Each year we celebrate with our students and familes as the rewards many years work are realised. This year is no exception and the 'Class of 2023' - the young women and men who have already launched into to the next phase of life's learning, should feel very proud. Together with their support network of parents, teachers, mentors and friends they found focus through the challenges of VCE and made a great comittment and every effort to achieve their best. They go with fond memories and our heartiest best wishes, to a future for which they are well equipped.
A great achievement

Huge congratulations from all in the Westbourne community go to the fine young people who represent our Class of 2023. Throughout their years at Westbourne, this group has exemplified our values and are leaving equipped with a myriad leadership skills that will serve them well in the years ahead.

Adrian Camm | Principal

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...and remember these words of wisdom from some great minds. ‘Be yourself; everyone else is already taken’ (Oscar Wilde); and ‘The mind that opens to a new idea never returns to its original size.’ (Albert Einstein).

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Class of 2023, you are a group of remarkable individuals with unique talents and potential that the world is eager to see. Our time together at Westbourne has been filled with moments of pride, growth and challenges that tested your limits. Throughout these years, you've not only gained knowledge but also wisdom. You've learned the importance of resilience, the value of hard work, and the beauty of empathy. I have every confidence that you will embrace your future with the same eagerness, commitment, courage, and resilience that you've demonstrated throughout your time at Westbourne.
Amrita Ahuja | Head of Senior School

Sonya Lil | Director of Commerce

The Class of 2023 hold a very special place in my heart. Some of them I have known since they started at Westbourne’s Children’s Centre. Over the years, I have taught the majority of them either for English, Enrichments or Legal Studies. Some of them I taught from Year 7 through to 12 with Year 9 being the only year I didn’t teach the cohort. I have also taught the older siblings of some of these students. This has meant strong connections and positive relationships have developed. These are some of the attributes that underpin our school value of Community.  Indeed, as I reflect on all that the Class of 2023 have given to the school, it has been a privilege to see how these young people have grown and flourished.

I thought that when this group of students left I would feel a great sense of loss, but the reality has been that I am excited to see where they go and what they do next. And now, as I walk around the school and into my classroom it’s wonderful to see the familiar faces of students I have known for a long time and will continue to teach. Some of them are the younger siblings of the 2023 cohort and so there is a great sense of continuity. This was further reinforced at this year’s Valedictory Dinner when I was delighted to meet two alumni from the Class of 1999 who remembered me and were keen to share some very happy memories of their time at Westbourne.

To the Class of 2023, I hope I have challenged you, made you curious, encouraged you to believe in yourself, know to take the time to breathe and use positive self-talk and understand that we are all on different journeys.  Make sure that you make the most of every opportunity that presents itself. I hope you remember the difference between may I and can I, the importance of being organised and on time and always doing your best. These life lessons will hold you in good stead.

And remember these words of wisdom from some great minds. ‘Be yourself; everyone else is already taken’ (Oscar Wilde); and ‘The mind that opens to a new idea never returns to its original size.’ (Albert Einstein).

My best wishes for the future.

Sonya Lill

Director of Commerce

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Liam Bassett | Director of Digital  Learning

I am so incredibly proud of the 2023 Year 12 cohort. It was fantastic to see the students reach the final year of their schooling journey and embrace all the opportunities that Westbourne Grammar School has to offer.  

In VCE English, the students delved into a range of texts, unravelling the complexities of characters, thematic ideas, literary techniques and the nuanced construction of language. It is emblematic of the life ahead; it’s a life where individuals will adopt critical thinking, analytical thinking and creative expression and synthesise this in unique and insightful ways. Amidst the academic rigour of Year 12, I’ve witnessed the students grow as individuals through texts such as Sunset Boulevard, Station Eleven, The Dressmaker and The Crucible. It’s heartening to see how English has not only expanded the students’ intellectual horizons but has also provided a platform for self-expression and the exploration of their own identities. 

A lot has changed since the students sat cross-legged in a Prep classroom reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar, but a lot remains the same. As the cohort ventures beyond Year 12, literacy skills will be the keys to unlocking doors to new opportunities, enabling students to express ideas with eloquence, engage with the world around them thoughtfully and contribute meaningfully to our society. I can’t wait to see what our cohort will achieve.  

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