Principal's Report

Thank you

Thank you to Roger Dunscombe, Harriet Turnbull and Jo Jepsen for devoting part of their term break to the Arts, Design and Culture trip to New York and L.A. The feedback from students and parents has been overwhelmingly positive. These amazing learning and life experiences are only possible with such excellent, dedicated staff. We are very proud of the girls who conducted themselves with maturity and excitement in the learning. Thank you all!

Information Night 26th April and Open Day 27th April – coming up!

Thank you to our Girls’ Leadership Leader, Ella McDonald, Brent Houghton, Staff, Public Relations Captains and Junior Ambassadors who are preparing for their work on Open Day. Our Ambassadors will guide visitors through the college and model the welcoming and inclusive culture of MGC. It is always a great opportunity to show case the people, learning, care and co-curricular programs of our wonderful school.

I am currently writing the address to prospective parents and this Aristotle quote keeps coming to mind,

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all”.

I hope you agree that this is something MGC students and staff work on every day.                                                 

Learning @ MGC

The work in preparing our students for their future success is part of what we research, plan and develop our own professional learning to support. The School Review has highlighted the professional learning design as a success. Teams of teachers working on specific action research directly related to their students is continually improving the girls’ outcomes.                                                                                   

22nd National Schools Constitutions Convention, Canberra from the 15th to the 17th March 2017

Gabriella Dawson and Lilian Gonzalez’s participation in the Convention along with 120 students from around Australia is a credit to them both. At the Convention, Emeritus Professor John Warhurst AO led a two-day programme in which students explored ‘Indigenous Australians and the Constitution’. After hearing from a panel of experts and considering the issues in working groups delegates voted in a mock referendum. The majority of people and majority of states agreed on proposed new sections 51A and 116A.

51A Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

Recognising that the continent and its islands now known as Australia were first occupied by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples;

Acknowledging the continuing relationship of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples with their traditional lands and waters;

Respecting the continuing cultures, languages and heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples;

The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Commonwealth with respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

116A Prohibition of racial discrimination

(1) The Commonwealth, a State or a Territory shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, colour or ethnic or national origin.

(2) Subsection (1) does not preclude the making of laws or measures for the purpose of overcoming disadvantage, ameliorating the effects of past discrimination, or protecting the cultures, languages or heritage of any group.

This outcome was included in a Communiqué which will be presented to the Senate for inclusion in Hansard.

Premier’s VCE Awards

On Thursday 27th April Sefija Demirova and Jason Kohlman will attend the Premier’s VCE Awards where our talented 2016 Year 12 students, Eirene Vlahogiannis (Legal Studies), Jenna Sullivan (French) and Jamieson Beaman (VET Hospitality) will be honoured. Sefija deserves her own award gaining three perfect 50 study scores with her teaching of Units 3 and 4 Legal Studies. Our other teacher VCE high achievers are Mei Francis for Mathematical Methods, Jason Kohlman for French and Harriet Turnbull for Visual Arts.

Parent – Student - Teacher Conferences 28th March, 2017.

It seems so long ago now! However, many thanks to our students, families and staff who made the reflections on our students’ term one work constructive, enjoyable and effective for future learning.

Department of Education and Training (DET) Government Schools in Richmond and Prahran

MGC welcomes the building of two new high schools nearby. Under DET rules this means boundary changes to ensure that students are enrolled at their nearest government school. This document on our website outlines the Year 7 enrolment policy agreed with DET http://mgc.vic.edu.au/join-our-school/enrolment/enrol-to-year-7/

DET modelling indicates that even beyond 2020 all post code 3121 based girls will gain a place at the College as the MGC enrolment provision for 50% of the next closest girls shows this clear intent.

Regards,

Karen Money

Principal