Dear Parents

It’s been a busy and emotional two weeks as we celebrated our award winners at the annual Prize Giving, experienced OE Day only for the second time in five years due to COVID and rain, and then said farewell to our matric class of 2024 at the Valedictory Service. I commend our Matric Class of 2024 for how they have conducted themselves over the last few weeks of school. A Matric Class is always remembered for how they leave school and the Class of 2024 have done so with dignity and respect. We will miss them as they move into the next phase of their lives. As they leave us, we acknowledge that life for them will not always be a straight path. Sometimes, it will be filled with unexpected turns, obstacles, and setbacks. However, what will be important for them, is not how often they fall, but how they choose to rise. Each failure, or difficulty, is an opportunity to learn and build strength. In moments of struggle, we are reminded that resilience is a muscle. The more you practice it, the stronger it becomes. As young adults, they will not always have control over what happens to them, but they can learn to control how to respond, remembering, that the greatest growth often occurs in the toughest moments.

A common theme from the annual Prize Giving and Valedictory speeches was the sense of community at Woodridge. This is a space where every individual can find their tribe. It’s a place where friendships are cemented for life, and you are part of something much bigger than yourself. At Woodridge, people come first and it’s our connections with others that make this school such a special place. Over the Half-Term break, many of our students were involved in sporting tournaments and festivals. Our U14 boys’ cricketers were in Cape Town, our U14 boys and girls water polo players were in East London and our 1st team boys and girls water polo teams participated in the Woodridge Stayers Water Polo Tournament. All our sportsmen and sportswomen were wonderful ambassadors and as a school, we continue to often punch above our weight against much bigger schools. Of course, these tours would not be possible if it were not for our dedicated staff who give up holidays and family time to ensure the students in their care can perform at a top level.

Over the course of the next few weeks, the school will start changing...

To continue reading, please download the newsletter HERE