INTERNATIONAL A PICTURE OF SUCCESS

CERTIFICATIONS The Class of 2014 continued our excellent record of VCE success. These results are a reflection of the hard work put in by students and their teachers over many years in all critical areas of learning. We are delighted when students achieve or surpass their personal expectations which are not always reflected in a test or ATAR score. Our results are particularly pleasing considering we are a non-selective entry school and welcome students of all talents and abilities. Through our personalised approach to learning, combined with our expertise in the education of girls, we help students build their self-confidence, achieve excellence and make a difference - these are the results that will last a lifetime. Highlights from the Class of 2014 • I00% of our students attained their VCE • The two top students achieved ATARs of 99.7 • 8.2% of the class achieved ATARs of 99+ COUNCIL OF • 24.6% of the class achieved ATARs of 95+ INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS • 42.6% of the class achieved ATARs of 90+ • 68.9% of the class achieved ATARs of 80+ Power of One, Strength of Many

Welcome to the 2015 edition of well RED. Someone said to me once: "You can never rely on jigsaw puzzles. They always end up going to pieces!"

Jokes aside, I do enjoy them and some of our students know that I once had a go at putting together a 1500 piece jigsaw puzzle - I started out enthusiastically and worked feverishly for many hours towards my goal, only to be frustrated by my adolescent cat who, with one poorly judged jump, sent the whole thing flying off the table. I learnt many lessons that day about managing frustration, resilience, dealing with 'failure', and working effkiently - all aspects of learning that we encourage in our students. Like the jigsaw puzzle on the cover of this edition, the picture of learning can always be expanded upon, revised, improved and it's vital to have 'the strength of the many' to bring the picture of the times, the bold vision, to reality. For our own life, we don't even know how many pieces there are 1 As our students grow up and go through school, they start putting the pieces together that shape an idea of what their life will look like - they choose subjects, volunteer for things, meet people, test out different identities. At our School and with their family, they start to figure out which might be the corner pieces and edge pieces of their life puzzle - the values, the moral framework, the expectations that they will have of others in their life, of how they will be treated, by men, by other women, the boundaries that will make their unique masterpiece. Sometimes, it's a real struggle. They can't find the right piece when they want it and can't make sense of the picture. But it is precisely those times of struggle and failure when the most learning occurs - when students go to the edge of their ability and a little beyond. What looks like struggle and failure is, in fact, an act of construction - the making and honing of new connections in the brain, that with effort and perseverance, lead to finding the next piece of one's unique life puzzle. In one famous study, Professor Carol Dweck1 and her colleagues offered four-year-olds a choice: they could either redo an easy jigsaw puzzle, or try a harder one. Even these young children conformed to the characteristics of one of two mindsets - those with "fixed" mindsets stayed on the safe side, choosing the easier puzzles that would affirm their existing ability, reinforcing their belief that smart kids don't make mistakes; conversely, those with the "growth" mindset - the ones who believed that you could get smarter - were mystified why anyone would want to do the same puzzle over and over if they weren't learning anything new. In other words, the fixed-mindset kids wanted to make sure they succeeded in order to seem smart, whereas the growth­ mindset ones wanted to stretch themselves, for their definition of success was about becoming smarter. So, we remind our students that through our enterprising, outward-looking education, they must not remain permanently on the 'safe' side. They have their unique 'power of one' as Mentone Girls to adopt a growth mindset where success is about learning. As you read through these pages, you will see evidence of how they have done this. The stories illustrate how our girls have learnt to better use their minds, to become smarte~ to believe in themselves, to serve others, to shape their future, to strive for gender equality; and as global citizens, to rise boldly to the challenges of their times. We trust that through the 'strength of many' - staff, family, and the wider school community - we are all helping them to see the 'bigger picture', the one that gives them the faith that with continuing effort, they can keep learning and create their unique life masterpiece. That picture is not always clear, but we keep encouraging them to put pieces together so that the puzzle will keep growing. It may not look like a masterpiece to others, but that's OK as everyone is different. And according to Dweck (p. 211 ), as parents, teachers and coaches, we are entrusted with people's lives; the best thing we can do is to teach our children to love challenges, to be intrigued by mistakes, to enjoy effort, and to keep on learning.

I. Carol.S. Dweck (2006) Mindset: The New Psychology of Success - How we can Learn to Fulfil our Potential. Ballantine Books. Pages 16-17.

Principal's Message continues over... The Bigger Picture The power of one and the strength of many has propelled us to reach out further to our wider community. I am enormously As a school, too, we are acutely aware of the 'bigger picture' grateful to the many individuals, past students and organisations and the fact that it is never really finished. We continue to who are proud to partner with us and who contribute to strive to invest in providing the best education for girls. There our School's outstanding accomplishments. As part of our is no doubt that ours is a high performing school and that priority on Wellbeing, we've teamed up with local health clinic we are renowned for our students' academic achievements. mHealth to provide sponsorship for our Aerobics squad and On every external measure - NAPLAN and VCE results, other well being initiatives. We also introduced a very successful academic competitions, measures of quality, international Sports 'Dinner with Champions' where, through the generosity certification - for our students and for our School - we have of Acquire Learning, we welcomed female world champion a picture of success. Our ELC exceeds national standards, surfer and Australian sporting icon, Layne Beachley, as our and provides our youngest Mentone Girls with a program for guest speaker. The power of one of our Old Girls from 1931 - school readiness that is second to none in our area. Our Junior the late Aline Darke - left a generous bequest for us to provide School is in the TOP 3 girls' schools and our Senior School is a perpetual scholarship in her name, open to girls entering Year in the TOP I O girls' secondary schools in Victoria.2 9 or above who show great potential, passion for our School, and who are willing to recommend it to others, as Aline did, Through the ideas and initiatives of our talented staff, we and who one day might give back to our School to continue continue to develop our programs and to enhance our this virtuous circle of making a difference to young women. physical campus. We have enlarged the playground space It's this very real, practical way of saying "I'm going to fill in the in the Junior School by relocating our Sustainability Centre missing piece of your puzzle so that you can create a beautiful and kitchen garden, introducing 'the green' open space picture and, one day, help others to do the same"; to give the grassed area where students can run and play, and some life-changing gift of a Mentone education. Why did she do this[ high-end playground equipment to ensure our girls have the She was smart, compassionate, generous (not necessarily very opportunity for physical as well as intellectual challenges. affluent) but she gave almost everything she had because she We've completed Stage I of our Performing Arts area believed in what our School does for girls; she experienced renovations, commenced the relocation and upgrade of our it, appreciated it, and was grateful for it. These are just a few Media Design Suite with 3D printing, paving the way for our examples of how community members team with us, and give new classrooms to accommodate an additional class of Year of their time. talent and treasure for our Mentone Girls. 7 students in 2016. We are constantly improving and refining facilities to ensure they support our innovative educational At Mentone, we have been harnessing the power of one and approaches and suit the particular needs of girls, alongside the the strength of many, joining with you all. and with so many ongoing work of maintaining our beautiful bayside property. others in Australia and around the world, to do things outside the norm that make a difference; that provide a unique style We've achieved so much in developing our 'virtual' campus as of education to give unparalleled opportunities for girls. We well, with our Kerferd Library leading the way in 21st Century are privileged to be a community where it is 'cool to learn' and information management, eBooks and digital archives, and where we all work with a common WAVES philosophy - to our ICT team and teachers bringing to life our outstanding support the Wellbeing, Achievement, Values, Enterprise and digital platform, mConnect. This fully integrated platform for Success of our Mentone Girls, and to contribute to growing student learning management and parent communications remarkable women in our Australian society. Thank you for has been a great success. Also, the remarkable work of staff your contribution - each of you forms part of the puzzle has enabled us to introduce the latest personal hybrid tablets that makes up Mentone Girls' Grammar, and this inspires our for our students in Years 5 & 6. We've taken the bold step students and our staff and gives our School its fine reputation. of introducing computer coding as a future study and career pathway; and we are very excited about extending the use of Fran Reddan a hybrid laptop for all our Year 7s from 2016. Principal

2. The Weekend Austro/1on, The Nation's Top 100. 20-21 June 2015. One of the things I am particularly proud of at Mentone Girls' Grammar School is our ability to not only prepare our girls for great academic results but also for the world - equipping them with confidence, a sense of community and curiosity. It is a world that values individual achievement but puts it into a broader context. A world where the 'Power of One' is the 'Strength of Many'.

This year the strength of many was illustrated in countless ways, Some of you may know that the Mentone Hotel was offered not least by the NAPLAN and VCE results that make us one for sale during the year: The School fought hard to acquire of the top achieving schools in Victoria again. This is even more the property, but as a financially responsible Board we remarkable given Mentone Girls' Grammar continues to be a decided to remain focused on the long-term infrastructure non-selective school. I have the highest respect for the hard Master Plan designed to support the educational vision for work students invest year on year, and for our truly remarkable our girls, in particular STEM, arts and wellbeing. teachers putting heart and soul into the education of our girls. The next big step of this Master Plan - as announced last There are some good schools, around but it takes art to make year - is the Wellbeing Centre (Stage 2) which includes a a school great. And great schools seem to foster great art1 The new Aquatic Centre and multi-use sports field. The Board past year saw a string of fantastic exhibitions and performances. of Directors has approved the plan and we are currently The production of Disney's Mulan Jr showcased why we love seeking approval from Kingston Council. An 'artist's the arts program at this School: a strong orchestra, beautiful representation' will be published in the near future, and I singing and confident acting. The annual BIG ART Festival hope you will agree this is going to be a magnificent venue showcased the incredible musical talents of our students, and expanding our sports program in many exciting ways. the variety of creative projects the girls from ELC - Year 12 are In summary, the Board of Directors is happy to report that involved in. It also allowed an insight into how deeply the girls Mentone Girls' Grammar School has confidently stayed the think about their world, and how they transform these thoughts course of success - with our Principal, Fran Reddan, at the into amazing artworks. In Term 4, at our annual Presentation helm, an energetic executive team by her side, dedicated Night for Years 5 - 12, we witnessed the incredible power of teachers, and a community that continues to support the one as many girls received academic and citizenship awards, and journey. A particular thank you goes to the parents who have the strength of many in the musical performances by ensembles supported our School in many big and small ways: as class and choirs that were truly outstanding. representatives, as contributors at the fabulous Summer Fair, A positive learning environment extends to the facilities of as members of the Parents' Association, and of course as the School. In the past year we have continued to roll out our Alumni of our School. Strength of many indeed. Master Plan, with many improvements as highlighted in the Jesco d'Alquen Principal's section, including the new Junior School playground President, School Council pictured below. Good Vibes Dream Big

The excitement of becoming a member of the Student The opportunities we have had at Mentone Girls go beyond Executive is quickly followed by the anticipation of finding academic excellence. We have been provided with the necessary out who you will be collaborating with for the year. And so, tools and confidence to make a real difference in the world; a brunette, a red head and a blonde walked into the position a wider world that we are so excited to soon be a part of. of St udent Executive 20 15. Making the most of our privileged experience as part of Maddie and Jessie made the challenging experience of the Student Executive, Michaela, Maddie and I introduced being a member of the Student Executive an enjoyable and our 2015 theme 'Good Vibes'. We endeavoured to highlight rewarding one. O ur fi rst, and possibly most daunting task, the importance of the simple things in life; a smile in class, was organising the VCE Ba ll. Sure, we had organised birthday laughter, support and its overall impact on the happiness of parties and homework schedules, but a formal function for 200 our fellow classmates. people? T his was a new experience. Quickly discovering where On behalf of the Class of 2015, I would like to thank every each of our talents lay, we all ocated tasks and responsibi lities to member of the Mentone Girls' community for supporting us, suit and pulled off a successful 'Night in N ew York'. and shaping us into the young, independent and proficient We managed, as a small team of three, to make t he most of women that we are. Most importantly, I would like to thank our individual skill sets and share amongst us a wide range the girls who have made my time at Mentone an unforgettable of events and opportunities. It became apparent t hat the experience that w ill stay with me long beyond graduation. strength of a co-operative and willing team can make all the We came at different times over the years, some girls having difference in achieving goals. Although there were many spent al l 13 years of their education here, others joining us times we delegated, and worked individuall y on aspects of as recently as 20 15. However, no matter w hen we came, we our roles, knowing there was support, interest and 'Good leave together as a close-knit group of girls who bring life Vibes' gave momentum to each task at hand. into Cobbalanna every single day. I know that for every girl I It has been a pleasure to work alongside Jessie and Maddie will soon be graduating with, all your dreams can come true, with their humour, intelligence and can-do attitude, and to as long as you have the courage to pursue t hem. Girls, within share the challenges and opportunities we faced. I know that you I have the utmost faith, dream big and show the world the skills I have developed through this experience are ones what you've gotl that I will be able to use long int o the future. Jessie Kingston Michaela Rowland Deputy Head Girl Head Girl

Remarkable Women I would like to say a huge thank you to each and every girl w ithin the sea of red blazers. Mentone Girls' Grammar Before I came t o Mentone Girls' Grammar, I didn't have would not be the same without your unique gifts and many preconceptions. To me, it was a sea of red blazers, personalities, and the close bonds w e share across all year across the road from the beach. I wondered if I could ever level s. I w ill never forget the spirit of t he Mentone Meerkat s be one of those 'Remarkable Women' the ads talked about. - our offi cial sports mascot! Fast forward four years, and I now see our School in a To the Class of2015 - we did it! Year 12 could have gone by completely different light. Yes, of course Mentone has great in a blur of SACs and formal prep, but thanks t o you, it has fac il ities and offers boundless opportunities. And, yes, our been one of the best years yet. I will miss seeing the same blazers are still red. But I have learnt that 'Rem ar ka ble faces every day, but I am confident in knowing t hat we will W omen' doesn't even begin to describe our community. always be a part of the Mentone Girls' community - one w hich I have no better way to describe than 'remarkable'. From the t eachers, students and Old Girls t o t he grounds people, Mentone Girls' Grammar is fil led t o t he brim wit h Maddie Russell amazing men and women to w hom we owe our every success. Deputy Head Girl

From left: Jessie Kingston, Fran Reddan (Principal), Michaela Rowland & Maddie Russell As part of our School's mission, we promote a global outlook and empower our students to make a difference in their community and the world around them. We achieve this through an active international program and diverse service agenda, as well as a broad curriculum that covers key social, political and cultural issues in Australia and beyond.

Lest we Forget Year 6 take to Canberra

ANZAC Day this year marked the centennial anniversary Not even a 6 OOam start could dampen the spirits of the Year of the WWI landing at Galli poli. As a school, we welcomed 6 students as they headed off to the airport for their study Lady Potter AC and her daughter Countess Krasicki, Old Girl, tour to Canberra to learn more about our nation's capital and Lauren Goldie (2013), together with Tony Wilson and Bob Australia's important role on the world stage. Their home Tyler from the Mentone RSL. We were honoured to have base was the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) where they these special guests participate in our ANZAC Day Service enjoyed lots of great food and nightly exercise. The girls were and ceremonial planting of a Lone Pine - descended from the well rested and ready to face each day as they moved about battlefields of Gallipoli. The beautiful symbol of the day was the the sights of Canberra, thinking and questioning at every singular poppy that bloomed under the shade of our Lone Pine. opportunity. Some of the questions included: How do you Lady Potter AC also launched our ANZACs and Australians vote? Would you like to be in Parliament? Which portrait did at War library collection, developed by our Information and you like best? How moving was the War Memorial? Library Services Manager, David Feighan. Commemorations The girls were exceptionally well behaved wherever they continued into Saturday, with many staff and students attending went receiving compliments left. right and centre, including the Mentone RSL dawn service, and local community march to an email that a stranger on the plane sent to the Principal, the Mentone RSL ANZAC Memorial. Fran Reddan. We will remember them. "I shared a plane ride today with a group of Mentone Girls' Grammar students returning from a school trip to Canberra. I would just like to express how impressed I was with the behaviour of such a large group of young girls. The girls are a true credit to your school and should be congratulated on the way they conducted themselves." Despite having a wonderful time away, all girls were eager to see their families and return to their own beds. We commend and thank teachers Julia Batiste, Ed Brewis, Bronwyn Gowty, Rebecca Harris and Kris Wheeler, together with our incredible Year 6 students! The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capitol as port of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion, the Australian Government is contributing funding of $30 per student under the Parliament and Civics Educational Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the School upon completion of the excursion. I OOO Paper Cranes By Tiana Skafte , Jessica Phillips and Nikki Dulberg (Year 5)

This year, our class (SA) worked on folding I OOO paper cranes for at least two months. It was an exciting moment when Jessica Phillips made our I 000th paper crane! But why did we do this ... ? Have you ever heard the story 'Sadako and the I OOO Paper Cranes'? It is about a happy, athletic girl who soon finds out that she has leukaemia. She gets it because of the radioactive bomb year on the anniversary of the Hiroshima Bomb (6 August), all that exploded in Hiroshima in WWII. She spends lots of time in the children make paper cranes and place them in the Peace hospital until she gets a visit from her friend who tells her that Memorial Park around Sadako's statue. This sad story touched if she makes I OOO paper cranes and makes the same wish on our hearts, so as a class we set a goal to make I OOO paper each crane, her wish would come true. With each paper crane, cranes, which were delivered to the Peace Memorial Park by she said "I wish I can get better". Sadako got to 644 paper the staff and students on the Japanese study tour this year. cranes before she died. Her spirit has never left Japan and each We thank everyone involved with this project.

International Connections Service Learning in Thailand Late in 2014, a group of 20 Senior students and three Our students of all ages are challenged to consider the teachers, led by Cath Freney, Head of Years 9 & I 0, world around them, whether through events like Cultural participated in our School's first Service Learning project, Diversity Day in the Junior School or our extensive Future based in the Maekok River Valley in Northern Thailand. Global Leaders program from Year 9. Our global curriculum comprises a set of learning experiences, based in the This lush, mountainous region is home to many cultural classroom, in the virtual environment and beyond the groups such as the Akha, Lisu, Lahu and Shans who classroom in Australia and around the world. In addition, migrated across national borders to escape war or our strong language program extends from Prep to Year 12 persecution at various times over the last century. and includes valuable exchange experiences. Consequently, they are not recognised as Thai citizens and lack many basic human rights, including the right This year we have welcomed a number of exchange to full employment and a good education. students to our School. As always, we are incredibly grateful for the many Mentone families who open their The expedition focused on helping to build a canteen homes to our international guests. We were also thrilled for the Huoy Sala Primary School, enabling the children to welcome the second delegation of staff and students of the Hill Tribe people to have lunch each day that had from our partner school in Beijing. The three staff and been cooked in a hygienic facility; a vast improvement 12 students from Huaxia Girls' School loved their time on the previous decrepit structure. experiencing Melbourne and our School, and particularly Both staff and students worked hard for several days and were enjoyed attending our special Presentation Night. able to put the finishing touches on the building, which was Our Year 9 students in 2016 are looking forward to the product of several schools around the world, all guided by visiting Huaxia as part of their China tour next year. skilled builders. Our students also taught some English to the Here are just some of the adventures our students have children, played games with them and explored the region. experienced further from home over the past 12 months. Another intrepid group of Mentone students and staff will travel to the Maekok river valley in December 2016 to continue work on another project for a different school in the area. Turtle Conservation in Malaysia In 2015, another group of eager Year 9 students continued work on our World Challenge turtle };~ conservation project on the Malaysian island of Pulua Perhentian Besar. Students helped out with the turtle ~ nursery and patrolled the beach for new turtle nests and poachers. The group was rewarded with lots of ~ turtles, and wece thcilled to be making a ceal diffecence as part of such an important enviconmental pmJect. ~., ' ' ~-~ Famous in Japan The Wonder of China During our biennial Japan Study Tour, our students made quite The Year 9 students who participated in the study tour to China an impression appearing on local TV and in the newspaper: this year have gained a deeper knowledge of the long history They were even recognised out and about in the streets! and culture of the country with experiences of both modern and ancient China. The tour included many of China's most .,_.., ··~' ~· -__"_'.c=--=---=--- 1 This amazing jam-packed tour included visits to our sister extraordinary sites, from the international metropolis of Shanghai schools, Soshin Girls' School and the Great Wall of China in Beijing, to the amazing Garden of and Yamanashi Eiwa, where the Master of Nets in Suzhou. In Chengdu, the group visited the the girls spent time with their Giant Panda Research Base, created to imitate the pandas' natural host families. They learned how habitat in order to provide the best possible environment for to perform the ancient art of breeding and rearing. Then of course, no trip to China would be lkebana, flower arranging, and complete without a visit to the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang and his Terracotta Army, known to be over 2000 years old . the quintessential Japanese tea ceremony. The tour took in the "I gained an understanding into another totally different culture many cultural sites of Tokyo, that could not be achieved through anything but travel itself." Osaka, Miyajima and Kyoto. Arriving in Hiroshima, they visited the Peace Memorial Park and the remains of the Genbaku Dome. They stopped for lunch near the thousands of paper cranes made by the many tourists who visit the area, including those they delivered on behalf of our own Year 5 students, before visiting the Peace Memorial Museum. This was a very confronting experience for the girls as they learned about the victims of the bomb and its impact on the city. 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the bombing, and although at times it was overwhelming, it was important for our students to appreciate the impact of war, and to see the incredible city Hiroshima has become .

•• 1111 One of the benefits of a K-12 school is the wonderful interactions and creative learning that occurs across the curriculum at all levels of the School. Every day we see innovative teaching and learning practices that inspire and encourage every girl to make the most of her educational journey, to reach her potential and to create her own definition of success.

The Best Start Every day, the 3 year old Kindergarten girls have two or more group times. Music is always a part of those sessions. By Fiona Shepherd, It is a time where old favourites can be revisited, and further ELC Team Le ader explored. We can sing in different languages and learn about Our Early Learning Centre other cultures. We can dance and move freely to music. is quite simply all about the Many studies have shown t hat literacy and numeracy can be education - social, emotional en hanced through songs and rhymes. and academ ic. W e differ from One of t he most important results of having music each day is many early education programs the development of listening skills. Through music games such in that we deliver a constant as 'Doggie, doggie where's my bone?' we help the girls listen program of intentional critically to sounds or the voices of their classmates. In a game teaching with a un ique setting, the girls learn to differentiate a sound's location, timbre, blend of inquiry and or const ruction through critical listening. This is an important play-based learning. skill for reading, writ ing and spelling in the future, giving the girls a Play encourages tool for phonemic awareness. While the educational benefits of exploration, risk taking music are numerous and important, the best thing is that it's fun! and social competence and supports the development of emotional regulation. Our curriculum is designed to instil a love of learning and build resilience and a posit ive mindset - the building blocks of school an d life su ccess. An important part of our curri culum is music which is something every girl responds to and has so many benefits for learning. Music and dance enhance t he way children communicat e, and express different feelings and ideas.

Prep Connections Rebecca Augustine, and furthering their love of literacy w ith Prep teacher, Sarah Johnston. By Amanda Hood and Leah Milligan, ELC Educators In PE classes w ith Junior Sport Co-ordinator, Pam Sherman, Prep readiness and preparing our students for life in 'big they have been building their phys ical strength through school' is a vital part of our Pre Prep curriculum. Our Prep games. This has been a great enhancement to our weekly PE Connections program enhances the girls' opportunities to and Perceptual Motor Program that also encourages good connect with the wider school community, and provides sportsmanship, matheatical underst andings, self-discipline, exposure to a range of different specialist teachers and literacy concepts, co-operation and a sense of w ellbeing. subjects such as Music, Physical Education (PE) and Japanese. Many of the new skills and interactions the girls have It has been wonderful to see how confident the girls experienced through the Prep Connections program we have become in learning new skills, as well as their see reflected in their play at the ELC. This is why girls who interactions with different teachers, students and classroom have come from our ELC into Prep are confident, settled environments. With music specialist, Ella Marton, they have and ready to work from day one. We know how immensely been using different instruments to accompany songs and capable our young learners are, and w e t ake great pride and learning more about rhythm and beat. They have been joy seeing every girl exceed her own expectations. celebrating language and culture w ith Japanese teacher, and programming as early as possible. Junior students have been familiarising themselves with this new language, employing creative and critical skills and producing innovative outcomes. Supported through the implementation of new technology devices in the Junior School including the iPad Air and the Lenovo Yoga, our girls are not only embracing coding, they are loving it! The Year I girls have enjoyed coding a dinosaur figure to grow, shrink, turn, move and jump in the application, Daisy the Dinosaur. This iPad app allows them to recognise the commands they select and how they directly relate to the movement of the dinosaur. If the dinosaur does not move the way they predicted, they must apply problem solving skills when re-reading commands to see what they have missed or how they can alter the sequence. At the other end of the Junior School, students in Years 5 & 6 have been Reading, Writing and . .. Coding developing programmed animation using an online program called SCRATCH. The girls are required to check their As our ELC students are learning the fundamentals of work to identify accurate commands, apply logical thinking literacy and numeracy, our Junior students have been strategies and demonstrate persistence, all essential skills in focusing on a different kind of language ... coding. Like the any future workplace. language we use to communicate with each other, coding is the language used to communicate with computers, and if predictions are correct. will soon become just as important.

Reading and writing are skills that have become so deeply entrenched into every aspect of our lives that we use them quite instinctively. In ancient times. laypeople could survive simply by signing their names with an 'X', but the more people used reading and writing, the more society required of them to 'keep up'. Similarly with code, we can already see it leaking into many different fields. For example, hospital specialists collect data from heartbeat monitors of day- old infants and run algorithms to spot babies likely to have respiratory failure. In many ways. the majority of us are still in the 'scribbling stage' of the computer age. Using devices does not make a person 'code literate'. Interacting with an app is very different from making, fine-tuning or understanding one. As leaders in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) for girls, we understand the value of exposing our young learners to the fundamental principles of coding Beyond Adventure

There are so many different teaching and learning opportunities that technology can provide. However when it comes to experiencing the great outdoors ... you just have to be there! Our extensive program of camps and outdoor education begins in Year 3, with age and stage appropriate experiences that encourage teamwork, community participation, independence and personal responsibility. It is a way to connect with our inner self and discover more about the people and the world Home Group Teacher, Julia Armstrong said, "It was amazing around us. At each stage, students go on a journey of self­ to see everyone really go outside their own comfort zone, discovery, developing important life skills along the way. whether that was learning to ski for the first time, or improving Students often go well beyond their own expectations, challenging their existing skills and challenging themselves further. The and defying their own perceived limitations, overcoming fears group loved being together; peers, instructors and teachers. and supporting their peers. This was never more evident than We all returned tired but incredibly happy with our own at the Year IO alpine camp at Falls Creek this year. personal achievements. What an amazing experience!"

Celebrating Creativity

The Washington Post published an article this year revealing the results of a study on human intelligence which showed that although the human IQ is on the rise, our ability to think creatively is under threat (Shultz, B. 2015). Neuroscientists attribute this to an increasingly 'hyper-busy' world where deadlines, and the need to juggle multiple tasks, are requiring us to be more and more analytical and methodical to the detriment of our creative skills. Creativity is an extremely important skill that benefits all careers. It is more than just thinking of ideas. "Creativity is characterised by the ability to perceive the world in new ways, to find hidden patterns, to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and to generate solutions." (Sternberg & Lubart, 1995). Many of the most successful people foster their creativity and innovation through the Arts. While we understand that creativity is just as important in Science as it is in Visual or Performing Arts, it is exciting indeed to see the creative talents of our students on display during our annual BIG ART Festival. BIG ART is a creative exhibition of artistic expression from ELC - Year 12 across Music, Visual Arts, Drama and Media. Our theme this year, 'Power of One, Strength of Many' encouraged students to appreciate the value of collaboration, teamwork, culture, difference and tolerance which we saw reflected in the many artworks, drama performances and the outstanding gala music concert. This year we introduced the 'BIG ART Prize' which each year will have a different artistic theme. This year, we took inspiration from the famous 'Archibald' Portrait Prize. We were delighted to have renowned Australian artists, Geoff La Gerche, as our special guest judge. Guests also had the opportunity to view the finalists and vote for the 'People's Choice' award for each category on a fabulous interactive screen developed by one the School's IT masters, Damian Sloane. Congratulations to everyone involved with this event and to our inaugural prize winners. Christine reflects on what it was that kept her going; what drove her during tough periods in her life. "I have built up a lot of resilience in my life and I hope to build more. Resilience only comes with facing failure and telling it in no uncertain terms 'thank you and I'll see you again'. Also, having a person in your life who supports you unreservedly is your greatest motivator, whether it be a family member, Christine studied Arts/Law at Monash after leaving school friend, colleague or partner. You can't do it alone." where she made the most of the many opportunities that Through it all, Christine kept true to her greatest passion - were on offer. "I also ran for President of the Law Students' women's rights. "What changed my life forever was teaching Society. It was a political statement as there had only been advocacy to Law students and lawyers in Papua New Guinea one female President in the organisation's history!" and later Vanuatu with other barristers from the Victorian Bar." At the young age of 23, Christine started working in a law When Christine first travelled to PNG in 2014, she was firm. After a couple of years, Christine realised she wasn't immediately drawn to learning more about the culture feeling as passionate for her work as she was for her of this society, its complex societal structures and the study at school and university. Christine quit her job and many barriers faced by women. "I was inspired to think accepted an Associateship with a Supreme Court Judge. of ways the Victorian Bar could incorporate a program There she reinvigorated her passion for Law and found the about empowering women to enter the Law. I saw the mentorship she needed. program as a vehicle to increase the number of women "It was during this time that I led the Victorian Women in senior and leadership roles, on the bench and in Lawyers Inc. The organisation was about advancing women parliament and in tackling major issues affecting women in Law. I felt like I was contributing again in my own way and children, in particular, domestic violence." to a greater cause." And she made it happen. Christine made the decision to go to the Bar The program is called 'Empowering Women in after her Associateship. One of Christine's biggest the Law in PNG' and it was launched in July matters was the Victorian Bushfires Royal this year in partnership with the Victorian Commission as Junior Counsel for the State of Bar, the Legal Training Institute of PNG Victoria. That brief led to inquests on behalf and with the support of the Australian of Victoria Police and the opportunity to work Government. The program has subsequently on the Royal Commission into Institutional led to the mentoring of 36 women legal Child Sexual Abuse. trainees by members of the Victorian Bar. "I guess when you are feeling good about "The program became a metaphor for my own what's going on around you, it is easier to life - an idea met with resistance by others invite happiness into your world." That's but a deep conviction in its importance when she met Dom. Seven months later, kept it alive. I can trace that back to they were engaged and three years after Mentone Girls' Grammar. No one that, married. at school ever told me I couldn't do Christine began to get itchy feet in something. And I see it in my friends Melbourne. She moved to Sydney and joined from school too. We are always the NSW Bar. "Going to the Bar in Sydney looking forwards; always telling one was like starting at the Bar all over again. another that we 'can'; always having It was difficult." However, just as Christine a laugh and laughing at ourselves." thought the challenges were getting the better Christine now looks towards all of her, the brief of a lifetime presented itself - the other exciting ideas and projects representing the NSW Police in the Lindt Cafe she has planned for her future. Siege Inquest. "The day of that siege "I want to work on more initiatives around was etched in my mind. You remember empowering women all over the world. where you were and what you were doing I want to work on human rights cases when a tragedy like that happens. I just both here and overseas. But above all never thought it would lead to an this, I want to continue to laugh ..." opportunity to be working on Australia's largest ever inquest." For Christine's full story, visit the School website. "Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you're proud to live." Anne Sweeney (President of Walt Disney)

Modern Day Princesses Robogals

Many, if not all, of the princesses that we knew and loved from Mentone Girls' Grammar and Robogals share a joint belief our grandmother's storybooks make the modern woman cringe. that girls can do anything! Robogals is an international, not-for­ They are meek, fretful characters who think landing a man in profit, student-run organisation that aims to increase female white tights is achieving their life goal. However, there is no participation in STEM related university degrees and careers, denying that girls are predisposed to the idea of princesses. Not which of course our School wholeheartedly supports. all girls will reach for the tiara in a room full of toys but many will. We have been fortunate this year to have Robogals visit This leaves us asking the question, is there any room for the School on two occasions; firstly to work with our Year princesses in modern society? And should we discourage 5 students as part of their dedicated STEM program and our girls from idolising these characters? The answer is not in secondly, we were delighted to welcome Robogals Global shaming or embarrassing any child for what they enjoy. The CEO, Nicole Brown, at our annual Science Breakfast. answer is in simply explaining the whole story to them. With Our Year 5s loved having the opportunity to use programmable 21st century characters like Princess Elsa from Frozen, and robots, and to learn more about the principles of Engineering books like Don't Kiss the Frog, young girls can see that strong, and robotics in a fun and creative way Collaborating in groups smart women are allowed to like wearing pretty dresses too. of three, the girls were quick and eager to give their robots a In our Early Learning Centre (ELC) you are very likely to run name. Our budding engineers then worked to program their into many of these new-age characters. Our aim is not to robot to complete a complex obstacle course. This was a discourage princesses but to also expose students to a vast fantastic way to promote STEM to our girls. array of other activities. Students explore subjects like STEM At the Senior end of the School, our students in Years 11 & 12 (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to joined around 130 budding scientists from girls' schools understand how and why the world works, and everything is across Melbourne, together with over 50 female scientists related back to what interests them - be it princesses, trains at our annual Science Breakfast. or robots. For example, during an excursion as part of our 'Classroom on the Beach', a student announced, 'See that This event was developed to further expand a growing rock? That's where Ariel lives'. network of women in Science, and has become a highlight of the Science Week calendar with our event partner. the The students began exploring Ariel's home and noted the Alliance of Girls' Schools (Victoria). Female students are invited variety of natural objects on the beach. They began placing to join with women who represent many different branches them in a bucket of water which sparked conversations of Science to discuss the impact, study pathways, and career about what sank and what floated. They continued with the opportunities that exist across the broader STEM arena. theme of buoyancy back at school and visited the Head of As Global CEO of Robogals, Nicole oversees an Science to conduct experiments. Princesses may have been international network of volunteers who visit schools and where the theme started, but Science is where it ended inspire girls to take on careers in STEM, all while studying thanks to the ELC educators bridging the concepts for them. for a Master of Engineering (Structural). Headquartered ELC Team Leader, Fiona Shepherd, said, "Our curious, at The University of Melbourne, Robogals was founded by questioning students are challenged by the teachers to Engineering graduate and former Young Australian of the discover information by asking deeper questions, to develop Year, Marita Cheng. Nicole took over as CEO in 2013 and the ability to think creatively and problem solve. has led the organisation through a period of unprecedented "What excites me about our ELC is that we not only growth with new Chapters starting around the world provide structured learning in literacy and including the Philippines and South Africa. Nicole was numeracy, but also in music and movement, awarded a Highly Commended Runner Up in the inaugural STEM, visual arts and physical education. Queen's Young Leaders Program in 2015, and was named We stimulate our students with frequent as a Young Leader to Watch at the Engineers Australia excursions, exploring the environment Convention in 2014. Nicole spoke about her own journey beyond the classroom. The girls and how her interest in Engineering developed by accident, particularly love visiting the older girls as well as the importance of women in STEM industries and in the School, and benefiting from the finding a career that suits your personality and passions. positive role modelling of watching Women are acutely under-represented in STEM industries them focus and learn." and we need to increase awareness and opportunities So there is no need for women in this sector. As a school, we are proud to be able to play such to bin the tiara and an important role in inspiring tutus just yet. After young girls to pursue al l, the modern day studies and careers princess is strong, in this sector. confident, respectful, independent and resilient ... sounds a lot like a Mentone Girl! Girl Power

If we are thinking about a model for a modern day princess, we can look no further than the story of Fa Mulan ... a strong, courageous young woman who defied the bonds of tradition, and overcame fear and adversity to save the dayl Our annual School Production this year took us back to the legendary, story-telling days of ancient China with an action­ packed stage adaptation of Disney's Mu Ian. In this tale, the Huns have invaded, and it is up to the rebellious Mulan and her mischievous sidekick dragon, Mushu, to save the Emperor. Our sell-out performances were an extraordinary showcase of talent featuring students from Years 7 - 12, together with guest performers from neighbouring schools, St James College and St Bede's College. Audiences were dazzled by a seamless narrative, the breathtaking set design, and the highest standard of singing and acting, not to mention the incredible student orchestra led by renowned musician and teacher, Gerald Keuneman. Once again, we had a professional team of mentors who provided leadership in a range of theatrical areas from set design and sound production to make-up, lighting, costume design. This fantastic mentoring program not only enables students working behind the scenes to gain professional training in key areas of stage production; it offers employment opportunities to young professionals, and enables us to deliver a level of professionalism rarely seen in school-based productions. We congratulate Head of Performing Arts, Susanna Rummel, and especially Director, Melanie McLean, for her vision and leadership of what was a truly remarkable show. Our unique style of education provides an environment which explicitly aims to prepare girls for not only the 'here and now', but also for the future with jobs and technologies that have not yet been invented. For the next generation to thrive in our complex world, we must empower them with an enterprising mindset and the accompanying skills of passion, vision, resilience, creativity, communication, financial literacy, positive risk-taking and action.

Money Matters Economy to Enterprise and Business Management. They participate in the Stock Market Game trading thousands of Being able to handle money is a fundamental life skill. In the dollars in virtual cash using real-time, realistic trading methods age where online shopping is instant, managing money and for U.S Stocks, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and Mutual differentiating between needs and wants can be difficult Funds. Concepts are further expanded in Years 11 & 12 concepts for young people to grasp. A consequence of the through programs such as the CBA Start Smart program rise of cashless transactions or 'invisible money' is that some where students explore different children see money as a limitless resource. topics in depth to understand the impact of financial choices, It is vital to begin this education as early as possible, and for us as well as managing this begins in Year I. Through the Unit of Inquiry, 'How We money and credit, Organise Ourselves', the girls have been exploring the idea savings, investments that financial choices generate personal actions. Part of this and budgeting. has included every student receiving their own Tri-Fi money box which they have been using to learn about 'spending', As an ASIC 'saving' and 'giving'. The girls are encouraged to share their MoneySmart school, money across the three areas, building cognitive behaviours we aim to teach that are essential for financial literacy. The girls learn to set our students to financial goals and how to work towards achieving them. become savvy, responsible As students progress through the School, they continually consumers who expand their financial knowledge and learn more about the are in full control complexities of the financial world. For example, Year 9s of their own are immersed in a range of topics from Economics and the financial destiny.

Digital Natives While many adults are grappling with the rapid advances in technology, our girls embrace change and have been By Ann Mathers, Head of Junio r School immediately eager to embrace the Yoga as their learning I consider myself to be quite technologically savvy. I arrive partner. Is this a good thing? Absolutely. We all know at my meetings, iPad in hand, ready to work from 'the technology is here to stay, and is increasingly important in Cloud'. However, I was taken by surprise by the reaction of almost every area of life. It is the way that future generations the Years 5 & 6 students when they received their Lenovo will work, communicate, create and develop. By arming our Yogas earlier this year. There was an immediate connection students with the skills of the future, we are giving them a head like they were meeting a new friend. Some even start. Our students are becoming familiar with Office 365, named their new device! One Note, One Drive, the Cloud and our School's own learning management and communication platform, mConnect. However, we're not putting down our pens for good. We understand the importance of writing for fine motor skills and brain development. The girls are still writing, reading and spending time away from their devices. Our girls love discussion, and need to socialise and communicate with each other face-to-face, another fundamental life skill. It is also important for our students to learn about responsible and healthy use of technology. The girls were given a set of guidelines and responsibilities which were discussed in class. As an eSmart school, we have an ongoing program of cyber safety education, through which students are also learning about ethical computer use and the impact of cyberbullying. We know technology can drive enterprise and innovation. What will our girls do next? Business Chicks Employers value our Mentone Girls By Kelly Jedd , Head of Careers & Enterprise We understand that enterprise education is much more than simply business studies or entrepreneurship. Enterprise As part of our extensive Careers program, Year I O students education actively encourages innovation, creativity, intelligent have the opportunity to leave the classroom for a week and risk taking, resilience, a can-do attitude and the drive and experience the world of work. For many this was their first determination to make ideas of value happen. It is measured, taste of the workplace as they spent the week exploring not by job or wealth creation, but by its impact on personal a job they are considering in the future. The workplaces development, and the growth of ethical, confident young our students visited varied widely, from veterinary clinics, women who can facilitate their own success, whatever that pharmacies, hospitals and the CFA to advertising agencies, may look like. We create authentic opportunities for our Channel I 0, Myer, local primary schools and record labels. students to interact with and immerse in the community Employers were particularly impressed with the quality to witness how enterprise looks in action. of our students with feedback such as, "The best work experience students we have ever had". As a result, several 'LI" ,_h 'J. . ·,1r:;:;.· !)~J ·c students were also offered casual or part-time work. Work experience aims to develop students' work and life skills, including the skills of communicating effectively and working in a team. It is a truly rewarding experience for all, and we could not f~ offer such a successful work experience program without the support from parents, Old Girls and local employers who offer our Year I O students these wonderful opportunities.

Learning from the best By Taylah McCormick, Enterprise Captain (above right) National Young Leaders Earlier this year, I attended a Business Chicks breakfast Over 5,000 students from all over Victoria gathered for the with Mrs Reddan, featuring special guest, Naomi Simpson Halogen National Young Leaders Day. We are very proud (above left). I was honoured to attend this event on that our 2014 Club Kidpreneur winners, Maddisyn Dixon­ behalf of our School as Enterprise Captain, and it was Whitbourne and Wangshu Ma (Year 7), were asked to present a truly inspiring and rewarding morning. to the audience about their business building experience. Founding Director of Red Balloon and 'shark' on the Channel Alongside speakers including Bindi Irwin and children's 10 show, Shark Tank, Naomi, addressed the audience as a author, Andy Griffiths, Maddisyn and Wangshu spoke successful entrepreneur and advocate for living what you love. about the marketing and leadership of their project, Naomi shared with the audience her triumphs and challenges, how they developed their business idea, and what they and provided insight into her journey as an entrepreneur. learned from the project. They also discussed how funds She urged that "we can do it all, just not at the same time". raised contributed to the School's enterprise program. It was evident that all of Naomi's success has come from The audience were thrilled by their professionalism and hard work, focus and, above all, an unwavering passion. presentation skills - they couldn't believe they were only 12! It was an uplifting event and I found myself surrounded by inspiring and successful women. I was thrilled when I sat down and looked to my left to see founder of Boost Juice, Janine Allis - yes, she did have a juice in hand 1 Naomi's key piece of advice to being a successful leader was to stay positive and keep your team motivated. "Be authentic, have authentic conversations about why you are passionate and people will come with you on your journey." This was something I was able to take away from the Business Chicks Breakfast - the importance of staying positive and above all living what you love. Foundation Snapshot

The primary role of the Foundation is to assist the School to plan for the future with confidence by raising funds to implement new in itiatives, develop high quality facilities and deliver the programs and educational experience expected as part of a Mentone Girls' Grammar School education. Did you know that school fees and government grants cover only the essential running costs of the School including teacher salaries, classroom materials and recurring operating expenses? We thank the 2015 Foundation Committee - Ashley Reed, Chairman, together wit h Directors, Alan Frees, Janelle Donnell y, Bradley Cornwell and Tania Obranovich, as well as Principal, Fran Reddan, Business Manager, Robert Konoroth, and Advancement Manager, Roslyn Holl oway, for their commit ment to the School.

Introducing our Advancement Manager

In 20 15, we welcomed our new Advancement Manager, Roslyn Holloway to the Schoo l. Roslyn is an Old Girl (nee McHaffle 1990), and is very passionate about, and dedicated to the School. Roslyn's work focuses on community engagement and major fu ndraising projects. If you wish to discuss ways in which you can support the School, please feel free to contact Roz for a confidential discussio n. T: (+ 61 3) 958 1 1200 E: [email protected]

Digital Archives

In 2016, the Heritage Centre will embark on Stage I of the D igital Archives project. This is t remendously exciting as it will enable members of our School community 24/7 access to old copies of Spindrift, well RED, theat re and music programs and select photographs representing the School's history. The cost of Stage I is $10,000. The project cannot proceed w ithout the generosity of our communit y. If you would like to support this, please contact Roslyn Hollow ay (details above). 2016 Aline Darke Scholar

Aline Darke stipulated in her bequest to the School that she wished the scholarship in her name to be awarded to a student who demonstrated leadership, academic potential and a willingness to contribute to the life of the School community. We are thrilled to announce that the Aline Darke Scholar for 2016 is current Year 8 student, Elle Haryanto, an exemplary student who exemplifies all of these wonderful qualities. Elle has told us a little about what it means to her to be the Aline Darke Scholar for 2016. "I am truly fortunate to be receiving this scholarship from this incredible school, and I feel such gratitude towards Aline Darke, the epitome of a remarkable Mentone Girl. This extraordinary opportunity will open endless doors for me in the future."

:· ;---.--. _...... - ., ,,, ~ Empowerment through Enterprise

It has been wonderful to see our students flourish again in creativity and entrepreneurialism as we recently presented the 2015/20 16 Enterprise Awards. This could not be achieved without the generous support of John and Rebecca Wall and Acquire Learning. The 2014/2015 Enterprise Award recipients worked on a diverse range of projects including online publishing, public speaking, online app development, printed t-shirts, a handmade range of hats and other personal items, and development of a beauty biog. Through this journey, the girls developed many skills for life including marketing with social media, public speaking, product development and running their own business. We thank those students who contributed profits of their sales of handmade items back to the Enterprise Fund. Scan the QR code to hear from some of our 20/4/20/5 Enterprise Award recipients.

Congratulations to the 20I5/2016 Enterprise Award recipients: We are delighted that in addition to the current student recipients listed below, that Old Girl Christina Renowden (1995) has received an enterprise award for 2016 to further her fantastic educational business. 'Leap into Nature' gets children active, outdoors, and helps them begin a lifelong journey of learning about the natural world.

* Phoebe Prince (Year 4) * Rita Lu (Year 6) * Maddie Royle (Year I0) * Nikki Dulberg (Year 5) * Natasha Mirvis (Year 6) * Emily Barrow (Year 10) * Grace Lewis (Year 5) * Jasmine Baxter (Year 8) * Anagha Raviprasad (Year I0) * Michelle Fisher (Year 9) * Erner Sparkes (Year 10)

oN so Simpson Society f~ ~ Ji~ A bequest is a way to express your affection for Mentone Girls' Grammar School. Once you have looked V, -< after your family's needs, you may wish to remember and support the School through a bequest. We \ greatly value contributions of any size and recognise all support through entry into the Simpson Society. -i.,.. Please feel free to speak with our Advancement Manager, Roslyn Holloway, or further information is 0~ - ~ " www.mentonegirls.vic .edu.au/page/Giving/ ~~1 ,ii~~ located on the School website at 1/ts• GRP.l"I •J Our theme this year, 'Power of One, Strength of Many' is never more evident than in our sporting program. Whatever the passion or skill level, Mentone Girls of all ages are encouraged to take on new challenges to achieve their best for themselves and their team mates. For us, Sport is much more than trophies or pennants; it is the memorable experiences that it creates, and seeing the pride and determination of our girls as they pull on a Mentone jumper.

A Team Effort and applying new skills in a competitive environment. as the program is based around the House system. Weekly matches By Pam Sherman, Junior Sport Co-ordinator are played, results recorded, best players nominated and Sport has historically played an important role in all societies, trophies presented to the winning House at the conclusion be it in the form of competitive sport. physical activity or of each sport. This provides an opportunity for the girls to play. Sport as defined by the United Nations Charter is experience being a member of a team and collaborating "all forms of physical activity that contribute to physical together to achieve their best. They learn to be fully inclusive fitness, mental wellbeing and social interaction, such as play, and tolerant of each other's differences and abilities. recreation, organised or competitive sport, and indigenous Our wonderful Inter House swimming, cross country and sports and games." The Charter goes on to define sport as a athletics carnivals see every girl participating and contributing broad and inclusive spectrum of activities suitable to people to a whole team effort. Each girl experiences the support of all ages and abilities, with an emphasis on the positive and encouragement of their team mates and they always values of sport. It states that sport has a unique power to aspire to be their best. The House Captains lead by attract. mobilise and inspire. By its very nature, sport is about example, demonstrating fairness, good sportsmanship participation. It is about inclusion and citizenship. It stands for and acceptance of decisions and outcomes. human values such as respect for the opponent. acceptance At District and Regional competitions, the girls are exposed of binding rules, teamwork and fairness, principles that are to a highly competitive environment where they learn contained in the Charter of the United Nations. about respecting their opponents and being proud of their In the Junior School we aim to educate and instil in the girls achievements whatever the outcome. Individual performances the above principles and ideals. In our sport lessons which are give our elite sportswomen a time to shine and for our part of the Physical Education curriculum, every girl in Years younger ones to aspire to achieve at a similar level. 3 - 6 participates throughout the year in a variety of sports all requiring quite different skills, from soccer and basketball to gymnastics. They learn about the challenges of trying A Winning Year By Sam Cairns, Acting Head of Sport

Sport is a vehicle to contribute one's skills, to challenge boundaries and to work collaboratively as a team. We have seen some amazing results this year amongst our talented sportswomen who have strived to excel in their chosen sports, or simply wanted to extend themselves and try something new. With our inspirational Year 12 Sports Captain, Rebecca Neaves, engaging, encouraging and motivating girls to step outside their comfort zones and have a go, we have been able to see one of our most successful years in Sport to date. We began the year with our lifesavers taking home third at the State League Surf Lifesaving competition, being the strongest all-female team on the day. From the beach to -- - - the fields, our girls dominated in GSV Sport, especially our Senior teams who qualified for finals for AFL (Runner's up), Basketball (Pennant winners), Hockey (Runner's up), Water Polo (Pennant winners) and Soccer. Taking home the victory in Soccer, being undefeated throughout the season, then winning the Premiership flag was certainly a fantastic occasion for the girls who worked incredibly hard all season. Our Junior and Intermediate teams fo ll owed suit, qualifying in Netball, Soccer, Softball and Badminton finals. Not only have we seen great achievements on the fields, but we have once again showed our talents on the interstate stage in Sport Aerobics and Dance at the Nationals Competition held on the Gold Coast, Queensland. With a massive squad of 66 students qualifying to compete at such a high level of competition, and bringing home one National Title (made up of a team of Year 7 girls), 3 Silver and 5 Bronze medals, indicates just how passionate the girls are about this program. The team is led by our Head Coach, Jess Hayes, who was presented with Coach of the Year at the Nationals Competition. It was wonderful to see Jess being recognised in a public arena for her dedication, hard work and passion in serving our girls, and to witness the standing ovation from competitors, assistant coaches and parents. One of the best things about sport at Mentone is that our girls always set out to do their best even in trialling times and t hrough lost matches or games. They continue to grow in character and bui ld self-confidence, but most importantly, they have lots of fun along the way.

m - I Dinner with Champions

In October; we held a very special sports dinner; featuring world surfing champion and Australian sporting icon, Layne Beachley, as our special guest speaker (pictured middle with husband, Kirk Pengilly, Principal Fran Reddan and MC. John Wall, Group Managing Director; Acquire Learning). In front of a packed room at Doyles Bridge Hotel in Mordialloc, Layne gave an inspirational speech about the need to have a dream and the importance of 'getting out of your own way' so you can achieve it. She also spoke about surrounding yourself with positive enabling people instead of 'dream stealers' to help you achieve your goals. We also made a number of special awards on the night and acknowledged the incredible work of our dynamic coaching team for their efforts this year. In addition, we recognised Jess Hayes for her award as the Schoolaerobics Coach of the Year and witnessed the all important hand-over of the Sports captaincy from Rebecca Neaves to 2016 Sports Captain, Bridget Gertzel. We are very grateful to MC John Wall and Acquire Learning who generously sponsored this event. enabling us to create such a memorable occasion. at university, and is an Airline Pilot? He's now a far better mathematician than me!" she laughs. Together, they travelled across Australia for Chris' job, from Alice Springs to Karratha (Northern Western Australia) to Sydney, then back home to Melbourne. All the while, Sam continued to pursue her passion helping people with their vision wherever they landed. "In Northern WA, I used to travel by light plane and then drive across the outback to conduct eye examinations monthly in remote mining towns over several days. That was a pretty amazing experience. Another was regularly conducting eye examinations on prisoners from the local maximum Sam received a half-scholarship for her academic abilities, security prison under the watchful eye of six prison guards!" joining the School in Year 7. She remembers being so excited on her first day of school. "I am really grateful for Sam now works in a private optometry practice in that opportunity to attend Mentone Girls' Grammar. Melbourne. Her areas of special interest are Behavioural The School had a fantastic impact on my life. The teachers Optometry and Ocular Pathology. Behavioural were so supportive and approachable. Optometrists are interested in how the eyes and brain integrate to produce 'vision' rather than just considering "People have asked me if we were spoon-fed, but it wasn't at 'eyesight'. Sam particularly enjoys helping children with all like that. We were encouraged, challenged and motivated, problems such as vision-related learning difficulties and but we knew we had to put in the hard yards ourselves." visual development issues. Her son, Hayden, wears glasses "I wasn't particularly 'sporty' or good at Art but we were full-time and has undergone a course of vision therapy, encouraged to give it a go. It didn't matter if you weren't so she empathises with the parents of her patients. "It is the best - and I had a lot of fun trying." Studying French difficult to see your child struggling but the improvement for five years and Japanese for six years at Mentone Girls' that Hayden has made is remarkable, and it really helps Grammar under enthusiastic Language teachers sparked other parents to share that experience with them." an interest in learning foreign languages. This continued on Sam recently completed postgraduate study in Ocular after Sam left school as she studied Italian for several years. Therapeutics which was a huge challenge while juggling Sam's greatest gift from school has been her enormous family and work commitments - but she's glad she did it. group of friends. "It's hard to believe that so many of us "The study wasn't a stepping stone for me as I am still keep in contact - it's quite special. Some of us have very happy with where I am in my career and life. been through some really tough challenges in life, and it has However, it enabled me to keep up been amazing to see the way we all support each other." with new developments in my Sam was one of the lucky few who knew exactly what area, and I am always keen she wanted to do from a young age. "When I was in Year to provide the best care 8, I needed to get glasses, and my Optometrist was this for my patients." fantastic woman. She asked me what I enjoyed at school, Sam lights up when and when she discovered that my favourite subjects at describing the school were Science and Maths, and that I had a strong love she has for desire to work in a profession where I helped people, her husband, her she told me what a great profession Optometry was. children and her Although I was only 14 at the time, she mentioned that career - that's it was a perfect career to balance with a family. I now Sam's definition know how very important that is to me." Sam went on of success and to study Optometry at The University of Melbourne. we think she is Chris and Sam realised that their friendship was turning into remarkable. something more not long after completing Year 12. "Being best friends already was a great foundation to a romance and, later, to a wonderful marriage." Now Sam can't imagine her life without Chris and their two children, Hayden, 8 and Serena, 5. "Would you believe that boy who sought my help with Maths went on to complete a Mechanical Engineering degree Since 1899, generations of students, staff and parents have been proud to be a part of our 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. Recognising and sharing the educational journey of our students with the special people in their lives and our broader community is just one of the ways in which we achieve this. As the wise proverb states, "It takes a whole village to raise a child."

My Hero Sharing the Love

In early September, our School was abuzz with dads and special friends as we took the time to say thank you to the fathers, grandfathers and many important male role models in our lives as part of our Father's Day celebrations. There were special activities across the School and as always, our Parents' Association provided a wonderful Father's Day Stall for our students to purchase some thoughtful gifts for dad. Our ELC dads were treated to some beautiful songs performed in the Creative Learning Centre by the girls under the direction of our specialist music teacher, Ella Marton. The Pre Prep girls then worked with their dads on an engineering project involving making cars and racing them. Students from Prep - Year 6 revelled in having their dads start the morning On that one special day in May, we take the opportunity as with some group Aerobics, followed by classroom time a school to reflect on the wonderful relationships we have participating in a range of fun activities around important with our mums and the other incredible women in our lives. topics such as financial literacy. It is delightful to see the enthusiasm and love that surrounds In the Senior School, over 200 dads and daughters filled our Mother's Day celebrations. This year festivities included the Prudence Lewty Hall for the Years 7 & 8 Father's Day the ever-popular Mother's Day Stall provided by our Parents' Breakfast featuring special guest speaker, Mark Dobson. Association, as well as a beautiful musical concert which As a successful performance coach, Mark advises businesses, involved all girls from ELC to Year 6. The ELC students students and some of the most elite athletes on the planet. also treated their mums to a performance night where He was a captivating and entertaining speaker who spoke the girls performed songs for their mums and presented about the important relationship between dads and them with special gifts. daughters. He talked about the many differences between Our senior students in Years 9 & I0, under the expert guidance of the sexes that can often make us speak different languages, Cath Freney, Head of Years 9 & 10, organised a very impressive and how we can bridge that language barrier to improve our Mother's Day Breakfast featuring delicious food, great company relationships. He gave fresh, simple advice on how we can all and some fantastic entertainment provided by the girls. find the best in ourselves, and often change our mindset to To our mums, we thank you for your unconditional love, see things in a more positive way to achieve success. your shoulder to cry on, your strength of character, your Despite the endless corny jokes and totally embarrassing us advice (even though sometimes we don't want to hear it), in front of our first boyfriend, there will always be a special for all the things you do for us that generally go unnoticed, place in our hearts for the first man we loved and admired. your sense of humour and most of all your unwavering Dads really do rock! support and faith in us. Thank you, mum 1 Valedictory Day

Valedictory Day for many of our families is the culmination of years of hard work by students, parents and staff It is an emotional day for many as they say goodbye to the School that has been such an important part of their life for so many years. The emphasis on valedictory is an important one. It is our opportunity to say farewell and for our students to do the Generations of Joy same. This special day is about honouring our students for their courage and determination, and for the enormous contribution We all know what important role models grandparents are and they have made to the lifeblood of our School community. it is wonderful when our children are able to have grandparents in their lives. There was a real buzz and energy around the The day began with the Year 12s joining staff for breakfast Junior School this year during our annual Grandparents' and in the Bay Cafe, followed by a beautiful family service at Special Friends' Day. Hundreds of grandparents and special St Augustine's Church, Mentone. friends visited students in their classrooms to learn all about Back at school, in a wonderful tradition, the whole school the work they had been doing. They had so much fun together formed a 'guard of honour' stretching from Cobbalanna Senior colouring, playing games and reading stories. College to the Prudence Lewty Hall, with everyone cheering, We then showcased the many talents of our students during clapping and high-fiving the Year 12s, their families and teachers the Junior School Concert which involved every student as they made their way to our treasured Rose Assembly. from ELC to Year 6. Our girls were so proud to be able to The Rose Assembly is a deep expression of the way we surprise and delight their special guests in such a wonderful value individuals. The old school bell was rung for the final display of music, dancing and singing. time by students who completed their entire schooling We thank all of our grandparents for the important at Mentone Girls' Grammar. Each student also received contribution they make to the lives of our students and a comprehensive testimonial outlining their co-curricular our broader School community, and thank everyone who activities, leadership opportunities and achievements, attended for making this day such a special one. together with a written reference from the School. An important part of this ceremony is the engagement with the Old Girls' Club who present each student a badge giving them lifetime membership to this tremendous Caring for the Community network of over 7,000 women around the world. As the Year 12s prepare to depart the Hall for the last Year I student, Ruby McCoy and her grandmother, Pauline time, they are presented with a single rose by our current McCoy, made two quilts and a stuffed toy with the help of Prep students, also a gift of the Old Girls' Club. There is their quilting group. They decided to generously donate the no doubt that our students have benefited from the strong items to the Wellbeing Centre to make sick patients feel sense of belonging and emotional connection with their better when they visit the nurse. The quilts have a lovely school that will last a lifetime. Once a Mentone Girl, message about friendship stitched into them. Ruby was always a Mentone Girl. very proud to present the gifts to the School Nurse, Felicity Smith, who said they were a wonderful addition to the Celebrations continued at Royal Melbourne Golf Club for Centre. What a beautiful way to care for our community. the Valedictory Dinner, a wonderful evening with such natural and happy interactions between students, their families and staff. As always it is a bittersweet moment as we farewell another Year 12 class, sad to see them go, but excited for the future and to see them flourish and grow into the remarkable women we know them to be. Wellbeing, as defined by the World Health Organisation is where, "every individual should strive to realise their own potential so they can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community". Our students are encouraged to be creative, to value learning, to develop resilience and build positive relationships so they can develop their own personal growth and bring about positive change in the world.

The Power of Resilience

In 2015, we were thrilled to see former Head of Years 11 & 12, Mrs Jo Frost, take the bold move into a new position as Vice Principal (Wellbeing) / Head of Senior School (pictured right). Jo has been leading the School's wellbeing charge which she says, at an educational level, is fundamental to learning. ''We know that students who are happy and healthy engage more fully in school and, therefore achieve higher standards. We recognise the importance of well being for overall health, as well as achievement. As such, we have developed a wellbeing strategy to positively affect our students which encompasses physical, mental and social health. We have deliberately built a nurturing environment, in both the physical space of our School and the atmosphere created by staff and students. "An important element of this is the development of resilience. Being resilient doesn't mean that you don't experience hardship or feel stressed; it just means that you are able to recover. Being resilient is an important life skill for coping with busyness, unexpected events and perceived failure. We teach our students to 'bounce back' and learn to try again. We go through this process when we learn to ride a bike - it's as natural as breathing - but as adolescence strikes, girls especially can develop a fear of failure that can stay with them their whole lives. They don't want to disappoint or be ridiculed. "The environment we create here at school is about getting girls to try new things and experiment with the risk of failure, supporting each other in the process. It is vital that we remind girls that failing is simply an essential part of learning and living - it's human." Seven ways to build resilience in children The Importance of Belonging I. Avoid solving all their problems. Make kids active The pursuit of belonging is an intrinsic human condition as it participants in family/group problem-solving. affirms that we are succeeding in the process of socialisation 2. Model a positive 'you can do it' attitude encouraging - learning to be human. However, the role that belonging them to take decisive action rather than detaching from plays in our health and happiness is, surprisingly, extremely problems, and wishing they would just go away. See every significant. It is rated above physiological needs and the need experience as an opportunity. for safety on Maslow's Hierachy of Needs chart. According to 3. Encourage them to build relationships with others researchers, "the need to belong may even have an evolutionary that offer mutual support. origin, where co-operation and group relationships led to an 4. Embrace change. Accept that change is a part of living. increased level of survival." (Early Childhood Australia, 2015) Flexibility is an essential part of resilience so teach them Thankfully, our students are not competing in tribal wars, how to be more adaptable. but 'survival' in today's context exists under a much different S. Move toward goals. Develop realistic goals and make definition. In a contemporary society, survival entails our small yet regular progress towards accomplishing these. resilience, motivation and resistance to mental illness. It 6. Be optimistic. Get them to try visualising what they want relates to our capacity to enjoy life, cope with stresses, from themselves, rather than worrying about what they fear. meet our goals and potential, and connect to others. 7. Be responsible for their own wellbeing. Teach them Belonging is created by feeling a connection based on to listen to their own mind and body, to know when they similarities shared with other people. However, this doesn't need to engage in some relaxation, to eat nutritious food mean that feeling 'different' is always a bad thing. As a school, and exercise regularly. Feeling energetic and healthy helps our job is to create an environment where everyone feels • to keep them primed to deal with tough situations. they belong and to encourage young people to find their -I Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

We know that children are becoming hyper conscious of their bodies, people's comments, and what and how they eat at an increasingly young age. They look to adult role models in their life to help them build a healthy relationship with food, but many of us struggle to know what that looks like. Here are five tips from Dr Kausman about how to School is often the best time to set children's agenda for how talk to your kids about food, eating and body image. they think about their bodies, and approach their health for I. Do your best to avoid labelling food as 'good' or the rest of their lives. So what we do here is very important. 'bad'. These have a connotation of guilt. Instead you Over the past few years through our 'All About Girls' could use 'sometimes food' or 'always/everyday food'. parenting series, we have tackled some really challenging 2. Do your best to encourage children to differentiate topics for parents and educators. This year we welcomed hunger from wanting something just for the taste of it, renowned health professional and Director of the Butterfly and from other drivers such as boredom. For example, Foundation, Dr Rick Kausman, to talk about how to protect when your children ask for snacks, you might ask them if children from eating disorders and promote healthy eating. they would like something to fill their tummies (looking for Dr Kausman has worked for over twenty years with people physical hunger), or something that feels good in their mouth who are locked in a constant battle with food, erratic dieting (something just for the taste of it, thus needing a small and fluctuating weight. He explained the need to develop a amount) or the possibility that they are bored (giving us positive relationship with food - one that is not centred on an opportunity to offer an alternative to food). deprivation, punishment and guilt. 3. Don't comment on their appearance, your own or others' appearance, in relation to weight and body "Dieting is never the answer. Instead of relying on our body's image. One seemingly innocent remark, can stick in their natural intuition, diets force us to comply with a set, rigid minds and shape how they feel about themselves and and unnatural eating plan. Some days we are hungrier than their body/body image in the long term. others - and that's ok." 4. Talk less. Listen more. Don't avoid important His philosophy is to use 'mindful eating' to think about how conversations with children about what they see, hear to eat for nutrition and wellbeing - without banishing the and feel. Have open discussion about the silly diet that 'sometimes' treats. they saw in a magazine and explain why it is unhealthy. "Listen to your body and be the healthiest you can be. As Car rides are a great place to have these conversations. a result, you will achieve and maintain a comfortable weight There are no distractions and it doesn't feel forced. without being deprived of food or losing quality of life." 5. Practise what you preach. Do your best to model the Children often model their parents' behaviour, and this behaviour that you want your child to adopt. Practise applies to eating as well. We need to be aware of how our mindful eating, such as taking time to sit down and relationship with food looks to our children. Mindful eating savour every mouthful of your food, identifying your is an approach that encourages us to get in tune with our drivers and asking yourself 'is that what my body feels bodies and remove any destructive habits. like?' and, before long, you will have formed new habits.

unique identity, talents and opinions. One of the standout points from a growing body of research shows that girls in an all -girls' environment feel a much greater sense of belonging than those in a co-educational environment (Brutsaert, 2002). This has been attributed to the 'social solidarity' that is established in single-sex schools by way of having their social needs met, and of course girls and boys demonstrate their acceptance and support in vastly different ways. So how do our students rate their sense of belonging? In a wellbeing survey completed by Senior students this year, we asked whether they feel a sense of belonging at school. Across the board, our Senior students rated their sense of belonging extremely high. This means the work we are doing through our pastoral care programs to foster meaningful connections between staff and students, and students with each other, is absolutely working. Our students are happy to come to school, they feel safe and valued, and they feel encouraged by students and staff. It is this sense of connectedness, belonging and acceptance that is one of the core reasons that they achieve such outstanding results.

Brutsaert, HV 2002, 'Girls' and boys' sense of belonging in single-sex versus co-educational schools', Research In Education, 68, p. 48, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, EBSCOhost, viewed 18 August 2015 . Our student-led House events are the quintessential display of camaraderie and demonstrate the power of team spirit. They help students develop all important life skills including leadership, reliability, active listening, constructive communication, co-operation, flexibility, problem solving and respect. As a community we love to see the incredible displays of creativity, determination and teamwork at the major House competitions. We congratulate our House Captains for their outstanding leadership, and every student who participated for their dedication and enthusiasm.

2015 House Results 2015 House Captains

Junior Chorals: McCowan JUNIOR CAPTAINS Junior Swimming: Grammar Grammar: Natalie Stutz & Teah Vassiliadis Junior Cross Country: Grammar Kent: Jasmine Konoroth & Emily Stewart Junior Athletics Aggregate Cup: Kent McCowan: Ella Foulds & Amy Woodcock St Margaret's: Sian Thompson & Molly Williams Senior Music: Kent Senior Dance: St Margaret's SENIOR CAPTAINS Senior Swimming: St Margaret's Grammar: Chelsea Dutt & Kylah Francis Senior Cross Country: Kent Kent: Siahn Beach & Freya Wong Senior Athletics: Grammar McCowan: Eleanor Nicholls & Samantha Silvester St Margaret's: Alexandra Begg & Eleanor Wilcock

Mentone Girls' Grammar is proud to have an active and enthusiastic Parents' Association (PA). The contributions they make, together with the dynamic group of Class Representatives and Friends of the PA, are outstanding. The many fun, fund and friend­ raising activities throughout the year add to the warm and caring culture of our School. The PA is also an invaluable asset, and provides additional resources to ensure our School can create the best possible teaching and learning environment for our students.

From the President

The PA year began with a very pleasant New Parents' Welcome Event co-hosted with the School. This provided our wonderful team of Class Representatives the opportunity to welcome and mingle with parents who are new to the School. The major event for the year was, of course, our outstanding biennial Fair which you can read about below. We then reintroduced a Trivia Night to our social calendar which was held in May. Despite the intimate crowd, everyone had a fantastic time and the Trivia Master provided a fun and informative evening with a TV twist. This was another great way for parents across year levels to socialise and get to know each other. As we do every year, it was the PA's pleasure to co-ordinate the provision of refreshments for a number of school events including the sell-out Senior School production of Disney's Mulan Jr, and the annual whole school BIG ART Festival. We also had sausages sizzling at the Junior School Swim Carnival early in Term I to help feed hungry athletes and the enthusiastic parent cheer squad. On School Tour days we served tea and coffee and welcomed prospective parents to our School, a wonderful long standing tradition. Our Committee members and helpers this year continued with other regular initiatives including the Mother's and Father's Day Stalls, the new look Junior School Disco, our 'thank-you' Staff Morning Tea in October, Entertainment Books, mango drives and much more. The PA is also very proud of our SOFIN (Support of Families in Need) initiative which offers assistance in many ways to families going through challenging times. At the end of the year, we held our PA Christmas Lunch which was a lovely, social way for parents and guardians of girls from ELC to Year 12 to come together to celebrate the end of another busy year. The great food, atmosphere and simply stunning views at the Sandringham Yacht Club created another memorable afternoon. These events and activities all take time and effort to co-ordinate and organise, and we cannot do it without the support of our parent body. It is with this in mind that I encourage anyone who has an interest in the advancement of the School community to come along to the PA meetings which are held monthly during term time and consider joining the Committee. Any new ideas and helping hands are always appreciated. I would like to thank everyone involved with the PA for your dedication and unending support; your contribution is very much appreciated. I look forward to seeing lots of new faces on our Committee and/or helping out at our many events in 2016.

Julie Falconer President Summer Fair - best ever!

The Summer Fair Committee was already in full flight as the year began, having spent many months at the end of2014 planning what eventuated into one of our most positive and successful Fairs. The incredible variety of rides, along with fantastic year level stalls and wonderful array of market stalls, transformed the School oval and grounds into a fairground brimming with attractions and activities for all ages. Highlights included the Old Girls' Club photo booth, the hotly contested Junior School Art Auction, the ever­ popular dunking machine, together with the fabulous variety of food on offer, and the lovely beer garden. It was wonderful to see so many of the extended school community including staff and Old Girls make the most of the beautiful sunny day while supporting our major fundraising event for 2015. We thank everyone who attended for contributing to such a fantastic and memorable day. Organising a Fair is no small task, and as a School we would like to publicly acknowledge those parents who devoted hours of their personal time to making the Fair a success including Kelli Dart-Fagan, Samantha Kitchen, Steve Mole, Belinda King, Janine Mitchell, Jackie Conheady, Tiffany Middleton, Bernie Durant, Jo Britton, Irene McGregor; Monique Popelaars, George Vassiliadis and Julie Falconer: The day would not have been possible without the hard work and marvellous support of the School's Marketing and Communications team of Katya Dunham, Debra Campion, Debbie Butler and Sarah Mitchell, together with the Property team of Chris Bateson, Steve Upton, Jim Ross and Andre Kozma. We would also like to thank the PA Committee, all the Class Representatives and other parents and friends who are too numerous to mention - we thank you! The Fair raised over $20,000 which is a fantastic achievement. As a result, the PA has funded the purchase of new school marquees which are a major asset at all our outdoor events. They have also funded the upgrade of the gymnasium lighting. This will not only improve the light in 'the gymnasium which is a necessity; it will be a far more energy and cost effective system providing a significant benefit to the School now and into the future. The Mentone Girls' Grammar School Old Girls' Club connects over 7,000 remarkable women in more than 50 countries. The aim of the club is to foster a sense of community, maintaining life-long contact with peers and the School, and to provide ongoing support for the School. Every student automatically becomes a member of the Old Girls' Club upon leaving Mentone Girls' Grammar and remains a member for life.

From the President Through fu ndraising at various events, the Old Girls' Club continues to support the School in ways that are relevant and Every year, the O ld Girls' Cl ub is living proof of the 'Power can add value. This year the Club supported the continued of O ne, Strength of Many' as we unite past students across success of t he Enterprise Fund where students - current and many generations t o network, co ll aborate and support each past - can apply for a grant of up to $500 to further a personal other with friend ship. T he aim of t he Clu b co nt inu es to be or professional dream or endeavour: We look forward to sharing faci litating t hese re lationships t hrough eve nts, social media the stories of last year's O ld Girls' Club recipients with you soon. and publications. W e provid e fantastic opportunities to not It is with great pleasure that we welcome our newest intake only reconnect w ith old friends and classmates , but to meet of girls complet ing VCE this year: We look forward to seeing and sociali se w ith new networks of Ment one Girls' Grammar you at future events and sharing the adventures, challenges women doing amazing t hings all over the world. and successes you have ahead. At t he start of this year, it was with great sadness that we On behalf of the Club, I would like to thank committee marked t he passi ng of Past Principal, Mrs Janice M Douglas members Nicole Grant (Vice President) Ke li David (Secretary), OAM, who lost her battle with illness in January. Janice made Chrissy Slater (Treasurer), Gayle Neylan (Archivist), Krystal an enormous cont ribution to Mentone Girls' Grammar w hile Brown, and Jan Stanley for their contributions t his year: serving as Princi pal from 1987 - 1997. She is a significant figure in Our sincere thanks to associate member, Marilyn Wiber, for our School's rich hist ory, and had a positive influence on so many her cont inual hard work. It is w it h the ongoing help and support of our Old Girls; she is sorely missed by staff and students al ike. of t he School that we are able to fl ourish and present such The events calendar for 20 15 got off to a festive start at the amazing events, so a very big t hank you to Principal, School's Summer Fair where the OGC sponsored a photo booth. Fran Reddan, Alumni Co-ordinator, Debra Campion, together It was a huge success with a queue out the door for the entire with t he rest of t he Marketing team and the Grounds staff day! It was great to see current students, Old Girls, parents and Mentone Girls' Grammar is proud to recognise the families getting into the School spirit with hilarit y. Everyone got outstanding achievements and contributions of our Old Girls. to take home their amusing photos as a memento of the day Every two years, we hold a spectacular event to honour Old reminding them t hat they are indeed a Mentone Girl for life! Girls who are recognised for excellence in their field, and we induct them into our H al l of Fame at our Remarkable Women N ext up was t he an nual Reu ni on held in May. Eve ry year it event. The next event is coming up in March 20 16 at the continues to be bigger an d better: There is nothing like a t rip Royal Melbourne Golf Cl ub. This truly is an awesome event down memory la ne surrounded by fri ends and old sc hool t hat sel ls out very qu ickly. photos t o give the abs a work out ! Eve ryone loved t ouring t he School grounds and spotting w hat was st ill the same. Ultimately, the success and impact of the Old Girls' Club The day fi nished too quickly for many girls w ho cont inued depends on our members. We would love your involvement t heir remini sc ing at ot her local ven ues . A very big t hankyou and to hear from any of you at any time. Whether you join to t he O ld Girls and staff w ho travell ed from interstate or the Committee, take part in an event, share your story (or overseas to share t he day - it was lovely to see you. those of class mates), update your contact details or simply like and follow us on Facebook or Linked In, you make a This year's Heritage High Tea was a wonderful event made difference. Keep abreast of everythi ng you need to know particularly specia l with the incorporation of girls celebrating on t he O ld Girls' page of the School's website. their 50 year reunion. What an achievement having over a quarter of t his peer year in attendance proudly receiving a I hope to see you soon at our next eve nt. commemorative sc hool badge. Leanne Fink (1987) President

Heritage High Tea

Our Heritage High Tea was held on Thursday 15 O ctober in celebration of some of our longest-st anding members of the Old Girls' Club. We also welcomed guests who were celebrating their 50 year milestone from the Class of 1965. Our Guest Speaker was Old Girl and World Champion Ice Skater, Cari e Richardson. Carie has had an impressive career touring the world. It was a beautiful, intimate gathering. Attendees also enjoyed morning tea, a performance by the Minnisingers (Years 3 & 4), a tour of the School and viewed memorabilia and past photographs beautifully presented by the School 's archivist, Gayle Neylan. Thank you to all those who attended. -I 2015 Reunion

Our reunion event for 2015 was a wonderful success and was attended by just over 130 Old Girls from the graduating classes of 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005, 2010 and 2014. The reunion was held in our beachfront Cobbalanna VCE Centre, and O ld Girls mingled across year levels and shared memories. There was side­ splitting laughter at the photo booth, and happy tummies at the dessert table and lolly buffet. Thank you to everyone who attended; we loved catching up with you!

2016 Reunion Day is Coming

Tickets sell out fast so book your spot today! Our 20 I 6 joint reunion will be held on 7 May 2016 for the peer years listed below. It really is a lovely event, which includes a fabulous three course meal with all drinks included. So gather your 'old friends' and secure your tickets today. Date: Saturday 7 May 2016 Time: 11.30am (tour followed by three course lunch) Cost: $4S per person Bookings: http://www.trybooking.com/JQVH The following groups are specifically invited to attend to celebrate your special milestone years. However this is an open event and any Old Girl is welcome to attend. 2011 (5 years) 1986 (30 years) 2006 ( I O Years) 1981 (35 years) Keep in Touch 2001 (15 years) 1976 (40 years) If you have a spare hour or two on a regular 1996 (20 years) 1971 (45 years) basis and would like to help us v.Jith a range 1991 (25 years) 1966 (50 years) of Old Girls' activities, please contact Alumni Co-ordinator, Debra Campion Become a Reunion Champion via email: dcampion@mentonegirls .vic.edu.au Please send us your career and personal news;_ We are calling for volunteers from each peer year level we would be delighted to hear from you. to become a Reunion Champion and help us to rally your Also, remember to check our official Facebook year level to attend. Please contact the School's Alumni profile (www.facebook.com) or the School Co-ordinator, Debra Campion for details (+613 9581 1252) website for all our latest activities. Please send or [email protected] .au . any changes to your email or postal details to: [email protected] . What's News? Maritime College Students' Association, where she was the first female President ever for the association. This role allowed her to be the voice of the students, and also act Farewell to a beloved teacher as the student advisor for campus development. Kate has As a community, we were saddened by the news that former received various scholarships, the most notable is this year's teacher, Lorna Leslie, passed away on 15 October this year, aged Zonta International Scholarship for Women in Business. 96. Lorna commenced teaching at Mentone in 1959 and taught Now, Kate has just accepted a job at Woodside Petroleum. for 23 years in Humanities (French, Latin, History and English). She will be moving to Perth to embark on a three year graduate She touched the lives of so many Mentone Girls and will be program where she will be a Graduate Logistics Analyst, sorely missed. Lorna leaves behind her beloved husband co-ordinating the supply chain for their offshore vessels and oil Reggie and son Jamie, and much loved grand-niece, Julie. rigs. This program had over 10,000 applicants and only took in approximately 50 graduates, and gives Kate the opportunity to Amanda Beet (nee McIntosh) (1983) work in a challenging environment, as well as pinpointing her as When Amanda's children were born she gave up full-time a future leader within the oil and gas sector. paid work to become a mum. Once they got a little bigger, she had a variety of part-time jobs all of which could be done Michelle Nicholas (2009) within school hours. "Now (big sigh of relief) they are both Michelle took a two year break after school to decide old enough to let themselves in after school (Year 6 & Year 8), what her passion was before studying Nursing at Deakin and I have finally gone back to full-time work." University. She is currently working at The Alfred Hospital in Emergency. This year she also competed in The Melbourne Anyone who has children now playing Aussie Rules footy in lronman. She is passionate about health and fitness and the South Metro Junior Football League will probably see absolutely loves working as a nurse. Amanda out and about in winter, patrolling the grounds. "Come up and say hi if you remember me." Amanda is now Jeanette Stebbins (nee Lindsay) (1966) Director of Umpiring at league HQ in Moorabbin, working Jeanette attended Mentone Girls' Grammar from age three out of the old St Kilda Football Club grandstand which is until the late 1960's. "I clearly remember helping Ms McCowan about to be completely redeveloped. feed the hens and collect the eggs each morning before school!" "Anyone currently at the School who is interested in either After attending Zerchos Business College, Jeanette worked playing (Girls U 12, U 15 and Youth teams available) or for a big insurance company in the city until she married her umpiring footy, we are currently the only Junior league husband who she met at work. After the birth of their first with a specific girls' umpiring group. You need to be in at child, her husband was offered a transfer to a country town, least Year 8 to umpire. Please get in contact with me!" which gave them the opportunity to purchase their first small Jan Bracher (1973) farm. "I was in heaven 1 We bred pigs, stud cows, hens and ducks, and had a wonderful vegetable garden." Two more Jan Bracher is living in remote far north New South Wales children followed, then in 1992 they heard about a breed of in a truly magnificent area. Her home overlooks untouched cattle being released from Trangie Research Station in NSW. bushland nestled within the Mt Warning, Wollumbin Caldera. Jan is working as a Psychologist in private practice After purchasing their first cows, they embarked on Embryo and is very happy with her rural life. Transfer and Artificial Insemination, selling the cows to other local farm owners, then to overseas buyers from Paris Carew (2014) China, America and New Zealand. They moved to a larger Paris finished Year 12 and was feeling unsure about her next farm and built a home suitable to host overseas visitors. move. She started a Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science; When drought struck, her husband retired and they moved however, within four weeks she decided it just was not for to a more reliable rainfall area in the Otways where they her. Now Paris is studying a Certificate IV in Patisserie continue to export to many countries around the world. and will be a qualified Pastry Chef by November 2016. "I have learned through hands-on experience and a great After this certificate is complete she is hoping to complete interest in what I do. Follow your dreams and you will her Grand Diplome at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France. succeed in whatever you do." "I found the course I absolutely love and have a passion for, and am thriving in," she said. Paris is living up to her name! Elizabeth Thomas Kate Langworthy (20 I 0) (nee Lim) Since graduating from Mentone Girls' Grammar, Kate has moved to Launceston, Tasmania to study at the Australian (2009) Maritime College (AMC). She started studying Maritime In January this Engineering as just one of ten girls in a class of I 00 students. year, Elizabeth She specialised in Naval Architecture (the engineering of married the anything offshore i.e. oil rigs, super yachts and cruise ships) . love of her life. Three of her She then made a change into Business to widen her bridesmaids were employability and is currently also completing a double Old Girls too. degree in Maritime Logistics Management & Maritime Congratulations, Technology Management. All through school, Kate had a flair Elizabeth! for debating and decided to get involved in the Australian Thank you to everyone who has supported or sponsored our School in 2015. We would particularly like to acknowledge the following organisations who have provided extensive financial and other benefits to our School during the past 12 months.

supports our school We look forward to booking your next holiday! 5 East Concourse Beaumaris ph 9589 3294 or Thrift Park Shopping Centre ph 9584 3833

Your health, wellbeing and fitness partner helping you to achieve your goals. m l health ~ wellbeing I fitness I performance mhealth invites Mentone Girls' Grammar staff and families to take advantage of our • VIP 5% discount offer for the following services: -~

*Podiatry *Osteopathy *Physiotherapy *Clinical Pilates I: I ·\j·

- Est. 1899

Mentone Girls' Grammar School Principal: Mrs Fran Reddan 11 Mentone Parade, Mentone VIC 3194 Australia Main Reception: +61 3 9581 1200 Junior School: +61 3 9581 1290 Fax: +61 3 9581 1299 Email: [email protected] www.mentonegirls.vic.edu.au CRICOS 00324B