing career as a physicist and researcher.

Our teachers and staff do the same for each young woman in our care: for Amy, Karen, Charlotte and Audrey . . . all our girls - moment-by-moment, day-by-day, year-by-year. We inspire our girls and nurture their interests through our rich and holistic learning program, comprising the arts, sport, technology, mathematics, languages, literature, history, sciences, philosophy, ethics, outdoor education, clubs and activities, to list a few. 

We seek to ignite in each girl a passion for learning and equip her with the skills, dispositions, habits of mind and character she will need to flourish. 

This is the wonder of our profession, and the hope of the work we are all engaged in as a community: raising young women of influence who will serve and shape the world. The Bible tells us:

"She is clothed with strength and dignity and she smiles at the future." Proverbs 31:25.

As we consider how to best do this for our girls, we look to signposts to light our way.

Maryanne Davis, whom I invited to be with us this evening, is our beloved Principal from 2009 to 2019. She is a signpost of light to our community. She always shared her thoughts and guidance with the girls, talking to them about who they wanted to be and why. She honed student character and championed the values of our school. And, with the girls at her heart, she grounded her message in the Bible. 

A well-known and abiding theme of Mrs Davis was to Shine Like the Stars. This theme is grounded in the Bible from the book of Daniel 12:3, where it says:

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” 

Tonight, as we continue to instil these same values and the message of the gospel in our students, and as we continue to light the flame within, we seek to honour her and her ongoing legacy with an inaugural Shine Like Stars Award for our Junior and Senior School girls. 

I now invite Mrs Davis to the stage to award the inaugural Shine Like Stars award this evening. 

The Shine Like Stars award celebrates an exceptional student (in Junior and Senior School respectively) who demonstrates a passion for developing her relationship with God, a growing commitment to her faith and a willingness to share with others. The student is a guiding light to her peers through her behaviour. She displays a love of learning, challenges herself and inspires others through her efforts, embracing the diversity of opportunities at Danebank. 

• The Junior School award goes to Karen Ghaly.
• The Senior School award is tonight given to Athena Jiang. 

It has been said (Tony Benn) that in politics and life there are weathercocks and signposts. Weathercocks will spin in whatever direction the wind of public opinion may blow them, no matter what principle they have, to compromise. 

And then there are signposts, signposts which stand true, and tall, and principled. And they point in a direction toward a better society.

Maryanne Davis and principals past light the way for us. They were pioneers, passionate educators, strong Christians who were innovative and at the leading edge of education for girls and young women for their time. At their heart were the girls. Providing a futures-focused, progressive Christian education that enabled each student to flourish in every aspect of their lives was their aim.

They consistently looked to the future and envisioned new possibilities with a sense of hope and trust in God. Today, we do the same. We remain grounded in our heritage whilst we reach for the future.

• We are a vibrant, passionate community of learners
• Where every girl matters and we aspire that every girl belongs.
• We’re fiercely proud of our traditional values
• Yet fully in step with the modern world.
• Our girls are empowered with faith, compassion and optimism
• To fulfill their potential and live out their purpose
• To hone their character and
• Be a potent force for good in the world.
• And become everything they can be.

At Danebank powerful educational opportunities are fused with a unique learning culture. This is a special place where girls grow and flourish…

Danebank … Where sparks become flames.

Join me now as we enjoy some of the highlights of our endeavours this year as we have enriched our learning and endeavoured to improve all we do for our girls.  

References:

• McCrindle Research Gen Z and Gen Alpha https://mccrindle.com.au/article/topic/generation-z/gen-z-and-gen-alpha-infographic-update/
• National Art Gallery of Australia- Know My Name Exhibition Fiona Hallhttps://nga.gov.au/knowmyname/artists/fiona-hall/
• Overlooked No More: Rub Payne-Scott, Who Explored Space With Radio Waveshttps://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/29/obituaries/ruby-payne-scott-overlooked.html
• Ruby Payne-Scott Stood Out in the Crowd https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/ruby-payne-scott-stood-out-in-the-crowd/
• Venice Biennale brings Fiona Fall face to face with the enemyhttps://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/venice-biennale-brings-fiona-hall-face-to-face-with-the-enemy-20150224-13mdaq.html

Do you believe that you can influence the world you live in or do you believe that you are impacted by everything around you. Personally, I believe that it is both. We all have power. We can all be in charge of our response to the world.  But everything around us has an impact on us, whether that be positive or negative.

We, as humans, have learnt to adapt to changes and uncertainty where we each acquire the knowledge to stay grounded and present. This is how we are wired. We are wired to connect with others and find a sense of closeness to those around us. A sense of belonging is crucial in our lives. Starting from the first friend we make in kindergarten to those supporting us through our hardships. We all long for human connection. For that sense of acceptance. This concept of belonging is determined with the relationship we have with others, with our family, our friends and within the Danebank community. An individual can find their true sense of belonging when with people they feel most comfortable around. Within the Perfect Body this year we created a sense of belonging through our theme of “Feeling 22”, aiming to build a sense of connection between students and teachers as well as cementing the values of simple actions from one another. We found that having a support system to ground us when unwanted influences become overwhelming is key if we want a sense of belonging. 

Within each of us is a string of complex aspirations that makes us who we are and alters the way we see our surroundings. We are all extraordinary people with the ability to change someone else’s life. We are each given unique gifts and qualities by God, enabling us to leave a lasting impact on someone.  However, we need to be aware and open to our surroundings to make that difference. Each of us are protagonists in our own world. Our own story. But if you want to make that difference, you must take action and be the change you want to see. I believe that each and every one of us engraves a part of ourselves into the people we meet. From your friends in the playground to the stranger you spoke to at the coffee shop. This is the reason we can not overlook the small actions that we take every day.  We must understand the impact we make on others and the world around us. 

But just as you are able to influence others through your actions, other people are able to influence yours. Surround yourself with people who uplift you. We build ourselves upon the way we respond to problems but also through how others respond as well. We all have role models, for me, it was my parents, teachers and my friends who I looked up to and sought inspiration from. You act the way you want to be in the world and sometimes filtering the unwanted influences can feel inescapable. But those negative impacts of life are inevitable. Nevertheless, these negative impacts on your life are ones that you will not only overcome, but grow from. You are in charge of what you let impact you.

On average we have more than 6,000 thoughts a day and in our lifetime, we will see nearly 3 million faces. The purpose of our lives is perhaps not in our understanding but we should all understand our ability to alter one other’s life. Everything we do and everything we say has a lasting impact on the world.  Everything is connected. By nature, small things don’t have a big impact by themselves and seem to go unnoticed. Both the small positive and negative impacts influence another. And through them, there is a major result. But do we ever stop and think about how each person, each piece of knowledge we gain is impacting our every thought and feeling?

We wake up every morning completely used to the world we inhabit.The grandeur and intricacies of the earth we walk on everyday fade into our minds with little importance. These past few years, I’ve started to pay more attention to the things happening around me. Smiling to those around school, holding the door open for someone. And, in doing so, I have learnt the importance of acting in the love of God's nurturing way. Being a part of the Danebank community, we hear the school motto, Ut Prosim, that I may serve, from the moment we step into the Danebank gates to the moment we leave. Through my years at Danebank, I was influenced to serve by participating in the World’s Greatest Shave, cutting off 40cm of my hair to send a powerful message and raise funds for the 135,000 Australian families facing leukaemia. We are surrounded by so many people who have served the school and wider community and I encourage you to be inspired to serve as well. You may recognise the faces around you as you walk around school every day, but it is you who creates the community through your attitudes with others. Go out of your way to serve others and create that sense of belonging.

We have all been taught the importance of serving and how through it, you can help others feel that sense of belonging and community that we all desire. We are fortunate to have the support of those around us in this Danebank community. This community that we belong to is decided upon you. You create community by the attitude you have towards others. The Danebank community you belong to, has a purpose. But what is your purpose in the community?

From Poppy falling through a window on our excursion to Canberra or me tickling Daniella for just a little too long, allowing her the opportunity to kick me in the face resulting in a horrible nose bleed or the time where I snuck back into the hallway to retrieve Adina’s hat for her, only to get caught and made to sit in front of the principals office to which Adina decided would be the best opportunity to ask me to throw her, her hat so she could go play. But most importantly meeting my closest friend, Taylor in Kindergarten while we sat in a circle passing KA’s class pet, Ben, around. 

Danebank has provided me with a place to grow and develop while also presenting me with the opportunity to meet the most amazing, talented and kind hearted people to go along on this rollercoaster with me. Danebank has allowed me to make lifelong friendships and memories with not only my peers but also other students around me. The people I have met over these 13 years and the numerous memories we have made together are something I’ll cherish in my years to come and hope that every student who steps into the four walls of Danebank will have the opportunity to experience too.  

To the future graduating classes of Danebank I’ll leave you with some advice: “No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind”.

The people sitting beside you, are the people who are going to get you through your school years. They’ll be the shoulders you cry on, the people you frantically text in the middle of the night, they’re the people you'll go to when you need advice or when you need help studying for a big exam, and they’re the people you reminisce on old memories of making Angie P film the prison tram for you while your head was tucked into her shoulder because you were too scared to look at the mannequins dressed up as prisoners, but most importantly, the people sitting beside you are your friends. Keep them close and maybe school will be tolerable.

K-12’s from the class 2022, you are my day ones and the people I cherish the most. Spending the last 13 years with you has been a blast. Thank you for being my support system and giving me enough memories to last a lifetime. Good luck on your future endeavours, and the new journey you are about to embark on. I am proud of each and everyone of you and I wish you all the best.