Principal’s Update | November, 2023
It has been professionally rewarding, and such a personal joy, joining the Mac.Rob school community this term as acting principal whilst Sue Harrap is on leave. I am learning so much and enjoy being immersed in the warm, inclusive and committed culture that exists at the school.
There are two essential cultural conditions for continuous school improvement. These are the learning architecture and learning culture and I can confidently state that Mac.Rob understands and is committed to providing both.
Evidence of this was presented during the School Review in Term 3. This is a very comprehensive, structured, and inclusive process which involves students, staff, school leaders and parents, as well as an independent external reviewer and two educators from other educational settings. School Reviews occur every four years and it is an excellent opportunity to collaboratively reflect on the achievements of the past four years and identify goals, targets and key improvement strategies for the next four years. These align closely with the actions and activities in the Annual implementation Plan (AIP). The Key Highlights identified in the Mac.Rob Review Report indicate that the school has created the conditions for both the learning architecture and the learning culture to thrive.
The learning architecture is evident through the established and successful Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) that support teachers to collaborate, grow professionally and analyse evidence of learning and growth: A strong commitment to continuous professional learning that is expertly led and delivered and enables deep learning and insights about practice; the introduction of the Connect Program; and creation of innovative learning spaces. A learning culture is evidenced through an aligned vision, whole school commitment to the Mac.Rob values, time for professional learning being prioritised and effectively used, strong internal accountability, inquiry skills being nurtured, and resources provided and shared.
The Mac.Rob School Council have reviewed the full School Review Report and the public section is now available on the school website for community to access.
Congratulations to everyone involved in the organisation of both the Graduation Dinner and the Presentation Nights held recently. These are very important events in the school calendar and once again, demonstrate the established positive culture that pervades at Mac.Rob.
I know that Sue Harrap is disappointed to be missing these school milestones and opportunities to acknowledge and celebrate student achievement. However, she has been actively communicating and is incredibly proud of all Mac.Rob students, both those leaving to explore their next phase of life and those returning to continue their journey here. We all wish Sue a speedy recovery and return to Mac.Rob.
Coralee Pratt
Acting Principal
Little Lessons Podcast
We are excited to launch a new Mac.Podcast: “Little Lessons”! We have now expanded our Little Lessons wellbeing resources to include a regular podcast, hosted by Dr. Bridget McPherson, Head of Wellbeing and Engagement. Each episode will feature a guest staff member from Mac.Rob, offering their wisdom and expertise to parents and carers.
Our first Little Lesson podcast is focussed on the wonderful proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child”. The episode features Julia Stoppa, an English teacher and Head of Professional Learning. Bridget and Julia talk about the importance of the village in raising children, and the difference between parenting as a carpenter and parenting as a gardener. It’s an interesting, insightful conversation that promises to be of value to those adults who are caring for our Mac.Rob students.
You can listen to the episode below, or subscribe to the Mac.Rob Podcast channel on SoundCloud for all the latest!
Connect Survey
Parents and carers are invited to provide feedback on our Connect curriculum, via this survey:
Student Highlights.
MindFlight7 Incursion
Partnering with MindFlight7, the Year 10 philosophy students recently experienced an elevated lesson, participating in an immersive incursion where they delved into the world of Virtual Reality (VR). The incursion fused modern technology with philosophical concepts about reality and how we discern what’s real. MindFlight7 offered a variation of experiences and applications for students to engage in through the VR systems, ranging from exploring the deep sea as if they were scuba diving to performing heart surgery, and even becoming a hairstylist, which emerged a crowd favourite.The primary goal was to provoke reflections on the intricacies of reality perception and the convincing nature of VR. Students left the lesson with a heightened appreciation for how their senses curate their perceptions of reality, and opened their minds to the topic of reality, which they will be studying more thoroughly this term. Overall the incursion was a great example of how ever-evolving technology can aid education, and broaden the thinking of students in philosophy. - Ellie G (10H)
German Careers Day at Melbourne University
On October 27th, out of the Year 9 and Year 10 cohorts, the classes learning German had the opportunity to participate in the German Careers Day at Melbourne University. Throughout the first half of the day, we attended several interesting presentations that gave us insights into the benefits learning German could provide, where the language could possibly take us and the various opportunities that could become available. These included speeches and presentations about what it is like to be a student and researcher in Germany, how Germany can open doors to careers both national and international, and how it is a powerhouse in the wider economy.
During the break between these speeches, we had the opportunity to enjoy the nice weather at the Parkville Melbourne University campus and to walk by stalls for more insight, information and exciting prizes. After enjoying lunch with our friends, we watched a heartwarming documentary film called ‘One in a Million,’ following the lives of an American gymnast and one of her German fans. This film touched on deep themes of identity, growing up, and courage and dedication that is required to reach for your dreams.
Overall, exploring the various opportunities in Germany, the importance and usefulness of learning German and just enjoying the sunny warm day with our friends and peers at the German Careers Day at Melbourne University made it an exciting and entertaining opportunity. - Ayanna A, Khushi A and Thy M
Look. Listen. Live VCE & IB Art and Design Exhibition
Earlier this Term we celebrated the opening gala of the VCE & IB Art and Design Exhibition 2023! Featuring dozens of artworks from over sixty students, the exhibition was the first combined showcase of work from our students in VCE and IB AME, Music, Theatre, Media, and Visual Communication and Design - and it was a smashing success! Congratulations to all our incredible creative students, and a big thank you to all friends, family, and community members who made the opening night so memorable!
Art Prize Winners
First Prize: Lily Tran, “Shooting for Rabbits” | Judge’s Comments: For the Coptic-stitched brilliance of a leap of tricky rabbits from the hat, with belly band, envelope interaction, wrapped in a Solander box mystery.
Second Prize: Catherine He, “Noombat and Woylie” | Judge’s Comments: For the charm and charisma of the stuffed toy to the beautiful book of ecosystems in harmony.
Third Prize: Suri Nguyen, “Ghost of you” | Judge’s Comments: For the intimacy writ large and the tenderness of the digital overlaid upon the canvas.
Highly Commended
Anna Thomas, “Sculpted Sands” | For the evocative sense of place and brilliant technique.
Catherine Ho, “From Deterioration to Radiance” | For the balance between hard and soft.
Jacqueline Le, “In time” | For the bold use of line and confidence of scale to weave “a beautiful memory”.
Nimisha Kulkarni, “Journey of a consumer” | For the saturation and intimacy of the everyday.
Sophie Clemson, “(dys)topia” | For the ambitious mirrored scale and ‘call to action’ message pertaining to the climate emergency.
Natasha Surjenko, “Art Nouveau and Dada stamps” | For Vermeer to Marilyn, in a snip and paste.
Amelia Ormandy, “Don’t say anything” | For the blur to focus of short, sharp, sunset intensity.
Intermediate Hockey Team
Well done on a huge effort from Ms. Lucy Kutrolli and the Intermediate hockey team for first place at Regionals!
State Championships in November will be the next challenge! Students had loads of fun, super supportive of each other and other schools, and blown away by Lucy’s coaching abilities!
Australian Maths Competition Winners
Congratulations to all Mac.Rob students who participated for their outstanding results in the recent Australian Mathematics Competition, including a large number of students who received a high distinction! Special congratulations to Grace L (10D), who has been invited by the Australian Mathematics Trust to participate in their School of Excellence, based on her performance in the Australian Mathematics Olympiad competition!
Support Mac.Rob.
As our historic campus nears its centenary, we are constantly seeking ways to ensure Mac.Rob’s learning environment enhances the learning and experiences of our students. We are continually challenged by the costs of modernising and improving our ageing buildings and grounds. The heritage listing of the school leads to significantly higher costs than other schools.
To assist us with addressing this challenge, our School Council has formed a Buildings and Grounds Sub-Committee, focused on further enhancing the school environment to meet student needs.
We are starting with a small number of achievable targets for funds raised as part of the Building and Library Funds:
The new Library has more shelves than previously expected, and unused space that could be used for more study desks. We plan to use money raised in the Library Fund to expand the book collection to fill the empty shelves, and purchase more study desks so that more students have a quiet place to concentrate.
Inclement weather is a problem at Mac.Rob, as our beautiful gardens have few places for students to keep out of the sun and rain. We plan to use the money raised so far this year by the Building Fund (along with a co-contribution from the Parents’ Association) to upgrade the outdoor areas to provide more seating and shade to students.
Our new LRC study area has ample room for more resources and study spaces to provide a better learning environment for our students.
Our historic grounds, including our new buildings, don’t provide students with many sheltered areas to sit and learn during wet or hot weather.
To donate to either of our Building or Library Funds, please click the buttons below. Donations over $2 are tax deductible.