INFORMATION EXCHANGE WINTER 2016 ENTERPRISING GIRLS EDITION WIN Share your thoughts about IE to go in the draw to win a $250 Myer gift card. Complete the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/MGGSIE CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL Historians refer to the Industrial Revolution as an Age of Enterprise and that same enterprising spirit is being unleashed as we ride the 21st century wave of the Digital Revolution. Evidence of young enterprising spirit now employees that show initiative and willingness wasn’t dampened – I went on to a number of commonly springs from the CVs of graduate to undertake new projects – and not enterprising initiatives including arranging and students applying for jobs. The youth of the necessarily in the traditional hierarchal way of self-funding a year of research at Cambridge world have realised that they simply need an the past. In short they want employees who are University when University exchange schemes idea, an App and a problem to solve to get enterprising. were not yet thought of and undertaking things done. What is ostensibly different in But is the enterprising spirit innate or can Australia’s first liver cell transplant – but my this 2nd wave revolution of enterprise is that it be fostered? And if the latter, at what stage enthusiasm for gardening took many years women are playing an equal part in innovation. of a person’s education and career should it to resurface. I use this example to suggest Luckily we are now seeing many examples be fostered? When I was about seven or eight that fostering an enterprising endeavour is of female leadership in this area and those years old I asked my mother to let me plant a complicated business and one that only women are sharing their narrative with a very some spring seeds in the garden. My mother now educationalists are beginning to fully receptive readership. was a passionate gardener and she saw this as understand. At Melbourne Girls Grammar, In her book Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg an opportunity to develop my skills. Before Catherine Misson and her team have built a writes potently about the new concept of I was allowed to plant the seeds I first had to concept of Educational Enterprise that reaches career progression as climbing a jungle gym spend a whole day digging up a massive bank fully across the years and is appropriate for – not a ladder. An enterprising job candidate of gladioli in order to prepare the garden bed. the age and stage of the students. The Centre explained that she wasn’t interested in In her attempt to teach me multiple lessons for Educational Enterprise is only one aspect explaining all of the things that she was good in one encounter (gardening takes hard work of the School’s educational approach to at. She wanted to know what Sandberg’s and discipline before you get to reap the enterprise. I hope you enjoy reading about biggest problem was and how could she benefits!) her somewhat zealous ambition some of our other approaches in this edition of (the candidate) help solve it. This candidate unintentionally dampened my enthusiasm Information Exchange. understood that businesses want can-do for this enterprise. Why do I use this Professor Katie Allen (Stephens, 1983) problem solvers on their teams. They want example? Well clearly my enterprising spirit Chairman of Council S 04 Student Enterprise 19 School Concert INFORMATION EXCHANGE Editorial Co-ordinator: Melissa Hosikian 06 Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th 20 ELC Grandparent Morning Tea Community Office Birthday Celebration Email: [email protected] 21 June Fowell Dinner Published by: Melbourne Girls Grammar NTENT 08 Early Learning 86 Anderson Street, South Yarra 3141 O 22 Eye on MGGS Art Victoria, Australia C 10 Junior Years 23 Parents Association For the latest Melbourne Girls Grammar news, 12 Middle Years please visit: www.mggs.vic.edu.au 24 From the Archives 14 Senior Years 26 Family Connections 16 Boarding 28 Merton Hall History Society 18 Morris Hall Mother’s Day Breakfast 29 Old Grammarians Society 2 MGGS INFORMATION EXCHANGE WINTER 2016 FROM THE PRINCIPAL I attended a little local primary school, one in which every teacher, as I remember, was working hard to do the best possible for their students. They were not adventurous with our learning and they seemed to have quite fixed opinions about what children should learn and when. Unfortunately, I was not able to be The educational theorist Mihalyi restless community, meaning we can never squeezed into the lock step progression Csikszentmihalyi pioneered the concept of be complacent. And as each decade of the my teachers seemed to believe should fit all “flow” to describe those experiences in which C21st passes, that restlessness will be crucial children. By the time I was entering Year 5 human beings are intrinsically motivated, so to shaping a school experience that bridges there were no more spelling tests for me, no focused on an activity that they forget about our girls to the world of work they will need more mathematics tests for me, and seemingly time and their environment. Such experiences to navigate. Even more, we aspire that our no other requisite content they needed me to engender highly positive emotions and the girls will be emotionally strong and have apply myself to. There were, however, boxes of learning that flows from this is deep and rich, personal reserves of wellness to flourish in a SRA comprehension cards and maths mentals and fundamentally changes the brain – new world that undoubtedly will blend artificial primers. Then one day, on an impulse, my synapses form and the strongest emotional intelligence with human physiology and teacher said to me, “I am going to send you to memory is recorded for future activation. cognition, in which the speed of these types of Year 3 to teach them something that interests My photosynthesis foray was flow, and that developments will only increase and diversify you”. He dashed off a note and sent me on my experience has stayed with me as an aspiration, the human experience. way. firstly in my teaching career, and then in my On page 8 you will read about Caroline’s Mr McCarthy simply read my note, wiped leadership of teachers towards the crafting of passion for dinosaurs. Aged 3, she is capable the chalk board clean, took his seat at his desk learning experiences that centre on knowing and motivated to share her knowledge, to and handed me the teacher’s dais. For the first their students and facilitating choices within build representations of her understanding, time in my schooling experience I was given their learning program that engage, enthuse and share her interest with peers. When the opportunity to choose whatever I wanted and motivate. studying her wondrous dinosaurs, Caroline is to explore, and it was a moment of joy. What This edition of Information Exchange in flow. On page 19 you will note the masterful to “teach” my younger peers? It may seem explores stories of significant student performance of Jenny, her Mendelssohn’s silly in retrospect, but I had been reading the engagement. The overarching theme of Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor the highlight Childcraft Encyclopaedia one letter at a time, “enterprising girls” encapsulates our enduring at our School Concert. Jenny was in flow and and had reached “P”. And gloriously, there I commitment to crafting and facilitating we were entranced. had discovered the wonder of photosynthesis. learning experiences that enthuse our Children come into the world wired for So that is what I chose to illustrate, define, contemporary girls, that empower them to enthusiasm, curious and adventurous, and explain; with diagrams, flow charts, and acquire and confidently master the attributes, open minded. We have only to meet their joy in notes. I simply remember stepping back and skills and understandings they need to meet life with opportunities to explore, to learn and seeing the whole board covered in my chalky the challenges of their globalized, digitalized to discover who they are. notations. I had no sense of how long I had and customized world. Catherine Misson been immersed in this activity nor whether any What defines our leadership is that we Principal one of those peers were engaged with me in are a school that questions its progress and my focused exploration. I do remember that I bravely evolves its architecture and offerings enjoyed this learning more than anything I had to be relevant for the girls we have now and ever before. will welcome. I speak often about being a FRONT COVER Year 8 Emerging Citizenship Journey to the Northern Territory. Photo taken by Year 8 Co-ordinator, Katherine Barton. MGGS INFORMATION EXCHANGE WINTER 2016 3 STUDENT ENTERPRISE DISRUPTIVE FUTURES: EDucating OUR GIRLS FOR THE FOURTH REVOLUTION In a significant publication, The New Basics: Foundation for Young Australians Report, the key contention is that the youth of today are experiencing the most significant disruption in the world of work since the industrial revolution. With escalating youth unemployment world wide and diversifying models of tertiary pathways, questions are stirring loudly about the ways in which schools should be preparing young people for this fast paced future. The best response is one of optimism The Student Enterprise Profile is an active based on research into the promise of experience throughout the four years of the Generation Z, the students who begin to Senior Years Program, building experiences graduate from schools worldwide this year. and learning within four areas: Providing them with schooling experiences • Learning Beyond School: local and that promote open mindedness, critical global opportunities, incorporating trips, thinking, teamwork and adaptability prepares exchanges, online certificates and passion them well for this future.