It has been a big and busy term, jam packed with special events and celebrations. It is no wonder we are all feeling a little weary and looking ahead to the April holidays for some rest and respite. I have been so proud of every Grammarian! From our Early Learning Centre Grammarians to the Class of 2025, each has shown how brave they can be. From writing their name for the first time, learning to read, joining a sports team, making new friends, completing NAPLAN, hosting international students, speaking at assembly or the completion of VCE School Assessed Coursework tasks (SACS), each Grammarian has stepped up and has been supported in their endeavours. Term 1 will conclude with celebrations for Easter at the ELC with a special assembly, at Morris Hall, with the annual Easter Bonnet Parade, and for Merton Hall Grammarians, with our Easter Service at Christ Church Anglican Church and House Drama.
Early in Term 2, we will be releasing our long awaited 2025-2030 Strategic Plan. This has been the culmination of a whole year of review in 2024 acting on qualitative and quantitative feedback and data, drafting, polishing and then ratifying by School Council. I am confident that this will set a clear roadmap and vision for our next five years. The describing phrase of our new Strategic Plan is that we want our Grammarians to be “In, and of the world”. Our Grammarians must be ‘of the’ world. They are shaped by their times and places, including its present realities. Their MGGS education prepares Grammarians who operate ‘in the’ world; they are active agents in shaping their realities. They see clearly, and they act boldly, as ethical women of action. In 2024, Futurist, Dr Max Roser described the world as an enigma, he stated: “The world is awful. The world is much better. The world can be much better. All three statements are true at the same time”. Our work at Melbourne Girls Grammar is to educate, holding these three apparently contradictory statements together to provide our Grammarians with the means to be active participants in these paradoxical times. This has guided us to think about the endless possibilities and of the perspective we want our Grammarians to take and the values we want them hold. We can’t escape the human condition, or what it has made of our planet. Our Grammarians need to be accepting of this, while knowing that improvement has been achievable and is still possible. We educate Grammarians to be active, not passive, applying these understandings with integrity, courage, compassion and self-discipline.
It is not every day you have young artists draw your portrait! I was honoured by the ELC Wilmot Group who surprised me with my very own portrait. For inspiration in their study of self-portraits they visited the Phelia Grimwade Drawing Room to view the portraits of our prior 11 Principals. On noticing that there was not one of me, they decided to rectify that (as true empowered Grammarians) and create one themselves. So special!
Congratulations to Year 11 student, Elle L who has been selected to attend the Yale University Young Global Scholars (YYGS) program out of over 13,000 applicants from over 150 countries. The YYGS is an academic enrichment program for outstanding high school students from around the world. Students participate in one disciplinary, two week session at Yale University immersing themselves in critical and creative thinking. I know that Elle will be a fine ambassador for MGGS and Australia.
At the Annual Rowing Dinner on Wednesday 19 March, I began my address with a quote from the famous author Kenneth Grahame, from The Wind in the Willows .“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” At MGGS, we love simply messing about in boats! It is true, our rowers are intrepid, they rise early, they compete in a sport like no other, that stretches them to their limit, presents them with difficulty, pitches girl against girl, team against team. They must be fit, confident and brave. They must be team players and face the challenge of weather, fatigue and at times, despair. But winning feels wonderful and seamless teamwork feels even better! It gives me such joy to see the grit, determination, and joy in our Grammarians as they deliver. Our rowers who were triumphant this season. In 2025 we have cohort of close to 150 rowers and at Head of School Girls we witnessed the full strength and energy of Melbourne Girls Grammar culture as our community gathered on the banks of the Barwon River to cheer on our Grammarians. The Merton Army was in full flight! We all know the results – they said we were Second Best School on the river, with16 medals, three gold, eight silver, five bronze! However, in community connection and spirit, we know we were the best School on the river!
You may have seen the recent ABC Four Corners program on childcare centres and how tens of thousands of children attend centres that fail national standards. At MGGS, our Barbara Tolson Early Learning Centre has the highest rating of ‘Exceeding’ in all area of assessment that a centre can receive from The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), which is the independent national authority that assists governments in administering the National Quality Framework (NQF) for children’s education and care. All childcare centres, including sessional kindergartens, are assessed every three years to ensure that services are meeting the National Standard. Our Early Learning Centre has been assessed as exceeding the National standard in all seven areas. These areas are:
- Educational program and practice
- Children’s health and safety
- Physical environment
- Staffing arrangements
- Relationships with children
- Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
- Governance and leadership
We are very proud of the high standard of care that our Early Learning Centre provides for the girls enrolled in the ELC. The safety and wellbeing of our girls is always our highest priority and in partnership with our families we provide an exceptional learning experience that supports every child academically, physically and emotionally. If you have any concerns, please check in with Head of Early Learning or your daughter’s ELC Educator.
In closing, a huge thank you to all the parents who have turned up and supported their daughter. The success of our School is dependent upon us all working together. With every best wish for a happy, April holiday and Easter break. We look forward to welcoming you back in Term 2 and revealing our 2025-2030 Strategic Plan.
Yours in learning,
Dr Toni E Meath
Principal