VPHS
Prize-Giving Speech
Dario Patsalos
of their abilities and natural talents. We have learnt
so much through all of our experiences here, about
others and more importantly, about ourselves, and
this is the springboard for the people that we will
become for the rest of our lives.
Throughout our years at this school, above all else,
the most important things that we have been taught
are how to think for ourselves and to turn a thought
into a reality. As Walt Disney once said, ‘If you
dream it, you can do it.’ And Victoria Park has certainly taught us how to dream big.
Over the course of the last 5 years we have all been
moulded in some way into the people we are today
by this wonderful school. There have been many
people who have helped us grow and to realize our
potential and many of them are in this hall today.
To our unbelievable teachers; you have guided us
through our high school years with love and care.
You’ve helped nurture us from adolescence and
contributed to us growing into the people we are today. You have helped set up foundations that will
allow us to grow into adults that are able to cope
with whatever the world has to throw at us and for
this we are extremely grateful.
Good morning Mr Vermaak, honoured guests, parents, teachers, pupils and most importantly, the
Matrics of 2014.
Our day has finally arrived, a day that many thought
would never come. We have moved through the
ranks of our school. From sitting on this floor as
nervous yet enthusiastic Grade 8’s, to the confident
seniors of the school in just a matter of years. The
beginning of high school may have been all Greek
to us, well some of us, but we’ve all survived.
To our parents, guardians and family members: you
have been our support systems throughout these essential 12 years of our lives. There are honestly no
words that I can think of to describe the significant
contribution you all have made to our schooling careers and we cannot thank you enough.
This morning we are here to celebrate excellence,
excellence that has been achieved by many of our
learners in all spheres of the school. The word ‘excellence’ can be described in many different ways
and its description varies from person to person. My
simple definition of this word would be, the best result possible that you are able to achieve. The Matrics of 2014 have embodied this definition, as their
overall commitment to the school and their success
has been overwhelming.
To the Matrics: the next few weeks may be some of
the most important of our entire lives. The hardest
part of any challenge is the ending and these last
weeks of our high school careers represent an opportunity, an opportunity for us to take the next step
in achieving our own success. We can use all that
we have been taught as a platform to improve, and
to achieve bigger and better things in our lives.
We are privileged to have attended this multi-talented school. To receive an education is not something
that is shared by all children in the world. The number of people without basic education is staggering
and yet we are so lucky to be at a school with such
high academic standards.
I am here today as a proud Victorian and I have been
one for the past 5 years. I have many times said that
this school is a place where everyone has a purpose,
a place where they can excel by showcasing the best
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