Head of College - Mr Richard Ford
Our focus this last week has been on Year 12 during their last week of formal classes before they head off to prepare for final examinations next term.
During these holidays, Year 12 will be engaged in study. For all other students, I trust that you enjoy a time of rest in preparation for making the most of the final term of 2026.
Included below is my message to the graduating Class of 2026. While the message was to Year 12, much of it is equally relevant to all students at the College.
Good afternoon, students, staff, families and most importantly, the graduating Class of 2026.
For our Year 12 students, this assembly marks a significant moment.
It is almost the end of one chapter. Soon another chapter will begin.
In a matter of weeks, you will sit your final examinations.
Before long, you will leave the College gates one final time.
You will leave carrying memories, friendships, achievements, lessons and hopes for the future.
Over the course of this last week, there have been several moments of reflection and time to look back on your school years.
For a moment now, I instead wish to look ahead to what lies before you.
As I do this, I am going to direct your attention to the symbols that make up the College’s crest.
These are more than design elements; they are visual reminders of the values, faith and purpose that we hope will shape your lives long after you leave this College.
Our hope for each Year 12 student here this afternoon is that even after you wear the crest that is on your blazer that final time, what the crest represents will continue to shape who you are, long into the future.
I must confess that it was only this week that I stopped and thought about the crest I wore as a boy on my blazer thirty odd years ago.
It is possible that, like me, you have not stopped to think much about the College crest and the ideals for life that it holds up.
So, on this your final assembly, let’s take one good final look together.
The Bible
The largest part of the Scots All Saints College crest is the open Bible.
Throughout your years at this College, many parts of the Bible have been opened with you.
As that has happened, we have encouraged you to wrestle with life’s biggest questions: who am I; why am I here; what is true; and how should I live?
As you approach your examinations now, while the Bible does not directly speak about exams, it does encourage hard work.
The Bible teaches that God calls us to use the gifts we have been given, and to make the most of every opportunity.
At the same time, the Bible repeatedly encourages us to trust in God and to cast all our anxiety on Him, because he cares for each one of you.
As you approach the coming weeks, I hope that you can do your best and then place the outcome and the future in God’s hands.
I hope that your education here has helped you grow in knowledge of the world, knowledge of yourselves, knowledge of God, and this knowledge is helping to shape your purpose for life and what you go on to learn next and do next.
In a few minutes, every Year 12 student will be presented with a gift from the College.
Each year, the gift Year 12 receives is a Bible.
It is our prayer that years from now, in moments of celebration, uncertainty, success and struggle, you will continue to open God’s Word and find truth, wisdom, purpose and hope within its pages.
The Lion
Positioned on the right of the crest is the Lion. The Lion represents Christ, the Lion of Judah, victorious and strong. It reminds us to be strong and courageous when it would be easy to be afraid or discouraged.
Year 12, courage will be essential in the weeks ahead.
Some of you will experience anxiety about examinations. Some may worry about results, pathways or decisions that still lie ahead.
Courage is not the absence of fear, but courage does often involve choosing what is right in the presence of fear.
As you leave the College, there will be moments when you will be called to stand apart from the crowd. You may be the lone voice speaking against injustice, the person who chooses integrity over convenience, or the friend who stands beside someone who is struggling.
Our hope for you is that the value of respect which has been instilled in you at the College will motivate you to have this type of courage.
In the years ahead, may the Lion you have worn on your jacket always remind you that having the courage to do what is right is always worth the cost.
The Cross
To the left of the lion, we have the Cross, which reminds us of Christ’s ultimate act of sacrifice, love and compassion.
The Cross teaches us the importance of giving our all and giving our best in service of others.
As you sit your examinations, give your very best effort, not because your worth depends upon a score, but because giving your all is part of becoming who you were created to be.
Your ATAR may open doors, but your character and commitment to service will determine the influence for good that you have on communities in the years ahead.
Beyond school, there will be times when compassion requires patience, generosity,
forgiveness, or sacrifice.
There will be occasions when helping someone else means putting their needs ahead of your own.
Our hope is that this College has taught you that true greatness is not found in what you get in life, but in what you give.
May the Cross that you have worn here at the College remind you that a life marked by compassion and service is one of the greatest gifts you can bring to this world.
The Southern Cross
Positioned in between the cross, there is also the Southern Cross.
The stars of the Southern Cross are there to represent the land we share and the communities we serve across Bathurst, the Central West and beyond.
As graduates, each of you will travel different paths. Some will remain close to home. Others will move far away. Some careers are already clear while others are only beginning to emerge.
Wherever your journey leads, our hope is that you will always be looking for opportunities to come together with other people to shape a brighter future for all.
The brightest futures are rarely built alone. They are built by people who work together and unite around a common purpose. The world does not need more people focused solely on themselves and their personal success. It needs people who are willing to work together with others for the good of others.
As graduates of Scots All Saints College, may you carry hope into every place you go and unite with others to bring light to workplaces, universities and communities.
All for Christ
Finally, underneath the College Crest is the College Motto, “All For Christ”.
These three words express a hope that the founders of this College had for all students.
They could have chosen something light-hearted like J.K. Rowling did when she came up with the motto for Hogwarts: “Never tickle a sleeping dragon”. Instead, they chose to focus in on their greatest hope for each student who attends this College.
Their hope for you was not simply that you achieve excellent examination results, secure rewarding careers or enjoy successful lives. Their deepest hope was that you would know Christ, that you would know that Jesus is good news and true, and that throughout your life you would seek to serve God and others in all aspects of your life.
Year 12, I hope and trust that as you leave today, you are carrying with you many good gifts that you have acquired on your journey here at the College.
Your family, along with the staff and students here today to celebrate with you, have all helped to provide these good gifts. I know that, with me, you will want to express your gratitude over your last few times on campus to all of these people.
Next term, when you finally take your blazer off one last time, do take a good final look at the College Crest you have been wearing all these years. Carry an image of this crest in your mind’s eye with you into the future. But do not simply hold onto the image; carry with you into the future what these images represent.
May the open Bible guide you to seek truth and live and learn with purpose all your days.
May the Lion give you courage to stand for what is right, even on the hardest of days.
May the Cross inspire a life of compassion, sacrifice and service that is a gift to every community you join.
May the Southern Cross in the night sky always remind you of the hope you bring to the world when you shine brightly together with others.
May our motto, “All for Christ”, shape not only the weeks ahead, but the years and decades to come.
Congratulations, Class of 2026. We are proud of the people you have grown to be. We are excited for the people you will become. We pray God’s richest blessings on your future and, until we meet again, may God hold you tightly in the palm of His hand.
Mr Richard Ford
Head of College
