Well RED 2023/2024

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Well R ED

Principal’s Message: Empowering Girls

Belonging to Mentone Girls' Grammar means belonging to a school with a long and proud history, rich in vision, values, and purpose.

Our community began in 1899 as a domestic undertaking with five pupils around the dining room table. It doesn’t sound like much when you think about it, but don’t be fooled by these humble beginnings. This genesis of our story is a powerful one, having much in common with the stories of millions of women worldwide who, when confronted with a lack of economic freedom or professional autonomy, make the bold decision to go their way.

In 1894, Mrs Sarah Simpson’s employment came to an abrupt end as a result of the government retrenchment of married women during the worst phase of the 1890s depression. With her pride damaged and the family income reduced, Sarah sought greater control over her own and her family’s affairs.

Moving to Mentone, the family purchased a substantial brick home called ‘Cobbalanna’ for their new venture. A local advertisement announced that the Mentone High School for Girls, as it would be known, would open there on 1 February 1899.

And thus began our journey in education and empowering young women.

Since then, our School has built an enviable reputation for pursuing new ideas of academic and sporting achievement, and holding a fundamental belief that girls can achieve anything.

Our Alumnae are proof of this ethos, consistently raising the bar in their respective fields and setting new standards of excellence. They pilot warships, fly aeroplanes; fight famine, family violence and climate change; they sit around Boardroom Tables and work late into the night in laboratories; they are the recipients of Churchill Fellowhips and Medals of the Order of Australia.

Our community’s collective indomitable spirit has helped to shape the very fabric and character of what it means to be a Mentone Girls’ Grammar student to be bold, to do one’s best and to never, ever give up. This tenacity has been rightly, loudly, and consistently championed by successive Principals, teachers, families, Old Girls’ and School Councils, unified as one in their belief that girls do best in a class of their own.

Through Well Red, our community is encouraged to share their voices, achievements, sense of pride, and thought leadership! They add to the stories of the past and those who have gone before us, inspiring pathfinders, activists and doers whose footsteps echo through the corridors of time.

It has been a joy to connect with you all and reflect on 125 year incredible journey of our School by the Bayside. Our shared memories and the strong bonds we've formed over the years are truly special. Here’s to the legacy we’ve built together and the bright future that lies ahead!

Sincerely,

Embracing ‘23 : The Legacy of Mentone Girls

‘23’ has always been a great number. Legends like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Buddy Franklin, have all worn it on their backs and as the class of 2023, we had the privilege of wearing it on ours.

The fact that champions always leave a legacy was not lost on us. With the honour of wearing Number 23, we all accepted the responsibility of championing our School’s traditions and all that it means to be a Mentone Girl.

But what does it mean to be a Mentone Girl?

It won’t come as a surprise that our School can be very loud – lots of screaming, laughing, singing, dancing, and random cartwheels. No one worries too much about their hair. Not many wear makeup.

At our School it’s not about how you look. What matters is who you are as a person, a student, a friend, a band mate, a teammate. There is no ‘boys sport’ and ‘girls sport’ there is just ‘sport’.

All the Science and Maths geeks are girls. The sticklers for the rules and the rebels, the studious kids, and the class clowns are girls. The captains and leaders of our student cohort are girls. That is our normal. That is important.

We don’t see traditional gender roles at our School – we see roles.

Many awards throughout the School year recognise the students who take on these roles. We honour the girls who have decided to try something new, put in the hard yards, and turned up week after week.

Part of the mythology around the number 23 sparks from the resilience each icon demonstrated under challenging times. And, of course, trying anything new naturally comes with the risk of failure. But as Mentone Girls, we learn that the emotional and sometimes physical pain of failure is temporary. But that wondering what may have been…well, that lasts forever.

Our School has always been a place for girls who want to try, and a place where we celebrate, win or lose, those girls who gave it a crack!

Over my years at Mentone, I have come to understand why our mascot, Matilda, is a meerkat. We are Meerkats because we are small but mighty. We consistently overachieve.

We all come to realise that our small size, is one of our greatest strengths. No one gets lost in the mix, and there is room for everyone.

When we encourage each other to try, and we bring our hearts, our heads, and our voices together – we surprise even ourselves with what we can achieve. That is what truly underpins our School’s extraordinary success. The passing down from year to year, this tradition – that we try. We try new things, and Mentone Girls try hard at whatever we do.

We hear that echo through the stories of the Remarkable Women, those Old Girls' who come back to speak to us. They tell us of their triumphs despite the boys’ clubs and the glass ceilings.

These women are the number 23's of their fields. Professors of Medicine, Professors of Science, Professors of Law, Commanders of Battleships. Within their traditionally male-dominated fields, they have each had to decide to strive to make space for women, not only as equals but as leaders.

We stand on their shoulders as we look out at the possibilities for our futures. From that lofty vantage point, our experiences at Mentone Girls’ Grammar teach us to be analytical enough to expect that there will be bumps in the road.

But if we try and truly strive, the only limits to our success, are the limits we accept. This ethos was first demonstrated 125 years ago by our founders, the Simpson sisters, and it continues as a tradition today.

The Philosopher Thoreau said that - “it’s not what you look at that matters, but what you see.”

Many people may look at our School and mistakenly think that going to a girls’ school protects us from the world. What I see at our School is that being a Mentone Girl instils in us all an understanding, that when we decide to try, we can change the world.

The Transformative Power of an All-Girls Education

Ms Meg Adem, Deputy Principal/Head of Senior School

The unique dynamics of an all-girl school foster an atmosphere that transcends traditional co-educational settings.

Within these schools, the absence of male peers often creates a space where young women feel more comfortable expressing themselves, taking on leadership roles, and challenging gender stereotypes. This gives young women the unique opportunity to not only learn but to flourish, empowered by a supportive sisterhood.

Principal Ms Natalie Charles along with Deputy Principal/Head of Senior School Ms Meg Adem and all our educators at Mentone Girls’ Grammar, stand as steadfast advocates for the transformative power of all-girls education.

“The dynamics of an all-girl school foster relationships marked by a composed and calm manner of caring for one another. This isn't just camaraderie; it's a nurturing bond that becomes a cornerstone of personal and academic growth,” expresses Ms Adem. According to Dr Lisa Damour (2023) girls place more emphasis on interpersonal relationships than boys do, which may provide girls with beneficial social support, with girls prioritising helping behaviours over competitive behaviours1

“Our teachers work closely with the students. They really listen to them and give them a space to be heard. We want to empower them with confidence to strive and achieve their goals, no matter how big or small.” This student-centric approach creates an atmosphere where young women feel valued and understood, fostering a sense of agency and self-advocacy.

Recent research findings indicate that girls feel well supported by each other and the learning community as a whole at an all girls school: 95 percent said they feel supported by their teachers, compared to 84 percent of girls at co-ed schools; and 90 percent report feeling supported by other students compared to 73 percent of girls at co-ed schools2

“We provide our students with numerous opportunities for leadership and independence, giving the girls the opportunity to really support and celebrate each other.”

Leadership is a skill that grows. You can’t learn to drive a car by reading a book. Similarly, when it comes to leadership at Mentone Girls’ Grammar we put our girls behind the steering wheel and give them as many opportunities as possible to lead.

In a research study conducted by the Goodman Research Group (2023), 93 percent of girls’ school graduates say they were offered greater leadership opportunities than their peers at co-ed schools, and 80 percent have held leadership positions since graduating from Senior School3

Beyond academic endeavours, the wellbeing of students in an all-girl school is not a mere byproduct, but rather a deliberate focus. As a leader, Ms Adem champions initiatives that address the holistic development of each student, emphasising the importance of mental health, self-confidence, and the cultivation of essential life skills.

“Fostering positive working relationships between students, and staff and students through open communication, mutual respect and a shared commitment to learning is the very foundation of a thriving education community. From comprehensive wellbeing programs to extracurricular activities that promote physical fitness and creativity, we are committed to nurturing not only the minds but the overall health and happiness of our students.”

Leah Rout, graduating Year 12 student, Class of 2023, further echoes Ms Adem's sentiment.

“We must take a moment to acknowledge the teachers who have supported and encouraged us to be the best version of ourselves. The relationships we've built with them have been invaluable. In our final years, as we’ve grown into the independent adults we are becoming, it’s clear how much our teachers have contributed—not just academically, but in shaping who we are as individuals. I’d like to especially thank those teachers whose dedication and passion have significantly impacted our journey.”

In a world where gender equality and empowerment are rallying cries, all-girl education emerges as a catalyst for change. The transformative journey isn't just confined to the school years; it's a foundation for a lifetime of resilience and leadership.

1 Dr. Lisa Damour, Center for Research on Girls at Laurel School, Girls and Their Peers.

2 Dr. Richard A. Holmgren, Allegheny College, Steeped in Learning: The Student Experience at All-Girls Schools.

3 Goodman Research Group, The Girls’ School Experience: A Survey of Young Alumnae of Single-Sex Schools.

Intelligence, not as we know it

As AI becomes an integral part of our contemporary world, understanding its nuances becomes necessary, especially in education. It is important for teachers and students to familiarise themselves with AI's best practices, inherent limitations, and challenges. By arming them with this knowledge, we not only equip them to harness the vast potential of AI but also cultivate a robust ethical foundation, ensuring its responsible and beneficial application.

The advent of pocket calculators in the 70s created a crisis in mathematics teaching. A 1974 Washington Post article captured the divergent responses of educators, quoting one professor of mathematics who argued “it would be better if students had brains in their heads before they put them in their pockets,” while another rejected this with the claim that “if you have to ban calculators to reach a mathematics class, then what you’re teaching is trivial.1”

In the same way, today educators are divided by the emergence of ChatGPT and similar tools. Powered by large language models, these AI chatbots automate the process of locating, interpreting, and writing about information. Among educators, sceptics have decried the death of academic integrity, prophets have proselytised of new learning opportunities, and doomsayers have forecast the impending demise of entire professions.

Just as mathematics teachers adapted their methods to accommodate the reality of calculators, teachers today are swiftly adjusting their modes of instruction and assessment to incorporate AI tools.

What I have found more interesting in my research and practice on AI is the new opportunities it creates for learning. Teachers have long understood that feedback is vital to learning. It affirms when students are on the right path, alerts them to misconceptions, and guides them to mastery. Feedback is most effective when provided instantly. Historically, this was only possible through verbal responses given in discussions between teachers and students. Today, students can access instant feedback to enhance their learning.

While AI can enhance learning, understanding its limitations is paramount. To familiarise our students with the constraints of AI, we actively employ these tools. This approach has enabled us to identify generalisations, oversimplifications, and outright errors in AI-generated text.

Extending this learning to our teachers, we equip them with valuable skills. I dedicated time to educating teachers on how to leverage ChatGPT for swiftly generating scaffolds to assist students with additional learning needs, distilling complex texts into short summaries for revision purposes, and creating multiple-choice quizzes to check student progress. This handson experience not only enhances their proficiency with AI tools but also aligns with our commitment to staying at the forefront of educational technology.

Automation is not new.2 Beginning in the 18th Century with the Industrial Revolution, automation has consistently advanced. It started with James

Watt's steam engine, followed by Henry Ford's mass production techniques powered by electricity, then advancing to the development of computers and software. However, until quite recently, only routine tasks could be automated.

The recent breakthroughs in AI mean that, for the first time in history, non-routine creative tasks can now be automated. OECD reports that major economies are on the “cusp of an AI revolution” that will cause job losses in skilled professions such as journalism, law, medicine and finance, while simultaneously creating new jobs as creative new applications of AI technology are found.3

The US-EU Trade and Technology Council similarly argues that the AI revolution will “make workers more productive” and “spur innovations in new products and services”, while warning that it will exacerbate inequality as millions are displaced from jobs and struggle to retrain.4

Automation of information gathering, and generation also poses risks to the health of liberal democracies, which are already under threat from democratic backsliding.5 When we become over-reliant on an automated system, we fall prey to what researchers call ‘automation bias’, abdicating critical thinking skills because of our trust in automated systems. Automation also leads to deskilling, as we choose not to learn or maintain proficiency in complex skills. ChatGPT automates not just writing, but a host of associated skills: locating evidence, evaluating its reliability, selecting relevant evidence, planning an argument, and synthesising evidence to support that argument. Without these skills, citizens of liberal democracies will become more vulnerable to misinformation. At the same time, OpenAI, predicts that AI-powered influence operations will allow actors who seek to subvert democracies to “generate more impactful and persuasive messaging” that is simultaneously “less discoverable.”6

As we prepare our girls for a world where they will encounter greater misinformation than ever before, our School motto of Vero Nihil Verius (‘Nothing truer than truth’) has never been more relevant.

My research has also convinced me that the most significant effects of the AI revolution are still on the horizon. Our challenge is to prepare the next generation for a future marked by expanding automation.

It is up to us to prepare our girls for a future where AI will be used to disseminate persuasive misinformation to advance the causes of the powerful. It is up to us to teach our girls to use AI tools skilfully and purposefully, so they are ready for jobs that have not even emerged. And it is up to us to equip our girls with transferrable critical thinking skills, so that they will always be able to find a place in a changing world by ensuring they have the skills to do what AI cannot.

1 Stephen Mihm. (5 Sept 2023) “What a Calculator Can Tell You About ChatGPT” The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/09/05/chatgpt-is-2023-sversion-of-the-calculator-and-cliffsnotes/716af25a-4bf0-11ee-bfca-04e0ac43f9e4_story.html

2 Moshe Y. Vardi. (2 Sept 2017) "What the Industrial Revolution really tells us about the future of automation and work” https://theconversation.com/what-the-industrial-revolutionreally-tells-us-about-the-future-of-automation-and-work-82051

3 Valentina Romei (11 July 2023) “OECD says rich economies on cusp of AI ‘revolution’” Financial Times https://www.ft.com/content/64c33d29-7c76-40bf-8a88-c4b3afea26de

4 US-EU Trade and Technology Council (5 Dec 2022) “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Future of Workforces in the European Union and the United States of America” https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/TTC-EC-CEA-AI-Report-12052022-1.pdf

5 Nisha Bellinger. (13 July 2023) “Many once-democratic countries continue to backslide, becoming less free” The Conversation https://theconversation.com/many-once-democraticcountries-continue-to-backslide-becoming-less-free-but-their-leaders-continue-to-enjoy-popular-support-206919

6 Josh A. Goldstein et al. (11 Jan 2023) “Forecasting potential misuses of language models for disinformation campaigns and how to reduce risk” OpenAI https://openai.com/research/ forecasting-misuse

Structured Literacy: A Beacon of Hope

Recent evidence shows about one in three Australian school students are not mastering the reading skills they need. As a country, Australia is failing these children.

In response to this decline, a move towards a Structured Literacy approach is emerging. Whilst the girls in our Junior School might not be described as ‘failing’ (our results remain strong), we have made a shift in how we teach reading to ensure the success of every single learner. Learning to read is not a natural (or ‘biologically primary’) process, students need to be explicitly taught how to read1

As we have embarked on the implementation of Structured Literacy in the Junior School, we are beginning to see the benefits and why this transition should be celebrated as a monumental leap toward brighter futures for our girls.

Evidence-informed reading instruction, like Structured Literacyinvolves teaching students how to decode words in the early years of primary school, building increasingly sophisticated reading comprehension skills all through school, and keeping a close eye on student progress to catch any students who fall behind2

As such, we place a strong emphasis on ‘The Big 6’: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, fluency, oral language and comprehension. By weaving these six elements into a structured literacy block each day, our approach unlocks a world of possibilities for our students.

Learning to read proficiently requires word decoding and language comprehension. These are encompassed in the ‘Simple View of Reading’3

Some of the benefits of our approach are:

Universal Accessibility: The beauty of Structured Literacy lies in its universality. We can engage, challenge and support students of all backgrounds, learning styles, and abilities. Whether a student is of high ability or has learning challenges, structured literacy provides tailored support to ‘personalise’ the learning to each girl’s individual needs.

Building Strong Foundations: In adopting a Structured Literacy approach, we have empowered our girls to build strong foundational skills in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. These skills serve as the bedrock upon which all other academic disciplines are built. When our girls are confident communicators (and they are), they become more effective learners across the board.

Improved Literacy Outcomes: Structured Literacy has been proven to yield significant improvements in literacy outcomes. Students who receive Structured Literacy instruction are more likely to read at or above grade level, experience fewer reading difficulties, and exhibit higher levels of comprehension, and we are already beginning to see this shift in our classrooms.

Celebration of Individual Growth: Within our emerging Structured Literacy approach, we have been able to celebrate every girl’s unique journey towards literacy proficiency. We acknowledge that each girl progresses at their own pace, and we provide them with the necessary tools and support to reach their full potential.

Embracing Diversity: In the Structured Literacy classroom, diversity is not only acknowledged but celebrated. Our teachers and students learn to appreciate the richness of linguistic and cultural backgrounds. This diversity fosters an environment of inclusivity and respect.

Teachers as Champions: Structured Literacy has empowered our teachers to be champions of literacy. Teachers who undergo structured literacy training become more equipped to address the diverse needs of their students, fostering a deeper connection and further deepening our commitment to, Every. Single. Girl being known, seen and heard.

1 Clark et al (2012); NSW CESE (2017b); Moats (2020); and AERO (2023c).

2 The Reading Guarantee: How to give every child the best chance of success (Grattan Institute 2023)

3 Gough and Tunmer (1986). The Simple of View of Reading formed the backbone of recommendations in the UK’s Independent Review of the Teaching of Early Reading: Rose (2006).

Parents as Partners: Structured literacy encourages parental involvement in a child’s literacy journey. When our parents begin to understand more about the principles of structured literacy, they will be able to actively engage in their daughter’s learning and provide purposeful and targeted support at home.

The shift towards a structured literacy approach is not just an educational strategy; it’s a celebration of hope, inclusivity, and limitless potential.

I am so proud and grateful to our team of teachers that we find ourselves ahead of the curve in this critical area of learning for our girls. And as more and more schools embrace structured literacy in the months and years to come (and they will), we are, collectively, sending a powerful message that we value the individuality of each student, we are committed to dismantling classroom disparities, and we believe in the transformative power of Literacy.

So, as we reflect on our progress so far, we celebrate this monumental leap towards a brighter future. Let us celebrate the teachers who are championing Structured Literacy in our school, the parents who have/ and will become purposeful partners in their child’s reading, and most importantly, let us celebrate the girls whoin plain sight- are growing into confident, capable, and empowered readers and writers.

With structured literacy, we are nurturing a generation of Mentone Girls who will not just read books; they will write their own stories of success.

Nurturing Confidence

A quick glance at social media pages reveals teenagers exuding confidence. The significance of confidence in a child's developmental journey cannot be overstated as it empowers them to explore, learn and navigate challenges with resilience, ultimately shaping their future success.

Recently Mentone Girls' Grammar hosted a parents’ session with renowned Clinical Psychologist and author of The Bonsai Child and The Bonsai Student, Dr Judith Locke. In her books, Dr Locke argues that parents should see the development of their child’s confidence and capabilities as more important than grades achieved in their report, as this sets them up to thrive in adolescence and adulthood.

A confident child displays a belief in his or her abilities. Such a belief is developed over time and hinges upon the child’s ability to experience self-trust. Confidence involves having a quiet but realistic inner knowledge that you are capable and competent. Confidence can underpin our ability to connect and work with others, to show initiative, and follow through on ideas and plans.

Countless studies have shown that learners with higher confidence are more willing to learn, challenge themselves, and have better resilience in the face of difficult transitions like changing schools. In fact, confidence has been quoted as the number one predictor of academic achievement, particularly for core subjects such as English, Maths and Science, where confidence has long-term, positive effects on learners’ success.

Children develop through complex interactions with their internal and external environments. Each child has their unique way of experiencing and being in the world as well as having their own specific strengths and challenges. Yet parents and other key adult role models play an enormous role in a child’s world. Children look to their adults for guidance and connection, and to learn how to behave and believe in this world. Dr Locke suggests that parents and educators can play a pivotal role in developing a child’s confidence and capability by teaching Resilience, Self-Regulation, Resourcefulness, Respect and Responsibility.

Confidence grows as one begins seeing oneself as skilled. Skill levels will obviously vary amongst students, and we must help students develop fair and realistic expectations for themselves. Mentone Girls’ Grammar students are provided numerous opportunities to build skills in various academic and co-curricular areas; they can be true to themselves.

While developing new skills, a child’s confidence is accelerated when adults trust and believe in them. This is different from providing excessive praise. Reflecting confidence in a child’s capabilities should in time result in them internally mirroring those beliefs. This results in raised confidence and drives increased effort and persistence.

Mentone Girls' Grammar students are often exposed to new experiences and challenges, which is important in the development

of resilience. Parents can sometimes feel anxious about how their child might cope with such circumstances and demands. Interestingly, teachers observe that children usually exceed parents’ expectations in challenging situations. When students are surrounded by peers who collectively encourage each other to ‘have a go’ and by teachers who calmly ‘know and expect’ that the students will succeed, something magical happens - students become resourceful. Students rise to the challenge, pivot, and adjust to the needs of the situation, solve problems that arise and in-turn achieve success. During school camps we observe that students discover that they can thrive in novel situations, be a support to their peers, and enjoy holding responsibilities within a team. Seeing oneself as resilient, resourceful, and able to cope further motivates children to attempt even more difficult challenges and builds their confidence.

Gaining mastery in the most critical endeavours in life generally requires determination and grit, but also requires a considerable amount of coaching, practice, and hard work. As parents, instead of doing things for, we need to do things with, as this teaches how and builds their confidence, self-agency and trust in oneself. Educators call this approach “scaffolding” and it is the framework given to a child, on which he or she can then build. This involves demonstrating how to do something, using words to suggest a strategy, or be there to catch them, should they fall. When scaffolding, we attempt to set the child up for success by guiding them to develop the skills required to succeed, then we step back and let them have a go.

We must accept that some learning comes with failure. Failure requires us to develop resilience, or the knowledge that we must pick ourselves up, try again, and seek help until we have achieved our goals.

Finally, the ability to experience and tolerate frustration is crucial to becoming a confident child, teen, and adult. Some children become overwhelmed when they don’t achieve immediate gratification or mastery. The ability to regulate oneself, to control our impulses in the moment, to persist when frustrated is necessary to achieve mastery. When our children become deflated, frustrated, or distressed, we must try to remain calm and convey to them that we know they can cope with how they are feeling. This is a time to acknowledge their difficult feelings, let them sit with these feelings for a moment, perhaps coach them to take action to calm themselves, and then steer them back to attempting the task at hand. This provides vital learning, showing that they can overcome any obstacle and cope with associated frustrations. Therefore, we must support but not take over when our children face ageappropriate struggles, so they can grow to become self-assured, independent, and capable.

At Mentone Girls’ Grammar, we recognise the pivotal role that both the School and the home play in nurturing confidence in our students. We place strong emphasis on student wellbeing, aiming to educate, coach, and build resilience. We celebrate their successes, guide them through challenges, and foster their growth into self-assured, independent, and capable young women.

A Journey to Discovery and Growth

School was not easy for me. The thought of walking into school made me sick to the stomach. I unfairly branded myself as unintelligent because I struggled to grasp concepts, especially in subjects like chemistry where even the simplest explanations seemed like gibberish to me. I blamed myself and adopted the label of "lazy" for my difficulties in completing homework assignments.

Growing up in an overwhelmingly intelligent home didn’t particularly help my case. My Dad, a neuropsychologist and a professor at Monash University, and a mother who is an extremely successful psychologist. Added to that is a younger brother who isn’t sure if he wants to be a Space Engineer, Scientist, or Sports Physiotherapist. Not to mention attending the same very small school with my crazy intelligent, disciplined, Deputy School Captain, amazing sister, Zara.

I spent way too many years wishing I enjoyed, or at the very least understood Science so I could know how THAT ONE genetic can skip just one child. And all the emotional nights lying awake, wishing I could join in on my family’s dinner conversations about which parts of us are purely genetic, which are part genetic and part life experience.

Viewing myself as unintelligent and lesser than my family and my peers became a subconscious block to my learning. I was so sure I wasn’t smart for school, that I stopped trying. I felt even more lost because the one thing I wanted to do with my life came with a LOT of doubt from a lot of people around me. “I’m not saying you can’t do Music Theatre, but only 0.01% make it. Maybe a double degree is a good idea JUST as a backup plan.”

Then, there was an added obstacle that I didn’t know about until January 2023, when I was diagnosed with ADHD. It is unfortunately so common for neuro-divergent individuals to feel ashamed. They just want to be normal.

Stoicism: focusing on what you can control, rather than lamenting and ruminating on what has gone wrong. Refocusing, rethinking, and making the best of things. I chose to change my mindset. I have an answer. No, maybe school isn’t easy, but I have one year left. How about I try and see what I can achieve if I just give it my best shot?

During this same year, I was cast as Elle Woods, the lead in our School production, Legally Blonde. I was so incredibly anxious to be cast as Elle. She’s beautiful but most importantly, she is independent,

Confident, and proud of who she is, no matter what people think. Elle showed us how much more you can achieve when you’re doing it for yourself.

I spent the first three months of rehearsals crying on the way home because I believed it made no sense for me to be playing a beautiful and confident woman. How was I meant to play her if I am none of the things she is known for? Yet I tried and gave it my best.

Playing Elle is the reason I am who I am today. Through playing such a confident, independent woman, I became confident. I started caring less about what people thought. I no longer feared being alone, because it’s true, if you love yourself, your own company is your favourite.

I realised one morning that I couldn’t remember the last time I stopped on my way out of my room to look in the mirror. This newfound confidence and love for myself shone through in my academics. I went from never putting my hand up in PE, to answering as many questions as I could. PE, my most daunting subject, turned out to be my highest score.

My final most stressful year was my best. It taught me that whilst some people may get an A without even doing a single maths exercise, that I have to do extra on top of every single exercise. And I may work tirelessly all year and still not get a 90 ATAR. But I think it’s pretty amazing that I went from almost failing to getting an ATAR of 78.20. I never in a million dreams imagined I could.

I am now in a full-time Music Theatre course being trained by some of the best in the industry in Australia. I like the sound of living in a studio apartment with 7 other roommates for the rest of my life if it means I get to make music theatre my JOB.

In my experience, applying myself in scary ways and failing sometimes were the moments I learned the most. I found I LOVE learning and am considering doing a double degree in Psychology. Not because it’s more stable and not to please anyone else, but because psychology is my second favourite interest.

Celebrate your differences: I chose to view how different we are in a new way. There was a line one of my teachers wrote in a card they gave me that has stuck with me: “I remember those first few classes where your confidence was low and anxiety was high. Now you are simply amazing Mali and one of the most talented and powerful young women I have known.

Thank you Mentone Girls’ Grammar for supporting me.

Beyond the Spotlight: Women, Theatre, and Social Change

“We have something of the utmost importance to contribute: the sensibility, experience, and the expertise of one half of humanity. All we ask is that we are able to do this in conditions of complete equality” (Dorothy Hewitt, Women in the Arts report 1983).

Throughout history, women have been under-represented in theatre, a case in point being the Elizabethan era, where William Shakespeare portrayed women as some of the most complex and iconic main characters – Juliet, Lady Macbeth, and Portia, to name just a few – yet men still performed them.

We fast forward through the 16th and 17th centuries where women slowly began to earn artistic respect in the public eye as it became more widely accepted for them to grace the stage.

By the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, women performed in all styles of theatre from burlesque, jazz, dramatic theatre and, of course, Musical Theatre; leading to the emergence of more female actors, Playwrights and audience members who made grand statements through the Creative Arts.

As educators, we want to ensure that our girls are known, seen and heard through their creative choices, particularly through the context of theatre.

Last year the Year 12 Theatre Studies class studied, interpreted, and performed Joanna Murray Smith’s play, ‘Bombshells’, which was written through the female gaze, where the focus is on the female spectator, character, or director of an artistic work. The female gaze also represents women as subjects having total agency.

‘Bombshells’ explored the lives and experiences of five women caught in circumstances that compromise their sense of identity and fulfilment in life. By immersing them in these themes, our girls were able to study and implement the conventions of Feminist Theatre, taking on the roles of Actor, Designer and Director, and create a provocative and thought-provoking piece.

The Theatre Studies class saw the Melbourne Theatre Company’s Bernhardt/Hamlet, which told the story of esteemed actress, Sarah Bernhardt, who made history in 1899 when she became the first woman to play Hamlet on stage. Just like our Simpson sisters who were trailblazers for female education 125 years ago, Bernhardt was a trailblazer in the feminist space as she defied convention not only in the theatre but in many aspects of her life. These dramatic theatre pieces allowed our girls not only to question and scrutinise women’s roles in theatre, but also the broader idea of the societal pressures and expectations placed upon women.

Our Production of ‘Legally Blonde’ presented a different perspective on women and explored the adage of not judging a book by its cover and the importance of rising above expectations, particularly gender expectations.

Elle Woods seems like an unlikely hero, but we soon discover that she possesses all the qualities of a hero: she is resolute, loyal and demonstrates integrity when it would be easier not to do so.

On the surface, Elle Woods does not seem like a feminist icon but, in fact, she is. We see her determination and transformation as she bravely takes on those in power and changes the way she is perceived; in fact, she defies expectations and proves that being true to yourself is always in style. 'Legally Blonde' emphasises the significance of empowerment, inclusivity, and upholding the truth, echoing the sentiment of our School motto ‘Nothing is truer than truth.’

Our girls took on the challenge of presenting these stylised yet complex characters. Their interpretations were deeply emotive and genuine, showcasing a fierce determination to create something magical in a collaborative and dedicated way that surpassed all expectations.

Theatre is not just about performance but is also a vehicle for truth-telling and analysis. Theatre is at the core of the community where identity and a sense of belonging live. When we are exposed to theatre, we are exposed to other experiences that help us to understand what it means to be human.

Blazing Trails for 125 Years

Since 1899, our School has nurtured the minds and hearts of young women with a single-minded discipline – Vero Nihil Verius – Nothing Truer Than Truth. This legacy continues as we celebrate 125 years of empowering girls to empower others.

1908 Mentone High School Ada Murray Principal Less than 40 pupils in the school
1962 Form 1 Primary
1962 From Willow Courtyard c1970s-80s
School Crests
1940 The Main House
Undercroft
1973 Senior Netball Team
1971 Archbishop Woods Dedication Library Opening Original School Song words – 4 verses
1965-04 School Prospectus

Celebrating Success

Behind the ATARs of every student who undertakes the VCE, are stories of girls who danced and swam and sang and played; who each had their own definition of success and what they wanted from their time at Mentone Girls' Grammar; who seized every opportunity that came their way with delight and appreciation and whose values will endure even after the ATAR fades into insignificance. We love that our girls are confident and grounded and have been supported to thrive on their terms.

Our results, year on year, speak to a culture that loves learning, a community that supports and empowers every student, and a Common Room of exemplary educators and professional support staff whose collective passion, commitment and mastery find expression in the exceptional results you see before you today. And to sneak in an oceanic analogy for our School by the Bayside – a rising tide lifts all boats!

2023 Dux, Nicole Frank and Dux Secundus, Hannah Wilcock, achieved brilliant VCE results through hard work and dedication to their studies. Equally special was seeing the girls celebrate with their families, who are past Mentone Girls’ students. This inspiring legacy speaks to the School's commitment to developing successful, confident, and grounded young women.

Nicole’s elder sister, Natalie, graduated in 2018 as Dux Secundus and is completing her studies in Medicine at Melbourne University. Hannah’s elder sister, Kate, graduated in 2021 and is pursuing her studies in biomedicine at Melbourne University. Kate has recently joined the Mentone Girls’ Sports Department as a Coach, passionate about developing the next generation of female athletes.

Looking back another two generations, Hannah and Kate's mother, Christy, Aunty, and Grandmother, are all past Mentone Girls. Christy attended the School with her twin sister, Rebecca, who is a current teacher at Mentone Girls’ Grammar.

Class of 2023

Students are pursuing courses across STEM

As we celebrate our 125th anniversary, we are grateful for the many generations of women who have blazed trails for those to come. Congratulations, Nicole and Hannah! Your achievements are a testament to the power of community and the importance of education.

Students are pursuing courses across Arts and Humanities

48% 49% 41% 28% 35% 19%

Students are enrolled at Monash University

Students are enrolled at Melbourne University

Students are pursuing courses across Law, Business and Commerce

Students are enrolled at Deakin University

Dux, Nicole Frank ATAR: 99.85 and Dux Secundus, Hannah Wilcock ATAR 99.8

Our Camps and Tours program serves as a gateway for students to venture beyond the school environment. The program's objectives include deepening students' appreciation for diverse cultures, fostering community spirit, and promoting environmental stewardship. Through immersive experiences, students cultivate leadership, resilience, and independence while forging genuine connections.

Our Year 7 students wholeheartedly embraced the wonders of the great outdoors while on the Coastal Camp on the Peninsula and Phillip Island. They navigated the waters, mastering the art of paddle boarding and surfing; they conquered towering challenges on high ropes courses, and their spirits soared as they embarked on a breathtaking 10km coastal hike.

Meanwhile, our Year 8 students set sail to meet Australia’s largest Fur Seal Colony, delving into the mysterious depths of the Bats Ridge Cave System, and discovering the exhilaration of surfing near Portland in Southwest Victoria.

The Year 9 Central Australia trip provided an extraordinary Cultural Immersion experience. Exploring the breathtaking landscapes of the Red Centre, our students also had the privilege of immersing themselves in First Nations communities, where they learned age-old traditions and actively participated in community projects. This hands-on experience allowed our girls to forge a connection with the land and nurture a sense of shared responsibility for its upkeep.

This sense of citizenship and contributing to the community was further reinforced during our Year 10 camp to Coolum, Southeast Queensland where students spent a week looking at life through the lens of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This included supporting Sea Life Marine Projects, cooking meals for the homeless, assisting students with special needs, and learning about the region’s Aboriginal heritage, sustainability, and development. Students walked away from this camp with a deeper sense of responsibility and purpose within themselves and toward the world around them.

The Year 11 and 12 Camps acted as a retreat, providing a dedicated space for students to focus and align their VCE goals and expectations. These camps also served as a platform for developing leadership skills within the year level and fostering resilience. An integral part of this journey was completing an invigorating 18km Coastal hike along the stunning Surf Coast, from Torquay to Queenscliff.

The International Tours embarked on trips todiverse destinations, providing students with a rich array of experiences. Our Language Tours students travelled to China, New Caledonia, and Japan. Here, participants not only refined their language skills but also delved into the intricacies of these cultures, broadening their appreciation of the world around them.

Meanwhile, tours to Nepal, the USA, Europe, and Vietnam provided students with enriching cultural, political, and historical experiences. Whether our students were exploring the Getty Museum, visiting the United Nations, or trekking through the Himalayas, they expanded their perspectives, gained valuable insights, and fostered connections with people and places across the globe.

Mornington Peninsula

More than just ‘cute’. Why early years are a crucial time in your daughter’s education

The truth is research shows quality early childhood education matters.

Did you know, that a child’s brain reaches 90% of its adult capacity by the age of 5, developing over one million new neural (brain) connections, known as synapses, every second? At the age of three, a child has approximately 1000 trillion synapses, and as they grow, these are selectively pruned leaving a teenager’s brain with only around 500 trillion synapses.1

It is this pruning of brain synapses that shows the significant impact early childhood experiences have in developing young children’s brains, and why the early years of Kindergarten and Pre-Prep are a crucial time in your daughter’s education. Just as the Greek philosopher, Aristotle said, ‘Give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the man’, it is the relationships and early learning experiences young children have, that build and shape the neural connections which form the foundation for their later development.2

It is this truth that motivates our Sarah Simpson Early Learning Centre educators to provide a centre of excellence in early childhood education. A centre where each child is challenged and inspired to wonder, explore, think, question, inquire, and learn. A place where children are known, seen, and heard as more than just ‘cute’ but as competent, capable thinkers, inquirers, and global citizens.

Professor Carla Rinaldi, a world leader in early years education and pedagogist who worked alongside Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio Emilia Approach, said, “We cannot live without meaning: that would preclude any sense of identity, any hope, any future. Children know this and initiate the search right from the beginning of their lives. They know it as young members of the human species, as individuals, as people. The search for the meaning of life and of the

self in life is born with the child and desired by the child. This is why we talk about a child who is competent and strong - a child who has the right to hope and the right to be valued, not a predefined child seen as fragile, needy, or incapable. Ours is a different way of thinking and approaching the child, whom we view as an active subject with us to explore, to try day by day to understand something, to find a meaning, a piece of life.”3

It is this belief in a child’s right to hope and to be valued as a capable thinker, coupled with an understanding of the significance quality early learning experiences have on a young child’s development that inspired this year’s ELC Community Project - An Inquiry into Hope.

Hope theory research shows that hope as a process, can motivate and empower young children to learn to imagine and create their future selves, to set goals, and to think of themselves as capable of achieving those goals4. As our Principal, Natalie Charles has said time and again, a strong sense of purpose, meaning, and belonging creates hope. And, if ever there was a time to nurture hope, it’s now.

With this intention, our ELC community began an inquiry into the hope that drew connections with the children’s emerging conceptual understandings of community and sustainability from their PYP units of inquiry, ‘Who we are’, ‘Sharing the planet’ and ‘Where we are in place and time’. Our Pre-Prep children’s imaginations and creative thinking soared as they, and their families, pondered thoughtprovoking questions, such as ‘What do you hope for the world?’

“I hope that everyone can be happy.” - Amanda

“I wish there’ll be a love heart in the world (to) make the people love each other.” - Sophia

“I hope the heart will make magic to the people. It makes the people love.” - Evangeline

“I hope people can have wings so they can fly, real wings like a unicorn.” - Mila S

Our Early Learning children began their inquiry into hope by drawing upon their understandings of belonging, relationships and community.

1 https://www.startingblocks.gov.au/other-resources/factsheets/brain-development-in-children

2 https://www.startingblocks.gov.au/other-resources/factsheets/brain-development-in-children

3 Rinaldi, C. (2006). In dialogue with Reggio Emilia: listening, researching and learning. Routledge, NY.

4 Synder, C. R. (Ed.). (2000). Handbook of hope: Theory, measures, and applications. Academic Press.

Learning how to be, belong and become a caring member of a group is an important part of Early Learning. When asked the question, ‘How do you hope people will care for our community?’, the girls and their families responded as follows:

“I hope people will cuddle to be kind.” - Millie

“I hope people will be gentle and share.” - Elle

“I hope people will stay calm and in the green zone.” - Scarlett

Reflecting on their hopes for the world, the Early Learning students and Pre-Preps collaborated with one of our ELC mothers, Renee Ferris - an Art Educator, to create an artistic expression of their thoughts to share with our community.

In Pre-Prep, the children drew together their experience of creating art in nature at Beach Kinder and their hopes of love, happiness and a magic heart for the world, to create hearts as symbols of their hopes for the world.

Inspired by their love of exploring the outdoors together, insects, and caring for the garden, the ELC girls created butterfly dream catchers through a process of watercolour painting and 3D collage. In Native American lore, butterflies are regarded as messengers of

the gods and people whisper their hopes to butterflies to transport their hopes and prayers into the spiritual realm. Butterflies are also delicate creatures that transform to become their best selves, just as our Kindergarten children are growing and learning to become their best selves.

Here at Mentone Girls’ Grammar, we believe girls horizons have never been broader. As your daughter’s educators, it is our responsibility to help empower her to be and become all she can through engaging early learning experiences. Your daughter will be able to aim for challenges, enrich her brain development, inspire with hope through a sense of purpose, meaning and belonging, to shape the future of our changing world, whatever path she chooses.

Global Insights, A Fellowship Journey

Ms Bridget Forster, Head of Kerferd Library, Literature Teacher

“In July I was greeted with the exciting news that I had been awarded the Reading Australia Fellowship for teachers of English and teacher-librarians” – Ms Bridget Forster –Head of Kerferd Library, Literature Teacher.

In the ever-evolving landscape of education and technology, the role of educators extends beyond the classroom, and the quest for knowledge never truly ends. In July 2023, Ms Forster, the Head of Kerferd Library and a dedicated Literature Teacher, embarked on an extraordinary journey by attending the Reading Australia Fellowship.

Reading Australia is a division of the Australian Copyright Agency, which exists to promote works by Australian authors and creators. The yearlong fellowship aims to equip teachers with strategies to engage with Artificial Intelligence Large Language Models to interrogate the notion of an Australian literary voice. This exploration involves comparing Australian Young Adult (YA) literature with texts generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI), offering an opportunity to discern the distinct qualities that define Australian voices.

This knowledge empowers our educators to prepare students better for a future shaped by AI, while enabling them to make a contribution to the ongoing development of Australia's Literacy landscape.

An International Perspective

Ms Forster travelled to the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress in Rotterdam. The conference brought together the world's best Librarians working in various sectors.

Over six days, Ms Forster immersed herself in a multitude of professional, legal, and academic perspectives on AI applications. “I found it fascinating to participate in discussions with leading academics, librarians, researchers, and teachers regarding various issues surrounding AI, including AI hallucinations, misinformation, bias, environmental and ethical concerns, and academic integrity.”

These insights are instrumental in better preparing our students for the rapidly evolving landscape influenced by AI, nurturing their thinking and ethical engagement with these technologies.

Global Connections and Collaborations

While in Rotterdam, Ms Forster seized the opportunity to connect with school librarians from across the globe, establishing valuable connections that have led to exciting collaborations. One of the noteworthy collaborations includes the launch of an International Book Club in partnership with schools across Europe.

This partnership offers our students a unique opportunity to engage with peers from different parts of the world, fostering cultural exchange and enriching their reading experiences.

Innovative Libraries in the Netherlands

Conference delegates also had the privilege of touring libraries across the Netherlands. Dutch public libraries stand out for their innovation, serving as dynamic hubs that go beyond mere book repositories. These libraries function as art hubs, featuring makerspaces, and host a variety of workshops in art, dance, and music. The staff play a crucial role in helping residents navigate the digital processes required to access government services.

“Libraries are committed to supporting all forms of literacy, ultimately leading to individual agency and empowerment. This commitment aligns closely with our philosophy in the Kerferd Library.”

Exploring Education and Language Identity in the UK

After the conference, Ms Foster travelled to London and Edinburgh to interview more experts, visit schools, and cultural institutions, to further her research and gain valuable insights that could benefit our students and educators.

"In London, I met with Dr Vaughan Connolly from the Department of Education at the University of Cambridge to discuss approaches to generative AI in education. His insights underscored the importance of fostering critical and reflective engagement with these tools to support learning."

During her time in Edinburgh, Ms Forster focused her inquiry on the notion of distinct regional voices. Scotland has witnessed a resurgence of books published in Scots, emphasising the link between language and cultural identity. “During my visit to the Scottish Book Trust, I sat down with CEO, Marc Lambert and Head of Schools, Chris Newton, to learn how they promote works that celebrate the language and syntax unique to Scottish voices. My visits to several schools across the country showcased the tangible benefits of the program.”

Bringing Insights Home

“Since my return, I've been sharing my newfound insights with our School community and laying the foundations for an ethical and researchinformed response to the rise of AI in schools. This response aims to enable our students to become critical and reflective users of emerging technologies. I'm excited to share my findings in this space in the coming months.

The Reading Australia Fellowship has been an incredible journey, full of valuable insights and connections that will shape the future of education and AI.”

Educational Research & Advancing Teaching Practice

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, the role of educational research provides the compass that guides us towards an inclusive, progressive, and equitable future for schooling in Australia. At the heart of this journey is the imperative to nurture the minds of our girls as the architects of our shared future.

To ensure we stay connected and up to date with academic literature and relevant research, it is essential that Mentone Girls’ seek to contribute to the academic conversation wherever a reciprocal and tangible benefit presents itself. Increasingly, the literature contends that teachers should become more engaged with current research, suggesting that schools should acknowledge and allocate resources to this key component of a well-informed teaching practice.

In the US and UK, this Research Movement in schools has been progressing for the last decade and the impact has been positive beyond the relatively limited scope of privately funded institutions. During 2023, we engaged in research partnerships on wellbeing, technology use, and differentiated learning with leading institutions including the University of Melbourne, Sydney University, and the University of New South Wales.

Our Professional Learning Framework (PLF) has sought to embrace a range of initiatives to ensure that our exemplary educators are engaged, not only with each other in the collegial space, but with the wider educational community. Our Fellowship, and subsequent research bursaries, have encouraged staff to delve deeper into questions pertinent to the way we teach and learn at Mentone Girls’ Grammar.

As part of our commitment to fostering the next generation of teachers, we continue to strengthen our relationships with leading tertiary institutions across Melbourne. We are fortunate to have an enthusiastic and willing staff who regularly volunteer to mentor preservice teachers and continue to ensure that, as a School, we can help shape the careers of future educators.

The beauty of this program is that the benefit is reciprocal, allowing both our teaching staff and students to be exposed to the most contemporary teaching practices, styles, and technology integration from teachers entering the profession.

The importance of girls' education cannot be overstated. It's not about gender; it's about empowering half of our population to shape a brighter future. Educational research continually reveals the unique challenges girls face in classrooms, but it also illuminates the solutions. As leaders, it is our responsibility to foster an inclusive educational environment where girls are encouraged to explore, learn, and lead. As debate fluctuates around the merits of a single-sex education, its academic merits are evident from within our classrooms, where girls are given the space to thrive.

In the era of the 21st century, we are no longer constrained by traditional models of schooling. The future of education in Australia must be dynamic, responsive, and forward-thinking. Educational research provides us with insights into personalised learning, innovative teaching methods, and technology integration, where hybrid and blended models seek to democratise schooling into the future.

Our staff have explored the ever-increasing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI), with platforms such as ChatGPT going from an obscure concept a year ago, to now being at the forefront of conversations around what the future of education looks like in the face of these emerging technologies. As teachers, it is incumbent on us to be future-ready, while valuing the rich and diverse learning that the history of education has provided us.

Our School has been making strides, establishing tertiary partnerships, encouraging community engagement, and building alliances with like schools both locally and internationally. As we continue to cultivate a culture of learning, where every girl is known, seen, and heard, it is key for our School to embrace our small-scale locality, while striving boldly to be globally connected in the girls’ education space.

Feminism in Literature

The basis of feminism is that men and women are equal and should be accorded equal dignity and opportunity. It arose as an ideology from the necessity for women to combat the prejudice women experience in patriarchal societies, which naturally involved critiquing the mechanisms by which men and women are socialised differently, and to what degree this is attributable to nature vs nurture.

In 1896 Gustave Le Bon, a respected public intellectual wrote that even in ‘the most intelligent races’ there ‘are a large number of women whose brains are closer in size to those of gorillas than to the most developed male brains’. Apart from the misogyny on open display under the guise of scientific fact, the racism of the day is also apparent. The outrageousness of this viewpoint, held so confidently by its author and so acceptable to the world at large as to be committable to print, is but one fragment of evidence that women wage a continuing battle against prejudice, only the intensity of which has lessened through the centuries.

Consider Le Bon’s vile utterance in juxtaposition to the words of Charlotte Brontë in her novel Jane Eyre published decades earlier in 1874: Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings…It is thoughtless to condemn them or laugh at them, if they seek to do more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex.

The internal logic of her novel and its verisimilitude to the society in which it was written result in the views and values of its author assuming the air of irrefutability, such is the power of an artist critically appraising their society and arriving at positions that the reader is instantly able to recognise as truth. Indeed, Charlotte Brontë’s opinion, given in fictional form is much more believable than Le Bon’s statement of ‘fact’.

We all live inside language and the laboratories of language are the novels, plays and poems. The exactness of the skilfully chosen word, and the poignancy of symbols, images, and metaphors, enhance perception in the mind of the receptive reader and increase their ability to respond to the world with greater empathy, something lacking in Le Bon’s approach to his subject matter.

Feminist sentiments have long been a part of literature, authored by men and women. Shakespeare’s plays contain much to suggest that he was sympathetic to the plight of women in Elizabethan society, and gave female characters dialogue indicative of intellectual brilliance, such as the impeccable logic of Cordelia’s retort to her angry father King Lear: Why have my sisters husbands if they say they love you all?

A line beyond the wit of Gustave Le Bon to compose and if he could, he would surely not have issued it to a female character’s mouth, given his zoomorphic reference to female brains, nor could he attribute the jurisprudential brilliance of Portia to Portia in The Merchant of Venice, to name but two examples from many of Shakespeare’s incisive female characters.

Feminist literary theory interrogates how female characters are portrayed, and their relationships to power in the society depicted. Very often a feminist reading reveals things that are so commonplace in our world as to go unnoticed by the average reader. This includes how female characters are described favourably or unfavourably on the basis of appearance alone, or how they conform to stereotypical notions of femininity, such as being subservient or long-suffering in ways rarely portrayed in males.

Consider the following example arising from Cate Kennedy’s short story Dark Roots:

Later that night, there’ll be tiny dark patches on your bare legs when you take your jeans off, where wax has stuck spots of lint to the skin, but you will pull a sheet over your legs instead of jumping up instantly and washing it off in the shower. Your energy for subterfuge seems spent now; like the tank’s empty. …

‘I’ll be forty in a fortnight’, you say.

Impossible to gauge his real, unadorned reaction to that news. You’ll have to turn the light on for that.

If we apply a feminist lens to this passage, and indeed, the whole story, we see that it is much more than an account of a female character’s account of having a relationship with a younger man. It is an account of the dissatisfaction females are encouraged to feel at the natural condition of their bodies and at the very idea of ageing and thereby losing the beauty associated by society with youthfulness. Consider the narrator feeling the need to undergo painful and inconvenient treatments such as leg waxing, her feeling too tired to continue to try to hide her ‘imperfections’, and the nervousness and guilt she is expressing when she tells him, she is about the turn forty. Is it possible to imagine a man suffering in this way?

Literature and the fight against injustice are inseparable. It allows the reader to escape the confines of their own experience and momentarily inhabit another life, to think, feel, and exist differently and understand in a manner that expository writing rarely approaches. Literature’s service to feminism and feministic discourse’s service to literature is equally profound: each seeks to arrive at truth through an evaluation of what it means to be female, and how these meanings are endorsed, challenged, or marginalised in language.

The fusion of literature and feminism not only resonates with the mission of empowering young women but also underlines the advantages of an all-girls education, where students are encouraged to explore, question, and ultimately transcend gender stereotypes.

A Formative approach to overcoming Threshold Concepts

Think back to a time when you were challenged with a concept or idea. You had the background knowledge, you knew the content, but it just didn’t work. There was something missing. Then someone pointed something out to you and everything fell into place – you crossed the threshold and are now looking back at the concept or idea and wondering how you didn’t see this before, you have experienced an “aha!” moment – your knowledge has been transformed and you cannot go back. Welcome to the threshold concept.

Educators design curriculum to impart the key concepts and ideas of their subject matter onto their students. The student works through this content and tries to integrate it into their repertoire of knowledge. The educator looks for signs that the student has picked up these packets of knowledge, and writes up a report to inform the parent and student of what has been achieved. The student then moves up a level and finds it difficult to recall this knowledge, they knew it, but now they don’t. How can you forget things that you knew less than a year ago?

As educators we see this happening over and over. Why do students forget knowledge from one year to the next? There are many elements that would be coming into play, such as engagement, physical and emotional health, interest in the topic at hand, but the most critical factor would be that the student had missed something within those concepts that held it all together. The student did not have a key component. Without having a good understanding of this, the other parts of the concept or idea were broken up into discrete packets of information and more easily forgotten. How do we as educators identify these underpinning concepts so that the student experiences the “aha!” moment and retains the knowledge?

Meyer and Land (2003) first described the threshold concept as one that was transformative, irreversible, and integrative1. Transformative, in that, once understood the learner may experience a significant shift in their perception of subject or idea. The learner has crossed

over a threshold and now sees, thinks or behaves differently. Often when a learner crosses a threshold they find it difficult to see another way of thinking about the subject matter. Why didn’t they understand before, how could they have missed it? The knowledge is irreversible, or it may take considerable effort to unlearn it. The acquisition of the threshold concept often exposes the hidden interrelatedness of something (Meyer, Land & Baillie 2010)2. The learner makes links across the subject matter and possibly into other subject areas. The knowledge is now further embedded and less likely to be forgotten. For this reason, the development of understanding the threshold concept is often taken for granted. Once the learner has acquired the knowledge, life before this development cannot be returned to, often making it difficult for the learner to impart this knowledge onto another and this is the major challenge to overcoming these concepts. It becomes tacit, making it difficult to impart this knowledge onto another. A learner often stumbles across the threshold concept by reading between the lines (Davies, 2012)3. This is the defining difference between determining whether something is a key concept or a threshold concept.

It is difficult for the educator to identify a threshold concept due to its tacit nature – we know it, but are only peripherally aware or completely unconscious of knowing it (Perkins 2012)4. For this reason, we must rely on the learner to help us identify them.

Davies (2012) makes the following three recommendations for developing an understanding of the threshold concepts embedded within our subject matter4. Firstly, if threshold concepts integrate a way of thinking in a subject, then the time to introduce them to learners is when they have acquired sufficient subject knowledge such that it is feasible for them to attempt to develop and practice an integrated understanding. Secondly, learners may be assisted towards understanding a threshold concept by helping them to focus on the salient characteristics of the concept. Thirdly, learners might be helped by evaluating their own work in terms of descriptions of levels of thinking and practicing that build towards understanding a threshold concept.

A formative approach to learning a threshold concept requires active participation and is often a social activity. The learning involves deriving meaning from the activity to make these connections and is self-regulated by the learner. The key is that the feedback given to the learner takes place within the learning activity, when the student is trying to find the underlying and all-binding concept that

will bring everything together. It is rare that a learner will develop understanding of the threshold concept outside of the intended learning activity, the concept is fundamental to the understanding of the subject matter.

Understanding what learners know and don’t know will allow the educator to determine whether the learner has integrated the threshold concept into their knowledge base. Wiliam (2011) speaks of educators needing to ask questions of learners to determine whether the learning is heading the right direction5. If a learner is able to correctly answer a question or describe an idea, the educator would conclude that the learner has achieved the desired outcome, but this may not be the case. In order to determine whether the student has grasped the threshold concept, the learner needs to be able to use this knowledge in another situation, more difficult question or demonstrate a linkage to other areas within the subject matter. This could be as simple as asking the student where else might this information be used to explain something? If they are struggling with this or cannot make the transfer across the subject matter it is unlikely that they have yet incorporated the threshold concept and further work needs to take place in this area.

The challenge for the educator then lays with the identification, through formative feedback, the source of the barriers and blocked up spaces within our students. Using this feedback, the educator subsequently redesigns activities and sequences, offers scaffolding and the provision of support materials and technologies, peer mentoring and collaboration, and thinking tools, to provide the necessary shift in perspective that allows the learner to cross the threshold.

1 Meyer, J.H.F. & Land, R. (2003)’Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge: Linkages to ways of thinking and practicing within the disciplines’, in Rust, C.(ed) Improving Student Learning Theory and Practice – 10 Years On, OCSLD, Oxford

2 Meyer, J.H.F.; Land, R. & Baillie, C (2010) ‘Editors Preface’ in Meyer, J.H.F.; Land, R. & Baillie, C Threshold Concepts and Transformational Learning, Sense Publishers, Rotterdam

3 Davies, P. (2012) ‘Threshold concepts: how do we recognise them?’ in Meyer, J.H.F. & Land, Overcoming Barriers to Student Understanding – Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge, Routledge, New York

4 Perkins, D. (2012) ‘Constructivism and troublesome knowledge’ in Meyer, J.H.F. & Land, Overcoming Barriers to Student Understanding – Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge, Routledge, New York

5 Wiliam, D. (2011) Embedded Formative Assessment, Hawker Brownlow Education, Victoria Australia

A Hub of Wellbeing, Safety, & Community Support

Since its establishment, the Mentone Girls' Grammar Aquatic Centre has served as a cornerstone of the Bayside. From promoting water safety initiatives to offering opportunities for diving, water sports, and excellence in aquatic pursuits, our Aquatic Centre stands as a beacon of health and fitness for all.

Water Safety as a Life-saving Skill

Beyond being a mere sport, swimming is a life-saving skill; a sentiment that resonates in the face of concerning statistics. In 2022, 53 people tragically drowned in Victoria, surpassing the ten-year average. With an increasing number of children on waitlists for swimming lessons, our Aquatic Centre is dedicated to addressing this urgent need. Our dedicated swim coaches, through comprehensive swimming programs, ensure that the community has access to vital life-saving skills and education.

A Hub for Students and the Community

Mentone Girls’ Grammar students utilise all Aquatic Centre facilities throughout the year, including the swimming pools, fitness gym and wellbeing rooms. Beyond our student body, our doors are open to the public; offering a diverse range of programs such as Learn to Swim, diving classes, squads, water polo training, matches, and aqua cycle

sessions. Collaborations with organisations like Cheltenham Swim Club and Richmond Water Polo Club, along with invitations to local schools, underscore our commitment to community engagement.

Diving to New Heights

Recognising our unique position as the sole Bayside facility with diving capabilities, coupled with our dedicated Coaches, our diving program has reached remarkable heights. The Mentone Diving Club, established recently, has already been nominated as the Club of the Year by Diving Victoria, a testament to our dedication and success in a short span.

Expanding Beyond Aquatics

Expanding beyond aquatics, we are dedicated to embracing holistic wellbeing. In collaboration with Allied Health Services, we now offer members of our community physiotherapy services, aimed at enhancing their health and overall wellbeing. 2024 has seen us introducing additional offerings including a strength conditioning gym and reformer Pilates studio, to address the health and wellbeing of our community.

As an ‘Old Girl’ of this School, I am honoured to step into this magnificent environment each day. Working hand in hand with our PE and Sports departments, alongside our partners and the community I love, knowing that we are having a positive impact on the community.

Potential is Endless

Potential is endless... the combination of these words means a lot to me. It is a reminder that the hurdles we face can only enhance our true capabilities. Being part of a tight-knit community at Mentone Girls’ Grammar has influenced my understanding of this concept. Surrounded by peers who share similar ambitions and challenges, I’ve come to appreciate the immense potential that lies within each of us.

As a woman, I've observed a prevalent perception that we are often inclined to perceive ourselves as insignificant or lesser compared to our peers. This sentiment is particularly evident in my experiences playing team sports, notably in my pursuits within AFL.

In a very male-dominated sport, it is so easy for females to feel the need to apologise or neglect their achievements as society has made them feel like they are not worth people’s praise. Mentone Girls’ Grammar has shown me that these feelings are all internal. I’ve learnt the importance of pride. To be proud of your achievements, no matter how big or small. The work that you put in is what makes you truly stand out.

In my experience, women find themselves putting in the hard yards and only receiving the bare minimum. Being in an all-girls environment has shown me what's possible when we believe in ourselves and each other. Things may not always go our way, and disappointment will occur when we fail, but hard work will make our achievements ten times more worth celebrating when we reach them. Whether it’s becoming a premiership player, or increasing a maths result by 5%, those achievements, big or small, all contribute to a sense of potential.

The Power of Music

It is no secret that the music industry, like most industries, is dominated by males, but this needn’t be the future. While famous musicians like Ed Sheeran, Lang Lang, Guy Sebastian, and Yo-Yo Ma May spring to mind, we mustn’t forget about the leading females such as, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Martha Argerich, and Anne-Sophie Mutter, who have paved the way for many contemporary female musicians like Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Ariana Grande, and Beyoncé.

All these powerhouse female musicians have, and still do, hold their own against their male counterparts. They are each established, respected, and unique performers that any musician, regardless of gender, would hope to aspire to. The success that these women have achieved did not happen without years of dedication, training, rejection, and ferocity; that is why it is so important that schools like Mentone Girls’ Grammar continue to offer and provide a rich and broad music education, to pave the way for the next generation of strong female musicians.

Music, in fact all the Arts, transcend gender. That is, if one were to take any art form at face value, it is impossible to know the gender of the creator/ writer/performer, so why is there disparity in the gender balance of the music industry? I’m pleased to say that while there is still a way to go, the disparity is becoming blurrier, that is, there is more equity among the genders.

At Mentone Girls’ Grammar we continue to provide our students with opportunities to connect with professionals in the recording and theatre industries. Students experience the recording process through song

writing courses, and work with musicians from some of Australia’s leading orchestras. Some notable alumnae who have gone on to have careers in various aspects of the music industry include Dr Kathleen McGuire, Ava Senaratne, Zoe Badwi, Maddisyn Dixon-Whitbourne, Jessica Leigh, Yujie Cai, Nikol McKail, and Moliya Yuan, to name a few.

Music, by its very nature is expressive and that expression can be linked to emotional intelligence. Humans are emotional beings and through music, humans can express their emotions. While that last sentence is a common cliché, it is at the centre of music making and music education.

In amongst the governmental messaging surrounding in importance of STEM (an importance with which I agree for without STEM we would not have medicine, infrastructure, video conferencing, or transport), what must not be forgotten is the importance of disciplines like Music where students are taught and encouraged to connect with and express their emotions. This connection and expression, especially in a society that is focussed on mental wellbeing, is paramount. Music helps to regulate our emotions. Similar to the study of literature, music has a rhetoric of its own and that rhetoric carries emotive power. Students are taught to understand those emotive properties and make educated choices about interpretation.

But what sets Music education aside from any other discipline is its abstractness. Most other disciplines can move their audiences by using words, images, or movement. Music relies on sound. Music carries the power to not only touch the minds of its audiences but also their hearts. Music can explain the unexplainable. Music can heal when medicine fails. Music can repair neurological pathways. Music is life itself.

Our Parents Association, Friends of the Willow

At Mentone Girls’ Grammar, we are grateful for the presence of a united group of parents and guardians who make up our Parent’s Association. Taking inspiration from the tree in the centre of the iconic Willow Courtyard, the Friends of the Willow embodies growth, inclusivity, community and joy.

Fuelled by a desire to support the School and to role model, the Friends of the Willow have held numerous initiatives, with many more to come. Some highlights include the delightful Chinese New Year breakfast; the heartfelt Mother’s and Father’s Day Stalls; the festive Christmas in July Dinner Dance; and the cherished annual Rose Lunch.

As a committee, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to our exceptional volunteers and especially our awesome Class Representatives. Their unwavering dedication ensures that everyone feels cherished and welcomed within our School and makes sure no one forgets Casual Clothes Day! If you haven’t had the chance to engage with Friends of The Willow, we warmly invite you to volunteer or attend one of our upcoming events.

Looking ahead, our horizon brims with even more exciting activities and opportunities for connection. Stay tuned as we continue to nurture a vibrant and inviting community within Friends of the Willow.

Ringing in Tradition

Miranda Phillips, Graduting Class of 2023, Bellringer

One of our most cherished traditions is the Bellringer Ceremony, a timeless ritual where prep students ring one of the original School bells in front of their peers, teachers, and family. This symbolic gesture marks the commencement of our youngest students' educational journey. We revisit this tradition upon graduation, as those same students ring the bell, signifying the conclusion of their schooling. This poignant ritual encapsulates the full circle of growth and achievement at Mentone Girls’ Grammar.

As Miranda Phillips, a 2023 graduate, and Bellringer, donned her blazer for the final time, she rang that School bell – just as she had done when she was four years old, clad in a little red tracksuit. For the past 13 years, she had envisioned this moment, which symbolises both a cherished tradition and the culmination of her educational journey at Mentone Girls’ Grammar.

Reflecting on her time at the School, Miranda shares, “What I know now is that at our School something magical happens. My journey at Mentone Girls’ has been full of learnings, memories, and lifelong connections, which fill me with both gratitude and appreciation.”

The prospect of life after secondary school can evoke both excitement and trepidation, a sentiment echoed by Miranda.

“While many of us are excited and joyful at life beyond the School gates, I know I am not alone when I say I can’t help but feel this is a bittersweet moment. Joining Mentone Girls’ at four years old, I often find myself apprehensive about leaving the familiarity of the school grounds. In times like these, I remind myself that our lifelong friendships and relationships with our teachers do not just end this year. They are continuous, and we are fortunate to have such a unique support system to encourage us to embrace the future.”

As Miranda bids farewell, she humorously recalls her title as the ‘student most likely to make a Taylor Swift reference’, leaving us with a quote from the singer: “The scary news is you’re on your own now. The cool news is you’re on your own now!” These parting words encapsulate the mix of emotions graduation brings, we are confident that the education and support Mentone Girls’ Grammar has provided our graduates they will be able to step out into the ‘adult’ world ready for anything.

Creating Connections

The Old Girls' Club (OGC) transcends being a mere student group; it's a global community of dedicated women, all of whom have graced the halls of Mentone Girls' Grammar. Our mission is to cultivate connections among Alumnae and the School, nurturing a powerful sense of unity, and offering steadfast support to our current students.

Reflecting on a Year of Growth

I am filled with gratitude and a sense of accomplishment for all we achieved in 2023 and 2024. Thank you all for your ongoing support, for all who have attended reunions, assisted with our committee meetings, and cheered from the sidelines.

We had the pleasure of witnessing yet another successful reunion. It was heart warming to see familiar faces, hear inspiring stories, and share in the accomplishments of our fellow Alumnae. These reunions serve as a testament to the strong bonds and lasting friendships that are formed during our time at Mentone Girls' Grammar. Be sure to check our website for upcoming reunion dates.

Strengthening Connections and Creating Opportunities

To assist our graduating class in their transition from school to adult life, we conducted an enlightening session on harnessing the potential of LinkedIn. The presentation was aimed to provide our graduates with crucial insights into this indispensable professional platform. We view this effort as an investment in their future success, fostering the skills and confidence needed to navigate the professional world effectively. Our sincere hope is that this initiative empowers them to approach their professional journey with assurance and competence.

Looking to the Future

Our focus for the future is fostering a sense of community and providing meaningful opportunities for our Alumnae. To achieve this, we are working on formalising a networking platform that will facilitate connections among Alumnae. We also aim to open doors for mentorship, allowing experienced members to guide and inspire the next generation of Mentone women.

Staying Connected

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@mentonegirlsalumnae) to stay connected with each other and, updated on events, achievements, and stories from our vibrant community. We also regularly email news, events, information about reunions, and the opportunities available, to remain involved at the School. Please update your contact details on our website to ensure you receive copies of our Old Girls’ newsletters.

I am excited and hopeful about the future. Let us embrace the opportunities that lie ahead, and remember, our strength lies in our unity and camaraderie.

Get Involved

If you would like more information regarding the Old Girls’ Club, public speaking or mentoring opportunities, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Old Girls’ Club President, Courtney Walsh, via oldgirlspresident@mentonegirls.vic.edu.au for further details.

Update Your Details

Please visit the website to update your details.

Alumnae

Where are they now?

We delight in hearing and sharing your latest news: whether it's about your career, personal endeavors, or anything else.

Don't forget to keep us informed via alumnae@mentonegirls.vic.edu.au.

Dannielle Connell (nee Arthur), class of 2006, and her husband Ash joyfully welcomed their second child, a baby boy named Austin, on 20 June 2023. Austin is now a little brother to his older sibling, Sophie.

Ms Lorraine Woodroffe, a cherished figure who served as the Junior Head from 1982 to 1994, passed away suddenly on 2 August 2023. Her boundless enthusiasm, optimism, and unwavering cheerfulness were truly remarkable.

Kathy Altuna (nee Voyer), class of 1996, Alumnae Kathy, alongside her now-husband Eddy, made a significant move by acquiring the Glengarry Pub in Gippsland, early last year. Their journey reached its pinnacle by September, as they joyously celebrated their marriage at the very establishment they now proudly own.

Ms Woodroffe dedicated herself tirelessly to represent Mentone as a School where girls could experience a wide array of educational opportunities. She provided invaluable encouragement to many young girls, helping them realise their full potential, through individual and small group work, and she remained deeply interested in their progress well beyond their time in the Junior School.

Her immense efforts were pivotal in fostering the excellent relationship that characterises the bond between the Junior and Senior Schools at Mentone Girls' Grammar. Her loyalty and support for the School extended far and wide.

Ms Woodroffe's passing leaves a void not only in the hearts of past students and parents but in the lives of her beloved children, Debra and Joanne, her sons-in-law, Paul and Steve, her sister Carolyn, her grandchildren, Brad and Cate, and her great-grandchild, Morgan. She is now reunited forever with Graham, her late partner.

Stephanie Jay (nee Groube), class of 2007, and her husband Chris joyfully welcomed twins, Astrid Rachel and Jeremy Ronald, on 22 April 2023. The twins are now little siblings to their older brother, Casper.

Thanksgiving for the Life of Moys Sinclair

8 April 1920 – 9 February 2024

On 9 February 2024, Mrs Moys Sinclair, one of our most treasured Old Girls’, passed away at 103, leaving a legacy that will forever be cherished. Born on 8 April 1920, Moys was the beloved only child of Nellie Moys and James Rowland Blennerhassett.

Moys’s early years were spent in Benalla before her family relocated to Chelsea, where she embarked on her unforgettable journey at Mentone Girls’ Grammar School.

Recalling her time at Mentone, Moys often regaled tales of her athletic pursuits and her unique experience as the sole student studying Botany, conducted in the office of the esteemed Headmistress, Miss McCowan. She would fondly say "I had a very happy time [here], a very happy time. I did very well and made lots of lovely friends." Moys also achieved the distinction of becoming a Prefect in her final year.

After completing school, she began working in her father’s pharmacy, where she mastered the art of medication compounding, before finding fulfilment in office work at The Equity Trustees.

Moys's life blossomed when she wed ‘Bill’ Sinclair (d1982) in 1954. The subsequent birth of their only child, Gayle, in 1955, followed by the welcoming of her son-inlaw John and grandchildren Cassandra and Michael, brought tremendous joy and precious memories that enriched Moys's life.

Always considering the wellbeing of her loved ones, Moys would lovingly adorn them in her meticulously crafted knitted creations, and her generosity extended even to crafting pouches for rescued baby animals. Her affinity for animals was evident in her lifelong companionship with her beloved pets. This compassionate spirit always radiated warmth and kindness, especially when embarking on travels both near and far.

Both Gayle (Class of 1972, current School Archivist) and granddaughter, Cassandra (Class of 2011), also attended Mentone Girls’ Grammar, establishing connections spanning three generations over a remarkable seven decades.

Moys's legacy transcends generations, her strength, kindness, and unwavering devotion touched the lives of all who knew her. As we mourn her passing, we celebrate a life well-lived – a legacy of love, resilience, and enduring grace.

Gabrielle Louise Puz, affectionately known as Gabby, passed away on 27 October 2023, at 46. A standout Alumnae, Gabby excelled academically and athletically. Her passion for environmental engineering led to impactful roles at the World Bank and, positively impacting communities worldwide. In 2017, she found love with Gopal (aka Paul), and in 2021, they welcomed their daughter, Anoushka. Gabby faced cancer with remarkable courage . Her legacy of love, kindness, and global impact leaves an indelible mark on those who knew her.

Mrs Irma Crombie

1925 – 2024

Dr Valerie Margaret Tarrant OAM

22 May 1930 – 30 July 2024

Dr Valerie Margaret Tarrant, OAM, passed away on July 30, 2024. Her passing marks the loss of a remarkable individual who played a significant role at our School and within the broader Bayside community and left a legacy.

Dr Tarrant’s tenure at Mentone Girls’ Grammar, from 1966 to 1992, was marked by her dedication and passion for education. She taught English, Geography, Religious Education, and Australian History, and in recognition of her exceptional contributions, the role of Head of Humanities was created specifically for her.

A distinguished scholar, Dr Tarrant earned her PhD from Deakin University and was a published author. She was deeply committed to environmental and social history, particularly in raising awareness about the region’s Indigenous art and its significance. For her tireless efforts, Dr Tarrant was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2005 for her service to conservation, the environment, and community history.

Dr Tarrant was also a greatly loved mother, grandmother, and esteemed community member. Her contributions extended beyond her academic achievements, touching the lives of many through her active participation in various communities.

She is survived by her five children and three grandchildren. In her final days, she was surrounded by her loving family, friends, and devoted carers, and was honoured with a special recognition from the Mayor of Bayside.

Dr Valerie Tarrant’s legacy will continue to inspire all who knew her.

Mrs Crombie was a dedicated teacher who touched the lives of many during her time with us, particularly through her passion for science in the early 1970s.

Students who attended the School during this time and were taught by Mrs Combie often recall her kind nature and love for teaching. We extend our deepest condolences to her family and friends. teacher, mentor and friend to many. He will be remembered for his passion for music, philosophy and religion.

Dr Peter Henry Bennett, Head of Junior School at Mentone Girls’ Grammar, peacefully passed away at home on May 30, 2024 (B: 6 February 1959). He was an exemplary educator, passionate about fostering a love of learning in young students and dedicated to nurturing their growth and development.

Dr Bennett’s commitment to education extended beyond the classroom. He was deeply involved in shaping the Junior School’s curriculum and was known for his innovative approach to teaching. His warm

demeanour and unwavering support made a lasting impact on both students and colleagues.

Devoted husband of Anne for 42 years. Loving father to Katherine, Elizabeth, James and Sarah (dec) and their partners Hugh, Rod and Belinda. Cherished Papa to Abigail, Thomas, Charlotte, Hamish, Adam, William, Annie and Matthew. Peter was an inspiring teacher, mentor and friend to many. He will be remembered for his passion for music, philosophy and religion.

11 Mentone Parade, Mentone Vic 3194 T: 03 9581 1200

E: info@mentonegirls.vic.edu.au

W: mentonegirls.vic.edu.au CRICOS 00324B

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