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P P o r r or t e For t ent n t FF ur o is to be acknowledged as a leading, contemporary australian school with an international outlook, specialising in girls’ education and developing our students as through our staff professionalism and service, and the personalised quality of our learning environment and communications. ur o is to prepare our students to , to and, as , to to the challenges of their times. We will be: • and in everything we do. • r and e in our communications with students, parents, colleagues and peers. • C e and in our approach to our work.
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e a major part of achieving our strategic priorities is This year, we launched our new global Learning our next strategic endeavour is to enhance our sporting programs to deliver an appropriate maintenance and building Centre (gLC) for Years 9 & 10, together with a with some exciting new initiatives for next year, and significant program that enables us to deliver an excellent WaVes contemporary food & Nutrition Centre. This has enhancement of our facilities with the commencement of our learning experience, that enhances our position as a enabled us to realise innovative curriculum, offer an new Wellbeing Centre (Phase 1) as an extension of our current market leader and ensures our sustainable growth now after-hours certificate in hospitality, and complete gym. This exciting project will bring together indoor and outdoor and well into the future. our strategic intent to provide outstanding ‘every day’ spaces in the one location for our sport and Physical education learning spaces for every girl from eLC to Year 12. (Pe) classes, and will include a studio for yoga/pilates, a fitness gym, additional toilets, change rooms and a home for our Health Centre and school Psychologist, linking these important wellbeing services.
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Front Cover of u e The whole school ‘guard of honour’ farewelling the Class of 2013 on Valedictory Day. t ear a o t r e t vCe
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Victoria.2 our enrolments continue to grow, and in 2014 e n we will be offering an additional class in both Years 5 & 9 C as we accommodate demand for our quality education. The Year 12 Class of 2012 certainly set the standard of at the beginning of this year, after an extensive 12 month achievement for this year. our school Dux achieved a consultation period, we launched our new strategic Plan, perfect aTar score of 99.95, and students were awarded ‘Great Expectations AND...’. We articulated our Vision, Mission, University scholarships and accepted into some very and Behaviours and identified our goals for the next five years prestigious courses including Biomedicine and science/ (see inside cover for details). our planning took into account engineering. But more important than the aTar scores is that our digitally connected young people are entering the fact that every one of our Year 12 students gained a place a world full of amazing possibilities and unprecedented in a tertiary course related to her area of interest. These opportunities brought on by advances in technology. are remarkable successes given that we are not a selective- However, these exciting possibilities are coupled with entry school. our students are aspiring to excellence and, some incredibly daunting challenges. We now live in a world importantly, breaking stereotypes about what girls can do. which is hyper-connected, in an era where “facebook has spawned 150 billion ‘connections’ and where we collectively shell out 4.5 billion ‘likes’ on status updates, every single day.”1 The vastness of this new world coupled with a lack of interpersonal To balance the constant evolution of our initiatives in technology, contact can leave us with a profound feeling of disconnection. a and in keeping with our priority on wellbeing, we successfully growing body of science is showing we are more isolated than gained status as an esmart school, recognising our work to ever before, with mental health issues on the rise. support responsible use of our highly technological environment. one of the most important things we can give to our With the help of a number of experts, our introduction students is a sense of authentic connectedness. a greaT of Mindfulness training from eLC to Year 12 has helped school teaches them how all things hang together, how students learn to focus more productively, approach exams different facts and knowledge relate to one another, and how more effectively, better manage their thinking, emotions people are connected – locally, nationally, and internationally and reactions, and essentially, to re-connect with themselves. – in their daily learning, in leadership, and in life. skills in leadership have also been a focus, and students have benefitted from new leadership development sessions and as you will see in this edition of well RED, we are constantly conferences, and a more streamlined student leadership selection striving to connect with our community and further our journey process. Indeed, there has been much work on our school-wide as a great school. although we are early in the implementation WaVes Care & Leadership Program, helping us to connect cycle of our ambitious new strategic Plan, with a very parents, staff and community experts to enhance the wellbeing supportive school Council, a committed team of staff and a of our students throughout their total school experience. positive school community, we have already achieved some great results, from science to sport and everything in between! C With the importance of connections in mind, we have been developing and re-aligning our curriculum to help each We believe in the quality of our educational offering, but Mentone girl become a true global citizen. it is always gratifying to see our own beliefs reflected in external benchmarks. our early Learning Centre (eLC) for the first time in Mentone’s history, we welcomed our has been independently assessed as “exceeding National friends from China; Vice Principal Hong Xia, three of her Quality standards”. In The Australian newspaper’s top 100 colleagues and 12 students from our new sister-school, schools, our Junior school featured in the ToP 40 schools Huaxia girls’ school in Beijing, and next year a group of our nationally, and our senior school in the ToP 10 schools in staff and students will return the visit. Just as generous families
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in our community have provided homestays for Huaxia’s Your Board of Directors students, they will reciprocate for us. The result is rich and is committed to ensuring engaging intercultural experiences for all concerned. earlier that the school is properly in the year we hosted a group of 19 Japanese students from supported and able to Yamanashi eiwa, our sister-school in Japan, and an enthusiastic deliver the highest level group of our students participated in a highly successful of educational and life Japanese study tour, linking with Yamanashi eiwa and our experience to all of our friendship school, soshin Junior and senior girls’ High school. wonderful students. We have hosted german and french students this year, and some of our students will visit st aspais in france and We are delighted to make gymnasium Hochrad in germany over the Christmas break. our collective contribution to these outcomes, and we We have also developed some highly innovative global curriculum continue to provide a strong for Year 8, and for Year 9 in 2014, thus increasing the number of focus on both strategy and international options available to our students in senior school. our Year 9s will also connect with like-minded peers through a governance in support of the unique partnership with Young People Without Borders. These school, the executive leadership team, our wonderful experiences will stay with the students for life and enrich their educators and professional support staff. journey to become more active citizens of the world. We have adopted a disciplined approach to the We are working with Deakin University on a three year setting of business strategy, governance and risk program to encourage the development of intercultural management in support of the Principal, Mrs fran understanding and competence in our students, key reddan and the strategic Management Team. attributes of a global citizen. as part of this quest, we have In 2013, I am pleased to report that the school again sought to create opportunities for our students to engage exceeded expectations in a number of key areas in authentic, positive and supported interactions with including enrolments, academic performance and the people of other cultures, including Indigenous australians. built environment. My thanks to all Directors for their The Junior school has successfully completed a formal evaluation continued tireless efforts. with the International Baccalaureate organisation, and as a whole school, we have also achieved membership to the We enjoy a sound financial position and continue to prestigious Council of International schools (CIs). We are one invest heavily in capability across the school. of just six schools globally to participate in a pilot program for a I wish to personally recognise two retiring Directors, new Certificate of International education. following a thorough Mr David Uhlhorn and Mr David Lloyd, for their inspection by a team from CIs, we are well on the way to contributions over many years to the school. achieving this Certificate – one that will benchmark a Mentone girls’ grammar school education as comparable to the best a particular highlight for me this year was the opening of around the world in preparing its students as global citizens. the global Learning Centre for Years 9 & 10 together with the contemporary food and Nutrition Centre. n r Your Board remains committed to the implementation of the strategic Plan adopted this year that sets out our alumnae group is full of enthusiasm in staying connected our vision and purpose for the next 5 years. and in continuing to contribute to our school’s success. This year has marked a new program of reunions, the launch My thanks to the school executive team and staff, of our simpson Bequest society, a generous grant of $10,000 our Parents’ association, old girls’ network, and our to help us collect material for writing our next school history, many volunteers and supporters – another stellar and many hours of generous volunteering from our talented year by all. alumnae. our old girls are proud of the unique, personalised, I specifically wish to recognise our students and remarkable Mentone education that specialises in giving girls the their families for their continued commitment to the confidence and the opportunities to believe in themselves and school. We are all committed to supporting our girls to find their unique path in life. They understand that they, and to be resilient, capable and confident young women even their parents, have an important part to play in preserving ready to embark upon their remarkable lives. the school’s great reputation now and for the future. This keeps their own Mentone girls’ grammar school credentials very May I thank everyone associated with the school. valuable in an increasingly changing and competitive workplace. Best wishes to all for the future. This publication showcases the remarkable learning experiences Mr Dale Seymour of our Mentone girls. With a successful year behind us, we President, School Council look forward to 2014 to continue to work hard, grasp every opportunity with both hands, and renew our commitment to the life of these young people – our Mentone girls. Mrs Fran Reddan Principal
1. Transcript of a commencement address Nipun Mehta delivered at The Harker School, May 2013. He is the founder of ServiceSpace.org, a nonprofit that works at the intersection of gift-economy, technology and volunteerism. 2. Based on 2012 NAPLAN results LeaDersHIP
connect with leadership teams from girls’ schools around F the world, we have been able to establish an initiative called as Year 12 students, we are often asked what our plans are educate girls globally (egg), working together to support for the future and where we see ourselves and our lives after the education of young girls in disadvantaged nations. egg school. While I may not have a concrete vision of where I see has been just one of the many achievements we have myself, I know that with the foundation I have developed at this accomplished as a school this year, and it is something that school, the future is nothing to be feared. as I look back on the Tamara, Brooke and I hope will remain within the school past year, and my time as a Mentone girl, it is difficult to pinpoint community for many years to come. a favourite moment or memory. Countless camps, school To the Class of 2013, and the amazing support team of staff functions and House events, together with the opportunity to and teachers who play a vital role in our lives every day, we lead my school, have shaped me into a young woman who feels thank you. Thank you for your support and encouragement ready to enter an exciting world beyond the school gates. throughout the year. It is because of you that Mentone girls’ I have had the privilege of working with two amazing Deputy grammar school will always hold a place in my heart, no Head girls, Tamara and Brooke, and together we have matter where the future takes me. enjoyed every moment of serving our school community Cleo B and striving to make a difference. Through opportunities to Head Girl (pictured middle)
t r I remember fondly that the importance of being a good role model was always impressed upon me as a Junior school House Captain. However, I do not believe that I ever felt the responsibility until much later. as a younger student, I looked up to the student leaders, emulating their conduct and self assurance. at our Year 12 Induction assembly, we were passionately reminded how much the Junior students looked up to us, and the impact we have on their perceptions and values. It was then that I realised the enormity of the responsibility that a role model holds. We are not just here to set an example; we are the very example that is revered by younger girls. This realisation made me proud that one of our leadership aims this year was to strengthen the relationship between Junior and senior school students, which we reinforced with two combined leadership workshops. each workshop allowed us to set goals for the various leadership departments with a whole school perspective. The younger girls were able to learn from the leadership of the senior leaders, while the older girls gained an appreciation for the viewpoints of Junior students. Cleo, Brooke and I attended a Junior school assembly with the aim of introducing ourselves and expanding the students’ awareness of our roles. We certainly noticed our profile as role models increase among the Junior students, saying hello and interacting with them as we saw them throughout the school in the weeks that followed. Thank you to all of the leaders that I aspire to be, and in particular, the teachers who have shown me the way to become the leader that I am still growing into today. Tamara P Deputy Head Girl (pictured left)
Meeting with members of the local Council, managers of big and small corporations, and attending a student leadership To say that my final year at school has been ‘remarkable’ is conference in sydney, have truly equipped me with the skills an understatement. I have experienced numerous challenges, I need to progress as a leader. Whilst I still have many things and ample responsibility, but most importantly, I have gained to learn, I know that my experiences at this school have many treasured memories and had lots of fun. My role as advanced my skills and broadened my mind to a world of Deputy Head girl has only perpetuated my love of this possibilities, all of which I am intent on exploring in the future. school and my willingness to serve it. I have worked with two My time at school would not have been nearly as inspiring incredible girls, Cleo and Tamara, and have had the privilege without my incredible role models – my teachers. Providing me of working closely with Mrs fran reddan, our Principal, as well with ample opportunities, expanding my mind and talents whilst as Head of senior school, Mr David Cugley and Vice Principal, never ceasing to inspire me, it is my teachers who have instilled Mrs Kay McCullough. The knowledge I have gained, and the in me the courage and motivation to enter the world with lifelong skills I have acquired this year, can be attributed to an eagerness to learn. so it is with great honour that I thank working with and learning from these amazing people. Mentone girls’ grammar school for all it has given to me and My eyes have been opened to leadership in the future and the the Class of 2013, and that it will continue to provide for many prominent role women will play in it. Working closely with generations to come. I am, and always will be, a Mentone girl. Mrs reddan has exposed me to many community leaders, Brooke D particularly women who excel in positions of authority. Deputy Head Girl (pictured right) MaKe a DIffereNCe
as part of our school’s mission, we encourage and empower our students to contribute meaningfully to the global community, to act with integrity and to make a difference. Mentone girls focus on issues and concerns that affect people and the planet as a whole. We seek to give our students an appreciation of interdependence and develop their ethical and moral thinking, as they grow into global citizens driven by social responsibility.
as the students worked, they devised the central idea t ‘action taken by people impacts the way we live’. They felt for the Year 6 exhibition unit, Where we are in Place and that the common feature of all influential people is that at Time, students investigated the concepts of philanthropy some point they have taken action that impacts others. and humanitarianism while being exposed to everyday The exhibition showcased the students’ commitment and people, like themselves, making extraordinary differences passion to their lines of inquiry. They produced activities through their actions. and products and gave presentations that helped the many students were visited by former teacher of our school, student, staff and parent visitors understand their research andrea Cross, and her husband, David, who dedicate and knowledge. Through their understanding, dedication their lives to helping children who have fallen victim to and passion, Year 6 2013 have truly made a difference to trafficking. Barristers,ashley Helphan and Nadia Kaddeche, the Mentone girls’ grammar school community. also spoke with the students about the complexity of human rights issues and the importance of compassion. ashley has worked with inmates on death row and set up schools in sierra Leone and Mongolia. Nadia regularly travels around the world, acting as an advocate for those less fortunate and supporting those in the legal profession. These visits enabled the girls to meet with people in the community making a difference to the lives of others. They were inspired and encouraged to think about what action they can take to have a positive impact on the world. Year 6 student, Billie a, said it made her feel instantly motivated to take action. “It is heartbreaking to hear about these issues, but at the same time, it is important for all of us to hear of the great achievements of the people who work to make the world a better place.” The Year 6 exhibition represents a significant event in the life of a PYP student, synthesising and sharing the essential elements of the PYP. Through this major project, students are required to demonstrate engagement with the five essential elements of the PYP: knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes and action.
MaKe a DIffereNCe
F C as australians and global citizens, it is important that we C honour the men and women who continue to protect our freedom. as we commemorated aNZaC Day this year in In March, we celebrated International Women’s Day a special school service, it was incredibly moving to hear our (IWD), with a week of activities and events that students talk about their grandfathers’ experiences of war. paid tribute to the contribution women have made in families, communities and the world, including a old girl, Krystal Brown (1999) (pictured below), also special assembly and breakfast. spoke of her recent time in the army, including service in afghanistan, highlighting the contribution that women During the week we heard from some remarkable make to the armed forces. women, including our Vice Principal, Mrs Kay McCullough, who spoke about her experiences in Myanmar, and the We were also incredibly proud of the many Mentone girls cultural division of labour in a country where women and their families who marched behind our school banner do much of the agricultural work as well as traditional at the Mentone Community aNZaC Day service. It made domestic roles. Mrs McCullough highlighted the impact for a wonderful community event and, importantly, a sense of poverty and a lack of education on women. that the next generation is learning the true significance of the day. We also heard from Krissy Nicholson, Water, sanitation and Hygiene Program Manager at PLaN australia, who spoke about the new ‘Period Program’ in Uganda, as well as amalia fawcett, senior Child rights specialist at PLaN australia, who spoke of the plight of girls forced into early marriage. We commend the work of our International relations Captain, Kai K, who did an exemplary job organising the events of the week, showing genuine leadership in her role. Learning about International Women’s Day provides a time for students to reflect on the challenges of women in our society and around the world, and to consider what still needs to be done to shape a fairer world. In contributing to this positive vision of gender equality, it is vital to provide environments where girls can benefit from tailored educational opportunities that are specifically designed to help girls flourish; where they can be encouraged to find, hone and develop their unique talents; where they are exposed to strong role models, and are supported to develop their intellect and their personal qualities during their formative years. This positive learning environment, at a critical time in their development, helps to give girls the confidence in their own abilities as unique individuals, where they can develop proudly into ‘remarkable Women’, and, ultimately, where they will not have to define themselves by their gender.
o Ceo students in Years 11 & 12 had the great privilege of hearing from the Ceo of oxfam australia, Dr Helen szoke, during the school’s annual Humanities Week activities. Dr szoke is a former race Discrimination Commissioner with a background in human rights, gender equality and Indigenous affairs. The students learned about the work oxfam undertakes with australia’s Indigenous community to ‘close the gap’, and the ‘Change Course’ program, which aims to empower young aboriginal and Torres strait Islander people to create change locally, nationally and globally. Head of Humanities, Mr Daryl Mcgrath, said that learning about the process of foreign aid and being aware of the struggles faced in disadvantaged communities, are important parts of the students’ development as responsible global citizens.
agencies. one of the founders of Kogo, Doris Montag, t visited the girls to receive their donations, to explain how the students from Years 7–12 traded technology for knitting charity works, and highlighting the impact it has on the people needles to spend time with their parents and grandparents, who receive the knitted goods. “You cannot imagine how learn a new skill and enjoy each other’s company. wonderful it feels to receive something brand new, made just for you, when you have absolutely nothing in this world. Head of Years 7 & 8, Mrs angela Wiseman, explained the I thank each and every one of you for your contribution.” objective of the program is to teach girls to find a healthy balance between face-to-face and online communications. The energy and enthusiasm the students devoted to “Through real interaction with each other, and with this project are indicative of the strong raVe (religion women of different ages, they recognise their support and Values education) program that our school runs base, as well as gain different perspectives on life issues. to promote social responsibility. our students are our Working on a joint project while they communicate future leaders, and we aim to empower them with vital creates a relaxed and unguarded environment.” leadership skills such as compassion, empathy and action. The research supporting Mindful Knitting shows that it has great calming properties and teaches key life skills such as patience, perseverance and communication. feedback from the students has supported this research with many positive comments: “Knitting is like reading a book; it calmed me down and helped me to think mindfully.” “I find it provides a relaxing activity to do before I complete school tasks so I go into those tasks thinking clearly and calmly. Knitting is very soothing and if I am ever feeling stressed, I just pick up my knitting needles!” students also chose to donate their items to the charity, Kogo (Knit one give one), which provides beanies, scarves, toys and blankets to over 130 different welfare
A REMARKABLE WOMAN
8 Po e Po e Papapetrou Papapetrou
r t “The most important thing is to find your voice, to have faith in who you are and to work hard.” o C e t n t r t e t t t CoNNeCTIoNs
as a school, we understand the importance of creating an environment of support, friendship, pride and joy that encourages students to feel a deep, personal connection with their school community. We achieve this in many different ways, but it is never more apparent than in our artistic displays, where the all important qualities of leadership, teamwork, organisation, courage and resilience shine through with powerful effect.
C C t C our BIg arT theme this year of ‘Connecting Cultures’ The VCe Unit 3 Theatre studies class joined together in was explored through a fusion of music, art and drama an unforgettable performance of The Cagebirds written by from across the ages and around the world. prolific British dramatist, David Campton, who was inspired by the Theatre of the Absurd. The audience was transported back to the 1940s with gripping monologues from our Theatre studies students who have been Year 12 student, Pimathai M, researched the context and exploring the evolution of the representation of society through themes within the play as part of her Unit 3 Theatre studies theatre. Visitors also explored the cultural time map created role of Dramaturg (research assistant to the Director), an by the rise and fall of influential art movements, and saw the abstract of which is highlighted below. making of modern culture through the eyes of a collaborative “Theatre of the Absurd revolves around the concept of the group of Visual arts students. Year 9 students used screen meaninglessness of life. The term ‘absurd’ can be defined as printed t-shirts to make clever and powerful statements about man aimlessly wandering earth and its inhabitants devoid society, culture and issues that were important to them. The of purpose. We are bewildered, troubled and obscurely futuristic ‘Imagination Machine’, powered by the creative minds threatened. Being an absurdist writer, Campton wrote of Year 5 students, challenged them to think beyond our times The Cagebirds in response to the vast amount of social and to how machines might look in the future. economic change occurring in Britain during the 1970s. Then, from the rumble of african drumming to the “Communication is undoubtedly one of the most ambience of Chicago city lights, the audience was wowed important aspects of The Cagebirds. The absurdity of by our Performing arts students as they circumnavigated the play is highlighted through the repeated, illogical and the globe in a magnificent gala concert connecting cultures disjointed use of speech. The dialogue between the birds is through music and dance. conventionalised and meaningless, reflecting and ridiculing the day-to-day connections and interactions between people. Campton suggests that we have become accustomed to using communication to simply fill the empty space between us, and that it has lost meaning and authenticity. “The birds represent many human characteristics – vanity, greed, insecurity etc, leaving us to pose the question: are we looking at birds in a cage, or are we looking at ourselves?”
soprano in Melbourne and wider australia since leaving C F school. all of the Houses excelled, resulting in a very close our traditional House system is integral to the fabric of our competition, but it was grammar who reached out to grab unique community. House activities provide a wonderful first place, winning by just one point! remy W and Lizzie M opportunity to connect students and create a sense of pride were jointly awarded best conductor for their outstanding in achieving a common goal. These are important skills in abilities to lead their ensembles to excellence. the development of our students who feel that being part of In the Junior school, the annual House Chorals competition a House is like being part of a large family where everyone is was of an equally high standard. all Houses were led by valued and shares a common set of ideals. their House Captains to perform a compulsory song plus The annual senior school House Music and House Dance a song of their choice. each House of students from Prep extravaganzas are a wonderful showcase of the artistic – Year 6 was judged on the execution and presentation of talents of our students from Years 7–12. as always, House their performances. We were honoured to welcome Ms Dance went off with a bang in a swirl of colour, movement Vicki smith from the australian girls’ Choir to judge the and music. saint Margaret’s took home first place for their event, and we congratulate Kent House on their success, magical Disney inspired performance, but it was not an easy led by Captains, Kayla P and samantha r. decision for our judge and aerobics coach extraordinaire, students, parents and old girls sat in awe of the Ms Jess Hayes, who was forced into a tiebreak. remarkable standard of the four professional, well-polished House Music was a feast of our students’ many talents as House performances at each of these incredible school the standard of performance astounded and delighted events. the audience. We were also proud to welcome back old girl, Jess Boyd (2011), as the adjudicator this year. Jess is currently completing a Bachelor of Music at the University of Melbourne under the tuition of anna Connolly, and has already carved out a very successful career as a mezzo
oN THe BeaCH
for over a century, our idyllic location by the beach has provided a fresh and healthy learning environment for generations of Mentone girls. In recent times it has inspired our WAVES priorities – key principles which guide the way we meet the particular learning needs of girls by contributing to their Wellbeing, Achievement, positive Values, Enterprising nature and Success as women in our society. from our innovative Year 8 foreshore program run in conjunction with the Mentone Life saving Club, to many Junior school activities, some of which are outlined below, our ‘Classroom on the Beach’ program offers students a unique perspective on the marine environment and a great place to learn.
To extend their interest in native australian wildlife, the Pre Preps welcomed Wild action into the eLC to students in our early Learning Centre (eLC) have been exploring experience australian wildlife up close. The session under the sea, and have learned some valuable lessons about emphasised animal body coverings, dietary requirements, why we all need to take care of our precious marine world. habitats, morphology and environmental concerns. The girls were fascinated by the camouflage of the green tree frog, our seahorse class had a visit from sonia, from The Drama the defence strategies of the shingle back lizard and animal Toolbox, who facilitated a workshop about life under the sea. reproduction (eggs or live young). each Pre Prep was a students discussed ocean creatures and how they move and live. risk taker as they confidently touched the different animals. some preliminary exercises with music helped the girls imagine They even had the chance to hold a crocodile! how they could become a creature living in the sea. The girls then dressed in a range of costumes from octopi and seaweed to mermaids and divers as they participated in a story told by sonia. The girls moved around the sea as seaweed tickled the different fish and provided a hiding place from the shark. The divers took lots of pictures under the sea, and the jelly fish and octopi moved around everyone. Later, the girls swapped costumes for another story where they had to deal with rubbish that had been dumped by the divers. They thought about the different things we could all do to prevent pollution at the beach. students were also taken on a magical journey under the sea by Dream Puppets. These incredible black light puppets are presented in a theatre lit by ultra violet light and designed to stimulate the imagination. The story of Dreamer in the Deep is an enchanting tale of Dreamer who helps to rescue a Leafy sea Dragon from the fierce Lionf ish. With the help of a little seahorse, Dreamer goes down to the bottom of the ocean and finds the key to unlock the cage and release the Leafy sea Dragon. The puppeteer, who is also the builder, designer and writer of the show, brought some of the puppets to meet the girls who were delighted to see how they were operated.
“To work outside in such bright, light and windy conditions reminded us of how challenging painting outdoors must have In april, Year 1 students packed up their paints and ventured been for artists like streeton in possibly the same location.” into the wilderness for a different kind of classroom. To inspire their creativity and take in the fresh sea breeze, they landed on Mentone Beach and set up their workshops. Their Term 2 art focus on drawing and painting included a study of the wonderful books by acclaimed author and artist, Jeannie Baker. students were asked to consider their composition by using window viewfinders to look closely at the detail and textures around them, and record them in their visual diaries. It was fantastic to give our young artists a true open air experience complete with a bit of wind to teach them creative problem solving skills! Visual arts Teacher, Mrs Katrina frazer, said the students used sticks, fingers and flower buds to paint as Indigenous groups in the area may have done long ago. students in Prep and Year 1 have also been exploring the wonders of the marine world through their PYP Unit of Inquiry, Sharing the Planet. students explore the responsibility of individuals, community and government for the conservation of species. To genuinely understand conservation, the girls must first understand the necessary conditions for life, the interaction between animals and their habitats, and the food chain. This exploration of conservation allows the girls to genuinely understand the biological imperatives for survival and extinction. To explore these concepts further, students worked on the beach with our Head of science, Mrs Helen silvester, to learn about plant life, and visited the Melbourne aquarium to learn about marine animals. They also worked on developing their research and writing skills as part of the Unit. The completion of the Unit was celebrated with a fabulous marine parade with the girls dressing up as marine creatures and experiencing a full day of fun and celebration. e e e r We love getting our students outdoors in the sunshine and sea air to benefit their mental and physical wellbeing. Year 5 students have enjoyed our beachfront location, and spent the year developing their sense of adventure and zest for science, Technology, engineering and Mathematics as a part of our sTeM program. This included an exploration of the complex ecosystem at rickett’sickett’s Point to learn about the many creatures that call it home. The students were expertly guided through a series of activities by representatives from the gould League, a non-profit environmental education organisation. activities included beach combing, exploring rock pools and viewing the site of an aboriginal midden dating back over 5,000 years – and to think this is all right on our doorstep! The girls were keen explorers and discovered all sorts of creatures such as sea jellies, sea stars, sea urchins, crabs and more. even those who visit rickett’s Point frequently appreciated the chance to explore first-hand this dynamic ecosystem and to learn from the knowledgeable presenters.
opportunities they can experience throughout their PYP year. The session was a great reminder of prioritising life demands, Harvard University offers a course on ‘Mindful Leadership’. refocusing and stopping to smell the ocean occasionally! It highlights that, “Mindfulness is an evidence-based practice that fosters qualities of mind that are central to effective leadership. It builds important leadership skills including concentration, clarity and compassion for yourself and others.” over the past two years, we have been embedding Mindfulness into our student wellbeing programs with great success. It is affirming to see that from a global perspective, we are ahead in our thinking when it comes to curriculum and leadership development for our students. our Year 6 students were delighted to take their Mindfulness training to the beach earlier this year when they spent time with founder of Kid Coach, Ms Delvina Waiti. Increasing awareness of the emotional self, effective breathing, allowing for ‘mind time’ and being present in the moment, were among the concepts canvassed by Delvina in this idyllic setting. Mindfulness techniques and strategies equip students to manage the challenges and THe sTage
Now, more than ever, our Performing arts program offers our students the opportunity to perform on the world stage. Playing alongside students filled the Creative Learning Centre (CLC) international artists, learning the ropes from at lunchtime on friday 17 May in anticipation of the arrival of two very special guests from the hit show, industry professionals and experiencing some of Legally Blonde, The Musical. rob Mills and David Harris the world’s finest talent, our students are placed dropped in to chat with our excited students about at the forefront of creativity and innovation in The life on the stage. arts. The diverse world around us has planted The stars spoke about their musical theatre careers the seed of curiosity, and with each enriching and encouraged students to put their best foot experience our students are exposed to, we grow forward in every performance. “It doesn’t matter their imagination – if you are performing in front of two people, two hundred people or two billion people on national and we grow the innovators of the future. television; you need to give the same performance C every single time,” said rob. David shared an entertaining story of how he landed students who elected to study Drama and Theatre studies a career in theatre after being dragged into the high from Years 9 – 12 were treated to an extraordinary excursion school musical because no one else would volunteer. to see the internationally acclaimed Cirque du soleil. as one It worked out for the best as he discovered that of the world’s most successful theatre companies, Cirque du he loved performing on stage and moved to soleil currently has 25 performances entertaining millions of sydney to follow his passion. spectators around the world. Here is what one of our Year 9 students had the opportunity to ask their guests students had to say about this experience: questions such as, “Is it havoc backstage?” and “Cirque du soleil was an amazing performance, with “How far is too far when it comes to fans?” acrobatically outstanding talent on display. It was very clever apparently asking for autographs was not taking the way the characters communicated an entire narrative things ‘too far’, as the line of students waiting to to the audience with use of only mime, instrumental music get their postcards signed spilled out the door. and sound effects. This allowed the performance to be Nine lucky students then won free tickets to viewed by anyone, regardless of nationality or language. Legally Blonde, The Musical, through a fantastic The costumes were absolutely mesmerising, bright and competition run by Drama Teacher, Ms Claire colourful. Many of the tricks performed by the actors Wearne. They certainly felt like VIP guests, provoked gasps of amazement from the audience.” having already met the stars of the show.
our senior stage Band certainly stood out in the arena of excellence in music during their performance night at Dizzy’s Jazz Club. Not only did our girls excel as they always do, but we were also treated to a 45 minute performance by a five piece Jazz Band under the direction of staccato Jack, son of our saxophone and clarinet teacher, Mr geoff earle. Performing at Dizzy’s was an amazing opportunity for students to play in a professional venue alongside award winning musicians. The billboard outside the Club read, ‘Tonight – Mentone girls’ grammar school, an outstanding school band’, followed by an advertisement for world renowned contralto, salena Jones. our name was up there with the best of the best! with wonderful african inspired music, professional acting and ethereal singing from both soloists and chorus alike. every year, our senior school production pushes boundaries We were also incredibly fortunate to have a professional and this year was no exception. students presented the team of mentors supporting the students and lending their australasian premiere of the enchanting musical, A Little expertise and professionalism to the show. Princess. Written by Tony-nominated composer and lyricist, old girl, Nikol McKail (1995), who is now Client relations andrew Lippa (The addams family, The Wild Party), A Little Manager for Hal Leonard australia, passed on her Princess is the story of a little girl with a big imagination. congratulations to the wonderful cast and crew. separated from her father and the open-hearted africans “There are so many outstanding singers, actors and who have helped him raise her, young sara Crewe is sent to musicians amongst your company, not to mention, stage- boarding school in London. When things go badly for her there, hands, lighting and sound operators, and endless backstage her imagination comes to the rescue – helping to transform a assistants. We wish them every success for their bright drab institution into a place of magic and mystery. as sara wins futures. It was lovely to see this show come to life for the the affection of the other boarders, she draws the ire of Miss very first time here in australia, and we hope the word Minchin, the dour headmistress. When her father is reported spreads about how fantastic a show it is and the great dead and his fortune seized, sara is made a servant to the opportunities it provides for its cast. I thought the music institution but she counters all of Miss Minchin’s best efforts to may be challenging – but everyone rose to that challenge degrade her with the grace and virtue of a little princess. with gusto. I was indeed proud of my old school. It was The devoted cast of girls, together with boys from st James exciting to run into my old Principal, Mrs Janice Douglas, and sstt Bede’s Colleges, presented a truly visual spectacle, who was there also – very special indeed!”
our unique saIL (supporting advanced and Independent Learners) program is designed to recognise, promote and our school community was advance the education of students who possess very high extremely excited to welcome intellectual ability in an encouraging and structured environment. international flautist, Jane rutter, saIL is a flexible, multi-faceted program that provides to perform on our stage this year. opportunities for extension, enrichment and acceleration Jane delighted the audience with a story of her musical through a variety of approaches from multi-age groups to journey in Paris, told with wit and exceptional musical skill. ability-based, subject-specific activities and competitions. our flute and string students were also privileged to The structure and features of the program vary according have the opportunity to perform on stage with this to the age and stage of the students. world class performer. In our new saIL orchestral Music program for Years 5 & 6, Congratulations to our senior Performing string ensemble, students travelled the world together, performing the music ariana D (Year 9), Cassie s(Year 8), emily C (Year 10) and of Handel and Beethoven and learning about the Baroque. fiona L (Year 6), who performed with distinction on the night. They also experienced the musical delights of samba, and its origins and importance in Brazilian culture. students also joined Jane at the Park Hyatt for a press conference and morning tea – what a star experience!
committed individuals, each with a passion for helping F F to deliver exceptional educational opportunities for our The role of the Mentone girls’ grammar school foundation students. During the year, I was delighted to welcome is to raise funds to provide additional benefits and Dr Tania obranovich to the foundation. Tania, a current opportunities for students and staff that the school parent at the school, has an impressive background as a may not otherwise be able to support. patent and trademark attorney specialising in the medical and biotechnology field, with experience in policy development This year, the foundation has achieved a number of and education. I would also like to acknowledge important outcomes. The breadth of support from the Mr David stewart who has now stepped down from the school community has been extraordinary, with around foundation. In his role as President of the school Council, 400 (70%) of our school families contributing to our David was instrumental in re-establishing the foundation Voluntary Building fund, annual giving Campaign or in 2011, and we thank him for his vision and contribution. Bequest Program. I would also like to thank Messrs alan frees, David Jones, We are especially proud that our donors included a current and robert Konoroth, together with Mrs Vicki goodwin student – a wonderful testament to the community and and the Principal, Mrs fran reddan, for their valuable and social responsibility a Mentone girls’ grammar education ongoing contribution to the foundation. strives to engender. finally, thank you to the many students, staff, parents During 2013, we have been able to contribute to the and old girls across the school and broader following important initiatives: community who have contributed to the • the ongoing building and development program; foundation during the past year. • the enterprise awards, launched in conjunction with We look forward the school, to recognise and encourage student and to your continuing staff endeavours; support in 2014. • the food and Nutrition Centre completed in early r e ee 2013, providing students with excellent, commercial- Chair, Mentone Girls’ grade facilities; and Grammar School Foundation • the funding of two social inclusion scholarship places. The foundation was again fortunate to have the active involvement of a number of extremely capable and
Mentone Girls’ Grammar School Foundation
F Bequests. e Our Present. Her Future. t website at: www.mentonegirls.vic.edu.au/Giving
t F The school is committed to delivering an excellent WAVES learning experience that supports the Wellbeing, Achievement, Values, Enterprise and Success of women in society. In support of the school’s major focus on wellbeing, the foundation contributed to the extensive refurbishment of the food and Nutrition Centre. Designed to simulate a commercial training kitchen, the Centre also provides a welcoming environment where students can learn the principles and practices of good nutrition, a major ingredient in the wellbeing mix. The foundation campaigned to support this important initiative and proudly contributed a $10,000 donation. The school was thrilled to receive the foundation’s support and expressed gratitude to everyone involved. Head of Years 9 & 10, Mrs Catherine freney, and food Technology Teacher, Mrs sandra fordyce-Voorham, said that by providing this customised facility, the foundation has supported the students to gain the skills to become health savvy consumers and inventive cooks. “s“students learn how to navigate a marketplace on a budget, are able to read and act upon food labels, and recognise how to prepare and store food safely and hygienically. More impressively, they learn how to clean up the kitchen afterwards! It is great to have a learning environment that makes it a pleasure to work in, to learn fundamental life skills that are important in every young person’s life. We are very fortunate that our school is able to offer such an advanced facility to our students.”
F In May, we held our annual founders’ Day service in commemoration of the leadership that has shaped our school over the past 114 years. our founders, the simpson family, opened their school in 1899 with just six pupils who were taught in the dining room of their family home. The eldest daughter, Ms effie simpson, was the school’s first Principal. It is amazing to think that from those modest beginnings, this little school grew and evolved to become the thriving, vibrant school we are today. on founders’ Day, we heard about the ups and downs our school has experienced throughout the decades under the direction of a succession of strong Principals. This included forced closure during the great influenza outbreak in 1919, the difficulties the school experienced during the great Depression, and later, under the leadership of Principal Ms Jeannie McCowan, its move in 1938 to a house that stood at 88 Beach road, now the location of the Cobbalanna senior College. We heard about evacuation drills that occurred when the Japanese threat to australia was at its peak in World War II, and the continued growth of the school under Ms Prudence Lewty and subsequent Principals. We concluded with some of our more recent achievements under the expert leadership and guidance of our current Principal, Mrs fran reddan. We prayed for past and present members of our school community including staff, students, parents, and members of the school Council. It was a wonderful celebration of our school, held in our own Prudence Lewty Hall. Next year, which marks our very special 115th anniversary – and every subsequent fifth anniversary - we intend to celebrate founders’ Day at a church large enough to accommodate our growing community, such as st andrew’s anglican Church in Brighton. In between, we will continue as we did this year and celebrate our blessing as a school in our own Prudence Lewty Hall. INNoVaTIoNs
a truly innovative curriculum can pull a student out of the classroom and take her on an adventure to another place, another time and, every now and then, another world. This year, our students have been learning about life the fun way, travelling through space and time to see the world through many different eyes. This approach immerses students in new topics and encourages self-directed learning as they find themselves naturally asking ‘how’ and ‘why’.
During Humanities Week, Year 8 students delved deep into medieval times and breathed life back into the long forgotten traditions of another world. experiencing the treachery of life in the 10th century, students traded their school uniforms for medieval costumes and learned about archery, combat and the perils of aristocracy. They also set up a medieval market at lunchtime and sold their produce. Luckily for us, there was no ‘eye of newt’ on the menu, and the students opted for more modern cuisine with an array of delicious cakes and tarts. Medieval Day demonstrated the creative and engaging way that learning occurs at our school. We constantly strive to ensure that the students are stimulated and interested in their topics so they can be self motivated and curious learners.
r te n e C our Year 5 students were shot into space this year through The art of cheese making is definitely a lot more scientist our innovative sTeM (science, Technology, engineering and than Chef, as our Year 11 students found out this year Mathematics) program where they have been learning about through the ‘Camembert in Classroom’ project. space exploration, designing space shuttles, space stations our students explored the world of cheese in a fascinating and space ships using sketchUp, and creating movies to workshop led by expert cheese makers from Dairy demonstrate exploration through the ages using Movie Maker. australia, before turning their own hand to the scientific art Through their sTeM studies, they have also entered the of making Camembert. In 2013, 85 schools across australia fascinating world of robotics including using robolab to participated in this innovative program. programme Mars rovers and learn more about sensors, food and Nutrition teacher and Head of Years 9 & 10, tracking programs and the science of building robots, Mrs Catherine freney, said Camembert cheese production while also working with cutting edge Nao robots. is very scientific. “The whole process is incredibly delicate and is our Year 5 specialist sTeM classes are taught twice a week dependent on having the correct PH level in the starter culture. to help students further explore the concepts of sTeM, We had to maintain strict hygiene so as not to spoil our batch. and to inspire interest and inquiry into the scientific world. It was a great way to demonstrate complex scientific theories our students have embraced their sTeM classes which to the students using a common food item. students also have been further enhanced by their classroom units had to develop a branding and advertising campaign for their based on the world of inventions and technology. cheese, which was a great way for them to think about product development and marketing. It certainly gives them something to think about next time they munch into some cheese!” Much like Camembert cheese, activities such as this serve to provide our students with a rich and cultured school experience.
The captivated audience heard about the work conducted at CerN, the biggest particle accelerator in the world one of the highlights of science Week was our annual science situated near geneva, switzerland. It was an inspirational Breakfast, this year featuring world renowned Nuclear address made understandable by a female Physicist and Physicist, Professor elisabetta Barberio. In developing our own role model to an audience of female scientists, students remarkable women, it is vital that we expose our students to and their teachers. We all learned something that day. many strong female role models. This ethos was exemplified by Professor Barberio, who is a remarkable woman indeed. Professor Barberio spoke to a capacity audience of staff and students from 15 different schools, many of whom form part of the alliance of girls’ schools in Victoria. The audience also included approximately 50 scientists who represented many different discipline areas. Professor Barberio told the story of the 20 year search, and ultimate discovery in 2012, of the Higgs boson, the particle that had been predicted by Peter Higgs and others to answer the question of how all other matter has mass. The long sought after Higgs boson also has wider implications, opening the door to explaining the existence of dark matter, the mysterious substance widely thought to make up 83 percent of all matter in the universe.
In the internet age, managing money and differentiating between needs and wants, can be difficult concepts for young our Junior school is currently taking part in an exciting people to grasp. a consequence of the rise of electronic national education initiative called Moneysmart, developed by transactions, credit cards and ‘invisible money’ is that some the australian securities and Investment Commission (asIC). children see money as a limitless resource. This program is being trialled in 93 schools nationally and as the school’s Moneysmart Co-ordinator, Ben says that is designed to teach australian Curriculum content, as well we have broadened our approach to teaching economics as to assist young people to develop positive attitudes with the addition of the asIC program: and behaviours in relation to spending, saving, donating “We were not really covering financial literacy before as part and investing. Mr Ben Clapp and Ms Kathrin Wardlaw of our normal curriculum. The Moneysmart program has have undergone a series of professional development and given us a more comprehensive approach. It provided the curriculum development activities in order to teach this tools, the resources and some good units of work that have program in our Junior school. enabled lessons to unfold really well. We are also working The rationale for the program is a simple one. access to credit with parents to ensure the skills our students develop at and money has changed dramatically in the past 40 years, school are being put into practice at home. Being able to and the chance of australians experiencing crippling debt handle money is a core life skill, and we aim to teach our in their early or mid-20s is much higher than it used to be. students to become savvy and responsible consumers.”
In order to increase the value of our future global Leaders F award, we have partnered with Young People Without In august this year, we officially launched the Mentone girls’ Borders (YPWB), an initiative of the foundation for Young grammar school future global Leaders award. In keeping australians (www.ypwb.org.au). with our strategic priority to be internationally-minded, we We realised our new award valued many of the qualities wanted to create an award that values important capabilities that are also identified as important to YPWB, and as a and recognises a set of skills and experiences. We believe this result of this innovative partnership, our students who program will help create not only global citizens, but also complete some challenges for the future global Leaders young leaders in a global context. award will also be able to accrue ‘cred points’ on the The future global Leaders award has Bronze, silver and YPWB website. Ms Patsy Niklas, from YPWB gave an gold levels, with the Bronze level beginning in Year 9. inspiring talk about the benefits of volunteering, and students will accrue the required number of points for introduced our students to the broader network of like- each level based on completion of tasks from several minded young people who have already joined YPWB. categories including Leadership and action, asia We want our future global leaders to be young people awareness, Intercultural Understanding, and Language. without borders. It is a big world out there and there is much This is an enormously challenging award, and those who good work to be done. YPWB will help broaden our students’ complete the gold Level will receive a full school Colour horizons about the opportunities to engage in leadership and service in their own community, and in the process they will and a prestigious trophy that will be presented at the annual Presentation evening. progress their journey as a citizen of the world. oUr
With a focus on global education, our school has F an integrated curriculum that aims to empower students as global citizens to meet the challenges This year’s International Week was packed full of of their times. fostering social responsibility, we flavours from around the globe, and our students were not afraid to jump in and savour them. Throughout promote a sustainable future for the world International Week, students explored what it means and seek to give students an appreciation of to be internationally-minded through many wonderful interdependence within the global environment. activities, including a student-led concert, a german cooking class from a world renowned chef and many delicious food stalls. Middle eastern dance company, C C Yalla Yalla, also mesmerised the students at an assembly with beautiful fabrics, music and movement. There is much more to the study of Languages at Mentone girls’ grammar school than simply learning new words. our diverse Languages suite of Japanese, german, french and Chinese provides students with a passport to the world. They explore the context of language by experiencing culture, and forge relationships that transcend international borders through our exchange program. This year, for the first time, we welcomed 19 students from our new Japanese sister school, Yamanashi eiwa, for a six week cultural exchange and home stay. It was a great moment when the students finally arrived after many months of the girls communicating with each other through faceTime on their iPads, and exchanging letters and cards. fortunately, it was not long until great friends were reunited when 14 Mentone girls spent the september holidays in Japan which included a home stay visit with the Yamanashi eiwa students. We also welcomed guests from our german partner school, gymnasium Hochrad in Hamburg, and our french partner school, saint-aspais in Melun. The international visitors must have said wonderful things about their home countries, because our students were beside themselves with excitement when their turn came to travel to germany and france later in the year. In october, we were thrilled to host our first ever guests from China as part of our new sister school agreement with Huaxia girls’ school in Beijing. The jam-packed week of activities had the Chinese students immersed in our school culture and our senior school students very much look forward to their reciprocal visit in 2014. These experiences are a wonderful opportunity for students from each country to gain a greater appreciation of foreign cultures and to enhance their understanding of global citizenship. our Year 5 Visual arts students immersed themselves in exploring Japanese culture, developing Koinbori kites to celebrate the ‘Kodomo no hi’ festival. students designed their fish-shaped forms, taking inspiration from traditional patterns before constructing the kites using fabric and cane. International relations Captain, Kai K, said students are given an opportunity to celebrate cultures that they are familiar with, as well as those they are not. “It is important for our school to take time to appreciate the influences of our neighbours around the world in shaping our national identity. I hope that by watching foreign films, being entertained by international performances and eating a diverse range of food, our students become enlightened to the fact that the world extends far beyond our shores, and that communication and connection with the global community are key to a harmonious and forgiving society.” C C our Junior school travelled around the world to celebrate national Cultural Diversity Day by visiting various classrooms designed to simulate foreign countries and the customs they follow. each student pretended they were a child living in a particular country for a day, and reflected upon which PYP learner profiles and attitudes they would need to display if they lived there. The Prep to Year 4 students participated in a Bollywood dance workshop and the buzz from the Junior school was tremendous. The students ended the day by reflecting upon how they can be open-minded towards other cultures around the world.
F one of the most important aspects of a global education is building knowledge and appreciation of australia’s own unique culture and Indigenous heritage. National reconciliation Week is an important time to reflect on our history and celebrate the culture of Indigenous australians. at Mentone girls’ grammar school, we marked this occasion with a special assembly organised by the Humanities Department. We were very honoured to have aunty Carolyn Briggs, an elder of the Boonwurrung people, upon whose traditional lands our school sits, provide a Welcome to Country and tell us about her people. We also listened to the music and poignant personal story of Kutcha edwards, an Indigenous australian singer and songwriter. our own students provided important readings and reflections on our nation’s continuing journey towards reconciliation. History seeks to tell the truth, and sometimes the truth about past events and actions is difficult to understand in today’s context. Part of the reconciliation process is recognising and being truly sorry for past wrongs, and our special guests taught us about this in a very authentic way. all of those who were at the assembly came away feeling both uplifted and more informed about Indigenous culture, and the issues that have confronted Indigenous australians. t r C There is no greater way to build knowledge and understanding of Indigenous culture than to visit an Indigenous community in the heart of australia and hear ancient stories handed down through the generations. some of our Year 9 students did just this when they travelled to Central australia to experience life in the harsh climate of the australian desert. The staff and students had a very challenging program that encouraged them to step outside their comfort zone in many different activities including walks through Kings Canyon, Uluru, Katajuta and stanley Chasm, camel rides and holding reptiles found in outback Central australia – including a python! at the end of a long day, they slept under the spectacular night sky, tucked up in their swags. experiencesxperiences such as these are vital components of our WaVWaVes program, allowing students to extend themselves outside the classroom setting, practise risk taking in a controlled environment, and enrich their cultural understanding through face-to-face interactions. Year 9 student, Clarissa s reports on her experience in Central australia: “The 2013 Year 9 journey to Central australiaustralia was by far the most enriching and amazing camp I have been on yet. Having learned in the classroom about the cultural traditions and practices of the local Indigenous communities, we were able to experience it and learn from the community members themselves. “We also got to know one another better across the seven days. The amount of support we each gave one another was heartwarming and really helped us to bond as a year level. We became a group where everyone belongs and is cared for.” P sPIrIT
t o o C olympic spirit is not found at the finishing line. olympic spirit is found on every track and every field, in every pool and every stadium and at every training session in the lead up to that one moment when an athlete crosses the line. every day we are inspired by the passion and determination of our students as they take on new challenges, give it their all and be a part of our team, as Mentone girls.
Tournament and won a place in the regional finals. our Year 4 freestyle relay team won at District level and placed 2nd In true olympic spirit, a highlight for this year is Lauren at the Kingston Division swimming finals. Matisse W (Year g (Year 12) winning a Pierre de Coubertin award. This 5) qualified at the District Cross Country for the Kingston prestigious award is named after the founder of the Division and finished mid-field against some very strong modern olympic games, and recognises students who opposition. our Years 5 & 6 Netball team were undefeated demonstrate academic excellence and sporting prowess on the day as they entered the District round-robin Netball whilst exemplifying olympic values. The Hon Martin Dixon final which they unfortunately lost by one goal in a nail MP, Minister for education, presented students with their biting finish, and the Year 6 Netball team won five of their awards and olympic pins along with olympic Medallist and six games by impressive margins. our Junior soccer team VoC Vice President, Nicole Livingstone oaM. finished 1st in their pool at the Cheltenham District round- robin but were pipped at the post in the grand final. our Junior school students hit the ground running, snapping up every opportunity that arose to make a team, at the senior school level, it is no surprise that with our get active and show their power. They had an assortment enviable Bayside location we have achieved some brilliant of sports on offer this year with the popular inclusion of successes in the area of Life saving this year. Congratulations afL, golf and Kanga Cricket, not to mention a fun aerobics to emily C (Year 11) who was named Life saving Victoria’s session every friday morning to get the blood pumping! Junior female athlete of the Year 2012/2013. our students jump in and ‘give things a go’ and, as a result, emily competed at the National Life saving titles together we had a fantastic year of achievements. with emma f (Year 11) and Chelsea D (Year 10). The girls teamed up to win two silver medals in the Under 17 and In golf, amelie D (Year 4) came 2nd in the VPssa golf
t e C Under 19 Beach relays and emily performed strongly to side had the talented olivia D (Year 8), Kate P (Year 8), place 5th in the Under 17 Beach sprint. We also have Laura a (Year 7), Caitlin H (Year 7) and ella g (Year 7). a number of very promising Junior Life savers, including We also had a successful run at the gsV major carnivals Hannah H (Year 8), Jasmine L (Year 8) and throughout the year with our swimmers finishing third Kyra f (Year 7). This year, Jasmine was named the Junior overall in Division 3 and our divers winning Division 3 for Lifesaver of the Year at Hampton Life saving Club. she the first time. Congratulations to Kyra f (Year 7) who also qualified for her surf rescue Certificate in December was awarded the alex Bechervaise Cup as our best gsV last year, and then went on to patrol for over 90 hours swimmer. We finished second place in Division 3 at the throughout summer, and participated in Hampton’s Youth gsV Cross Country with Chelsea D (Year 10) winning Involvement Program (YIPs) as well as Under 14 Nippers. the Intermediate race and three of our promising Junior We also congratulate Year 10 student, alessandra C, who runners finishing in the top 10. Well done to Year 7 took home three gold medals and one Bronze medal at the students Caitlin H, Kyra f and Molly B. National Karate Championships earning her a place on the our athletics Team placed second in Division 3, finishing australian team at the Junior World Championships in spain. only eight points behind the leaders despite our Year 9 group being away on camp. Lauren g (Year 12) was excellent in all C the Throws, and performed well in the sprints on the track. emily C, emma f and stephanie W were our best Year 11 as a member of girls sport Victoria (gsV), our students performers with great performances in the sprints and Jumps. participate in a diverse sporting program with a strong level Chelsea D (Year 10) was the outstanding athlete on the day of competition from the 23 Independent schools in the gsV from all of the schools present. she won all six of her events network. special congratulations to our dominant Junior and qualified for the finals evening in each of her five individual afL team who went through the season undefeated to be events. Madeline W (Year 10) showed her versatility achieving named Junior gsV afL Premiers. olivia D (Year 8), Laura a success in Throws and also on the track. Bridget g (Year 9) (Year 7) and Hannah H (Year 8), were the star performers qualified for finals in Hurdles despite being unable to compete throughout the season. The Junior Hockey team made it in the Championships. to the semi finals, and our Intermediate team made it all the way to the grand final but were sadly defeated in the last our Junior athletes were our strongest, winning their minute. Chelsea D (Year 10) and Brianna H (Year 10) were age group with stars like Caitlin H, Kyra f and Molly B (all both named in the senior gsV representative Team. our Year 7) dominating the distance events. sarah C, Maddie Intermediate Netballers also made their way to the semi r, Caitlin g, Hannah g, Keeley r and Lexie P (all Year 8) finals after an enjoyable and successful season. performed well in the sprints, Jumps and Hurdles. We also had Brianna D (Year 8), alex g (Year 8) our Junior and senior soccer teams have had very positive and Kim Q (Year 7) winning their Throwing events. seasons this year with our senior team entering the finals undefeated. The Juniors dominated most games but just Congratulations to all our Mentone sportswomen. missed out on the finals after an unexpected 1-0 loss. star players in our senior side were angelique K (Year 12), Jacqui D (Year 12) and Jacqui W (Year 12), whilst our Junior
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Mentone girls believe they can achieve anything... and they do! every day we inspire our students to live the school Mission, “to be bold, to achieve excellence, and as global citizens, to make a difference”. It is inspiring to see our students aspire to these ideals and live with such passion and courage as they seek new opportunities for enterprise and adventure.
special congratulations to 2012 Dux, Christina guo, who e e achieved a perfect score of 99.95, and was also awarded The Year 12 Class of 2012 set the standard of achievement the University of Melbourne Chancellor’s scholarship for this year, with many of them exceeding their own personal for Biomedicine. We also congratulate Merry Lee expectations to deliver some of the school’s best aTar results who received an offer to study science/engineering at to date, including five maximum study scores of 50 in english, Monash University, and received the faculty’s engineering a remarkable achievement indeed. excellence award scholarship. In addition, a number of our students also had works selected for exhibition through the 2012 VCe season of excellence featuring some of the best students in the state. Karrie Y was accepted into the Top Designs exhibition for her exceptional website portfolio featuring her multimedia work throughout the year that included video, animation, graphics and photographs. special mention to Victoria f and Jessica Watts, whose portfolios were also shortlisted for this Top Designs category. Tori Lancaster’s work was selected as part of the Top Designs exhibition for food Technology which was held at the Melbourne Museum. Tori was one of just 12 students shortlisted from 273 students. special mention to emma summers and angelique K who also made it onto the Top Designs food Technology shortlist. remy W’s exceptional ‘tie dress’ (pictured) was a feature of the Top arts exhibition held at the National gallery of Victoria. Kim Pearson’s fantastic composition, Sol Illuminas, was selected to be performed in the Top Class sound concert at BMW edge, federation square – a fantastic achievement. In addition to the Top arts program, students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the VCe are recognised at the Premier’s VCe awards. This year’s event was held at the Melbourne Convention Centre, and two of our past students from the Class of 2012 were recipients this year. Xafina Dendrinos (2012 Head girl) was presented with a Premier’s award for german, and Mauli govinna received a Premier’s award for english (eaL). Congratulations also to their teachers, Ms Claudia Heberling and Ms Lorna griss respectively.
Year 8 student, Lilli D (pictured right), gave her all at the state finals of the german Poetry Competition and took home first prize in her age category. The state finals, held in Heidelberg, challenged the 119 qualifying students from Years 4 – 9 to put their german skills to the test and recite a poem from memory. They performed in front of two judges and many friends and family. four other students accompanied Lilli to the state finals including florence D and Kayla s (Year 6), Kyra f (Year 7) and emer s (Year 8). all students performed outstandingly well. Year 9 students, abigail e and genevieve o, also qualified for the state finals, but could not attend due to the Year 9 camp to Central australia. all of these students are to be congratulated on their achievements. o C C n C F our Year 8 saIL (supporting advanced & Independent Learners) Without Light there is only Darkness is the stunning students competed in Victoria’s CaNstruction competition digital print created by Year 11 student, Carolin which challenged groups of students to engineer structures W, as part of her Unit 3/4 studio arts portfolio. made out of donated cans. our students were presented with Carolin’s dramatic piece won her second prize in the the artistic Design – Best Use of Labels award for their artistic school section of the celebrated Kingston art show, representation of the Brighton beach boxes. The students winning $600 for the school. demonstrated the theme of ‘Home’ in an outstanding display Year 6 student, Mia T, was also in the frame when that celebrated our school’s bayside location. she won the City of Kingston, Lens Mist Photography The project is designed to not only inspire creativity and to Junior competition for 3-12 year olds. To illustrate get students engaged in engineering, but also serves to raise the theme of ‘your piece of Port Phillip Bay’, Mia awareness of the issue of hunger in the community. at the submitted Pier of Paradise, a beautiful photograph she close of the competition, all the sculptures are dismantled took at Queenscliff during a Year 5 excursion. City of and the canned food is donated to the local food banks Kingston Mayor, Cr ron Brownlees, presented Mia for distribution to community emergency food programs. with a glass plaque and digital camera pack during Wherever a CaNstruction competition is held, thousands of the Mordialloc festival. hungry people are fed, and greater awareness of the issues We congratulate Carolin and Mia, not only for their surrounding hunger is brought home to the public. creativity, but for being bold and taking the initiative CaNstruction is an exciting event on the calendar for saIL to participate in these fantastic local competitions. students each year. It is also one of the many opportunities available to advance their interest and skills in sTeM.
our award winning Years 5 & 6 Choir has continued their choral mastery appearing with great distinction at the Choral Day held at the Drum Theatre in Dandenong earlier this year. They also defended their title to win their section at the south eastern arts festival, as well as the prestigious Heriot Cup for the best Choir from all entries for the 2013 competition. singing sensation, steph K(Year 11), was one of a small group of young australians chosen to be Cultural ambassadors as part of the choir, Young Voices of Melbourne. The group headed to the Usa for a three week tour where they performed in New York, san francisco, Yellowstone National Park, and at Disneyland together with the Disney Performing arts Team. The Choir’s performance in the famed ‘big apple’ was with the prestigious Young People’s Chorus of New York. They also performed at two international choral festivals in Idaho and Montana with a range of international choirs including the Chamber Choir of Poland, the Zimbabwean Chitungwiza Harmony singers, and the swiss Youth Choir of graubünden. It was also wonderful to see steph performing closer to home in the school’s musical, A Little Princess, playing the soulful alijana.
WITH oUr
as the wise proverb states, “It takes a whole village to raise a child.” so we would like to thank our entire Mentone girls’ grammar school community for your role, big or small, in the growth and development of our remarkable students. from our active parent community to the fleeting visits from our various sister schools around the globe, every connection our students make teaches them something new, strengthens their sense of support and enriches their life experience. r Term 4 kicked off with an amazing Presentation Night for Years 5 – 12 showcasing our students’ remarkable achievements and providing a glimpse into the many wonderful opportunities they have during the year, not to mention the outstanding creative arts featured on the night. The following week, celebrations continued with our annual Valedictory Day to farewell our Year 12s. The day began with Year 12 students joining staff for a breakfast in the Bay Café, followed by a beautiful family service of eucharist at st augustine’s Church, Mentone. Back at school, the whole community then formed a ‘guard of honour’ from our Cobbalanna senior College to the Prudence Lewty Hall, cheering, clapping and high-fiving the Year 12s and their families as they made their way to our celebrated rose assembly, a wonderful tradition and a deep expression of the way we value individuals. The Year 12s presented the school with a beautiful artwork, thoughtfully chosen and reminiscent of their school experiences. The old school bell was rung for the final time, by students who completed their entire schooling at Mentone girls’ grammar school, and then our current Prep students presented each departing Year 12 with a rose, the gift of the old girls’ Club. The students also received a testimonial – a comprehensive record of the co-curricular activities, leadership opportunities and achievements they have each has accomplished, together with a written reference from the school, and a badge giving them life membership to the oldold girls’irls’ Club, a tremendous network of Mentone women around the world. Celebrations continued at Caulfield racecourseacecourse forfor thethe Valedictory Dinner, an outstanding evening with such natural and happy interactions between students, families and staff. ourur guest speaker, Bridget fitzgeraldfitzgerald (2008), inspired students to ‘lean in’ and lead. There was no doubt that our students have developed an emotional connection to their school, and this will encourage them to reach their fullest potential as accomplished young women in the future.
over 240 dads, daughters and special friends filled the Prudence Lewty Hall to capacity for the Years 5 - 8 father’s Day Breakfast. We were delighted to welcome internationally acclaimed child psychologist, Dr Michael Carr-gregg, who delivered a funny, thought provoking presentation entitled ‘What girls need from their dads and what dads want from their daughters’. as one of australia’s highest profile psychologists, Michael is an international leader in the field of adolescent health and lifestyle. He is a founding member of the National Centre against Bullying, the author of eight bestselling books, and his PhD on adolescents with cancer resulted in the formation of the inspirational organisation, Canteen. for the past eight years, he has been the agony uncle for australia’s biggest selling magazine for young women, Girlfriend, and is the official Psychologist to Channel 7’s Sunrise and The Morning Show. The event was topped off with some fantastic student musical performances, and some incredibly moving student reflections about why their dads are so special to them. This is a very important event on the school calendar, as it encourages girls to talk to their fathers, grandfathers and special friends and tell them how much they mean to them.
♥ The Junior school was beaming with proud students as they Mother’s Day is a very important occasion where we all welcomed a record number for the annual grandparents’ have the opportunity to reflect on the relationships we and special friends’ Day. Hundreds of grandparents have with our mums and the other special women in our and special friends visited students in their classrooms and lives. This year, our students celebrated the occasion, as learned about the work they had been doing. They read always, with great enthusiasm and bursting with love. stories, coloured in, played games and shared many laughs, In the eLC, students spent a special evening with their creating a buzz and much energy around the Junior school. mums undertaking a range of fun table activities. They our visitors were also entertained by a number of music then performed in a fantastic concert, singing songs in ensembles, jazz dancers and choirs during the Junior a variety of languages, reciting poetry and acting out school concert. every girl from eLC to Year 6 participated a play. our girls were very impressive performers, and in this amazing spectacular, showcasing the many talents the eLC staff must be congratulated for preparing the of our students. students so well for this special night. Head of Junior school, Ms ann Mathers, said she was Mother’s Day celebrations continued in the Junior overjoyed by the number of guests who attended the event. school with a Mother’s Day assembly that saw mums, grandmothers and special friends entertained by all “The students were so proud to show their visitors around of our Junior choirs, Bandstars and a fabulous poem the classroom and they were beaming with happiness. by our Prep students. We love welcoming these special guests to the school and performing for them in the Junior school concert. In the senior school, students in Years 9 & 10, under I would like to thank all of our grandparents and friends the guidance of the Head of Year, Mrs Catherine for attending and for making the day such an enjoyable freney, organised a very impressive Mother’s Day Junior school event.” Breakfast featuring delicious food and some great entertainment provided by the girls.
P assoCIaTIoN
a school without a Parents’ association is like a disco without dancing, and there was no threat of that happening with this year’s calendar of grooving events. The Mentone girls’ grammar school Parents’ association (Pa) has worked tirelessly to bring colourful and exciting events to our school, bringing students and parents closer with their community. In addition to organising these events, they offer support and friendship to school families and a source of funds to assist the school realise its development plans. We are truly grateful for the many parents who give their time and expertise to better our school.
on Saturday 29 March the Parents’ association This year we have been delighted to run a number of will be presenting an anniversary dinner dance at other exciting events for students and their parents. the beautiful Woodlands golf Club to celebrate the school’s 115th birthday. These have included a revamped Junior school Disco, Mother’s Day and father’s Day stalls, running refreshments We hope to see many parents, staff and old girls at the school production of A Little Princess and at at this very special event. BIg arT, all-school sausage sizzles, and an end of year Christmas cocktail party for parents. F F This year started with a bang, with our family fun fair held for the first time on a saturday, which turned out to be a lovely hot and sunny february day. This year we tried a slightly new format which proved to be a real hit. as well as the usual rides, some fantastic year level stalls and market stalls, we had some brilliant entertainment thanks to the royal australian Navy band and abbasession. on such a hot day, the dunking stall proved to be very popular, with plenty of girls (and even the odd staff member) going for multiple dunks just to keep cool! It was wonderful to see so many of our school community attend the fair and support this important school event. We thank all of you for contributing to such a fantastic and memorable day. organising a fair is no small task, and we would like to publicly acknowledge the many volunteers who helped t v in the months leading up to the fair and on the day itself. The Pa Committee is comprised of a group of hard The day would not have been possible without the hard working volunteers and includes parents from the eLC, work and marvellous support of Mrs Vicki goodwin, Junior school and senior school. the school’s Community Development Manager, and the previous Property Manager, Mr Phil snow, and his team. The Pa Committee is always keen for new parents to join. Whether your daughter is in kindergarten or Year 12, We also want to recognise the many parents who devoted hours of their personal time to making the fair a success we would love to hear from you! including steve Mole, Tiffany Middleton, Julie falconer, Jo as a Committee, we rely on the ongoing support of our Britten, Christa Hilaris, Monique Popelaars, george Vassiliadis, amazing Class representatives who distribute important susan Begg, andrea Cook, ranald Nicholson and Michelle information to our school community, organise year level Nicholson, as well as the Pa Committee, all the Class events, and support Pa events throughout the year. representatives and other parents and friends who are Thank you for your ongoing support which is essential too numerous to mention here – we thank you. to our vibrant school community. This year, the Pa has raised over $36,000 – a brilliant e art a a a a a t a t e outcome of which we are very proud. as a result, the Pa is funding 50% of the cost of resurfacing the gymnasium Co-Presidents floor incorporated into the school’s new Wellbeing Centre. This is an important project the Pa was only too happy to assist with given that the gym is in constant use, and equally utilised by girls in all year levels. The new floor will be installed before the commencement of the 2014 school year providing a safe, fully sprung floor. CLUB
130 old girls from 2012 to 1973 celebrating 1, 5, 10, 20, 30 F and 40 years since leaving Mentone girls’ grammar school. In for every old girl, Mentone girls’ grammar school plays July, the annual Heritage High Tea was attended by old girls a very important part in our lives. The education gained from 1938 through to 2011. In November, we welcomed old influences the career we embark on. The values taught girls from 1963 to celebrate their milestone 50 year reunion. provide a framework on which we live and grow, and the apart from catching up and reminiscing with old friends, friendships forged are long lasting and offer a support the highlight of these events has no doubt been the school network just as strong today as it was all those years ago. tours where new buildings and facilities are marvelled at, Through the work of the old girls’ Club, we can actively and old, familiar places spark memories of good times. play a role in giving back and supporting the school. a spirited rendition of the school song is always a crowd Current and future generations of girls can benefit from pleaser at these events, and it is amazing how quickly the the same opportunities, and be educated in the nurturing, words come flooding back! innovative, creative and supportive environment in which of course, the Club does not run without the wonderful we were lucky enough to learn. Committee and also a great deal of support from the The old girls’ Club focus is to support the school in ways that school. special thanks go to Past Presidents, Keli David are relevant and can add value. We are very proud to support and Kristen Wheeler, and to Mrs Marilyn Wiber, alumnae the school’s social Inclusion Program through various fundraising Co-ordinator, and Mrs Vicki goodwin, Community activities established to offer scholarships to girls from Development Manager. refugee backgrounds. also, this year we have donated $10,000 You can always keep up to date with the old girls’ Club by to the history program to help preserve the rich history of our checking the website and following the school on Twitter and beloved school which has grown and thrived since 1899. facebook. If you can join the Committee, come to an event, help It is so important to have old girls engaged and participating to organise a function or even just get back in touch, we would in the ongoing life of the school, and it was great to see so love to hear from you at . many ‘old’ faces at our functions throughout the year. In May, e ata Pu ea r we held the inaugural ‘reunion Day’, where the old girls’ President, Old Girls’ Club Club, together with the school, hosted the reunions of
t agM – all welcome o 115t h anniversary Dinner Dance C at Woodlands golf Club er e to e r e u au Annual Reunion Day F F Heritage High Tea old girls’ Career event o r e to e r e u au
r following the success of the new reunion format introduced this year, we are delighted to announce the reunion Day for 2014 will be held on saturday 17 May commencing at 11.30am. This is also one of our regular school Tour mornings so the school will be buzzing with students and prospective families. on the day, each year level group will meet and tour the school separately. all groups will then come together for lunch and be entertained by current students. This will be the formal reunion event for the following year levels: • 1 Year (2013) • 5 Years (2009) • 10 Years (2004) • 20 Years (1994) • 30 Years (1984) • 40 Years (1974) o all past students and past staff are very welcome to attend In april this year, four old girls teamed up to participate this day and bookings are now open. in the 84th annual Inter-school golf Challenge Cup, held our reunion programs rely upon a ‘reunion Champion’. at Woodlands golf Club, Mordialloc. a total of 28 schools We ask that a volunteer or two come forward to be the competed in this prestigious tournament, this year being the year level champion to contact all past students. If you second time Mentone has competed. This occasion has become would like to be a ‘reunion Champion’ please contact, the a day that everyone looks forward to and enjoys, and participants school’s alumnae Co-ordinator, Mrs Marilyn Wiber, on feel privileged to have the opportunity to represent their old +61 3 9581 1200 or school and compete for the prized trophy. Money raised on the day supports the children’s charity, Cottage by the sea. e 2014 reunion Day If any past students would like to be part of this special saturday 17 May opportunity in 2014, please contact sandi andersen t 11.30am at to be considered for C $35.00 pp the team of four. The date of the 2014 tournament is yet to be confirmed, however, it is usually held in early www.trybooking.com/DoVs april.
for the school’s scholarship program to assist students of t refugee background to gain access to a quality Mentone at the 2013 Heritage High Tea, it was wonderful to see so girls’ grammar school education. many past staff and many of our ‘vintage’ old girls celebrate We also had the pleasure of welcoming some of our ex the rich heritage they helped to create while also reminiscing staff members back to keep those old girls on their best about their school adventures. This signature event included behaviour! on the day, we were thrilled to have three a special performance by the Willow singers, a student choir decades of Home economics Teachers join us – luckily from Years 7 – 9, and a tour of the school so that guests the delicious food provided at the morning tea was of top could marvel at how much has changed, as well as a few quality or we would have been in trouble! special things that have remained the same. our old girls are a treasured part of our school community, The Heritage High Tea provided an opportunity for our as each and every pair of feet that have walked these old girl community to meet, reconnect and raise funds grounds have shaped the wonderful school that we are now so proud to be part of.
CLUB
n o (2005) married Chris Bierman on The family and friends of the following recently 27 october 2012. deceased members of the Mentone girls’ grammar school community: (Dux of 2000 and triumvirate member) was married on 3 November 2012 to Nicholas F passed away on Zsembery on the Mordialloc foreshore. alice and Nicholas 24 february 2013. Betty became a boarder at the are eagerly expecting their first child. a busy 12 months! school after her mother died when she was just 13 and her father remarried in the late 1930s. passed away on 12 December 2012. passed away on 1 January 2013. o passed away on 10 November 2012. r C passed away on 6 March 2013. The family posted the following notice: C (1999) and her husband “WooDWarD. raymond albert passed away Patrick proudly welcomed their first child; a gorgeous peacefully after a long illness. Husband to Phais, loving daughter, eve Lesley, on 10 January 2013. and dedicated father to samantha and Corinne, father- C (2001) married Marc ashton on 4 November in-law to Peter and Mark, adored grandfather to 2012 in a beautiful church ceremony. They danced the night Isabelle and Mia. Very much loved and dearly missed.” away at a stunning reception at Luminare in south Melbourne. e (1995) and husband Kenton welcomed their daughter, summer Joy, in December 2012 – a beautiful little sister for archer and edward. C Bridget, Kenton and their three children are currently e C living in amsterdam while Bridget works as retail Marketing Director at Nike’s european Headquarters. “after graduating from Mentone girls’ grammar school, I decided to take a year off to work and travel the world. (1999) and husband Wally welcomed I have been to england, Ireland, scotland, Wales, Paris, a beautiful little bundle to the world on 30 october 2012. amsterdam, Prague, Vienna, spain, greece, and it’s been olivia grace David, was born 6 pounds, 8 ounces and amazing! During my time overseas, I have been able to 51cm. We look forward to welcoming Keli back to her catch up with my sister sarah, and many of the other teaching position in our Junior school in the near future. girls, and even Mrs Wiber! I went to Wicked on the same night as the 2012 european Tour, and then went to dinner with the group which was lovely. It is so great to see our Mentone girls community around the world.” C t “Having completed my degree in Interior Design this year, I am really excited to have more time now to pursue my true passion – I have just confirmed my enrolment to endeavour College to become a Nutritional Medicine student which I will begin part time next year via correspondence. (1999) welcomed a beautiful “one of the most exciting things to have happened baby boy in March 2012. recently is that Jamie oliver’s food revolution team asked me if I would be interested in writing an article r n C (1998) together with her husband, about my story for their website. It was a huge honour Mathew, welcomed baby Xavier to the family on 28 august 2012. as he is my inspiration, and to be featured was the fruit to my salad. The story can be found at the following address: (1998) welcomed Darcie alice on Tuesday 3 september, weighing in at 9 pounds, I have just received the exciting news that I will be able to 11 ounces and 52cm long, launch my own abLaNkmuesli which will be very exciting a beautiful little sister to have my first product. I have spoken at many schools, to Maeve. sharing my story and my way of living healthy with a large number of students which has been a lot of fun. I am now a food revolution ambassador for Jamie oliver and am looking to start volunteering with the at Mentone girls’ grammar school, however, we were exposed to entirely different role models on which to base C F our views and behaviour. our school was run by exceptional women. We had a female Headmistress, Miss Prudence Lewty. I read with sadness in the December 2012 issue of well RED The Bursar was a woman, Miss Mary Coxall and most of our of the death of Mrs alison fallon, and felt that I wanted to teachers were women. so we as students, without realising it publicly acknowledge the impact that she and other teachers at the time, internalised the fact that women were extremely of her era had on me. I was a student at Mentone girls’ competent and very capable of running an organisation. We saw grammar school from 1966 to 1971. Mrs fallon was my intelligent women with degrees, combining careers and families. Mathematics teacher for much of that time. Those years were Women such as Mrs fallon, as well as Mrs Valerie Tarrant, Mrs the beginning of times of great change for young women. Barbara farley, and Mrs Lorna Leslie, were some with whom I In so many areas, the abilities and skills of women of the time was privileged to come into contact. These women provided were ignored or devalued. us with the proof that women could be capable professionals in their own right. I, for one, did not realise at the time that this When I left school, equal pay was still not universal. Women was not the norm in the wider community. who did the same work as men were paid much less. I vividly remember the shock when a young woman, Debra Wardley, This tradition of supporting young women to strive for and was employed as a pilot ten years after I left school. It only achieve excellence has continued at this school through the happened, however, after she took her case to the equal years. My daughter attended from 2001 to 2006, and I was opportunity Commission. Women could not be newsreaders pleased to see that the same culture still existed. because they ‘lacked authority’. Women in film and television Women have come a long way since I left school in 1971. I believe, programs were portrayed as the supporters of men, rarely however, that we still have some way to go. The discrimination is achievers in their own right. The list went on and on. female more subtle, but it is still there. It remains important, therefore, professionals, such as medical doctors and lawyers were a rarity. for Mentone girls’ grammar school to continue to ensure It was considered that women were not interested in careers, young women are exposed to positive female role models and just a job to fill in time before they married and had children. encouraged to believe they truly can achieve anything.
stephanie alexander Kitchen garden foundation as my and informally, with the last four years in the construction main focus is on young people and little kids. industry. she has worked in Learning & Development, once I finish my course, I will begin planning my eBook and recruitment, and generalist Hr and is currently in a National eventually get a publisher – dreams are never too big. Isn’t Mobility role managing all outbound migration globally. that what we were taught? I have a lot of big ideas and plans for the future. I am grateful and excited about everything This lovely update was sent in from Pam’s very proud that has been, and hopefully about what is yet to come!” husband, rob: Casey’s blog can be found at: “Having had a strong career in primary teaching, Pam gained a position as assistant Principal at glenhuntly Primary school, C then assistant Principal at sandringham east Primary school. Karen is a sTeM aficionado! Having graduated from Monash, she then took on the role of assistant Principal at Mt eliza with majors in anthropology, archaeology, and genetics, she Primary school, followed by the position of acting Principal is now completing her honours at La Trobe in genetics, at Mt Martha Primary school – a school of 50+ staff and over looking at human migration patterns and the colonisation 700 students. These are very competitive roles, and she’s not of australia based on mitochondrial DNa. We are looking finished yet! In addition to a long and happy marriage, Pam forward to hearing more about Karen’s work in the future. and I have two wonderful children, stuart and sophie, who are now young adults and decent human beings too!” e rob anderson (Husband of 37 years, which is her major ella has built a career with a focus on campaigns and achievement!) communications within the Parliament at both state and federal levels. she has been a member of several campaign committees (committees established to support the election Congratulations to old girl, Michelle Waters, who has of an aLP candidate in a state or federal seat) and played recently launched, The Orange Line: A Woman’s Guide to a senior role in marginal seat campaigns. In her current Integrating Career, Family & Life. This fantastic book, written role, she provides the senator with advice on Victorian with co-authors Jodi ecker Detjen and Kelly Watson, brings campaigns and marginal seats and regularly liaises and works a unique perspective to the work-life effectiveness debate, with the aLP’s Victorian and federal offices. she has also acknowledging that work-life solutions must balance the needs played a role in by-election campaigns (Broadmeadows of the individual with the realities of organisational goals. february 2011, Niddrie March 2012). Now living in Los angeles, Michelle has held senior executive roles in Business Development, winning and managing global Having successfully completed a Bachelor of Business (Human fortune 100 accounts. she is currently providing consulting resources) degree at Monash with a minor in Quantitative services to companies and is a facilitator in work life integration. analysis, amy took a planned year out and spent nine months independently travelling throughout North america, To view our many remarkable women Old Girls’ profiles, visit our website at: europe and China. as a Hr generalist she has now had the opportunity to gain exposure to Hr practices both formally www.mentonegirls.vic.edu.au/remarkablewomen. e to e r ra ar oo Pr pa F r v C a e ept o u or oo a a Cr Co