Welcome to 2018 and another year of learning, leadership, wellbeing, the arts, languages, STEAM and co-curricular opportunities. The start to the year has been positive with a focus on all that Melbourne Girls’ College (MGC) has to offer.

WELCOME Year 7!

The 30th January saw our excited Year 7s settling into the Lyceum and the new world of high school. They will be guided by Ms. O’Connell Ms. Kontogeorgis and their Wellbeing teachers, as well as their Year 12 mentors. An initiative of our College Captains, Claudia Junge, Ky Luong and Isabelle Carney is to pair a Year 7 students with a Year 12 so there are a range of friendly faces for our youngest girls.

2017 VCE Results

We continue to be very proud of the Class of 2017 and their excellent VCE results. Pham Van and Alice Noonan are joint Dux with a score of 99.75. Our median is 33 with 27% of students attaining an ATAR above 90, 50% above 80 and 73% above 70. Every student who worked hard and reached their personal best takes enormous satisfaction in their results, regardless of the final ATAR score.

2018 Welcome to New and Returning Staff

We welcome a number of new staff including Amber Munro (English Language), Alice Dawes (English/Humanities), Luke Deery (Legal Studies/ Business Management), Charlotte Fu (Mathematics) Penelope Wilmot (Psychologist), Jielei Cui (International Student Program Coordinator), Angie Ho (ISP Assistant), Rachel Robertson (Leading Teacher), Bethany Barrass (Library Assistant). We welcome back Michael Newton, Meredith Carre, Lucy Chen, Anna Crosswhite and Erin Edgley.

Student Success

Congratulations to Mabel Eldred who has been selected for the under 20 year old Australian Women’s Ultimate Frisbee Team. Mabel will travel to Canada in August to compete in the World Championships. Mabel’s achievement and hard work is a credit to her persistence and determination.

The Library

The “new” Library was ready to start on 29 January for staff professional learning and welcomed students on 30th January. The feedback from the girls has been overwhelmingly positive about the open learning area and break out spaces. A major hit is the green screen room where learning comes to life on film.

Professional Learning

This year we are consolidating the work around building a professional learning community with a lens on the differentiation of learning. http://www.caroltomlinson.com/

A community of students, staff and parents; rather than a community of separate learners. The premise being that the exponential growth in learning when we collaborate and problem-solve together is greater than planning and reflecting alone. At one level this work is evidenced by VCE, NAPLAN and assessment results; on the most important level it is evidenced by empowered students who reflect, see learning as continuous improvement and have the resilience to mistakes and challenges as an opportunity rather than a failure.
Wellbeing with a focus on kindness, gratitude, respect and high expectations. The program continues to incorporate the Victorian Curriculum Cross-Curriculum Capabilities http://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/ Positive Psychology Growth Mindset research and Career Action Plans
An M.G.C. Learning Model which is displayed in every classroom for students and teachers to share, discuss and use as a foundation for increasingly complex learning.

Learning Walks as a method of gaining a whole school snap-shot of the learning occurring in a range of classrooms, subjects and lessons. http://www.aitsl.edu.au/professional-growth/support/classroom-observation-strategies?

Netball Courts

The construction of three new netball courts at MGC as part of the Inner City Netball Program, funded by the Victorian Government will begin in term 2. They will replace the old and worn current courts. The Department of Education and Training’s School Building Authority personnel are finalising the process at present.

School Council Student Member Category

The Department of Education and Training (DET) are still determining how best to implement the Minister’s announcement on a mandated student member category. Whilst this separate DET advice is being developed we will proceed with the election of our parent and staff representatives. Students in Year 7 and above enrolled at Melbourne Girls’ College please keep in mind that you are eligible to nominate for membership as soon as the new process is announced through our newsletter.

General School Council Election Information

The Melbourne Girls’ College School Council generally meets every third Tuesday of the month at 6.15pm, however the first meeting of the newly elected Council will take place on Tuesday 13th March.

Membership of School Council is rewarding and ensures parents contribute to and have a close understanding of the direction and strategic planning of MGC. The dates for our Council election process are detailed below and I look forward to working with our parents on Council throughout 2018. Ballot papers and instructions will be attached to a Compass message sent on the 9th of Feburary. Please deliver, mail or email signed nomination forms to Jordyn Taylor in the front office by 4pm on 23rd February.

There are three parent positions due for election and the time line is as follows:

Friday 9th February- Call for nominations

Friday 16th February 4pm- Nominations close

Friday 23rd February- Ballot papers and information on the candidates distributed

Friday 2nd March 4pm- Close of Ballot

Another excellent MGC organisation is our Parents’ Association (P.A.). Please consider joining. The P.A. meets every fourth Tuesday of the month. The tireless efforts of parents on this committee are appreciated by all. The morning tea provided for staff on 27th January was the most wonderful welcome back.

I always look forward to getting to know as many parents as possible. Parent evenings, student-parent-teacher meetings, the Sustainability Collective, School Council and the Parents’ Association are all excellent ways for us to meet and I look forward to having a great year with you all.

Kind regards,

Karen

Tuning Into Teens