A very warm welcome to the 2026 academic year! Our first few weeks have been happy and busy ones. In the Chinese calendar, 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, bringing rapid progress and bold action. This rings true so far as there has been and will continue to be refurbishments, restoration and updating of our Campus facilities throughout 2026. It will be a big and busy year, and our Grammarians have started with lots of enthusiasm and optimism.
At our first assemblies at Morris Hall and at Merton Hall, we welcomed our new students and celebrated being together. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting many new and current families and students at the gate in the mornings and afternoons. The Morris Hall playground has created great excitement, and our young Grammarians are loving having a physically challenging play space. Schools are happy places and it has been a vibrant and joyous start.
On 29 January, our School played a significant role in farewelling much-loved alumna, Professor Katie Allen at St Paul’s Cathedral. Our 2026 SEC were ushers, and our Chamber Voices Choir led the singing of the School Anthem. Please click here to read the tribute I read on behalf of the School.
The Boarders’ Family Barbeque was a happy and relaxed evening on Sunday 1 February. This event allowed opportunities for our Boarding families to get to know each other. One of the great benefits of Boarding at Melbourne Girls Grammar is the special bond that the girls develop and the quality of the relationships created between the students, their families and the School. Thank you to our Director of Boarding, Amanda Haggie, and her team for a fantastic event!
Our Senior Years and Junior Years Information Evenings were well attended. I am pleased that our parent and guardian community support our staff in their efforts to make sure that there is a good understanding of how our programs work. We know that our Grammarians will flourish when the School and home work together. Please know that you can reach out at any time if you need support or are unsure of something.
It was a joy to visit our Year 7 Camp at Kinglake on Wednesday 4 February. They were in the spirit of making new friends and challenging each other to give every activity a go. We have a carefully curated outdoor education camps program that becomes increasingly difficult from Year 3 to Year 10. The Kinglake Camp challenges our Grammarians to step outside of their comfort zone. Thank you to Jessica McKenzie and the staff who gave their time to be on camp with our Grammarians.
The Year 12 Formal Committee organised a wonderful event on Friday 6 February at Lakeside Pavillion. The Class of 2026 were very impressive with the way they carried themselves and everyone enjoyed the evening. Thank you to our brilliant student formal committee for organising the event with precise detail from the invitations to the table seating, logistics, run sheets and gifts. Deepest gratitude to Michaela Kelly, Alison Bray, Linda Vloedmans and the staff who chaperoned, enabling this important rite of passage to occur.
Over the holidays, we have witnessed a number of devastating events both in Australia and across the world. These events have caused distress, disruption and uncertainty to many families. A huge thank you to our amazing emergency services, volunteers and community services who have worked to support our communities and protect lives. Standing together as a community is very important and we encourage families to look out for one another and to seek support where needed.
In closing, I am very pleased that Australia has become the first country in the world to introduce a national ban on social media use for under 16s, with legislation taking effect in December 2025. The law requires platforms to deactivate accounts belonging to children under 16, and to implement robust age verification systems.
The policy aims to reduce exposure to harmful content, online harassment and addictive platform features. It has attracted global attention as a potential model for other nations considering stronger protections for minors. Impact research is likely to become available overtime. This issue has particular significance for girls and girls’ schools. A growing body of international research indicates that girls are disproportionately affected by certain online harms, including appearance-based comparison, body-image pressure, sexual harassment, misogynistic content and algorithmically amplified self-harm material. Studies in the UK, United States and Australia suggest stronger associations for girls between intensive social media use and anxiety, depression, disordered eating and reduced self-esteem, particularly during early and mid-adolescence. Girls’ schools – long recognised as innovative spaces for girls’ learning, leadership and healthy development – are often at the forefront of responding to these challenges. Through research-informed practice, values-driven policy and intentional school culture, girls’ schools are leading important work in shaping healthier digital environments and supporting girls’ wellbeing, agency and identity formation online. At MGGS we have a no phone policy during school hours, and at our first School Assembly I spoke to our Grammarians about ensuring their phones were left at home or turned off and secure in their locker. Thank you for supporting your daughter navigate this space.
I look forward to our whole School Cocktail Party on Thursday 26 February. This is a wonderful opportunity for us all to come together.
Yours in learning,
Dr Toni E. Meath
Principal