Lucis Magazine, Winter 2019

Winter Edition 2019

The Magazine of the MLC School Family

Inside this issue

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TOURS

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Girls discover their wings and learn to fly at MLC School.

Join one of our tours where you will see classes in full swing, and also have an opportunity to meet the girls and our professional staff.

2019 SCHOOL TOUR DATES

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10.30am Thursday 1 August 2019 10.30am Tuesday 12 November 2019 To join a tour, visit mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au or email enrol@mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au

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G R A N D O P EN I N G O F T H E M LC S CH O O L SEN I O R CEN T R E

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SEN I O R CEN T R E H ER A L D S A M A J O R CH A N G E I N L E A R N I N G

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A F O CU S O N L E A R N I N G F O R M LC S CH O O L

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CEL EB R AT I N G T H E CL A S S O F 2018

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ACH I E V EM EN T S A N D I N SP I R AT I O N

MLC School invites families with girls or boys under four to a weekly playdate.

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G E T T I N G T H E V ERY B E S T S TA R T I N P R E - K I N D ERG A R T EN

For more information please contact enrol@mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au

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S T E A M I N G A LO N G I N T H E J U N I O R S CH O O L

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I T ’ S A R ECO R D

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SI M P LY SP EC TACU L A R

UNDER 4S PLAYDAYS STARTING AUGUST 2019

mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au

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23 OUR VALUES Pursue excellence Demonstrate integrity Celebrate diversity

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Embrace world citizenship Live with humility

EDITORIAL

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Michele Dunn Julianne Sheedy

PHOTOGRAPHERS Nicole Anderson

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I N T ER N AT I O N A L RO U N D S Q UA R E CO N FER EN CE CO M E S TO M LC S CH O O L

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A Y E A R TO R EM EM B ER

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T H E CH A L L EN G E O F CH I A N G M A I

Joel Mesas Hanh Nguyen Julianne Sheedy MLC School Community

SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook

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W H ER E I N T H E W O R L D ?

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A C A R EER FLY I N G H I G H

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M LC S CH O O L W O M EN A N D G I R L S I N S CI EN CE

38 A R T S 42 SP O R T 45 CO M M U N I T Y 46 R EU N I O N S

Twitter Linked In Instagram YouTube

CONTACT US Ph 02 9747 1266 General enquiries enquiries@ mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au

OFFICE HOURS MLC School hours are 8am to 4pm week days

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From the Principal One of the most common reflections from our Old Girls (whether they graduated 50 years ago or five years ago) is how much they benefitted from and appreciate the range of opportunities that were available to them while they were students at MLC School.

Through their participation in sport, cultural, performing and visual arts, or academic enrichment activities, our Old Girls reflect that through their involvement they deepened and extended their friendships; gained skills and confidence in trying something new; and had the opportunity to learn about leadership and persistence in a variety of settings.

In his article on the importance of co-curricular involvement, Stephen Ladas writes that: “a broad and inclusive co-curricular program addresses a variety of student growth areas that schools aim to advance in the educational lifetime of a student. These include not only the intellectual aspects of a child’s growth but development of the moral, spiritual, emotional, and physical arenas – all integral to the development of the whole girl.”

It is exciting therefore, to see so many programs and different aspects of learning at MLC School showcased in this edition of Lucis. As you will see, many of our girls have used the opportunities provided to them as a springboard to helping others, truly living our mission of enabling our girls to be agents of change in their own lives and the lives of others.

Of course, the breadth and high standards of our learning and teaching and the opportunities available, rely heavily on the quality and commitment of our staff. As you will read, we have a number of outstanding new senior staff and through their leadership and expertise, we will continue to be at the forefront of new developments in teaching, technology and immersive learning.

I hope that you enjoy this edition of Lucis and thank you for your support of MLC School.

LISA MOLONEY / PRINCIPAL

We have a number of outstanding new senior staff. Through their leadership and expertise, we will continue to be at the forefront of new developments in teaching, technology and immersive learning.

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Grand Opening of the MLC School Senior Centre On a gloriously sunny day, MLC School flags were waving madly as Their Excellencies, Sir Peter and Lady Cosgrove, stepped out of their car on Friday 24 May 2019 to officially open the Senior Centre. Our Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 girls lined the footpaths on Park Road, resplendent in their full School Uniform, as they cheered on the Governor-General.

After meeting Principal, Lisa Moloney; Chair of Council, Pauline Johnston; and the School Executive, Lady Cosgrove was presented with flowers from our School Captain, Jessica Kuo; and our fifth-generation MLC School girl, five-year-old, Poppy Frederick.

A fanfare of Taiko drums welcomed the Governor-General and the official party as they made their way along Park Road and into the grounds. The opening of the Senior Centre was the Governor-General’s last official school

event before his retirement. The Opening was attended by Mayor of Burwood, Councillor John Faker; architects, BVN, the Senior Centre builders, Lipman; and the MLC School community.

“It is a pleasure for Lynne and me to be with you for the opening of this wonderful new Senior Centre – the latest instalment in the MLC School story.

And what a story it is. For more than 130 years this school has been educating girls, not just to do their best or do what is expected of them, but to push the boundaries and exceed expectations.

Because an extraordinary life, a full life, one of contributing to community and nation, doesn’t just happen by going through the motions, by accepting the status quo.

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It happens by questioning, by challenging, by dreaming of more.

And this is the MLC School way, to Dare to be More…. Since inception MLC School has been a force for empowerment, a force for the education for girls.”

SIR PETER COSGROVE / GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

1 Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 line Park Road to welcome the Governor-General. 2 The proceedings begin. 3 The Senior Centre is officially open. 4 What a welcome for the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove. 5 MLC School Council and special guests. 6 The Governor-General had time for a chat during his tour of the Senior Centre.

7 Lady Cosgrove is welcomed by Poppy Frederick from Kindergarten, and our School Captain, Jessica Kuo.

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“For more than 130 years this school has been educating girls, not just to do their best or do what is expected of them, but to push the boundaries and exceed expectations.”

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Senior Centre heralds a major change in learning The first day of school for 2019 was filled with great excitement as doors to the new Senior Centre were thrown open for students.

Since then, the girls have embraced the new spaces and spread themselves out in the glass pods for private study sessions, on the large work tables for group discussion and collaboration, or simply lounged casually on the bean-bags and in the ‘beach-huts’.

The girls have noted how different it is to have so many spaces to be together; and opportunities for informal interactions with their peers and the staff.

The building’s flexible design has encouraged similar interactions with staff, as they move classes around to accommodate different learning approaches to work best with the delivery of particular content.

The landscaping to the south of the Senior Centre is now complete, and to the west it is well underway. By the end of this year, there will be a large green ‘heart’ at the centre of the Senior School.

“We can all say it has been worth the wait!

The rooms that I really enjoy are the Science labs. They make it so easy for us to try cool, new experiments.”

Georgie Roediger, Year 7 1 Senior Centre exterior. 2 Students on the stairs on the first day of the new building. 3 Students on bean bags on the first day. 4 The new building interior. 5 A Science laboratory. 6 Demolition of the staff room 7 View to the Principal’s lawn.

“The classroom spaces are fantastic; big, bright and fun to teach in. Being able to break out during group work is a real benefit and it means students do not stay in the same seat all lesson. The design pushed me to think about how I develop lessons to use the spaces creatively.”

Fiona Pow, Head of Year 8

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A focus on learning for MLC School Principal, Lisa Moloney, has made a number of significant changes to strengthen the focus on Teaching and Learning at MLC School. Key staff appointments include: Linda Emms, Head of Learning and Teaching; Roshan De Silva, Director of e-Learning; and Sarah Tynan, Director of Immersive Learning. Here we delve into their backgrounds and goals for MLC School.

LINDA EMMS – DIRECTOR OF LEARNING AND TEACHING Linda began her teaching career at Ravenswood School for Girls before taking up the position as Head of Technological and Applied Studies (TAS) at MLC School. After four years, Linda moved to The Scots College as Dean of Creative Arts, responsible for the TAS, Music, Visual Arts and Drama curriculum.

For the last five years, Linda has been at Abbotsleigh as Head of Curriculum. In this role, Linda worked with Year Coordinators and Heads of School to ensure they were achieving the best outcomes for the girls by maintaining and fostering strong connections between the pastoral and academic, and she aims to do the same at MLC School. As well as looking after Curriculum, Linda also managed the teacher accreditation program, participated in the

broader life of the school and was involved in immersions, outdoor education and service learning by leading multiple overseas tours.

Linda is active with Professional Educational bodies and currently sits on the standing committee for the Directors of Studies Conferences, run by the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA).

What do you love about teaching?

The quote below from Brene Brown’s book, Dare to Lead, illustrates what I think are some of the most important things about being a teacher. This is taken from a section where she is writing about her work with teachers.

learn learning ‘We must be guardians of a space that allows students to breathe and be curious and explore the world and be who they are without suffocation. They deserve one place where

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they can rumble with vulnerability and their hearts can exhale. And what I know from the research is that we should never underestimate the benefit of a child having a place to belong. It can and often does change the trajectory of their life.’

The context of the quote is a discussion on the importance of leaders caring for and being connected to the people they lead. To me there is no better example of this than the teacher who knows and cares for their students. As a teacher, I want my classroom to be a place where students have the time and space to think deeply, to make mistakes and find the joy in learning. I aim for my classroom to be a place where their grit, resilience and self-efficacy grow.

What brings you to MLC School?

It has been exciting to come back to MLC School and see the way in which the School has grown. For me, MLC School has always been a place where students and staff are not afraid to challenge the accepted norms and step out of their comfort zone. My role is an opportunity to shape learning in a dynamic environment that is responsive to the changing needs of the girls in our care.

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“One of my goals is that we work to develop the language of learning that is unique to MLC School – a language that we can speak authentically as a community.”

What do you hope to achieve for the girls at MLC School?

My core role is ensuring that every girl at MLC School has opportunity for growth.

As the girls progress from Kindergarten through to Year 12, I will be working with teachers to assess where they are in their learning journey and provide new learning experiences that are timely, relevant and at an appropriate level of challenge. It is my firm belief that if we do this well in the early years of their education, girls will flourish in their senior years and beyond. Just as we ask our girls to reflect on their learning, I will be working with the teaching staff to reflect on their practice to better adapt the learning activities in their classrooms to meet the needs of the girls.

One of my goals is that we work to develop the language of learning that is unique to MLC School – a language that we can speak authentically as a community. It needs to be a language that is embedded in practise, not rhetoric. It needs to be language that is appropriate to each age and stage of learning, and most importantly, it must be lived in what we do every day.

As we seek to grow our practise as a school, we will be engaging with current research and data to trial, implement and evaluate practise in an ongoing cycle. The goal is to bring about measured and sustained change in practise. This includes a better understanding of assessment and how it is harnessed as a learning tool rather than the end goal.

ng learnin

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ROSHAN DE SILVA – DIRECTOR OF E-LEARNING

What do you hope to achieve for the girls at MLC School?

Roshan was educated in the United Kingdom, achieving a BA in Humanities majoring in Modern History and Geography. He completed his DipEd in Secondary Education in Australia. Roshan’s dream was to play professional cricket. He represented Middlesex County in the UK and Nondescripts Cricket Club in Sri Lanka. He also worked as a profiler and aircraft dispatcher for American Airlines, Air Canada and El Al (the latter taking him to Israel).

In my opinion, the School’s greatest asset is its hard-working teaching community. Teachers at MLC School have a rich history of high achievement, which drives the student body.

My role at this School is to support the needs of teachers and students who engage with digital technologies that enhance learning. The digital normalisation I hope to bring into classroom practice will first be developed through the implementation of a robust, interactive Learning Management System (LMS) known as Canvas. I will be encouraging teachers to use the tools in Canvas to build diverse tasks. The implementation of Canvas will be one of the biggest changes to the School’s everyday working environment. The School will have to deal with factors such as moving away from paper and blended content delivery.

In 2001, Roshan began his career as a History teacher in co-educational, boys’ and girls’ schools, in Sydney’s Inner West, Eastern Suburbs and North Shore. As a senior teacher, he was a Housemaster, Director of Cricket and Head of Department.

What do you love about teaching?

My love of teaching comes from building relationships. Every year my students and I take a journey of discovery. Through this process, we engage in shared learning and I encourage my students to take risks, embrace grit and accept failure as a learning tool.

What brings you to MLC School?

I was attracted to MLC School because of its reputation for educating young women who ‘Dare to be more’. This is exemplified by MLC School’s first advert in the Sydney Morning Herald (1886) which highlighted the School’s aim of educating women for Honours at University at a time when women were not seen as valuable members of the workforce. In 1976 MLC School was once again a school that Dared to be more, purchasing Apple Macintosh Computers for the School – linking digital disruption in labour markets to the learning environment of the School.

My long-term aim is to help students and teachers further develop 21st century fluencies. These 21st century learning skills are required by students to succeed in work, life and citizenship. These skills, taught through curricular, can be broken into two strands. The first of these strands identifies cognitive skills; these skills require students to communicate, think critically, collaborate, be adaptable and agile. The second strand identifies conative skills. Conative skills refer to a student’s ability to analyse situations in light of what she knows and how she feels, thus allowing her to select appropriate actions – where personality and intelligence overlap to facilitate decision-making.

In a broader sense, conative skills are categorised as understanding and controlling oneself while interacting with others; terms such as empathy, global stewardship, resilience, grit and vision for the future.

learn learning In conclusion, I hope to help the School create a learning ecosystem that enables students and teachers to become creators, increase collaboration and in the end, provide authentic learning experiences.

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SARAH TYNAN – DIRECTOR OF IMMERSIVE LEARNING

What are the programs you are hoping to build on?

Sarah has been teaching Science for 13 years, concentrating on Junior Science from Year 7 to Year 10 in HSC and IB Biology, and IB Chemistry.

She loves teaching Science because she believes it underpins the world around us; and she feels it is imperative that our future generations are connected to the subject.

We already have some amazing Immersive Learning experiences at MLC School, with City Experience, Broken Hill and Chiang Mai. My hope is to refine these programs and grow the program so that we are looking at experiences in the Junior School as well as other opportunities in the Senior School, including an Indigenous Immersion.

Alongside teaching, Sarah has been a leader of wellbeing, Head of House, Head of Year, and Head of Pastoral Care at multiple Independent girls’ schools in the inner west.

What do you hope to achieve for the girls at MLC School?

What do you love about teaching?

I love that no day is the same, I love that I have the opportunity to educate young women in the field of Science and in the field of life. I love that I am able to play a role in educating the whole person. The ‘lightbulb moments’ when students understand a concept that they have been grappling with, or overcoming a challenge, make each day exciting and unpredictable.

What brings you to MLC School?

MLC School is an amazing place to be. It is vibrant, dynamic and brave. It gives staff and students an opportunity to try things, to challenge themselves and to be part of a strong lineage of educated young women. In terms of the position, the role of the Director of Immersive Learning attracted me due to its holistic nature.

I see this role as the conduit between academic learning and pastoral care. It is an opportunity to connect our girls to local, regional and international locations and experiences that take them beyond the classroom, challenge them to step out of their comfort zones and to go beyond what they think they already know.

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To observe, reflect and evaluate what is currently running. To immerse myself in as many of the Immersive Learning experiences as possible this year, then refine them for 2020 whilst working on building the next phase of the Immersive Learning journey at MLC School.

What is your longer-term plan?

To ensure that each of the Immersive Learning experiences are unique and offer the opportunity to be life changing and has a lasting impact on each girl; to develop a continuum of skills development that links to the social and emotional development of teens; to embed the Round Square IDEALS into each of them; and to use the Discovery Framework to connect the Immersive Learning experiences beyond the classroom back to the classroom and the Pastoral Care program. My goal is to ensure the Immersive Learning experiences are authentically holistic learning for each student at MLC School.

ng learnin Where is MLC School heading under your direction?

My hope is that MLC School will be the benchmark school for Immersive Learning in Australia and that parents will choose to send their daughters here because of the holistic nature of the experiences we offer.

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Student leaders Congratulations to the girls who form the 2019 Junior and Senior School Leadership teams.

Through their desire to serve the School, these girls are role models for other students, and are outstanding ambassadors for the School.

2019 Junior School Leadership Captains

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2019 House Captains Lydia Todoroska Desiree Miller Gabrielle Giannakos Chloe Gentle Grace Karras Emily Millar Charlotte Seales Crystal Warner Ava McGrigor Anushri Baksi Katie Papachatgis Georgia Ventouris Natashja Eyles Laura Libro Tess Tsoi Elle Andreopoulos Sarah Monaha Georgia Dunn Afamia Moussa Jessica Pizzinga

Captain Vice-Captain Captain Vice-Captain Captain Vice-Captain Captain Vice-Captain Captain Vice-Captain Captain Vice-Captain Captain Vice-Captain Captain Vice-Captain Captain Vice-Captain Captain Vice-Captain

Abbeythorpe Abbeythorpe Booralee Booralee Churunga Churunga Leawarra Leawarra Lester Lester Mooramoora Mooramoora Prescott Prescott Sutton Sutton Wade Wade Whitley Whitley

2019 Middle School Leaders Trinity Elghitany Madison Clemens Ashmini Ganesh Tina Papamanuel Zoe Johnson Anna Gough Ruby Smith Sarah-Bronte Andrikis Natalie Cavallaro Jacqueline Flett 2019 Senior School Leadership Captains

2019 Senior Leadership Team Jessica Kuo

School Captain

Rachel Wang

School Vice-Captain (Year 6 to Year 9)

Emily Osborne

School Vice-Captain (Year 10 to Year 12)

Capri Maher

Creative Arts and Design Captain

Cassandra Economides

Dance, Drama and Entertainment Captain

Olivia Wu

Debating Captain

Clara Janssen

Music Captain

Diya Mehta

Round Square Captain

Laura Sutherland

Sport Captain

Vicky Feng

SRC Captain

Abbeythorpe Booralee Churunga Leawarra Lester Mooramoora Prescott Sutton Wade Whitley

2019 Junior Leadership Team School Captains Kathleen Chrun Emma Sullivan Haegan Situ Isabella Correia Tessa Britton Anna Obaid Emily Bitar Evelyn Kerr Ava Roins Tilly Ackland Mia Tynan Elysse Diep Isabella Townsend Gauri Nathan Markella Krekacs

Captain Vice-Captain Vice-Captain Captain Vice-Captain Vice-Captain Captain Vice-Captain Vice-Captain Captain Vice-Captain Vice-Captain Captain Vice-Captain Vice-Captain

Booralee Booralee Booralee Leawarra Leawarra Leawarra Churunga Churunga Churunga Mooramoora Mooramoora Mooramoora

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Celebrating the class of 2018 MLC School celebrated the achievements of the Class of 2018 in the inaugural Assembly for Excellence in Academic Achievement held in late February.

The Assembly recognised the dedication, commitment and outstanding final results of the Class of 2018, and congratulated them for their pursuit of excellence. Family, friends, the current Year 11 and 12 students, and staff of the School formed the audience to applaud these efforts.

The Assembly culminated with the presentation of a new award, the Reverend Dr Charles J. Prescott Medal for the highest university entrance score (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank). The medal is named in honour of the founder and first Headmaster of MLC School (1886–1899), Reverend Dr Charles J. Prescott.

Reverend Dr Charles J. Prescott was viewed as a progressive educationalist and was a strong advocate for the education of women and girls.

When Reverend Dr Prescott announced the opening of the School in the Sydney Morning Herald on 23 January 1886, the advertisement stated that, ‘The scholastic course will include the usual subjects of education, and, while it aims at fitting the pupils for home life, will also make provision for those who wish to prepare for University honours, and for those who look forward to finding their sphere of usefulness in educational work.’

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Before long, MLC School graduates were excelling at the University of Sydney, enhancing the Schools’ reputation.

Reverend Dr Prescott was a highly regarded educator and much beloved by his students, Prescott equally valued academia, sports, music and the arts. He instigated a challenging academic curriculum for the girls as well as music and competitive games. It is pertinent that the girls who are awarded the medal reflect the very same values today.

This year, the inaugural Reverend Dr Charles J. Prescott Medal was awarded to Anna Michael (2018 MLC School Vice-Captain) and Ashley Oliver-Sjahry (2018 MLC School Debating Captain). Both girls achieved an outstanding ATAR of 99.95, having attained a perfect score in the International Baccalaureate. Forty-one MLC School girls have now received perfect scores over the last nine years.

Congratulations to our 2018 graduates on their diligence and tenacity, and thank you to all parents for their support for their daughters.

MLC School staff guide every student carefully through their final years. Their professionalism is the key to each girl successfully navigating their own path through the rigours of Year 11 and Year 12, and in fulfilling their personal goals.

For more information about the performance of the Class of 2018, please see www.mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au/ about-mlc-school/our-results

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1 Principal, Lisa Moloney with Anna Michael (left) and Ashley Oliver-Sjahry (right), both winners of the Inaugural Reverend Dr Charles J. Prescott Medal for the highest university entrance score.

2 Reverend Dr Charles J. Prescott, 1886. 3 Celebrating the achievements. 4 Principal, Lisa Moloney presenting to Swathi Ilanko. 5 Rev Dr Charles J. Prescott with the 1897 Sixth Form girls. 6 First photo taken of MLC School students and staff on 20 September 1886.

Reverend Dr Charles J. Prescott is centre with his wife and son.

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Achievements and inspiration Undoubtedly, two of the highlight events of the year include Junior School Speech Day and Senior School Speech Night. These special celebrations highlight the achievements of our girls; and farewell others as they continue their journey to different parts of the School, or venture outside the gates to take on new adventures in their lives.

The guest speaker at Junior School Speech Day was MLC Old Girl, Amanda Shalala (2003).

Amanda is a freelance sports journalist/ broadcaster who has worked for leading media organisations, including Fox Sports Australia, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Amanda gave a very spirited and motivating speech – she encouraged our Junior School girls to be individuals and to chase their dreams and goals. Amanda had everyone up and out of their seats, doing a cheer that she introduced in her days as School Captain.

Senior School Speech Night was once again held at the beautiful State Theatre. The guest speaker was MLC School Old Girl, Gail O’Brien AO (Bamford, 1972).

Gail is Patient Advocate and Board Director at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, the worldclass, fully integrated and comprehensive cancer care facility located across the road from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and named for Gail’s husband, the late Professor Chris O’Brien, AO whose vision it was. Gail was integral in realising her husband’s dream.

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It was evident that Gail’s connection to and memory of MLC School was still very strong – she was accompanied to Speech Night by her best friend from time at school.

Gail’s speech inspired those in the theatre.

She spoke about how everyone’s life has two halves. Gail shared the story of her two halves – the first half, as a child, her school days, ‘wedded bliss’ to Professor Chris O’Brien, and their ‘blessed’ life with their three children. And then the tragic second half of her life when she lost both her husband and her eldest son within a year.

Here is an excerpt of Gail O’Brien’s speech.

“I’m not telling you all of this as a story of grief – though it certainly is that. Nor is it a story of giving up or falling down – even though, there were days I almost did.

Rather, I wanted to tell you about what I gained, as well as what I lost. It’s not a story of falling down. It’s one of ‘falling up’.

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‘Falling up’. It’s a phrase coined by Fr Richard Rohr, a Franciscan teacher and favourite author of mine.

In his book, Falling Upwards, Richard Rohr writes that life-changing events like those I’ve just described will feel like rocky terrain, but in fact they are the stepping stones towards a deeper understanding of your own soul.

After 20 years focused on my family and my husband’s brilliant career, I re-entered the workforce and returned to physiotherapy.

I accepted a position on the board of the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, a comprehensive cancer centre that my husband had envisioned and was named in his honour.

Although I’d always worked in the health sector, and run Chris’s practices and foundations, this major project – creating a hospital from scratch – pushed me off a ledge into the deep ends of politics and bureaucracy.

Today, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse stands on Missenden Road, Camperdown, across the road from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. It is

a beautiful, not to mention award-winning building, that houses everything a cancer patient needs under the one roof – surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, screening, prevention ... complementary and alternative therapies like acupuncture, massage and reflexology.

We treat the body, mind and spirit. We conduct cancer research. We teach the next generation.

We’re the first facility of our kind in NSW. We are independent and not-for-profit.

I walk the wards of Chris O’Brien Lifehouse every day as the Patient Advocate, grateful to use my gifts of experience and insight to help create a health system that is more compassionate, holistic and hopeful.

So, back to that secret that I’ve been promising to tell you.

It is this: everyone’s life has two halves.

And the first half is but a warm-up act for the second half that awaits us all.

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The two halves have nothing to do with chronology or age. Some people reach the second half younger than the rest.

Rather the two halves are distinguished by challenges – and maybe even suffering – that push us into the ‘further journey’ of spiritual and self-discovery.

I don’t want to alarm you girls! I’m not at all saying you’re all destined to endure tragedy.

But we all must face disappointments and setbacks. We will make mistakes. We will lose control. Our hearts will be broken.

Sometimes, we will fail.

But remember this – every time you fall down, it is an opportunity to fall up.”

1 Guest speaker, Gail O’Brien (AO) at Senior School Speech Night. 2 2018 Junior School Captains (left) Amaya Karunakaran, Vice-Captain and (right) Kristina Bitar, Captain. 3 2019 Junior School Captains announced.

Left to Right: Captain, Kathleen Chrun, Vice-Captains, Emma Sullivan and Haegan Sitou. 4 The G.A Davey Cup for Highest Overall Score in House Competition for Leawarra. House Captains: Malia Crawford (Captain) and Sienna Prowse (Vice-Captain). 5 Amanda Shalala (2003).

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Getting the very best start in Pre-Kindergarten Located right at the entrance to the Junior School campus, many would argue that the Pre-Kindergarten Studio and its purpose-built playground is the best place in all of MLC School. Open, beautiful and wonderfully resourced (referring both to our physical and our human resources!), the atmosphere is always inviting and engaging. Every day is one of fun, friends and discovery.

Pre-Kindergarten is an important part of the School and as such, is involved in many school events each year, including the Easter Hat and Book Week Parades, the Mother/ Daughter Disco and the Father/Daughter Cardboard Challenge. One of the things the Pre-Kindergarten students report enjoying most about School is these opportunities and many like to meet and interact with girls in other year groups. It is the older girls who show and teach our youngest members of our School what is to be a learner. A special thanks must go to some of our Year 5 leaders, who have done a wonderful job helping the youngest members of our community on the playground.

Pre-Kindergarten is the ultimate preparation for beginning formal schooling and the program is specifically designed to make

this transition a smooth one. Our dedicated and highly-experienced Early Childhood Educators do an amazing job in maintaining the right balance between student-initiated investigations, teacher-planned learning experiences and opportunities for creative play. Alongside early literacy and numeracy programs, the girls also benefit from weekly lessons in all of the Junior School specialist subject areas, such as Mandarin, Drama and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics). These opportunities are the envy of other early learning centres.

The Pre-Kindergarten girls have well and truly settled well into daily routines, and are venturing frequently and confidently beyond their Studio. They visit the Library for a weekly lesson and borrowing session, and participate in the Music studios. Sport lessons are seeing the Pre-Kindergarten students roaming further from their studio, gaining confidence as they familiarise themselves to ‘big school’.

They have already made it as far as the gym!

As the year progresses, they will continue to explore their new school, with visits to the Art Room and to the Chapel on the main campus.

Outside of school hours, the Pre-Kindergarten girls are taking full advantage of a range of co-curricular opportunities available to them.

Amongst our current students, we have a number of budding musicians, tennis stars, dancers, dramatists, gymnasts and engineers.

Just as the Pre-Kindergarten girls quickly made themselves at home at MLC School, so too did their parents at our School community events – Parent Information Evenings, the Principal’s Welcome Cocktail Party, the Pre-Kindergarten Parents’ Morning Tea, International Night, and weekly book picnics (where parents and others take time to read to the girls). Such events are great opportunities for parents to meet each other, develop support networks and make new friends. Coming up on the Pre-Kindergarten calendar are Celebration of Learning Events, where the teachers will hand over to the girls to share their learning with their families, and the Sunday Chapel Service later in the year is always a parent favourite.

It has been a pleasure getting to know the 2019 Pre-Kindergarten girls. We are absolutely in no doubt that the future of MLC School is in very good hands!

DANIEL SANDRAL / HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

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STEAMING along in the Junior School STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Maths) prepares girls for the future. When girls engage in activities that combine different elements of STEAM, they must ask questions, discover answers, apply what they learn, and problem-solve creatively. It is also a collaborative process where girls can exchange ideas and discuss ways to problem-solve.

STEAM lessons commenced with specialist teacher Bede Schofield in Week 2 for Pre-K, Year 2, Year 4, Year 5 and the Robotics Club.

Pre-Kindergarten started the year experimenting with water.

They used their outdoor water play area to explore volume and differences in container capacities, as well as testing various objects to see if they float or sink, sometimes with surprising results. They also learned to balance water on the scales, using various containers to try and balance both sides.

Moving towards the end of the term, Pre-K began to learn about that special invisible power that keeps us on the ground – Gravity.

The Tinkerbelles (Year 2) had lots of fun launching balloons along a string, building plasticine and matchstick towers, constructing a flapping puppet, and a wind-up car out of LEGO. Races were held to see whose wind-up LEGO car could go the furthest. Some girls discovered that you can only wind up a rubber band so many times.

Year 4 started the year by investigating forces by looking at friction and making a CD hovercraft. As the weeks progressed, they also

learnt about forces by bungee-jumping their dolls, measuring their mass and gravity’s effect. They then began their main project of designing and building a model of a lunar landing module to safely drop a toy astronaut.

Year 5 commenced their STEAM lessons with a look at the Scratch 3.0 coding program. They used Scratch to design and create their own game with the aim of educating players about the CLP (Collaborative Learning Project) focus for the term: Food, Fibre and Sustainability.

The Robotics Club (Year 5) worked with a Sphero (robotic ball) by increasing the complexity of coding the Sphero. They began by outlining regular polygon shapes and moved on to coding the Sphero to outline a custom drawn shape. This process requires quite a significant thinking and mathematical problem-solving.

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It’s a record It was the biggest International Night on record, with almost 800 adults and children celebrating International Night at the end of March.

and share the evening together. There was great food, wonderful dancing, outstanding music displays and it all combined to create a vision of diverse cultures in complete harmony.

MLC School has always been a diverse, inclusive community. Our families represent an astounding 39 nationalities and 32 faiths.

International Night is the time where we join together to celebrate our rich cultural background and heritage. It is a time when the School authentically welcomes and recognises people from all walks.

The P&F and all the parent volunteers worked tirelessly to create an excellent occasion, and are to be thanked for their hard work in making the event such a success.

International Night has moved to coincide with Harmony Week and this year, it also aligned with United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Being held earlier in the year made for a wonderful way for families to meet up with new friends

To set the overall scene during the week, each day saw a mini celebration of the multi-cultural nature of the School. Senior School girls joined with their Junior School sisters and organised Italian games, Taekwondo, Greek dancing, Aboriginal storytelling and Origami classes at lunch times‌just to name a few.

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Simply Spectacular ‘Unity’, MLC School’s 15th Biennial Sydney Opera House Concert held on 21 May 2019 embodied the key theme in every possible respect, bringing together our outstanding musicians, all students from Years 4 – 12 and staff to perform original commissioned works, a Justin Timberlake number and classical pieces, which dazzled the packed house.

The Concert began dramatically with Carl Orff’s magnificent Carmina Burana, sung by the MLC School Choir, Senior Choir, Chamber Choir, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 Choir, the Staff Choir, The Gentlemen of Cantillation, accompanied by the MLC School Symphony Orchestra. It was an audible extravaganza.

The MLC School biennial Opera House concert began 28 years ago, and is highly anticipated by parents, staff, girls and Old Girls. It is an exceptional showcase of music and performance which requires many months of planning and rehearsals.

Three special works were commissioned for the concert. Kerry Andrew, four-time British Composer Award winner, composed the closing piece, Under One Sky. Dr Holly Harrison, MLC School’s elective music composition tutor and one of Australia’s emerging composers, created Blast, a chamber piece, written for some of MLC School’s leading student musicians. Ellen Kirkwood’s piece Now Will be Then made its world premiere at the Concert. Ellen has composed music for some of Australia’s leading jazz musicians.

Old Girl, Alice Chance (2011) also returned to conduct her composition, And The Lord Said, Fiat Lux, being performed by the MLC School Chamber Choir.

The Sydney Opera House concert is an unrivalled opportunity for MLC School girls and staff to ‘collaborate, create and innovate’, and experience performing in one of the world’s most iconic venues.

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“One word sums last night's event.

Magical. Will my girl become a musician, composer, performer, or leader in the arts? Maybe. Is my girl being inspired, mentored, nurtured and led every single day by a team relentless in the pursuit of excellence, passion, determination and commitment - daring her to be more in the wonderful world of arts along with every other imaginable space possible for her future that her educational tribe continues to explore with her. Definitely.”

MLC School parent

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1 Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana opens the Concert. 2 Our Principal, Ms Lisa Moloney, joins the performance on the cello. 3 A symphony of trombones.

4 Jasmine Cho sings Say Something while Mrs Emma Bourke conducts.

5 A glittering finale with Kerry Andrew’s Under One Sky. 6 MLC School Combined Strings conducted by Dr Joanna Drimatis.

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International Round Square Conference comes to MLC School Round Square is a global network of over 150 schools across 50 countries and six continents, which share a passion for character education and experiential learning. MLC School is the only school in Greater Metropolitan Sydney to be a member of Round Square.

Round Square was established in 1966 and is based on the ideology of Kurt Hanh, the founder of Outward Bound and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, as well as Gordonstoun School in the UK. Round Square is built around six IDEALS of learning: International Understanding, Democracy, Environmental Stewardship, Adventure, Leadership and Service.

MLC School’s co-curricular program reflects the Round Square Ideals. In addition, girls from Year 8 to Year 11 have the opportunity to embark on exchanges to other Round Square schools, and last year several girls attended the Round Square International Conference in Canada.

MLC School hosted the Round Square Annual Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting in March. Representatives from 32 Schools, including 23 Heads of School from across the region attended the two-day meeting to enable Heads of School and Teacher Representatives to share best practice, collaborate on ideas, projects and future immersive experiences for the students of all member schools.

School representatives from Vietnam, Singapore, New Zealand, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, China, South Korea and Malaysia, were joined by those from all states of Australia.

According to MLC School’s Round Square Representative, Caitlin White, “the opportunity to host such a wide cross-section of staff from schools across the region fosters greater collaborations and information sharing, all of which benefits MLC School girls through the links between the Round Square ideals, our pastoral care and co-curricular programs”.

1 Diya Mehta (Round Square Captain), Stuart Walls (Round Square Regional Support Manager), Rachael Westgarth (Round Square Chief Executive Officer), Caitlin White (Round Square Regional Representative and MLC School Coordinator).

2 The International Round Square Conference was held in the new Senior Centre.

3 Lisa Moloney. 4 2019 International Round Square Conference Delegates.

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“MLC School is the only school in Greater Metropolitan Sydney to be a member of Round Square.”

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A year to remember Vicky Feng (Year 12) has certainly set out to make her last year of school one to remember.

Late last year, Vicky took out first place in the State and then the National finals of the 49th Japanese Speech Contest, in the High School Senior Division. She spoke on how her fascination for Japanese culture fostered a love of Mathematics. Vicky’s prize included travel to Japan for a week in January.

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On Australia Day this year, Vicky was named Burwood Young Citizen of 2019 for her role in starting Rainbow Readers, a program to help immigrant children learn English. Vicky and six other Year 12 girls – Katrina Marshall, Katie Zheng, Phoebe Zhou, Nicole Lin, Anushri Baksi and Claire McLelland – have been helping immigrant children learn English by reading to them at Burwood Library every Friday after school. Vicky started the program two years ago and all the girls have been going to Burwood Library every Friday since it began. In April, the Rainbow Readers program was recognised by Burwood Council with a Young Visionary Award in the 2019 Youth Change Maker Awards.

To top off a whirlwind few months, in March, Vicky was named in the 2019 Australian European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO) team. As one of just five in the team, Vicky headed to the 8th Annual EGMO competition in Kyviv, Ukraine in April.

The selection process for the EGMO is a very extensive and exhaustive one. Vicky achieved outstanding results in the Australian Mathematics Olympiad competitions, including a Bronze Award in 2018. She attended The National Mathematics Summer School and the Australian Mathematical Olympiad Committee School of Excellence, both experiences enriching her knowledge and allowing her to immerse in Mathematics at a university level.

Training intensified in the weeks leading into the competition, with the team in lockdown practising four and a half examination papers under strict conditions.

According to Mathematics teacher, Penny Pachos, “We are all very proud of Vicky and her achievements.

“Year 10 Extension Mathematics students followed every aspect of the Australian team through their blog and Vicky’s journey to achieve a spot on the EGMO. Vicky has opened up a world of possibility for our younger students and is an exemplar model of where Mathematics can lead MLC School girls.”

1 Vicki Feng, Burwood Young Citizen of 2019.

2 Rainbow Readers in action at Burwood Library.

3 Participants in the Japanese Speech Contest – Vicky Feng with Teagan Truong, Amanda Yu and Shirley Kuang. 4 Vicky Feng (far left) in Australia’s 2019 European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO) team. 5 Vishaalini Ravichandra at the Change Maker Awards with Bruce Macdonnell, General Manager, Burwood Council and John Faker, Mayor.

Giving back Vishaalini Ravichandra, Year 7 was also recognised in Burwood Council 2019 Youth Change Maker Awards taking out the Environmental Advocate Award for her group VANA, a project based on her personal volunteer service trip to Samoa last year. Vishaalini, Amaya Karunakaran (Year 6) and Amritha Ravichandra (Year 4), worked at a local school and assisted with painting a library, reading to students and through a range of activities and fundraising initiatives took 150kg of educational resources for the children at the school.

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The challenge of Chiang Mai In February, 128 Year 10 girls and a host of staff headed off to Chiang Mai, Thailand for a two-week Immersive Learning experience.

We are one of only a few schools in Australia to send an entire year group on an international learning experience of this kind.

This trip is the culmination of a program of learning experiences that sees the girls move from Shakespeare in Year 7, to the City Experience in Year 8 and Broken Hill in Year 9. This increasingly wider circle of challenges and service are presented to the girls to build their resilience, depth of understanding and compassion for others, appreciation of themselves, their own lives and their families. These weeks also help to prepare the girls for the academic and personal issues they may face in Years 11 and 12.

2019 was the first year that MLC School girls visited Banmaelankam School and the nearby local village. The girls spent time teaching English, singing with the village kids and, of course, mixing concrete

to build their morning assembly space. MLC School will continue a relationship with Banmaelankam School in the coming years to help with the education of their students.

The cultural immersion consisted of the ‘Old City Adventure’ where the girls explored the sites of the old city of Chiang Mai, a Thai cooking class, a Muay Thai Class and a Music Class. During the visit to the Elephant Nature Park the girls learnt about the rescue and conservation efforts of a local woman; and were able to feed the elephants. They also visited a local Karen Village ‘Mae Kapiang’, worked on the farm at the school, and visited the Night Bazaar and the Walking Street Market.

Year 10 girls reflected on their time in Chiang Mai: “The experience was life changing and made me so grateful for the country that I live in. I loved exploring and I have grown to appreciate the small things in life.”

“I really enjoyed the Chiang Mai experience. It has allowed me to see the world with a different perspective.”

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One step closer For three Year 12 girls, Capri Maher, Sarah Monaha and Katie Papachatgis, there’s no doubt that their trip to Chiang Mai in 2017 had a profound impact. During their time at Ban Mae Mae School, they were struck by how many of the children did not wear, or even own, shoes.

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“This experience opened so many doors for me, in terms of Thai culture immersion, friendships, experiences and new perspectives on my life, and those in Chiang Mai. This was the most memorable experience I have had for a long time, and am so grateful that I could take part in it. Thank you to everyone who make it possible!”

“Chiang Mai was an amazing experience – to immerse myself in another culture and to forge friendships with people in my group, as well as the students from Thailand. This is an experience that will surely stay with me for the rest of my life.”

“The Chiang Mai immersion trip was one of the best experiences of my life. I gained new perspectives and made closer friendships with girls at MLC School and children across the world.”

SARAH TYNAN / DIRECTOR OF IMMERSIVE LEARNING 1 The universal language of music – clapping games with students from Banmaelankam School. 2 Umbrella painting. 3 Spending time with students at Banmaelankam School.

When the girls returned, they decided their Year 11 IB Diploma CAS project would be dedicated to raising funds to buy the children shoes, sporting equipment and stationery. They named their unofficial charity One Step Closer and set about working to raise $3000 to support the children of the school. They successfully reached their goal by selling chocolates; running a shoe polishing day and a car wash at school; and by setting up a Pozzible fundraising page.

“It was so important for us to have a personal connection with the children, it made everything we did very rewarding,” said Capri.

Director of Immersive Learning, Sarah Tynan and the staff from MLC School delivered the goods that were purchased with the funds raised by One Step Closer during this year’s Chiang Mai trip.

“The children were amazed with their new shoes and equipment, they were so excited!” said Sarah.

This is a tangible way that the Chiang Mai Service Learning Program has lasting impact for both MLC School girls and the students at the schools we visit.

“Congratulations to Katie, Sarah and Capri – they really did make a difference to the lives of the children at Mae Mae.” SARAH TYNAN / DIRECTOR OF IMMERSIVE LEARNING

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Where in the world?

International tours present girls with the chance to combine their interest in a particular subject or pursuit with a rich cultural and travel experience. The girls return to school with a deeper appreciation of that area together with a new understanding of themselves and the wider world.

During the September/October holidays in 2018, three tours took in various parts of the world – there was a History Tour to Europe, a Music Tour to UK/Europe, and the WOW (World of Wearable Art) Tour to New Zealand.

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HISTORY TOUR The 12th MLC School History Tour to Europe featured an exciting itinerary for both Ancient and Modern History students. A group of 41 students accompanied by staff members Peter Connolly, Dr Felicity Berry and Olivia Nolan, visited parts of Greece, including Crete, Berlin, Naples (including the Pompeii region) and finally, Rome.

While it was an amazing learning experience in relation to History, it was also culturally

enriching in many ways – sharing octopus with fellow students for dinner and walking the streets of ancient cities such as Athens, Rome and Berlin, that have witnessed some of the most significant developments in History. Importantly, girls go away as individuals and come back with shared experiences, with stronger and new friendships, as well a more focussed perspective of what lies ahead in their studies in Year 11 and Year 12.

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UK/EUROPE MUSIC TOUR Forty-six girls and six staff members embarked on the first overseas music tour held in three years.

Over three weeks, girls participated in a wide range of enriching experiences, including performing at eight concerts with other student musicians, learning from international composers, musicologists and performers in five workshops, and visiting 14 places of historical interest, attending two cathedral worship services and three concerts.

The girls had the opportunity to watch some of the world’s leading orchestras and chamber ensembles, workshop both choral and orchestral pieces with leading instrumentalists and conductors, visit monumental historical sites, and explore foreign sites as new friendships were formed.

The tour included stays in London, Southend, Nottingham, Leipzig, and Salzburg, as well as a short trip to Dachau Concentration Camp,

near Munich. We participated in extensive rehearsals alongside the local musicians, often in preparation for performances both in churches and schools.

“In each city we travelled to, we gained an insight into what school life is like through tours of the grounds, sharing our love for music, conversation with the students and even a taste of their food! Throughout the tour, the girls were constantly lending a helping hand, packing and carrying instruments, working as a team and encouraging each other in their performances.

Reflecting on the tour, there are so many highlights it would be impossible to list them all. However, the new energy that has flooded from the incredible experiences of the tour into the excitement for music at MLC School is very clearly evident and leaves us all in anticipation for what’s to come next.”

CLARA JANSSEN / 2019 MUSIC CAPTAIN

“The music tour provided ample opportunities for us to work with leading classical musicians and to attend performances by world-class orchestras. In particular, we had the privilege of participating in orchestral and conducting workshops with Tahlia Petrosian, a violist in the renowned Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and with Professor Ray Holden at the Royal Academy of Music in London. We were also fortunate enough to have attended concerts of the soloists of Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, witnessing the prowess of two of the world’s leading orchestras.”

CHARIS CHIU / 2019 CAPTAIN OF ORCHESTRAS 1 Students in Pompeii. 2 St Peters Square, Vatican City, Roma. 3 St Thomas Church, Leipzig, Germany.

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WOW (WORLD OF WEARABLE ART) TOUR This tour offered 16 Year 10 and Year 11 girls the opportunity to visit Nelson and Wellington, New Zealand, for a week to participate in various interactive workshops and experiences to inspire and encourage creativity and self-expression.

The tour was available to girls studying, or thinking about studying, Textiles and Design, Design and Technology, Food Technology, Hospitality, Multimedia, Visual Arts, Software Design or Information Technology.

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The finale of the tour was attending a WOW (World of Wearable Art) Awards Show in Nelson, which is a huge theatrical production where amazing works of wearable art, created by designers world-wide, come to life on stage.

DUKE OF EDINBURGH GOLD TRIP TO FIJI The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is very popular at MLC School, and the number of girls achieving their Gold Award increases every year. MLC School has one of the highest completion rates in the Gold level of any school in NSW. In April, 13 of our Year 11 girls went to Fiji to complete various activities necessary to attain the Gold Award. The girls stayed with host families in Nasuori Highlands and became part of their extended family. An important part of the trip involved service work. The girls helped build a path that leads to the community centre from another part of the village. They soon realised the impact of the path, having learnt first-hand how slippery and dangerous the route currently is in rain, especially for the elderly.

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1 Giving Gandalf a hug at the WETA Workshop, Wellington. 2 Group shot in Fiji.

Eva Telemachou (Year 11) said, “During that week, all my worries about being out of my comfort zone eased away. It didn’t take long for us to get to know our host families and feel like we were at home. We were given the opportunity to experience a completely different way of life which was a highlight not only for me but also for many other girls. One of the most memorable experiences was the connections we formed, not only with our leaders from Rustic Pathways but also with our host families and all the children in the village.”

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A career flying high Opportunities for women in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) have grown exponentially over the years.

The ADF promotes equal opportunities and a flexible and balanced lifestyle.

history. Whilst there, we were privileged to not only listen to the empowering stories shared by multiple women from a variety of roles in the ADF, but also to receive a tour of the island and gain a greater insight into life within the ADF. At the conclusion of the day, we were ferried back to HMAS Kuttabul, where we were seen off by the ADF personnel.

I couldn’t have pictured spending International Women’s Day any better way than with the inspiring members of the ADF, and the 19 young women, with whom I was fortunate to share this experience.”

Alex Harbridge, currently in Year 12, is applying to the Australian Defence Force Academy this year. Her dream is to become a pilot and she has participated in many opportunities at the ADF over the last few years.

During the recent school holidays, Alex headed to Canberra to sit for the Aviation Screening Program (ASP) and the Officer Selection Board (OSB) in preparation for selection as a General Service Officer (GSO) Army Pilot.

Recently, Alex and Madeleine Murphy (Year 12) were invited to participate in the International Women’s Day Experience with the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

These opportunities often arise and the Careers Department encourage and help facilitate girls with the application process.

“We started off the day by arriving at HMAS Kuttabul, where we received a briefing on what to expect for the day. Shortly after, we were ferried across to Spectacle Island, a depository of historical artefacts, holding more than 100 years of the Royal Australian Navy’s

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Alex is hoping to follow in the footsteps of MLC School Old Girl, Sophie Wheen (2014), who is studying at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) to become a helicopter pilot in the Royal Australian Navy.

From Year 10, Sophie held an ambition to one day become a helicopter pilot in the Navy.

Sophie followed her dream with Year 10 Work Experience at HMAS Albatross at Jervis Bay and this cemented her desire to apply for the Defence Force.

During Year 12, Sophie embarked on a series of additional tests, psychometric evaluations and interviews before finally being offered a position with the Navy. She commenced in 2015 and after the first six weeks of intensive Military training, she spent the next six months at sea. Following this Sophie went to ADFA and now, after three years is about to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Aviation.

“I am really excited about commencing my intensive pilot training. I’ll start in fixed wing aircraft and then move onto helicopters. It’s such a dream,” said Sophie on a recent visit back to MLC School.

“Being in the Defence Force has offered me some amazing opportunities including extensive travel to different parts of the world and the chance to meet people from all walks of life.”

CATHY ROACH / WORK INTEGRATED LEARNING CO-ORDINATOR LORETTA TOOLE / HEAD OF CAREERS AND ACADEMIC ADVISING 1 Alex Harbridge at an ADF Aviation Camp, at International Womens’ Day Event. 2 Sophie Wheen with senior students in the Careers Centre at MLC School.

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MLC School

women and girls in

science According to the United Nations, ‘A significant gender gap has persisted throughout the years at all levels of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines all over the world.

Even though women have made tremendous progress towards increasing their participation in higher education, they are still under-represented in these fields.’

MLC School has a long history of setting new standards for girls in Science. Our first Science lab was built in 1924, and Chemistry and Physics were promptly added to the curriculum. MLC School thus became the first school in the State to present girls for the Leaving Certificate in Physics.

Maintaining that proud tradition, MLC School girls still embrace the many opportunities on offer in Science. In the December break, 23 girls, accompanied by Science Teacher, Tracy Getts, headed off to visit NASA’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas, and Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama for an experience that can only be described as ‘out of this world’.

The girls built and tested rockets and heat shields, participated in simulated space missions, learned how the incredible vision of making it to the Moon became a reality, participated in other Science projects such as performing a full shark dissection, building an electric generator, and learning leadership skills. All girls came back richer for the experience and full of grand ideas about their futures in Science.

According to Gloria Lim, Year 10. “Last December, a lucky handful of 23 girls (and Ms Getts) took on a truly amazing

once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – we went to SPACE CAMP!!!

“Yes, ‘space’ is cool. Scratch that, it’s literally just a whole world outside of our own that we have yet to truly discover. But don’t worry, this isn’t like a Summer School where you learn about astrophysics for 10 hours a day, 7 days a week…

Space Camp is a whole variety of opportunities and cultural experiences.

It might have just been two weeks, but it will be a time that I will never forget.”

Some of these girls may very well follow in the footsteps of two extraordinary MLC School Old Girls, Dr Liz Dennis (1960) and Professor Elizabeth New (2000), who have carved out exceptional careers in Science and have recently be recognised for their achievements. They continue the tradition of many Old Girls who have been and are pioneers in Science and Medicine.

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DR LIZ DENNIS (1960)

PROFESSOR ELIZABETH NEW (2000)

We congratulate these two outstanding Old Girls for their achievements and recognition in science.

Eminent plant molecular biologist and PhD graduate from the University of Sydney, Liz received a Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AC) in the 2019 Australia Day Honours List ‘For eminent service to science as a researcher and academic in the area of genomics and plant development, and to professional organisations.’

While at MLC School, Liz Dennis was an outstanding all-rounder. In 1960, Liz graduated from MLC School as Dux of the College, Sports Captain for Churunga, Senior Swimming and Diving Champion, and was in one of the MLC School Tildesley Tennis teams who won the Tildesley Shield.

In an interview with Professor Frank Gibson (2000), he asked, “Do you think something in your family background, or perhaps your schooling, Liz, led you to choose to study science? ” Liz’s response was: “I was the eldest of three girls and my parents were very supportive of any academic aspirations I had. I think my father would have liked me to be an engineer, like him and his father before him, but I always had the expectation of going to university and then following a career. I went to Methodist Ladies College, a girls’ private school which was very good, and unusually supportive of women. Its philosophy was that you shouldn’t not do anything because you’re

a woman, and so it provided courses for us like Physics honours and Chemistry honours, which were unusual then. As a young girl I was always keen on chemistry.

Reading stories of Madame Curie, I decided I wanted to be like her. I think she was the only heroic figure I had in my early childhood. Then at MLC we had a very good Chemistry teacher – she had a PhD in Chemistry, and was outstanding in those days – who gave us a real interest in chemistry.”

After leaving MLC School, Liz studied a Bachelor of Science at University of Sydney and graduated with BSc (Hons 1st Class), and was also awarded a University ‘Blue’ for Softball. Liz then went on to complete a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the laboratory of Dr Julius Marmur at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA – supported by the Anna Fuller Fund.

In 2000, Liz was a joint recipient (alongside her CSIRO colleague, Dr Jim Peacock) of the inaugural Prime Minister’s Prize for Science.

Since 2014, Liz has been at the University of Technology as Distinguished Professor, School of Life Sciences. From 1991-2014, she was Chief Research Scientist, Division of Plant History at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Liz is currently a chief scientist at the plant division of CSIRO Canberra.

Professor Elizabeth New (2000) is a member of The University of Sydney Nano Institute and won the 2018 3M Eureka Prize for Emerging Leader in Science. The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes reward excellence in the fields of research and innovation, leadership, science engagement and school science.

Elizabeth is regarded as one of Australia’s brightest young inorganic chemists, her leadership extends beyond her research to encompass teaching, outreach and mentoring. Committed to developing the next generation of scientists, she has built a strong network of collaborators and works tirelessly to improve research culture and environments.

Whilst at MLC School, Elizabeth excelled in all areas of School life and was a true all-rounder – attaining her Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award and participating in Chemistry and Mathematics Olympiads; she played Netball; was a member of both the Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra and was a Debater.

MLC School is committed to providing our girls with the highest quality Science education, so they too can become leading women in the Scientific fields of endeavour.

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Arts

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE Showcasing their full array of talent, girls in Year 3, Year 4 and Year 5 were magnificent in last year’s production of The Pirates of Penzance.

From the moment the pirate ship sailed onto the stage, the band of pirates, the bevy of daring girls and the disorganised English bobbies entertained their appreciative audience. The singing, dancing and acting was exceptional, and it was enormous fun for everyone involved.

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MIDDLE YEARS DRAMA COMPANY – INTO THE WOODS JR Into the Woods JR is the first junior musical the Middle Years Drama Company has performed and what a success it was.

The girls spent over a term creating their characters, learning the various songs and choreography for the performance night, and their hard-work was evident in their polished production and delivery.

During the rehearsal period, they also attended the Junior Musical Competition in Newcastle where the girls won an award for ‘Outstanding Vocals’.

EARLY YEARS MUSICAL – THE GRUMPY SHEEP At the end of 2018 our Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 girls delighted us with two performances of The Grumpy Sheep.

This traditional Christmas Nativity story is centred around a very grumpy sheep, who does not want to travel the long distance to see the Baby Jesus.

The shepherds, the rest of her flock, the Wise Men and their camels force the grumpy sheep to accompany them to Bethlehem.

When the grumpy sheep arrives at the stable and meets the Baby King, she sees the error of her ways and is sorry she has been so grumpy. She even learns to smile.

And there was nothing to take the smile from the audience’s face as the cast shone through the entire production, delighting the audience with their freshness and exuberance.

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ANNUAL MUSIC GALA CONCERT The Sydney Town Hall is a breathtaking venue and the MLC School musicians once again rose to the occasion for the 2018 Gala Music Concert. The breadth and quality of the performances were exceptional. Highlights included Bric-a-Brac, a piece composed by School Captain Jane Liu, and Wave, an Australian debut piece by Kerry Andrew, which was performed by the Senior, Year 6 and Year 8 Choirs. It was also very special to welcome the 2018 Year 12 Music class to acknowledge their individual achievements and contributions to the music during their time at the School.

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DANCE SHOWCASE MLC School’s talented curricular and co-curricular dance students from Year 6 to Year 12 interpreted famous artworks from around the world in 2018 Dance Showcase, Beyond the Frame. Performances communicated ideas stimulated by an appreciation of Art history, spanning from the Renaissance period of Leonardo Da Vinci to the modern street art scene of the illusive Banksy. This officially marked our fourth consecutive year performing at NIDA’s largest theatre space, offering our girls the opportunity to perform and celebrate their achievements in an authentic and professional setting.

The highly anticipated annual event is an opportunity for girls to perform routines they

have been developing over many months, though in many respects it is the collaboration and camaraderie between Junior and Senior School girls in preparation for this evening that has as much impact as the performance itself. Year 11 Entertainment students also play a significant role as the production allows them to hone their skills in set design, staging and lighting.

Co-curricular dance at MLC School is an inclusive program that caters to students both new to dance and with existing dance training. In 2018, there was just shy of 400 enrolments from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12. Classes ran in Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Composition, Pom and Ballet Conditioning with a focus of technical development and performance opportunities for interested students.

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Sport

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MLC School girls enjoy the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of sports. We are proud to share some recent highlights.

GOLD FOR ANNALIESE YAN Annaliese Yan (Year 6), struck gold in the first few months of 2019.

Annaliese swam in the Speedo Sprints Carnival, where she took out three firsts in 50m freestyle, 50m breaststroke and 50m butterfly.

At the recent NSW Junior State Age Championships at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre (SOPAC), Annaliese finished with three gold medals in 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke and 200m breaststroke.

She also won a bronze medal in the 50m freestyle.

After her success at the IPSHA Swimming Carnival, representing MLC School, Annaliese progressed to the NSW Combined Independent Schools (CIS) Swimming Carnival where she won the 50m breaststroke, 50m and 100m freestyle, and a third place in the 40 x 50m relay and 50m butterfly.

During one particular week in March, Annaliese swam in three carnivals, achieving outstanding results. She represented MLC School at the Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPSHA) Swimming Carnival and came away with firsts in 50m freestyle, breaststroke, and 100m freestyle.

A few days later, Annaliese swam in the MLC School Senior House Swimming Carnival, where she was awarded Age Champion as well as Overall Swimming Champion – a huge achievement for someone in Year 6. On the very next day,

Annaliese also represented MLC School at the NSW Primary Schools Sports Association (NSWPSSA) Swimming Carnival in April, winning Silver medals for the 5 x 50 metre All Age Free Relay and the 50m breaststroke.

She has now qualified to represent NSW in five events at the School Sport Australia Swimming Championships, to be held in July.

Annaliese started swimming in Kindergarten at the Learn to Swim program at MLC Aquatic Centre, and has represented MLC School in carnivals since she was in Year 2.

IMOGEN GREENSLADE (YEAR 12) Imogen Greenslade (Year 12) represented NSW at the recent U20 Australian Basketball Championships, where the team took our Silver at the tournament.

Imogen continues to maintain a very busy schedule of school and basketball commitments during her final year.

RUGBY AND AFL COMES TO MLC SCHOOL MLC School entered their first teams in both Rugby and AFL competitions in recent months, expanding the number of sports on offer to 19.

1 Annaliese Yan in her gold winning swim. 2 Imogen Greenslade representing NSW. 3 MLC School’s first Rugby team. 4 Jessie Phelps (left) and Chloe Gentle (right) with their winning medals.

LUCIS WINTER 2019

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SURF LIFESAVING WORLD CHAMPIONS

U18 2km, I won Silver in the Opens 2km a few days later.

Saving World Titles, as they are only held every two years.

In December 2018, Jessie Phelps (Year 10) and Chloe Gentle (Year 12) participated in the Surf Lifesaving World Championships, both winning two World Titles each.

How long have you been involved in Lifesaving?

Jessie Phelps (Year 10): What events did you win in the World Championships?

Jessie and Chloe’s long-term coach praised both girls. ‘The dedication and commitment these two showed all year was relentless, which is what it takes to win at the elite level. Chloe even trained with a broken rib, which she suffered seven weeks out from the event. With all the current talk on resilience being the real buzz word in sport, Chloe didn’t talk about it, she just demonstrated it.’

Chloe Gentle (Year 12): What events did you win in the World Championships?

At the 2018 Surf Lifesaving World Championships in Adelaide, I competed in the U18 2km beach run and 2x 1km relay with Jessie Phelps, along with the Opens 2km beach run and 2 x 1km relay. Jessie and I won Gold in our relay, and won the Opens relay as well. After coming 5th in the

I have been involved in Surf Life Saving since I was around five or six, when I started nippers at Brighton. I moved to Wanda Surf Life Saving Club in 2013 and have been competing in the 2km sand event since then.

How much training do you do?

My training consists of sand, track, trail and gym session, so over all I usually do around 6-7 sessions a week.

Will you be participating in competitions during Year 12?

I’ll continue to compete on the sand this year, which will involve participating in a range of races from smaller, local runs to national titles. I competed at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships or ‘Aussies’ in Queensland. Throughout this year I will continue with my training and racing in preparation for the 2020 Surf Life

I won the 2km youth soft sand race and Chloe and I won the 2km youth soft sand relay (1km each).

How long have you been involved in Lifesaving?

I have been involved in Surf Life Saving for three years now and I do it at Wanda Surf Life Saving Club.

How much training do you do?

I train 4-5 times a week for running.

Will you be participating in competitions this year?

Yes, I competed at the Aussie titles in Queensland.

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YEAR 3 TO YEAR 5 SWIMMING CARNIVAL The Junior School Swimming Carnival is always a great community event supported by staff and families. Each girl swam at least one race, demonstrating the skills they learnt during their Intensive Swimming Program. Our competitive swimmers also showcased their talents in the Championship races.

Congratulations to Booralee who were the overall winners on the day.

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SENIOR SCHOOL SWIMMING CARNIVAL The House Swimming Carnival was a fantastic day filled with lots of colour, noise and fun. The focus of the Carnival is on participation and to enter in as many events as you can to gain points for your House.

Congratulations to Abbeythorpe, who were the Synchronised Swimming Winners, Prescott who were the House Spirit Winners. The Overall House Champions were Leawarra.

5 Years 3-6 Swimming carnival. 6 Years 7-12 Swimming carnival.

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THEY PLAY NETBALL IN DISNEYLAND DON’T THEY? During the April school holidays, two MLC School Netball teams, made up of girls under 12 and under 14, spent two weeks in France and England challenging themselves against teams from across Europe.

Part of this trip included a Netball tournament in Disneyland Paris. MLC School’s two teams achieved great success and exhibited a level of spirit and sportsmanship that was widely recognised. Congratulations to the Under 14 team, which won the tournament and were named 2019 Junior World Netball Festival Champions. The Under 12 team placed third and won the team spirit award, which was voted by the umpires, a very fine achievement.

In England, the games were held at St George’s School, Ascot; 5 Ways Netball Academy, Brighton and Edge Grove Preparatory School, Watford. Games were a much tighter contest against these schools and clubs. The MLC School teams had to strengthen their game play and resolve to power through the matches. The girls

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gained invaluable experience and developed their team work and communication skills. The under 12 team shone under pressure, taking out 2nd place in the mini tournament in Ascot.

There was also The Tower of London, Hop On Hop Off bus, Shakespeare’s Globe, hobnobbing with royalty at Windsor, beach volleyball at Bright Beach and shopping.

Of course, there was also time for some sightseeing around London. One of the highlights being London Eye, discovering the entire city together at such a great height presented so many selfie opportunities!

According to Head of Sport, Lisa Filby, “It was a great experience for the girls as they developed independence, responsibility, resilience and determination.”

7 Netball tournament in Disney Paris.

LUCIS WINTER 2019

Community

PRINCIPAL’S WELCOME COCKTAIL RECEPTION Almost 600 parents and guardians celebrated the new school year at the Principal’s Welcome Cocktail Reception.

MOTHERS DAY CLASSIC WALK Pink was everywhere as more than 200 members of the MLC School community participated in the Mother’s Day Classic.

P&F GOLF DAY The Annual P&F Golf Day was another spectacular success and much fun was had by all.

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Reunions 20-year Reunion It was a wonderful afternoon when the Old Girls from 1998 gathered to catch up in CafĂŠ 1886.

International Reunions Reunions in New York, London, Hong Kong and Singapore have recently been held to coincide with Principal, Lisa Moloney, other travels.

These events have enabled Old Girls and, in some cases, future parents to mingle. In each city there have been fascinating stories of enduring friendships, plus the opportunity for Old Girls to be introduced to a new network of contacts.

LUCIS WINTER 2019

MLC School Old Girls are invited to attend the following reunions at MLC School:

40-year Reunion

Class of 1979 40 Year Reunion

Saturday 27 July 2019

2pm

There was no stopping the fun and laughter from the Old Girls from 1978 at their reunion in November.

Class of 1999 20 Year Reunion

Saturday 27 July 2019

2pm

Class of 1989 30 Year Reunion

Saturday 17 August 2019

2pm

Class of 2009 10 Year Reunion

Saturday 17 August 2019

2pm

Sapphires’ Luncheon

Tuesday 15 October 2019

12.30pm– 2.30pm

Sapphires' Luncheon In October 2018 we welcomed 125 of our Old Girls for the annual Sapphires’ Luncheon. For the first time this year we had an ‘Old Boy’ attend the Luncheon – Greg Higgins was a student at MLC School from Nursery in 1940 to Kindergarten in 1942 and we were delighted he could join us.

The highlight of the day was when our 11 oldest Sapphires were presented with flowers by our Junior School students who are the daughters of Old Girls. Nola Hewitt (Freeson, 1938) and little Poppy Frederick (Pre-Kindergarten), our first 5th generation student directly through the matriarchal line, joined hands to cut the ceremonial cake together.

To book for these reunions see: https://www.mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au/our-community/reunions or please contact MLC School events Coordinator Jillian Avramis on 02 8741 3180 or email javramis@mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au

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A UNITING CHURCH DAY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, PRE-KINDERGARTEN TO YEAR 12 Rowley Street, Burwood NSW 2134 Australia PO Box 643 Burwood 1805 Ph +61 2 9747 1266 Fax +61 2 9745 3254 enquiries@mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au ABN 75 549 644 535 CRICOS No. 02328D The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) (trading as MLC School)

mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au