“I could not let the weekend pass without thanking you for such a superb evening on Thursday. It was a stunning School Concert in the perfect venue. Indeed, it was a privilege to be treated to a truly outstanding range of performances. What amazed me was the number of student participants who were performing at such an incredibly high level. This speaks volumes not only to the dedication of the students but, importantly, to the staff’s capacity to teach and motivate them and the students’ supportive parents. The management of the logistics, on the night was seamless – a challenging task when so many students and instruments were involved. Please congratulate your staff, the school music captains and all those involved behind the scenes.”

Dr Sally Godinho, alumna, referring to the Annual Music Concert

It is just so nice to be back at MGGS after my sabbatical! I have been warmly welcomed by staff, students, alumnae and parents and didn’t realise how much I had missed our Grammarians until the girls’ AFL Grand Final, our Annual Music Concert and the STEM Assembly! My attendance at our Snowsports Interschools Competition highlighted just how strong we are together and that we can achieve anything when we work together. Our Grammarians are such a brilliant, curious and optimistic cohort. We are indeed fortunate!

If my last sabbatical was centred on geography, this sabbatical was all about humanity. By this I mean, my last leave of absence began with me flying over a shrinking Arctic Circle and concluded on a remote island in the Andaman Sea being swallowed by a rising ocean. Climate change hit me as a stark reality, and I returned with questions for our Grammarians about our responsibility to care for the planet. It was a sabbatical book ended by geographical change. That was in 2022, and my observations firmly ended up in our 2020–2025 Strategic Plan In 2026 I found that the world had changed and the questions I held had become more wicked and more complex. This sabbatical started in New York and concluded in London. It was the height of the World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, an unprecedented northern hemisphere summer and I observed, the best and worst in humanity. In my travels I witnessed humans displaying compassion and virtue, altruism and kindness. I also witnessed poverty, greed, homelessness, disparity of wealth, changing world powers and sadly the bewildering loss of dignity of my fellow humans. And so, there are many questions I have to share with our Grammarians and about the role we all play in creating a hopeful world. Our community will hear of my learnings as the final half of the year unfolds.

One of the greatest pleasures of being a Principal is working alongside remarkable students and being immersed in an environment where the enthusiasm of youth underpins every day. Over the last few weeks, it has been my absolute privilege to read the applications, and interview potential candidates for the 2027 School Captain and Vice-Captains. This is a humbling experience as all applications highlighted the extent of the contribution these students have already made to our school and their courage to put their hand up for these significant roles in their final academic year. I would like to express my personal gratitude to all the applicants for putting themselves forward for these important roles cognisant of the time and energy required to lead the school well. As part of the rigorous process of selections, students must deliver a 2-minute speech on a significant moment for them at MGGS. I have included one of these in the Messenger for your perusal. It clearly highlights the high calibre of candidates we are working with and showcases the quality, as displayed in applicant, Aayati’s playful speech Please join me in congratulating the 2027 School Captains including Katherine Hrysoudis as School Captain and Piper Ashton and Kelly Liu as School Vice Captains. I know that they will be supported by a fine calibre of the current Year 11 cohort and Student Executive Council representatives, and I look forward to sharing the whole incoming SEC in our next Messenger.

MGGS is very proud to have a strong partnership with the Stella Prize; a major literary award celebrating, recognizing and championing Australian women writers. I was delighted that we were able to host a wonderful Stella event on 26 August in Artemis. Author, Dr. Marika Sosnowski. Spoke engagingly of her book 58 Facets: On Law, Violence, and Revolution. which was on the list for the Stela Prize 2026. It was well attended, and our students asked the very best questions! Thank you Mr Leysham, for your ongoing support of all things Stella!

Term 3 has been very, very busy. I know that staff, students, and parents have all contributed positively, making it a vibrant and productive term. My deepest gratitude goes to our parents, grandparents, and alumnae who have supported our Grammarians in so many ways, and who have been ever present at sporting, arts, and community events. A very big thank you also to our hard-working staff, who have set and assessed thousands of pieces of work and engaged in high-level conversations and meaningful feedback with our students. My thoughts at this time are especially with our Year 12 students, who are at the pointy end of their studies, polishing the stone, and who will be using the upcoming holiday period to prepare for their final VCE examinations.

The 2026 Navy Blue Dinner was sensational! Thank you to our brilliant parents, led by Ann Soyer, for this wonderful event! Our community knows how to come together and celebrate!

Our hearts go out to the people of Nepal and all those affected by this devastating natural disaster. This is a tragedy of immense scale, with significant loss of life and many families facing profound uncertainty. As the impact of the earthquake continues to unfold across Nepal and the Tibet border region, our thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost loved ones, those still awaiting news of family and friends, and the rescue workers tirelessly supporting affected communities during this difficult time.

Yours in learning,

Dr Toni E. Meath
Principal