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St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School also extends its condolences to the families of the following Old Girls who passed away recently: CYNTHIA RITSON (LEAKE ’39) GRACE TRURAN (DUNWELL ’55) GILLIAN MCKERRACHER (ALLBERRY ‘61) DR SUE CRUTHERS (‘75) MADDY TOOHEY (‘14)
SALLY EMMA HICKS – 2021 HEAD GIRL
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24 NOVEMBER 2003 – 14 MARCH 2022
MR VAN PANOTIDIS 24 DECEMBER 1924 – 10 MAY 2022
Mr Van Panotidis was a volunteer champion at St Mary’s for many years. He embraced our community and was involved with everything from organising fairs to strategic planning. Van was a member of the Parents’ Society from 1988 – 1992 and President in 1990. That year he was also on the Board of Management of the Foundation, which led to his membership of the Board of Governors from 1991 – 2000. He was influential on the Grounds Committee from 1988 – 1997 but showed his true strength when he joined the Forward Planning Committee from 1991 – 1992 and the Marketing and Strategic Planning Committee from 1991 – 1999, being Chair of that committee from 1998 – 1999. Van and his wife Jan were also financial donors to the School. Their daughter Dr Nikki Panotidis is a current member of our Board of Governors, and we pass on our sincere condolences to her and her family.
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he Chapel of St Mary is a place that has provided great comfort to many members of the St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School community since its construction in 1981; hence it was fitting that our Class of 2021 gathered there on Friday 25 March 2022 for a Service of Thanksgiving to honour our beloved 2021 Head Girl, Sally Hicks, and pay tribute to her tremendous contribution to St Mary’s. The relationship between a Principal and Head Girl is both unique and special. Sally was my third Head Girl at St Mary’s, and I will never forget her excitement at being named Head Girl for our Centenary year. Throughout her six years at St Mary's, Sally embodied the true spirit of a St Mary’s student. Kindness, warmth and generosity of spirit came so naturally to her, and this authenticity filtered through to everything that she did. Sally was respectful but never too serious, and she loved to have fun, flashing that infectious smile that we all came to love so dearly. A talented student, Sally was awarded a scholarship on entry to Year 7, and she received numerous academic awards each year at St Mary’s. In her final year, Sally received Aspire Awards in Semesters 1 and 2, a mid-year Academic Award, the Human Biology ATAR - Western Australian Journal of Medicine Runner-up Prize, and a Principal’s Prize for All Round Contribution to the School; the latter two were presented to her parents, Sonia and Steve, at our 2021 Speech Night and Centenary Celebration. Sally was also awarded an ATAR of 99.2 and a Certificate of Distinction by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA). Outside the classroom, Sally made the most of every opportunity before her; she was an enthusiastic participant in sport, the arts, St Mary’s annual Creative and Performing Arts Festival (CAPAF), scuba diving, community service and leadership activities. Sally always participated for the right reasons, not merely because she felt she had to. She represented the School in Independent Girls’ School Sports Association (IGSSA) sport, namely basketball, netball, soccer, athletics, and volleyball in every single term, receiving many sporting awards along the way.
