Principal’s Update | November, 2024
Principal’s Update
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The significant and meaningful achievements and milestones of Term 4 have been bringing us great joy and cause to celebrate all throughout the Term so far.
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“Wanderlust” | VCE Art & Design Exhibition
We were thrilled and delighted by the creativity, vulnerability, and quality of student works from the Art & Technology faculty at our annual Art Exhibition. Student works from Art Making and Exhibiting, Media, Visual Communication and Design, Media, Music Performance, and Theatre Studies were shared with our school community. We were so impressed by our students' process and development throughout the course of their studies. A big thank you to Sandra Tobias, the driving force behind the exhibition, and all of the Art & Technology staff for their support, expertise, guidance, and efforts to help our students achieve their milestones. Thank you also to our special guest artist judge, Kay Abude.
Congratulations to Lyshana Ye who received 1st prize for her photographic and digital artworks, and who was also the winner of the School Acquisitive Prize. We look forward to displaying her tryptic for the whole school to enjoy.
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Year 12s.
It has been a busy time for our Year 12s - they have traversed their practice exams, their last classes, their last day, their study break and now their examinations.
I have nothing but praise and admiration for the way that our Year 12s have conducted themselves throughout each of their ‘lasts’. They have shown the utmost respect and gratitude towards the school, the staff and each other. They have celebrated beautifully and applied themselves with diligence and resilience, collaborating to support each other (where possible) all along the way.
Congratulations to our IB Diploma Programme students, who started their final exams on October 22nd and finished them on November 7th. We are so proud of your application and diligence throughout what has been a relatively gruelling couple of weeks.
Our VCE students still have a way to go before they are finished with their exams on Wednesday, November 20th. I know we will be equally proud of the VCE students when they reach the end of their exams.
We look forward to celebrating the completion of the year and their secondary education with our Year 12s and their families at Graduation on Thursday, November 21st.
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A new Science Lab and Wellbeing & Careers space.
I am delighted to announce that we have been approved to renovate two of the spaces in the heritage listed Kingsway building.
Since the school population expanded by 200 from 2020-2023, we have found that we are unable to meet the demand for science laboratories. We have been approved to renovate one of our general classrooms (K107) to convert it into a science laboratory to help meet the need.
We also have approval to renovate the current wellbeing and careers offices and counselling rooms to make them more appealing and functional.
We are in the early design stages, with no current timeline for completion, but we look forward to providing regular updates.
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International Baccalaureate Programme Review.
Thank you to all of the students, staff, and parents who contributed to the IB Diploma review. I am reaching the end of my information-collection phase. Over the next few weeks, I will be working hard to synthesise all of the component parts to reach a decision about the long term future of the program. I am aiming to announce a decision before the end of the year.
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Parents’ Association - Doing great work.
We are so grateful to our wonderful Parents Association, led by Jasmine Wan. Firstly for the incredible morning tea they put together for our staff to celebrate World Teachers’ Day, and secondly for their great fundraising teamwork at the Port Melbourne Bunnings BBQ. I am also incredibly grateful to Jasmine for facilitating our monthly PA Principal Chats online. I love hearing from parents and answering their questions. The conversations we have had online recently have helped to inform the parents section of the Learner Model. Stay tuned for more on this.
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Presentation Night.
Presentation Night is fast approaching. It is the premier event of the year with stunning student performances, including amazing whole school singing. We encourage as many families as possible to purchase tickets to see the phenomenal capabilities of our students and celebrate 2024.
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2025 School Captains and SRC Co-Presidents.
Welcome to our 2025 student leaders! Our new School Captains, SRC Co-Presidents, and Portfolio leaders attended a special planning day earlier in the Term to begin coordinating the many wonderful student initiatives that run throughout the school year. Please join us in congratulating our student leadership team for 2025.
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We wish all students all the very best as they enter their end of year exams. For all students in Year 9-11, these exams are an opportunity to practise their revision and examination skills. While we want students to take the exam period seriously, we do not want them to become stressed and place so much importance on them that they compromise their wellbeing.
Kind regards,
Sue Harrap | Principal
Student Highlights
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Australian Age Nationals
On Sunday, October 20th, I qualified to represent team Victoria in diving for the Australian Age Nationals in Gold Coast. The qualification was held at Aquanation in Ringwood, and it was a fun and relaxing experience to compete alongside friendly faces in a familiar setting.
Earlier this year, in April, I represented Mac.Rob in the Schools Sport Victoria Championships at MSAC, where I finished first in the Southern Metropolitan region and second in the state, receiving gold and silver medals. It was an amazing experience to represent Mac.Rob and compete against other schools in Victoria, and I hope to do it again next year.
If anyone is interested in trying out diving, participation in the School Sport Victoria Championships is open to everyone, very beginner friendly and is usually held in April to May. It would be great for more people to come and rep Mac.Rob next year, and it’s a good opportunity to get involved and try out a new sport!
Jo-Lynn L (9H)
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Social Justice: Connor's Run!
On the bright and early morning of Sunday, September 15th, 21 MacRobbians headed to the Melbourne CBD to support the annual Connor's Run. This inspiring event raises money for brain cancer research and brings together people of all ages.
Our students were split into two groups, stationed at different points along the marathon route. The first group set up a "brain teaser alley" in the middle of the track, offering runners a chance to refresh their minds during their 9km and 18km runs. The second group cheered on runners at the finish line, providing encouragement and celebrating their incredible efforts.
The atmosphere at Connor's Run was electric! Our students were inspired by the runners' determination and the passionate community spirit. By the end of the day, many of us had lost our voices from cheering so loudly!
A huge thank you to all the volunteers who generously gave up their Sunday morning to support this important cause and make a positive impact on the wider community. We can't wait for next year's Connor's Run!
Shua L (11I) & Khim O (11I)
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Interact Fete
On Thursday, 17th October, during lunch, the gym had a carnival atmosphere. It was the annual Interact Fete! Organised by the Interact Club, this was a huge success, bringing together students to enjoy a well-deserved break from the stress of exams.
The fete featured a variety of fun games and activities, including shooting hoops, three-legged races, bowling, and even a mini photo booth! Students got into the competitive spirit, with plenty of excitement as they vied for small and large prizes. It was a perfect chance to bond with friends and have fun.
We were also honoured to have Wendy Stirling, our Rotary representative, join us for this special occasion this year.
A big thank you to all who participated and to the hardworking Interact Club members for making this day memorable. We look forward to seeing you at next year’s fete!
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Melbourne University Maths Competition
Recipients of High Commendations in the Melbourne University Maths Competition.
In the report we submitted to the Melbourne University Maths and Statistics Research Competition, we were able to choose a topic to research numbered from 1-12 (with one being the simplest), and derive a mathematical method and conclusion for it. The topic we chose was Topic 11, titled “Allocation”, and we were provided with a set of student names and their respective preferences of topics to study numbered from 1-5 (1 being most preferred and 5 being least preferred). Each student must have a topic allocated to their name but each topic need not have a student allocated to it.
Our goal was to investigate and develop a method for allocating topics based on student preferences. This involved designing graphical representations to accurately capture student preferences and analysing the collected data to understand the distribution necessary to have a maximum benefit for students. The task also incorporated an implementation of probabilistic algorithms and evaluating the results to make necessary adjustments towards the final allocation.
The goal of the task was to create an efficient, appropriate allocation system, completed with the assistance of a mathematical method. It is beneficial to participate in the competition as it encourages students to think outside the box and engages a critical thinking mindset which is useful in all areas of life.
Shriya S (9A) & Inaaya M (9A)