Term 2 is flying by and there has been a happy and positive buzz across all campuses. I am enjoying and cherishing so many lasts in my career! I share a similar sense of the year as the outgoing class of 2026, with many bittersweet moments. From Reconciliation Assembly to Domain’s Got Talent, to Morris Hall Assemblies, I am so proud of every Grammarian and the way they approach their schooling!
Our Open Mornings and School Tours have been extremely big and busy. There is much interest in enrolment at MGGS. As Principal, I know the value of the education our Grammarians receive and so, in this competitive world, this interest does not surprise me. We are a high-performing school in all metrics including academic, co-curricular and wellbeing achievement, however, we are constantly restless and seeking improvement in all areas. It’s a curious thing when you are approached by prospective parents and they want to know the distillation of why MGGS for their daughter? There is so much that I could answer, but essentially it comes to our philosophy of creating whole and well-rounded girls and young women. The Melbourne Girls Grammar philosophy of “In and for the World” is driven by our belief that our students come into the world questioning, wired for enthusiasm, adventurous and open-minded. As such, we are enduringly committed to crafting and facilitating learning experiences that motivate, challenge, engage and open the minds of both current and future students. The teaching for learning philosophy is inspired by the School’s vision to ‘develop ethical women of action’; it’s committed to the provision of an exceptional education for girls with an emphasis on strong Christian values, high expectations, creativity and academic challenge; a belief that within a supportive and positive learning environment, girls will discover their passion and build their capacities for action and influence, and; the School values of integrity, courage, compassion and self-discipline.
The recent ‘Principal for a Day’ opportunity attracted a high number of applicants from Years 5 to 10. I thoroughly enjoyed reading all submissions and it was a difficult choice, however a decision needed to be made and two articulate Year 7 students, Catherine King and Karina Wong had the chance to peek into the daily life of a Principal on Friday 29 May. On the day, they greeted Grammarians at the gate in the morning, learned a little of the history of the School, they met with the Deputy Principals, Ms Wall and Ms Oldman, the Occupational Health and Safety Representatives, Anja D’Allessandro and Claire Tirtariyadi. They also spoke to staff at our weekly briefing, met with the School Captains and delivered an inspiring speech at the Middle Years Assembly on ‘Adventure’. It was so much fun! Both Catherine and Karina were impressive in their attention to detail. They lifted the bar for me in baking gratitude biscuits for the staff, and I am now feeling the pressure to reciprocate! A week later, they delivered a presentation to the MGGS Executive Team on how they would improve their school. As an Executive we were truly inspired by their insight and love of their fellow Grammarians and School.
Our Year 12 cohort and SEC held a casual dress day and gold coin donation for their charity of choice, One Girl, on 3 June and raised over $4000. One Girl is a grassroots not-for-profit organisation on a mission to help break down financial, cultural and social barriers that girls and young women face in accessing their right to education, one girl at a time. Well done Year 12!
Our recent Grandparent mornings for the Early Learning Centre were a delight. Our youngest Grammarians shared their learning and showed off their classrooms. Our Reggio Emilio approach is the foundation of our thinking School and ties back to the holistic philosophy of nurturing our Grammarians.
As a School, we have a strong partnership with the Yolgnu people of East Arnhem Land that has been nurtured over many years, and in a little over three weeks our entire Year 9 cohort will travel to sit on country and listen and learn. Our Grammarians have been preparing for this since the beginning of the year, seeking to understand the richness of culture, language and heritage. I know that our Grammarians will learn much on their first trip to this remote part of our country.
At MGGS we have a strong Middle Years Program with Wildfell and St Hildas. We understand exactly what girls of this age need, and we are excited to be developing an Engineering Hub for this cohort. This Engineering Hub will stretch their imaginations and provide Years 5 to 8 with opportunities to engage in robotics, coding and much more! The 2026 Annual Giving Campaign is a wonderful opportunity to support us to provide this space for our Middle Years students. A donation to the MGGS Annual Giving Campaign helps to reinforce our strong culture of philanthropy, through supporting the ongoing development of improved facilities. I invite you to join me in making a tax-deductible donation and leaving a message of support for MGGS at: https://charidy.com/mggsag26
Winter is upon us and, in the final weeks of Term 2, our staff having been busy assessing student work and writing Semester 1 Reports. Our Senior students are in the thick of exams and assessments, and our students have been impressive in their attention to the tasks at hand. The feedback given to students is critical in the learning process and I encourage all families to have a conversation with their daughters in how they perceive themselves to be progressing in their learning. Students will receive their Semester 1 Reports on the last day of Term 2.
Yours in learning,
Dr Toni E. Meath
Principal