OG Celebration Day took place on Saturday 1 May 2021 and welcomed Old Grammarians, students, parents, Honourable Life Members, staff, volunteers and friends of Melbourne Girls Grammar for a day of fun and activities in support of the arts.
With a program boasting live music, art exhibitions, gallery floor talks, a sneak peak of the Senior Year’s Production of Away, campus tours and a community market. More than 300 people registered for our largest alumnae event of the year.
A key highlight of the day was hearing from our panel of OG artists and those working in the industry, as they discussed the role of the arts in education and its relationship to building appreciation for cultural diversity, creativity and community.
Representing almost five generations of Old Grammarians, Prue Venables (1970), Kerstin Thompson (1982), Jane Hayman (Rayner, 1991), Sarah Giles (2001) and Paris Thomson (2008), joined together for a robust discussion sharing their experiences since graduating. The session was facilitated by Principal, Dr Toni Meath, and held in Ross Hall at the heart of performing arts and community gatherings at our school.
The atmosphere at the Celebration Day community market was electric and our community was grateful to be able to come together to peruse the stalls, enjoy complimentary St Ali coffee, grab lunch from the Round The Way Bagels food truck, and support our parent and OG businesses after the challenging year gone.
Blessed with the autumn sunshine and blue skies, the sounds of the MGGS concert band echoed across the Phelia Grimwade car park as guests enjoyed wine tasting and picked up bespoke artwork, handmade jewellery, baked treats, homemade preserves, fresh produce, clothes and beauty products, pet accessories and more.
In the true theme of the day, we were pleased to host a tribute to past MGGS director of music, Caroline Cousins, who passed away earlier in the year. Acknowledging her years of service and contributions to our School from 1995 – 2010, past music students, staff, family, and friends, were invited to hear from those close to Caroline as a plaque was unveiled in the Music Atrium in her honour.
With this year’s reunions falling either side of OG Celebration Day, we wish to thank all those who attended an event throughout the weekend and helped to support our vibrant and connected MGGS community. We look forward to seeing you again at our next OG event and joining together for OG Celebration Day 2022!
If you came along to Celebration Day, we’d love to hear about your experience.