Good morning school leaders, respected guests, parents, teachers and fellow graduates, I am Rushvida Reddy. I am extremely honored to be standing here today, representing the graduating class of 2021 as this year’s valedictorian and head prefect.
These past 6 years have been a wonderful journey, filled with many ups and downs. I have made so many new memories since I walked in through those gates as a bright-eyed primary 1 student, ready to begin a new chapter of my life. With a blink of an eye, this chapter is coming to an end. I am filled with nothing but love and gratitude for this school and everyone in this community.
My leadership journey has always played a significant role in my primary school education. From becoming a Vista student leader to becoming North Vista Primary’s head prefect, I recalled my leadership journey as fraught with many unexpected challenges. As I recall the happy times where I worked with my friends in the student council, I was also reminded of the moments where there were clashes of ideas within the team. Very often, I had to come in as a mediator when disagreements occurred. Through these experiences, I learnt to become a better listener and a better decision maker. I am very grateful to be given such opportunities to hone my leadership qualities.
The global pandemic threw boundless challenges and hardships in our way. As students, we were also not spared. ART, PCR, HBL, SMM, QO, LOA…These are the numerous acronyms that were created as we fought this pandemic.
I felt robbed. Robbed of the two best years of primary school. Many of the activities and events that we looked forward to were postponed, and if not cancelled. Our annual 3 day 2 night P5 camp, the Overseas Learning Journey, the NE show are just some of the examples. There were no more assemblies at the parade square or in the hall and many activities were moved into the virtual space, where we were only connected through zoom meetings and other online platforms. A huge part of our primary 5 & 6 lives was home-based learning. We had to get used to staring at the screen all day. It was not easy at first, but we all got used to that as time passed by.
These were all some of the setbacks that we had to overcome. But, after all, what is life without sacrifices and the willingness to achieve more? We have all made it through this difficult time, and we continued to stay resilient as the pandemic developed into an endemic.
The pandemic was not the only uncertainty for us. Our school holidays were limited to staying at home and virtual gatherings on Zoom or Facetime. The international travel ban affected those of us who wanted to meet and connect with family members in other countries. We were also the first group of Primary 6s to take on the new scoring system - the AL banding. As we await the release of PSLE results next Wednesday and enjoy the fruits of our labor, I want to congratulate everyone, my fellow P6s. We have made it through the first major exam in our student lives.
I believe that everyone has done their best and regardless of the score that we achieve, we are not defined only by our PSLE results. Academic achievement is not the only relevant factor in our lives. We must let go of the past and continuously learn from the lessons it taught us. More importantly, we must not forget all of the important values that we have learnt in North Vista Primary over the past 6 years.
Looking back once more, I remember going to several learning journeys which the school has organized for us. The Bicentennial experience at Fort Canning Park and the National museum are among the many places we had visited, prior to Covid-19.
We were also very fortunate to at least experience a one-day P5 day bonding camp. One iconic activity that we did in the camp was called longkang fishing. We had to try to catch small fishes with our hands from the stream. It was extremely difficult! However, with friendly classmates who showed me the technique in catching the fishes, as well as the encouragement from my groupmates, I managed to eventually catch one.
It is through such experiences that I learnt what teamwork and resilience is all about. My classmates and I got closer during the camp despite the fact that the entire camp only lasted 8 hours. Our friendship continued to strengthen in the recent weeks when all of us put our hearts and souls into our graduation video. While we were unable to perform live on stage and avoid delivering a virtual graduation performance, I will forever cherish those times we have spent together, staying back to practice our dance moves, and working together towards creating a memorable graduation video.
Before I complete my valedictorian speech, I would like to rally my fellow P6 graduates to join me in thanking this group of unsung heroes - our beloved teachers. They have supported us throughout our primary school journey and given us their all to make us better individuals. The knowledge and wisdom that you have bestowed upon us will continue to give us respite during times of difficulty.
Thank you, Mdm. Heng, for teaching me important values like respect and integrity. Thank you, Ms. Sya, my English teacher, for always being so encouraging. You have made my passion for English stronger. Thank you, Mr Chua, my Math and Science teacher for being so positive and jovial. You have made every lesson so interesting and easy to understand.
I would also like to thank Mr. Huang for giving me countless opportunities to learn from my mistakes and grow to become a better leader. Thank you Ms. Tan for always being there for me and for your helpful advice. Last but not least, Thank you school leaders for your unconditional support and I will forever remember each and every one of you.
“We didn’t know we were making memories; we just knew we were having fun”
To my juniors, remember, to make memories that you will cherish forever. Spend your time wisely, and enjoy every single thing that you do. Soon enough, you will be leaving this school and I hope that you leave with the utmost joy and happiness.
I came into an unknown place filled with strangers, but I have found a family and a home. My identity as a Vistalite will be remembered no matter where I’ll go or how old I’ll grow. I will always miss the daily races to queue up for the food in the canteen, and all those times we would spend in class, bursting out in laughter.
However heart breaking it may be, to bid goodbye to the friendly faces that we have accustomed to seeing every single day, and to this familiar environment in which we have spent six years of our lives in, we have a long journey to go from now and I hope that we will move on with these memories held close to our hearts.
Thank you, North Vista Primary, for the priceless time I got to spend with my teachers and peers. We have made it very far, and it has been a very long journey. I am sure that we will continue to learn, and grow to become the best possible versions of ourselves… and I will never… forget my time here.
Once again, congratulations to the graduating class of 2021, I wish you all the best for your future endeavors.
Thank you.
Rushvida Reddy
19 November 2021