That special ingredient that turns similarly-aged students into a cohort, a collection of individuals into a community, and our school into a second home was on display at Year 12 Celebration Day which occurred last Friday.

Celebration Day marked a beautiful opportunity to farewell the Class of 2025, also known as Shichvat Yuval, as they completed their formal classes and moved into the period of SWOTVAC that leads into their final examinations.

The day involved the students participating in some group and individual reflection about the impact of their time at The King David School.

We had a morning tea where students and staff were able to come together, reminisce and take photos. What struck me was that our students were quick and generous with their gratitude to our incredible staff and that the staff members demonstrated the unique warmth and support that characterises the staff-student connections at our school. At King David, the student-teacher relationship is not a mere service arrangement, but a genuine, mutual and lasting connection built on care and respect.

However, the real power of Celebration Day was demonstrated in the Year 6 to Year 12 assembly where we heard a beautiful tribute to the cohort delivered by some Year 11 students and then were blown away with speeches from members of the Class of 2025. They provided emotional and nostalgic reflection on how the School shaped them, their profound gratitude to their teachers and their unequivocal love and support for their peers.

The staff and students could not help but be overcome as the students transitioned between laughter and tears, shared funny and moving anecdotes and personal reflections on why their school experience meant so much to them.

There was not a dry eye in the hall when the cohort linked arm in arm and sang the school song with gusto at the end of the assembly.

Celebration Day concluded with a relatively new tradition where the whole of Magid Campus lined up from the rear sports oval to the front gate and formed a guard of honour that our graduating class passed through as they said farewell to on-campus life.

What was abundantly clear in sharing in this special day was not only that the School has achieved great success in building a brilliant cohort who enjoy the unique contribution of each unique member, but that each of these students represents a wonderful reflection of the values and culture of our School.

The final year of schooling is full of last moments. I am so proud that we were able to gift the Class of 2025 such a beautiful last day. I am certain that you join with me in wishing them b’hatzlacha for their intensive study period before their upcoming examinations.

Shabbat Shalom,
Marc Light