I’ve been playing cricket since I was nine years old, and it has always been a sport I truly enjoy. I love the strategy, teamwork and the excitement of being on the field.” — Niara , Year 7

I love this quote! In a year where MGGS has excelled in the sporting arena, it reminds me of how it all starts with the joy of participation on the field, track, course, pool, mountain, court or river. At MGGS we love competing, but mostly, our Grammarians just have a strong passion for being active and engaged in their sports. It is that time of year when, from my office, I watch our Year 9 and 10 rowers running down the hill at the end of the day to jump into training. It is the time of year when the senior Netball season has just concluded. Netball is the most popular sport at MGGS and more Grammarians play netball than any other sport. Furthermore, I am so proud to announce that MGGS has scooped the pool in the National Snowsports winning the Secondary Girls School Championships. A huge thank you to our new Head of Snowsports, Ms Georgia Von Einem, who has led this successful season. At the Snowsports Presentation Dinner on Thursday 11 September our Snowsports families came together to cheer on their daughters. A true celebration of Navy blue success!

Turning to education, the world is moving so fast and MGGS always likes to be on the front of the curve. However, for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education we have been careful and measured to get it right, before launching head in. AI is the capability of computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception and decision-making. As a school, we are navigating this space with purpose and integrity, and explicitly teaching our Grammarians how they can co-design and collaborate with AI for richer learning and improved outcomes in their learning tasks. As advancements in AI continue to grow at an ever-increasing pace, educators and schools are encouraged to make the most of new technologies to benefit student learning and wellbeing, while simultaneously guiding students towards responsible and critical use of generative AI technologies. Yet, with the rapid changes in this field, research, guidelines and policy development have occurred at different rates, and are not always easily accessible to schools. As AI tools become more readily available, and with many more applications, students are more likely to repeatedly draw on these tools as part of their learning process. Bringing together recent reports, policy guidelines and research is a critical step to supporting educators as they guide students on this journey. 

Morris Hall Performs 2025 was held on Wednesday 3 September with the theme ‘Take to the Skies’ and it was brilliant. Our young Grammarians took to the stage and led the whole evening, performing with professionalism beyond their years. The choirs, string orchestra and percussion ensemble were stunning! A huge thank you to Melissa Dodds and Tiffany Duncan who prepared and instructed our Grammarians, and also to Robyn Cochrane, our fabulous piano accompanist, and Clare Fogarty, Mia Berlin and Tara Skelton, our Specialist Music Teachers.

Our Year 12 students are counting down their ‘lasts at MGGS’. This is a time of mixed emotions for our Year 12 students as they prepare for their final VCE examinations and begin to farewell the School. The Class of 2025 have been a wonderful cohort; remarkable Grammarian representatives in every way and fine role models to our younger students, and I thank them personally for their fine contribution to their school. I have observed them over the last term putting in the hard work required for achieving their personal best, and I know that their teachers and families have wrapped much support around them. They are a united cohort and they have lived the values of the School. Over the upcoming break, they will be studying hard, with the support of their teachers, so that they are well prepared for the VCE exams. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the Parents Association’s Navy Blue Lunch at Lakeside Pavilion on Friday 29 August. A huge thank you to the Navy Blue Organising Committee, including Ann Soyer, Sylvie Hutchins, Thea Kogler, Alexis Reid, Anthea McCombe and Wendy Shen. This event was a vibrant and buzzing occasion, and the community showed great generosity in raising over $40,000. 

It has been another busy term; please ensure over the term break that you rest and re-energise, ready for the completion of the 2025 academic year! 

Please remember to put Speech Night in your diaries, for Wednesday 26 November. I look forward to this special evening where we gather as a community, and the splendor and ceremony sends a strong message to the wider community that we are an exemplar in the Australian educational landscape. The Melbourne Town Hall is part of our rich history and tradition, and it becomes a right of passage as our Grammarians journey through the School. I encourage all parents and families to attend and to make this a special moment of pride for our School.

Yours in learning

Dr Toni E Meath
Principal