Principal’s Update | May
As we hit the halfway mark in Term 2, the days are certainly shorter and colder, and the autumn leaves have largely fallen, but the vibrant life at Mac.Rob continues at pace. Students and staff are taking up the many wonderful opportunities on offer.
We were delighted to host the unveiling of our previous Principal, Anne Stout’s portrait on May 5. A significant gathering of community members, past and present, welcomed Anne back, along with artist Ilona Nelson, to reveal the portrait that will hang in the foyer (along with all the other past principals) as a symbol of the indelible impact Anne had on the school. It was a fabulous celebration of Anne’s leadership.
We started the Term with another wonderful expression of our value of Community, with the House Athletics Carnival at the Melbourne Sports Centre. There was again great joy and excitement as each of the four Houses cheered their competitors on; there was truly a carnival-like atmosphere. I am pleased to announce the Naiads as the winners (below). It is great that we are sharing the House success around - so far this year, the Oreads won House Drama, and the Nereids won House Swimming. Surely the Dryads will take out House Music later in the Term!
The combined School Musical, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, produced and performed with Melbourne High School, opened to sellout crowds in Week 3 this Term. Talent alone does not allow for a quality performance. Some of the most sought-after skills and dispositions by employers, both now and into the future, are the cornerstones of a successful production. Skills and dispositions such as collaboration, communication, persistence, productive risk-taking, empathy, creativity, patience, and so much more, are required of all those involved. We commend all of the students involved, in whatever way, be it performing on stage or in the band, with audio-visuals, or in props and costumes – each one of you contributed to an outstanding production overall. Thank you for your commitment, creativity, and teamwork. You were sensational.
As a community, I extend our appreciation for the team of staff who have dedicated hours of both work and personal time to guide the students to achieve this milestone. Our sincere thanks extend to Edgar Wegner, Kelli Simpson, Gareth De Korte, and the many others involved.
I am so proud of the leadership shown by Ananya Bose and Aditi Talwar, our School Captain and Vice Captain. Together with the Captains of Melbourne High School, they organised an event to celebrate and explore the unique characteristics and experiences of students in the selective entry schools. It was a massive and successful undertaking. 150 students from both schools provided their diverse perspectives on perceptions and experiences of students at our schools. In the afternoon, focus groups of 8 students discussed, explored and celebrated our schools and the experience and opportunities they provide for students. The students will create a video to share more broadly with our school communities. I commend the Captains for their bold and innovative work and can’t wait to see their video record of it.
We had a wonderful celebration of IDAHOBIT day ( International Day Against LGBTQIA+ Discrimination) on Tuesday 17 May. Thank you to our student leaders and co-curricular group, PRISM for their efforts to make it such a memorable event. The school has never looked quite so colourful.
Thank you also to the GIV students who worked so hard to put together the Hampers for Humanity. Our students willingness to take an action oriented approach to social service is truly commendable.
Our values of Community, Responsibility and Compassion are seen in action every day.
Learning Progress - focusing on our value of Growth
NAPLAN
The Year 9s were most impressive in their approach to this year’s NAPLAN assessments online. They were focused and calm, and showed a strong desire to demonstrate just how far their learning has advanced since the last time they sat NAPLAN in Grade 5. We look forward to examining their results, celebrating growth and development and providing support if required.
Year 11 EduTest
Coming up on June 8, our Year 11s will sit a developmentally advanced eduTest, similar to the one they sat in 2019 when they were in Year 8. The purpose of this is for us to track the learning progress of our students so we can understand their growth and areas of strength, and also identify any areas where we may need to focus additional support. We ask that students take a positive attitude towards it and focus on doing their best.
End of Semester Assessments and Reports
Teachers and students are busily working together on assessments in the last half of the Term, so that we can provide meaningful feedback in Semester Reports. It is important for students to manage their time and energies to submit their learning tasks on time, and most importantly seek assistance if there are any issues.
End of Financial Year - Tax Deductible Donations
School Building and Library Funds
I would like to take this opportunity to thank families for their generous donations to the Building and Library Funds this year. So many of you have made donations through the Parent Payment process on Compass. You will soon receive in the post a thank you letter from School Council and a receipt for your donations.
As we edge closer to June and the end of the financial year, there may be some families who wish to make a tax-deductible donation.
All donated funds will be used this year to create a more positive learning environment for our students.
This year, contributions to the Library Fund will be used to purchase books and equipment for the new Library, making it the best possible learning and research centre possible.
Contributions to the Building Fund will be spent on projects that students have identified as a priority, and that will help us to manage the building program and enhance it even further, including:
$20,000 towards the $40,000 temporary Senior Study space - a marquee erected in the Rose Garden to provide the students with a space to study during their study periods while the building program is taking place.
$30,000 to upgrade and extend the outdoor seating and shade for students in the yard, aligning it with new landscaping (this will happen later in the year).
$10,000 installing much needed bike storage to encourage students to ride to school (we have not previously had any bike storage). We are planning to further extend bike storage in the future and build a bike shelter.
$8,000 shade sail replacement and upgrade to the eastern shade sails.
We have plans to return the Hall to its former glory while at the same time bring it into the 21st Century, with up to date audio visual equipment to better meet the needs of the current and future Mac.Rob community; these works are estimated at $140,000.
The Mac.Rob Foundation
The Mac.Rob Foundation is a philanthropic foundation focused on delivering the best possible education outcomes for young women in Victoria. All funds raised by the Mac.Rob Foundation go towards supporting current and future Mac.Robbians with their education, through scholarships and bursaries, ensuring access and equality.
You can read more about the Mac.Rob Foundation here.
You may also like to consider making a tax deductible donation to the Mac.Rob Foundation.
Planning for 2023
Over the coming weeks, we will ask students in Year 9-11 to begin planning their courses at school, and the Year 12s will be busy meeting with our Careers Practitioner, Tarsha Mautone, to plan their pathways into tertiary studies.
So far we have held several workshops with information about how to be successful in the final years of schooling, the similarities and differences between the VCE and International Baccalaureate (IB), and more targeted information about the IB.
The Connect program will be used to provide students with resources and support them to make wise choices, and early next term there will be an opportunity for students and parents to meet with staff to discuss and make selections.
We also wish the Year 10s all the best as they prepare to head off for Work Experience in the last week of term.
We encourage families to discuss the interests and aspirations of their children and to engage with the resources provided.
My best advice to everyone is:
Be open minded and keep selections as broad as possible for as long as possible.
Select subjects that you are interested in and enjoy (to the extent that you can).
Stay well informed and be organised.
It is an exciting time and we are here to support each student make the right choices for them.
The first half of Term has been exciting, fulfilling, and vibrant on all fronts.
We look forward to demonstrating the same level of leadership, engagement and connection across the next half of the Term.
Best wishes,
Sue Harrap, Principal