Theatre is one of the most privileged forms of engaging in political and cultural discourse. Although it is an ancient form of entertainment, the freedom of expression that is created is monumental in our society’s ability to question and be questioned. Through this (MTC) ambassadorship, the pathways and routes to the creation of impactful art have been uncovered to me, which is why I am so proud to be a 2025 Ambassador for the Melbourne Theatre Company.” — Xanthe, Year 11

I hope all families celebrated Mother’s Day yesterday and that there were breakfast crumbs in bed! It has been a delight to celebrate Mother’s Day at MGGS and witness special moments, such as seeing our youngest Grammarians busily making treasured gifts for their mums. The Mother’s Day stall at Morris Hall was a hive of activity with important choices to be made. Thank you to our Parents Association, who work with the School to make this happen. Our Mother’s Day breakfasts are special and an important part of our calendar! 

This opening quote exemplifies our MGGS values and highlights a humble, yet quietly confident ‘can do’ Grammarians’ attitude that is so typical at our School. Year 11 student, Xanthe O has been selected by the Melbourne Theatre Company to represent them as a Junior Ambassador. They have made an excellent choice, and Xanthe is sure to deliver in this role with self-discipline, compassion, integrity, and courage in equal measure. Similar values were displayed by our Year 8 and 10 Grammarians as they headed off to their respective outdoor education camps. Our Grammarians fully engaged in sailing, surfing, and hiking in the unseasonal warm weather and returned to school exhausted but proud of their achievements. Ten out of ten for Year 10 Grammarians, Lucy F and Ally Y, who returned tired from camp, but changed into their academic uniform and joined other students in the annual MGS/MGGS Walk for Women event after school on Friday 2 May. The Walk for Women this year raised money for the Betty Cares Foundation, a not-for-profit which donates clothing packs to women in crisis across Australia and New Zealand. Partnering with hospitals and refugee centres, Betty Cares Foundation supports many vulnerable women in need. Clothing packs include basic essentials that help to bring dignity and comfort to women in crisis.

I am honoured to announce that the School has received a most munificent bequest from Old Grammarians, the Creightmore twins. The entirety of the estate of Miss Meredith and Miss Diana Creightmore has been gifted to the School, totalling $4,931,420.90. When contacted by the Creightmore twin’s solicitor, I was speechless as this is the largest gift MGGS has ever received in our 132-year history. Meredith and Diana passed away within months of each other in 2024, and never having married or had children gave their estate to their beloved MGGS. Both strong and independent women, I had met and spoken to Meredith and Diana on several occasions. At our International Women’s Day Luncheon and at the Lyceum Club, I shared many School stories with them and delightfully, Meredith corrected me on my pronunciation of Vida Goldstein! It was clear how close they were and how much they loved the School. We have quite a lot of memorabilia donated by the twins – including photographs of some sporting activities and drama productions, drama programs and Diana’s school blazer. Meredith was a MCEGGS student from 1952 to 1954. Meredith was Athletics Captain and member of the Student Executive Council in 1954 as well as Secretary of the Athletics Club in 1954 and she served on the 1954 Magazine Committee. She was also a member of the 2nd Baseball and Hockey teams and took part in drama productions during her time at the school. Additionally, on leaving the School, Meredith was awarded a Commonwealth Government scholarship. Diana was a MCEGGS student from 1952 to 1954 and impressively was the 1954 School Vice-Captain and a member of the Student Executive Council, Social Services Committee Secretary, as well as Chairman of the Library Committee. Diana also took part in drama productions. There will be some formal recognition of Diana and Meredith in the School’s use of the money, and I will share with our community our intentions. I am committed to ensure this significant gift is perpetuated in a formal manner. This is an act of kindness and generosity and shows the great love sisters, Diana and Meredith held for their School. We will be forever grateful for this generous bequest.

On Tuesday 6 May I attended the VCE Drama Unit 3/4 rehearsal of their ensemble performances. The actors were Allegra P, Freya W, Ruby R and Xanthe O. They needed to perform a physical theatre using in-the-round staging. The stimulus (prompt) for their performance was the quote by Theodore Roosevelt:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”  

In their performance, students must meet strict criteria such as creating an example of a real person or group of people who have been “in the arena” to face their fear/s and create an example of how a society, real or fictional, can be controlled by fearmongering and the impact this has on them. Their performance was intelligent, engaging, and provocative, and the audience was thoroughly blown away. 

Term 2 will continue to be busy and buoyant! I hope to see you at the upcoming Senior Years Production for 2025, High School Musical On Stage. This is a fun musical drama about a high school putting on a musical! It is an entertaining and enjoyable piece of work, and I can’t wait to see our Grammarians on stage. So, if you haven’t purchased your ticket yet, the clock is ticking!

Yours in learning,

Dr Toni E Meath
Principal