Principal's message

Dear families

This week we celebrate International Womens’ Day across the world. At MGSC we would usually mark the day with a whole school assembly and the newly appointed student leaders would receive their badges and certificate. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we are postponing this event and will hopefully be able to introduce our 2022 leaders to the entire college at a later date.

The first International Women’s Day was observed on March 1911 when more than one million women and men attended rallies in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland to demand the right to vote and hold public office; the right to work and receive an education; and an end to discrimination against women. Interesting fact is that by 1911 women in New Zealand had already had the vote for 17 years and women in Australia had had it for eight years. Well done to New Zealand and Australia for being leaders in this area!

So what are the colours of IWD?

Purple to represent dignity and self-respect
Green to represent hope and new life
White to represented purity in public and private life

This year some of our student leaders attended the Alliance of Girls’ Schools annual breakfast at Queen’s Hall Parliament House to listen to Sally Capp, Victorian Executive Director, Property Council of Australia. Sally Capp has extensive experience in CEO and executive leadership roles in the government and private sectors, including the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, KPMG, the Committee for Melbourne and the ANZ. She was the first woman to hold the post of the Victorian Government’s Agent-General in London, where she represented the interests of the state in Europe and Israel from 2009 to 2012. Sally was the first female director of the Collingwood Football Club and has served on the boards of numerous private and public companies and not-for-profits organisations. Currently, Sally is on the boards of Rowing Australia, the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Melbourne, the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

It is through the sharing of womens’ stories like Sally’s that we can shine a light on the possible pathways ahead for our aspiring leaders in the future. IWD also gives me a yearly reminder to reflect on the role that a Government Girls’ School have played in fulfilling the aspirations of the young women who have passed through our doors.

I am very proud of the role that government girls’ schools, and specifically MGSC have played in breaking down the barriers beyond the school gates. MGSC was formed in 1955. Of the 35 Government Girls’ Schools that were set up in the 1950s to address the issue of the retention of girls in schooling beyond year 8, there are now only six of us left. So we are special and highly prized.

Over 50% of our intake of students each year is from outside of the local area. The reputation of our school goes far and wide. We are valued by both students and parents because we offer a unique educational experience that can usually only be accessed through the private and catholic education sectors – and we do it for a significant amount less than they do. As a girls’ school we promote the notion that girls and women can do anything they set their minds to.

Having worked in government girls schools for over 26 years now I know that our students will have more opportunities to take on a leadership position than if they were in a co-educational school and they will be inspired by incredible role models in the higher year levels. We are a school that offers a varied curricular and cocurricular program to fulfil every students interests and needs and we encourage each student to aim for their personal best. Long live MGSC and everything we stand for!

Outcome of the School Council Elections

It gives me great pleasure to announce the following members of our school community who will be joining School Council:

Bernadette Gooda – Parent Member Category (re-elected)
Geri Sumpter – Parent Member Category (re-elected)
Rosa Ferrari – Parent Member Category (re-elected)
Amberley Powell – Student Member Category (re-elected)
Wendy Harvey – Employee member Category (re-elected)
Alison Mugridge – Ordinary member
Detta Gordon – Employee Member Category
Brett Turner – Parent Member Category
Candice Prior – Student Member Category (casual vacancy)

They join the following members:

Carol Duggan – Employee Member Category
Helen Forgasz – Co-opted Community Member

We say farewell and thanks to:

Rachael Angus – President for 2020 and 2021 and member since 2018
Jo Beecroft – Ordinary Member since 2021
Simon Johnson – Ordinary member since 2020
Mia Evans – Student Member Category since 2019

I look forward to working with them all to make MGSC the best that it can be in 2022 and beyond.

Linda Brown

Principal/Executive Officer of School Council