Principal's Report
Another learning and action filled fortnight has passed at MGC. Thank you to our hardworking staff who have given up personal and professional time to facilitate the Year 12 Camp, Year 7 Camp, the aerobics and rowing programs, Years 8-11 Information Nights, Year 7 Welcome Night, Chinese New Year, the Chinese Consul-General visit and planning for 25th Birthday Celebrations, today's scheduled swimming sports, the first whole school assembly and tomorrow’s Pedal Cinema.
Year 7 Parent Welcome
A mild evening last Tuesday ensured we could warmly welcome our Year 7 parents in true MGC style whilst overlooking the Yarra River. Thank you to our team who provided the refreshments and camaraderie for everyone involved. Our Year 7 parents shared stories about reports from Year 7 Camp and their daughters’ first weeks. It was a pleasure to meet everyone
School Council
26 February will see the final School Council meeting for Geoff Coates who has been a Councillor for over six years. Geoff brought a wealth of legal knowledge, robust questioning and attention to detail to Council business. Geoff’s executive role at the Victorian Institute of Teaching was also invaluable. Thank you Geoff.
The meeting will also be the last for staff members Shaunagh O’Connell and Laura Allen and parent, Elanthendral Ramasamy. Elanthendral joined Council in 2016 with her love of the Sustainability Program. Laura, along with Shaunagh, provided excellent educational insights into every discussion. Many thanks to you all for your support and advocacy on behalf of Melbourne Girls’ College!
General School Council Election Information
The Melbourne Girls’ College School Council elections are currently underway. Ballot papers and candidate statements were attached to a Compass newsfeed today. The ballot closes on Friday 1st March 4pm. The newsfeed details are as follows:
Dear Students and Parents,
Re: 2019 School Council Election 21 February - 1 March, 2019
Please see the candidate statements and ballot papers relevant to either parents or students. Voters may only vote once in a ballot and must vote in the relevant electorate. For example, one vote per parent in the parent category or one vote per student in the student category.
Please deliver or post signed ballot forms to:
Karen Money, Principal,
Melbourne Girls' College,
55 Yarra Boulevard, Richmond. 3121
by 4 pm Friday 1 March, 2019.
Kind regards,
Karen
25th Birthday Celebrations
Our dedicated 25th Birthday Celebration Committee have been meeting to plan our Open House on Saturday 23 March and Cocktail Party for 11 September. More details to follow but please keep the dates!
International Women’s Day (IWD) Celebrations
We are excited about welcoming Rachael Robertson as the speaker at our IWD celebration on 5 March at 6pm in The Gillard Centre. Rachael Robertson is the bestselling author of “Leading on the Edge – Extraordinary stories from the most extreme workplace on the planet. Rachael was the youngest ever Chief Ranger who at 32 led the 58th annual expedition to the edge of the world – Antarctica.
In light of the many discussions which will be held in early March I have re-read a 2017 OECD Report titled, “The Pursuit of Gender Equality- An Uphill Battle”. Please see an overview below.
"Gender inequalities persist in all areas of social and economic life and across countries. Young women in OECD countries generally obtain more years of schooling than young men, but women are less likely than men to engage in paid work. Gaps widen with age, as motherhood typically has marked negative effects on gender pay gaps and career advancement. Women are also less likely to be entrepreneurs, and are underrepresented in private and public leadership positions. The 2013 and 2015 OECD Gender Recommendations provide guidance on how to advance gender equality in education, employment, entrepreneurship and public life. Topics also covered in the book include violence against women, gender budgeting, the unequal sharing of unpaid work, labour market outcomes and migration. Overall, progress has been slow and there is a strong need for further policy action to close gender gaps in education, employment, entrepreneurship and public life. The full report and individual country notes for Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States are available via http://oe.cd/gender2017”
Thank you for your support in all aspects of learning and preparing our students for learning and the world beyond MGC.
Kind regards,
Karen