MLC School’s goal for each girl when she graduates is to be:
– Compassionate to herself, interacting with others with kindness and celebrating diversity
– Courageous in her pursuits, expressing herself honestly and with integrity to live a life with purpose
– Capable of navigating change, showing leadership in adapting to the multiple paths that her future will take
– Connected to the legacy of MLC School, using it to inspire her to be an agent of change in her world
EDITORIAL
Michele Dunn
Barbara Hoffman
Amelia Morgano
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Nicole Anderson
Wendy Chung
Tracy Mock
Amelia Morgano
Maria Rulloda MLC School community
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HONOURING THE CLASS OF 2025
MLC School acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which the School is located, the Wangal of the Eora Nation, and pays respect to Elders past and present.
SHAPING THE FUTURE
ST. HELEN’S
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
It is my pleasure to welcome you to this edition of Lucis, which is a celebration of our remarkable staff and the many ways in which we foster professional growth, collaboration and lifelong learning within our school community. At MLC School, we believe that education is a journey not only for students, but also for our staff. Our commitment to continuous improvement is deeply embedded in our culture, and we proudly support our staff as learners and leaders.
We value diversity in our team—embracing a rich mix of ages, experiences, backgrounds, and expertise. This blend of perspectives strengthens our school and enables us to meet the unique needs of a diverse range of learners. It is also essential that our staff reflect the broader community, contributing to the vibrant, inclusive environment that makes MLC School so distinctive.
Over the past seven years, five of our staff members have advanced to principal positions at independent schools, while many others have moved into deputy and leadership roles. This track record attests to our reputation as a nurturing ground for senior leadership; attracting talented educators who share our passion for empowering girls and upholding the values of MLC School and the Uniting Church.
Our investment in teaching excellence starts early, beginning with the MLC School Teacher Education Scholarship through the University of Sydney. This initiative allows us to support Master of Teaching (Secondary) students with internships at our school, shaping the next generation of inspiring educators. The first
recipient of this scholarship, Kevinly Santoso, transitioned from a career in mechatronic engineering to teaching mathematics, science and physics. His dedication has inspired students to see these subjects as keys to understanding the world. As one student shared, “Mr Santoso, when I talk to you— whether about math or life—it feels like anything is possible.”
Such moments are at the heart of great teaching. At MLC School, we believe that the best educators ignite curiosity, confidence and compassion in their students. They foster inclusive classrooms where every learner feels seen and valued, demonstrate intellectual strength and embrace new technologies to enhance education.
Our ongoing goal is to continually improve student outcomes while cultivating a workplace that attracts and retains outstanding educators and support staff. I hope you enjoy reading this issue and join me in celebrating the achievements and aspirations of our exceptional team.
EXCELLENCE 140 YEARS of
JOIN IN THE CELEBRATIONS
MLC School warmly invites our community to celebrate a remarkable milestone: our 140 th anniversary in 2026.
The program of events will honour the School’s heritage, spirit and excellence in educating young women.
Multigenerational High Tea
– 140 Year Celebrations
Sunday 8 March, 2pm
(International Women’s Day)
London Reception – House of Lords
Tuesday 24 March
Back to College Day – 140 Year Celebrations, Boarders Lunch and Alumnae Awards Dinner
Friday 1 May
Reunions: 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 Years
Saturday 2 May, 2pm
140 Year Anniversary Gala Dinner
– Sydney Hilton Hotel
Saturday 13 June
We look forward to welcoming Old Girls, past parents/ carers and staff, along with current students, families and staff to honour this School’s shared legacy.
Dare to be More: A New Way to Experience MLC School
Dare to Be More is the official podcast of MLC School, where we explore the unique journey of educating and empowering young women to become future leaders.
Each episode delivers practical wisdom and inspiring stories that showcase MLC School’s 140 year legacy of nurturing confident, compassionate, and courageous young women who dare to be more.
Join us for conversations with educators, students, alumnae, and experts who share insights on girls’ education, academic excellence, character development, and preparing young women for a changing world.
Whether you’re a current or prospective parent, student, or alumnae, this podcast offers valuable perspectives on fostering the next generation of female leaders.
Upcoming topics include:
• MLC School’s Vision and Values
• Focusing on the Whole Girl
• Why Girls Schools are more Important than ever Before
• Academic Development in the Junior School
• What Learning Looks like Today
• The Power of Music in Education
• Inspiring Journeys of Alumnae Award Winners
• Navigating Friendships in the Junior School
• Developing Leadership
• Perfectionism in Girls
Subscribe to Dare to be More today! Search ’Dare to be More’ on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Honouring the Class of 2025 A WEEK OF CELEBRATION
The final week at MLC School was a series of unforgettable events that blended joy, nostalgia and a touch of sadness. From the OGU Chocolate Recess to the House farewells and Final Assembly, the Year 12 girls were showered with affection and gratitude for their contributions to the School. Year 12 students who began their education in Pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten received personalised cards from the current girls.
Year 12’s last day was rich with traditions, starting with the Paver Ceremony which acknowledged their legacy and journey so far. This was followed by the Valedictory Service and Assembly, where parents/carers, and staff formally farewelled the graduating class. The culmination of the Assembly was the guard of honour, where students and staff from across the School lined a path to cheer the girls on as they made their way through the School grounds. That night, the Valedictory Dinner, was a chance for some relaxation and plenty of dancing.
ST. HELEN’S
From Former Prime Minister’s Home to Local Landmark
MLC School’s latest property acquisition, St. Helen’s, a beautiful late Victorian era character home, has a history that begins more than 130 years ago. Located at 1 Rowley Street, this building has been known by various names over the years, including St Helens, St Helen’s, and St Helena, but the School has settled upon St. Helen’s as it appears on its nameplate.
The Surrounding Landscape
When you look at MLC School today, it’s hard to conceive that Rowley Street was described as a ‛wasteland’ in the 1883 Burwood Council Rates Book.
Burwood Road looking south c. 1850s
When the MLC School Council purchased Miss Lester’s Kent House in 1885 on the area now known as the School’s main entrance –Gate 1, it is unlikely that they imagined the School would one day encompass neighbouring properties and total 4.2356 hectares.*
So, who were our early neighbours? The first building on the north side of Rowley Street was ’Mayfield’, built by senior builder George Nicholls in 1891. It is likely that he was involved in the construction of St. Helen’s (completed around 1892), however there is no definitive evidence. The first building on the southside of Rowley Street (between Park and Wentworth Roads) was ’Tynilba’, completed in 1889 by W. C. Reilly. By 1892, Tynilba was occupied by the Perdriau family whose two daughters enrolled into kindergarten at MLC School: Clarice in 1892 and Vera in 1895.
Shaping Young Women and Education
The first published "commercial" use of St. Helen’s was as a boarding house operated by Mrs Edward Griffith from 1894 to 1896. Following this, an MLC School family, the Walker family, resided at St. Helen’s, albeit briefly. William Walker’s daughter, Nelly (or Nellie) (cohort circa 1898) enrolled in May 1896, aged around 15 years. Her father unfortunately died later that year, so it is likely the family returned to Melbourne soon after.
St. Helen’s role in the education of young women commenced in 1909 when Addison College opened ’for young ladies, as residents and day pupils.’ Miss Agnes Mary Stonier, who founded the College and oversaw its running for 17 years, was farewelled on 26 March 1926. Her successor, Miss S. E. Terry became the Principal, but within a year, the College had closed.
For 13 years, from 2010 to 2023, St. Helen’s was the site of the Montessori Inner West Early Childhood Preschool. The interior was described as resembling Dr Maria Montessori’s first school, Casa del Bambini, which started in 1907.
* As at July 2025.
A Building with Many Lives
From 1898 to 1904, ’Captain’ William Albert Brailsford Greaves, a free settler from England who was a grazier and government surveyor (and who laid out the towns of Katoomba and Leura in the Blue Mountains) resided at St. Helen’s with his son Horace Herbert Mayne Greaves (a dentist) and his daughter Mary Emily Louisa Greaves (domestic duties).
W.A.B. Greaves, a North Coast pioneer, determined the boundary (the 29 th parallel of south latitude) between the colonies of NSW and Queensland in approximately 1867.
There are records of William Grimshaw Williams owning St. Helen’s from 1900 to 1925. He was a timber merchant based in Ashfield (who resided at 186 or 200 Wardell Road, Dulwich Hill which is now part of
St Maroun’s College). Mr Williams died in 1916, and his estate was left to his wife, Caroline Milne Williams (née Kyle).
The transfer of ownership links become less clear after this. What we do know is that around 1926, ownership transferred to James Milne (a grazier) and his wife Daisy. ’Milne’ was Caroline Williams’ middle name and her mother’s maiden name, so it is thought that the Milnes may have been extended family members. Their daughter was Mrs L. S. Esdaile, whose husband was a sergeant with the A.I.F, but a ’Miss Milne’ inherited St. Helen’s from James and Daisy Milne. Following the death of Miss Milne, ownership passed to Mrs B. Millis around 1970 who remained the owner until at least 1982. It was the Milne family who converted St. Helen’s into three flats in 1929, which and it remained that way right up to the 1980s and possibly beyond.
Montessori Inner West Early Childhood Preschool
Former Prime Minister's Home
What is most surprising is that St. Helen’s housed a very notable resident, the Right Honourable Sir George Houstoun Reid, GCB, GCMG, KC. He is remembered as Australia’s fourth Prime Minister (for 10 months and 17 days), New South Wales’ 12th Premier and Treasurer, Australia’s first federal Leader of the Opposition and the Federal government’s first High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. It is possible that he moved into the property following his resignation from Prime Ministership on 5 July 1905. George Reid’s legacy is acknowledged through the naming of one of Canberra’s oldest suburbs, Reid, and the NSW Federal electoral Division of Reid (created in 1922) which bear his name.
Restoration and Preservation
MLC School recently undertook an ambitious restoration project to transform St. Helen’s from a former preschool facility into a fully functional administration hub. This project aimed to accommodate the School’s IT and Finance teams and provide extra archive space, reflecting MLC School’s commitment to future-focused infrastructure while still preserving rich historical legacy.
The building required extensive upgrades to meet modern office standards, including new bathrooms and kitchen, updated electrical
and lighting systems, data cabling and a new mechanical system. Major structural repairs were essential to ensure the building’s safety and longevity, hopefully for at least another 133 years!
Despite the challenges, the builder Reitsma and project team made a conscious effort to retain and restore key period features such as the original timber floors, ornate ceilings, and the external steel columns of the verandah. MLC School’s Facilities Manager, Martin Homola explains that ’…the decision to preserve these heritage elements was driven by both aesthetic and cultural values, blending the old with the new to create a space that is both functional and inspiring.’
The restored St. Helen’s now stands as a testament to MLC School’s dedication and role as a steward of history within the Inner West community.
George Reid, Florence Reid and their children (left to right) Douglas, Thelma and Clive, in London c. 1915. National Library of Australia, My Reminiscences, Cassell, London, 1917
Renovation
MLC School is grateful to Katarzyna Malicka, Local Heritage Librarian, Burwood Council, who provided detailed information on the owners of St. Helen’s and greatly expanded the knowledge of its various uses over the years.
SHAPING THE FUTURE
STAFF DEVELOPMENT AS A STRATEGIC FOCUS
At MLC School, professional development is more than a mandatory part of school life. The Executive, Council and community celebrate forward-thinking staff who place the girl at the heart of each girl’s learning journey.
With innovation, reflection and strategic growth, staff members exemplify a commitment to excellence that shapes not only their own practice, but the future of teaching and learning at MLC School.
We’ve curated several staff stories that will inspire, challenge and affirm the power of purposeful development.
TECH FOR GOOD: LESSONS FROM MICROSOFT’S CAMPUS
BY STEVE SWARTS, HEAD OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Visiting Microsoft’s global headquarters in Redmond, WA, United States at the end of March wasn’t just a professional development trip; it was an immersive deep dive into the future of education. This experience allowed me to explore how technology can profoundly impact MLC School students and staff.
Our School has long embraced Microsoft technologies, and for good reason. From the familiar tools that students use daily such as Word and PowerPoint, to the robust security protecting our networks, Microsoft provides an integrated and reliable digital ecosystem that supports modern learning. Our relationship extends beyond just software; it’s about leveraging innovation to empower our school community.
Microsoft recognises its significant role in global education and proactively invites leaders like me to its headquarters. Their aim is clear: to collaborate, share groundbreaking research and ensure that the tools and strategies they develop genuinely empower every learner and educator on the planet. My visit also included education leaders from Kindergarten to Year 12 and higher education institutions from across the globe, united by a shared interest in navigating the exciting landscape of AI and digital transformation.
The three days in Redmond were spent unpacking the future thanks to countless thought-provoking sessions. From the outset, Microsoft’s Industry Lead (Partner and General Manager) for Microsoft Worldwide Education, Kate Maxwell, set the vision by sharing ‘AI isn’t here to replace human intelligence, but to amplify it’. This resonated deeply as one of many “wow” moments; I feel that the technology is about empowering, not automating away, the unique spark of human creativity and ingenuity.
One of my biggest "wow" moments was during an immersive Future of Modern Work With Copilot session. Many examples featured university applications such as Swinburne University dramatically cutting their report writing time, or The University of Technology Sydney reviewing contracts in minutes – and while we are an organisation that’s not the same size,
it was immediately clear how these efficiencies could be embraced at MLC School. Imagine our teachers, the largest body of staff, saving several hours completing their administrative tasks. This potential efficiency gain was truly eye-opening as it would enable the valuable time for more personalised student interactions.
I was also fascinated by the breadth of Microsoft’s research. Microsoft Vice President of Copilot Tuning in M365 Copilot and Agri-Food’s Chief Technology Officer, Ranveer Chandra, presented on AI trends across industries including advancements to Agri-Food Systems thanks to tools such as the Agri Copilot. What I didn’t expect was how these seemingly distant innovations could inspire real-world problem-solving for our STEM students – connecting classroom theory to global challenges like sustainable farming.
A particular highlight was learning from the University of South Florida’s Chief Information Officer and Vice President Digital Experiences, Sidney Fernandes. Their Student Ambassador Program has been set up to empower students with AI skills and this was incredibly inspiring. It hammered home the point that AI literacy isn’t just for tech roles; it’s a foundational skill for every student, preparing them for a future where employers increasingly demand these capabilities. This confirmed MLC School’s belief that we need to shift towards capability-driven learning, ensuring that students are not just consumers of content, but become skilled navigators of an AI-integrated world.
Microsoft’s General Manager of Enterprise Data and AI Governance, Karthik Ravindran, led a crucial discussion on Preparing Enterprise Data Estates For AI Adoption, stressing the importance of responsible AI governance. In an age of deep fakes and privacy concerns, ensuring our School’s data and AI usage is safe and ethical is paramount. Likewise, his insights into cybersecurity in education highlighted the increasing threats that schools face and the need for robust protections to safeguard student data and our network.
The commitment to sustainability as part of the bigger picture was tangible. Sadie Williams, Senior Director of Sustainability Product Marketing, shared how Microsoft’s own state-of-the-art campus operates. Powered partly by its own thermal energy centre and rainwater harvesting, it was amazing to see AI’s role beyond the classroom in action as it aided in optimising energy grids and in searching for greener materials.
My visit to Microsoft was more than just about knowledge acquisition; it was about solidifying a vision for our School’s technological future. As a result of these learnings, MLC School’s IT team have been and will continue to action several key initiatives:
Copilot for Improved Staff Efficiency: We’re piloting Copilot tools for administrative tasks across our administrative staff, aiming to free up valuable time for more impactful work.
Reinforcing Cybersecurity Measures: Cybersecurity protocols will continue to be reviewed and strengthened, ensuring that student data and school networks remain secure against evolving threats.
Fostering a Culture of Digital Fluency: We will champion an environment where digital fluency and AI skills are seen as essential for every student, preparing them for the demands of the modern workforce.
I’ve truly seen the critical importance of staying at the forefront of technological advancements while amongst my peers in the global educational landscape. I am incredibly excited about the profoundly positive impact these insights gained from Microsoft will have on our educational community on the ground, as we prepare the girls not just for current challenges, but for a future where AI fluency is as essential as traditional literacy.
EXPANDING PROFESSIONAL PRACTIC
E THROUGH GLOBAL LEARNING IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM)
BY MARIE CASSAR, STEM COORDINATOR AND JUNIOR SCHOOL HOUSE PATRON – LEAWARRA
As a STEM educator at MLC School, I’m deeply committed to ongoing learning. This allows me to refine my own practice and ensure that the experiences I offer my students remain innovative, purposeful and grounded in the latest research. Last year, I expressed my interest in the Old Girls’ Union (OGU) Scholarship which allows a staff member to attend the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS) Conference.
This is a renowned opportunity to meet with girls’ school advocates and educators from around the world to network, share best practices, learn about emerging educational trends and to listen to keynote presenters who offer their inspirational perspectives. I was honoured to be able to attend the conference in 2024 which was held in Baltimore, USA. It means so much as an Old Girl myself to have the OGU’s support towards my career development, but also as a current parent seeing my daughters grow up in this multigenerational culture of support. This global gathering of educators from girls’ schools around the world was a truly energising experience that expanded my perspective on what is possible in STEM education. At the conference, I connected with many educational leaders who are redefining how girls engage with STEM. Their insights affirmed much of my current practice, particularly the value of interdisciplinary learning and the importance of nurturing creativity, resilience and leadership in young women.
One theme that resonated powerfully was the idea that it is more important for girls to be courageous than perfect. This aligns strongly with how I design learning experiences that encourage experimentation, embrace failure as part of the innovation process and allow students to grow through challenge.
I was also struck by the emphasis on moving beyond the notion of being the “first woman” in a field — instead, we should be creating environments where many young women feel confident and comfortable stepping into leadership roles. The conference reinforced how crucial visibility of female role models is, both in the classroom and the broader STEM landscape, in shaping girls’ aspirations and sense of belonging.
In 2025, I was proud to return to the ICGS network as a presenter at the ICGS Symposium. I co-presented on how my colleagues and I build students’ confidence and creativity in STEM at MLC School. Along with fellow STEM Coordinator, Bede Schofield, we shared how collaborative learning projects are integrated within curriculum and how we provide co-curricular opportunities to ensure that high-potential learners are both challenged and encouraged. We also spoke about the importance of community engagement and how real-world connections help MLC School girls see themselves as future scientists, designers, engineers and changemakers.
Professional learning experiences like these have had a direct impact on the way I design and lead STEM programs. They push me to think differently, reflect more deeply and continually adapt my approach to meet the needs of today’s learners. Most importantly, they reinforce the value of cultivating not just knowledge, but the confidence to use it. At MLC School, I want students (and my fellow colleagues) to see STEM not as a space they have to break into, but as one where they already belong.
In practical terms, the insights I gained from the conference have directly shaped my classroom practice, influencing how I scaffold learning to ensure every MLC School girl is supported in building confidence in her collaboration and leadership skills. This approach varies across year levels — from the early years, where I assign clear team roles, facilitate structured idea sharing and use scenarios as discussion starters to explicitly teach collaboration skills. To later years, where I guide students through self and peer assessment to refine their work. This process develops their critical evaluation skills, resilience and independence, equipping them to contribute, take risks and lead with confidence in any setting.
As a girls’ school educator, I know that early and meaningful exposure to STEM is crucial.
But equally important is creating an environment where girls feel safe to experiment, take intellectual risks and see themselves in leadership roles. Through ongoing research, international collaboration and deep professional engagement, I strive to create that environment every day.
It is a privilege to be part of a school where innovation, ambition and courage are nurtured, and where every girl is encouraged to dare to be more.
CELEBRATING THE CRAFT OF WRITING IN EDUCATION AND BEYOND
BY JOSEPH PFEFFER, ENGLISH TEACHER AND HEAD OF HOUSE – LEAWARRA
In this educational landscape, our words are a precious commodity. Artificial Intelligence technology threatens to take wordcraft out of human hands.
Why write, when we might have others write for us?
This is a question that MLC School students ask, and rightly so. What value does writing hold in a world where this skill can be freely outsourced?
It behoves us as English teachers to know the answer: to engage with language is to tap into a tradition of thought and creation whose echoes ring back to the dawn of our species. When we are writing, we are remembering, reflecting, forming and reforming. In orchestrating our words, we covenant with that most ancient and defining human characteristic — creativity. Anthropologist Wade Davis said “Language is not merely a body of vocabulary or a set of grammatical rules. It is a flash of the human spirit, the means by which the soul of each particular culture reaches into the material world. Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of thought.” As a poet and writer beyond school gates, I understand the power of language to affirm our personhood. And as an educator, I understand the importance of illuminating this to our youth.
Often it is the English classroom where students have their first real taste of the iterative creative process. It has been a great honour to be able to take my own experiences with creating, crafting and playing with language, and use
these to form the basis for many classroom writing activities (and many of the pieces of advice I have offered). I love the joy that is sparked by sharing with a student writer how rephrasing their idea in the active voice brings a line to life, or how an unexpected verb transforms the prosaic into the poetic. My experiences as a writer inform my teaching, but the reverse is also true — creativity begets creativity. When I read great writing from my students, this often catalyses ideas of my own. Naturally the eminent writers of our school curriculum are also a source for inspiration; I find myself inspired anew each year when returning to the poems of Owen, or Duffy or Frost. I feel very privileged to be around so much creativity in my line of work, and to get to take some of that creative spirit outside of the school gates with me.
Last year, while on a trail walk with my Year 12 Luminary group on an Immersion, I received an email with the happy news of my poem having been shortlisted for the 2024 Forest Prize (Teacher Category) for Australia’s poetry publication, Red Room Poetry. This was followed by success in the 2025 Furphy Literary Award. A national short story competition, this Award aims ’to promote and extend the tradition of storytelling, both factual and fictional, that is so much part of Australian life’. I’m happy to share that my unpublished short story The Role of the Cloaca in Monotreme Phylogeny was shortlisted in July and will be published alongside fifteen other stories in The Furphy Anthology 2025. Both Words for the Adult Moth and The Role of the Cloaca in Monotreme Phylogeny were written in the personal moments snatched between classes or between terms, in my role as an MLC School teacher. I haven’t always been a writer – in fact, my confidence with expressing myself through poetry has been closely tied to my teaching journey. Learning to write, as well as learning to teach writing, are both skills I’ve been privileged to hone since beginning at the school a number of years ago.
Words for the Adult Moth is an expression of creative inquisitiveness. It’s the result of an indulged moment of procrastination, an etymological rabbit hole which, for once, yielded something productive. I wrote the poem as part of a suite on moths; in learning about them, I found myself curious about the origins of the name. My resulting research turned up an interesting story — moths weren’t always called moths. In fact, I learned, the word moth has historically been used to refer to the insect’s larval stage, and shares a lineage with the (rather uglier) word, maggot.
I found this a little sad. That the adult moth, so ornate, so fragile, had to share a name with its juvenile self seemed something of a disservice. After all, in literature, this insect has often been symbolically associated with beauty – think quintessential southern belle, Blanche DuBois from the play A Streetcar Named Desire, whose ’delicate beauty, uncertain manner and white clothes … suggest a moth’.
Names matter. We know this. It’s something we talk about in English classes and in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program’s Theory of Knowledge (TOK) subject. A name colours. A name predisposes. (Another literary figure notably said “fear of a name only increases fear of the thing
itself .") In senior studies of English and TOK, inquisitiveness about language and words is rewarded. In TOK, we seek out untranslatable adages from other languages and discuss what this reflects about what is important to speakers of that language. In the Higher School Certificate’s (HSC) English Standard, when examining the prescribed poem Translucent Jade by Ten Ch’in U, we discuss what it means to have different names in different languages, and what this spells for one’s identity. There is power in names, and our great fiction writers realise this. Ursula K. Le Guin, in her seminal fantasy series Earthsea, wrote ’We keep our true names hidden all our lives long, from all but those whom we trust utterly; for there is great power, and great peril, in a name.’ Words for the Adult Moth is an assertion of the adult moth’s right to a name of its own. I hope that readers take from it a little of the critical inquisitiveness about names that I felt when writing it.
The importance of writing will be recognised in the first publication of a School initiative established through the Old Girls’ Union (OGU) Funding Initiative — a hardback annual anthology of select pieces of writing by MLC School students from the Senior School, to be titled Carmina Lucem. This anthology will celebrate the wild and wonderful creativity that the girls display year after year. It gives them a place to immortalise their work, and to connect and contribute to the School’s long lineage of artists and creators.
Students can submit written works of any kind in any medium, whether created for the purposes of classroom tasks or just for personal pleasure. Good writing is encouraged regardless of where it originates from.
I know the thrill of having work selected, published and shared with others. I hope that MLC School students might share in this feeling by putting themselves forwards for consideration in the inaugural anthology.
SCAN to hear the poem, Words for the Adult Moth, shortlisted for the 2024 Red Room Poem Forest Award in the Teacher category take flight in the poet’s own voice
GIRLS COUNT
BY TOBY DUNCAN, MATHEMATICS TEACHER
As a proud member of the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS), MLC School is committed to advancing the education of girls through global collaboration, research and innovation. One of the most impactful initiatives of the ICGS is the Global Action Research Collaborative on Girls’ Education (GARC), which brings together educators from around the world to explore and implement evidence-based practices that enhance girls’ learning. It’s a comprehensive 18-month program that encompasses training, research, writing and presentations, as well as attending two conferences.
Each year, about 25 GARC Fellows are selected to conduct research in their own schools as part of a collegial global cohort of educators. Their work is then shared with the broader girls’ school community at the ICGS International Conference, with the reports of their research adding to the evidence base for best practise in girls’ education.
I was fortunate to be a member of the 2025 cohort of Fellows and my research explored how to develop discussion-based activities that enable students to deepen their understanding of Mathematics and their sense of themselves as capable mathematicians.
The 2020 NSW Government Curriculum Review found, amongst other things, that the school curriculum is generally overcrowded. In the final report, Mathematics teachers reported that the sheer volume of content leaves ’very little time to explore’, inhibits conceptual development and rewards ’booklearners and test takers at the expense of critical and creative thinking and problem solving’.
At MLC School, we want more for our girls. We want them to become ’agents of change’ in technical fields. For this, they need not only a deep mathematical understanding, but also a strong selfefficacy in solving problems.
Mathematics is often seen as a solitary activity. The stereotypical classroom, where students sit in rows facing the front and are encouraged to quietly work through their exercises is entrenched. However, talking is thinking. My project explored how in daily lessons, peerto-peer discussion can be incorporated to aid conceptual development and enable students to develop a positive self-image in Mathematics. Even in lessons dominated by the rapid delivery of content, student-led discussion is a means by which students develop as agential users of Mathematics. It allows students to articulate their thinking, challenge each other’s ideas and grow as independent problem-solvers.
My research found that while students appreciate working on problems that mirror exam-style questions, they can tend to focus on following procedures rather than understanding concepts. The research highlighted the importance of encouraging ’argumentation’ whereby students justify their solutions, evaluate different methods and reflect on the strengths and limitations of their approaches. These kinds of thinking skills are common in subjects like English or History, but they are just as vital in Mathematics.
A simple way to assess how well a lesson is going is to ask, “Who is doing the thinking?” If I am carrying the intellectual load, then perhaps my students are not actively developing their own understanding. I am now much more aware of the importance of
peer-to-peer discussion as a means by which MLC School girls take responsibility for thinking about Mathematics in lessons. Many of these discussions happen organically, but I try to set up conditions where students must explore how concepts apply to problems, not simply build a toolbox of techniques. This helps them become more confident in critiquing and refining their mathematical thinking through conversation.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my GARC experience was the opportunity to connect with thoughtful, enthusiastic and talented educators from around the world. After months of early morning online meetings (often at 5am) and in small groups with a research advisor, the Fellows gathered in person at the 2024 ICGS Conference in Baltimore, USA. There, we shared insights, learned from previous cohorts and celebrated their collective achievements.
Then in 2025 at the ICGS Conference in Philadelphia, I presented my research on behalf of MLC School. Teachers are facing similar challenges globally and the presentation sparked many productive conversations with fellow educators about how we make space for the fullest possible development of our students while still responding to the pressures of a crowded curriculum.
Next year, MLC School will be represented for the second time in the GARC program, with Linda Chui, Science teacher, joining as a 20252026 Fellow. Her research will explore how
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can support students in critically evaluating scientific models, in response to the new theme: Navigating the AI Frontier in Girls’ Schools. I hope that, having benefited from being a part of the GARC program, I can be an effective mentor for Linda. I am also maintaining my contact with the ICGS, having instigated a new project with the leaders of the GARC program to investigate how action research influences student-teacher dynamics.
At MLC School, we are committed to ensuring our girls are prepared for more than just exams. Through initiatives like GARC, my colleagues and I are afforded unique opportunities to contribute to the research base that underpins innovation in girls’ education.
It is exciting to know that this work impacts teachers and students in girls’ schools around the world.
PERSONAL BEST (PB) GOALS
EXCLUSIVE
Comparisons and competition among students are a reality of school life. In the course of their time at school, students will be sorted on assignments, projects, tasks, activities, quizzes, tests and exams. Indeed, right to the very end of school this is the case, with the last letter of the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank ’ATAR’ acronym being ’rank’ – pretty much summing it up. For one student to rank higher, another student must rank lower. It doesn’t get more competitive than that!
A New Way to Thrive at School
BY DR ANDREW MARTIN
Specially written for this edition of Lucis, Professor Andrew J. Martin, PhD, a Scientia Professor, Professor of Educational Psychology, and Chair of the Educational Psychology Research Group in the School of Education at the University of New South Wales, Australia shares his researched-based insights for our students.
Andrew is also Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Education at the University of Oxford and a Registered Psychologist (Psychology Board of Australia). He is recognised for his research on student motivation, engagement, learning and achievement, has written over 275 peer reviewed journal articles, over 100 peer-reviewed chapters, 3 books for parents and teachers (published in 5 languages) and lots more. Andrew has delivered over 300 invited/keynote presentations and his work has been featured in over 500 radio, television, newspaper, newsletter and web outlets.
At the same time, researchers have raised concerns about an excessive focus on comparisons and competition. For a start, it can lock too many students out of genuine opportunities for success – for example, only one student can be ranked first or top the class, leaving many of the others feeling like a ’failure’. Comparisons and competitive goals also place a lot of pressure on students, increasing their fear of failure and anxiety. Parents and carers can also feel the heat of competition, with many worrying about their child’s performance and setting exceedingly high expectations for their child to meet, both of which often lead to parent-child tension and conflict.
There is another way.
Researchers have identified lots of upsides to personal best goals. This is where a student competes with themself more than they compete with others. For parents and carers, it would mean focusing on their child’s self-improvement and growth, more than their child outperforming other students.
A focus on PBs gives all students greater access to success – because every student has a chance to improve on their previous effort or performance. In addition, because they have a greater opportunity to succeed, they are less likely to fear failure and feel anxious. Other research has found that PB goals are associated with enjoyment of school, class participation, persistence, homework completion and achievement. Studies have also shown that the positive role of PB goals applies to students who experience academic risk, such as those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
So, while the competitive world is not going away any time soon, we can nurture approaches to schoolwork that helps children to thrive and flourish in this environment.
SCAN HERE to view sample PB goal setting and striving worksheets that show how to work through these steps.
The Three Key Elements of PB Goals
PB goals meet three criteria, which are:
1
2
3
Specific – a student identifies exactly what they are aiming for
Challenging – a student sets the goal, so it is just ahead of where they are now or what they achieved last time, and
Competitively self-referenced (a student competes with themself more than they compete with other students
In a nutshell, to help a student set a PB goal, we need to encourage them to: state exactly what they are aiming for, set a goal that moves them forward, and compete with themself more than they compete with others.
What Types of PB Goals Are There?
PB goals take two forms: process PB goals and outcome PB goals.
Examples of process PB goals we can encourage are:
• Reading one more book for a current project, compared to a previous project
• Studying for an exam on the weekend, when no weekend study had been done before
• Packing their schoolbag three times this week, compared to once last week
• Utilise learned strategies to approach exams with increased confidence and calm
• Arriving to class on time for more lessons today vs yesterday
• Handing in more assignments by the due date this term than last term
• Asking a teacher for help when previously the teacher had been avoided, and
• Invest in additional targeted study time to deepen understanding and strengthen retention of information
Examples of outcome PB goals we can encourage are:
• Correctly spelling more words in this week’s spelling test than last week’s test
• Getting more sums correct in this week’s mathematics quiz than last week’s quiz
• Getting a better mark in the Term 2 Science practical than in the Term 1 practical
• Getting a higher mark in the end of year exams than in the half yearly exams
The PB Goal Setting and Goal Striving Journey
These process and outcome PB goals are an important part of working towards academic growth. But there is another vital part: goal striving. The two parts – PB goal setting and PB goal striving – need to come together for academic growth.
There are 10 steps in the PB goal setting and striving process:
Set the next PB goal 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Take the time to understand what a PB goal is
Look at some sample PB process goals and sample PB outcome goals to get a good idea of different types of PB goals to set and pursue
Decide whether to set a PB process goal or a PB outcome goal
State exactly what that PB goal is
Make sure the PB goal exceeds a previous best, and that it is realistic and attainable (if the student is already performing very highly, their PB goal may be to match that level – or set a different PB goal)
Specify a timeframe for eaching the PB goal
List the practical steps involved in working towards the PB goal
Monitor progress on these steps
Reflect on whether the PB goal was achieved – and if it was not achieved, try to understand why (maybe a more appropriate PB goal is needed next time)
Competitive environments, rankings, and high stakes tests are and will continue to be a reality of education systems around the world. These are not ideal conditions for many students’ wellbeing.
Fortunately, research has offered direction on how we can help students maintain their wellbeing whilst also ensuring they continue to learn and grow academically.
One approach is to foster PB goals in the home and at school as an effective way to encourage students to aim higher by competing with themselves more than competing with other students.
Teachers across MLC School apply goal-setting frameworks to effectively support students’ diverse learning needs and promote growth across the learning spectrum. The Learning Enhancement team regularly engages in Consultation and Collaboration conversations focused on curriculum progress, in both academic and social-emotional domains. Each conversation identifies a personalised, specific and appropriately challenging goal, alongside targeted strategies designed to support students in achieving that goal.
Readings on PB goals
• Flesken, A., Cox, S., Martin, A.J., Collie, R.J., Burns, E.C., & Bostwick, K.C.P. (2021). Growth goal setting: What works best in practice. NSW Department of Education. education.nsw.gov.au/about-us/educational-data/cese/publications/practical-guides-for-educators-/growth-goal-setting
• Martin, A.J. (2010). How to motivate your child for school and beyond. Continuum.
• Martin, A.J. (2024). Growth goals: A review of the construct, predictors, consequences, and intervention. Advances in Motivation Science, 11, 123-169. doi. org/10.1016/bs.adms.2024.03.001
• Martin, A.J. (1999-2025). Teacher, student, and parent worksheets. Lifelong Achievement Group (Free Downloads tab at lifelongachievement.com)
TAKING TO THE STAGE:
Performing and Creative Arts
The cooler months are a time when students step into a world where creativity knows no bounds and artistic expression flourishes. Illuminate transformed the campus into a hub of artistic innovation, where the depth of student talent was inspiring. On stage, musicians performed at the Sydney Opera House and Groove took place at a new venue, whilst The Great Gatsby was an enchanting display of dramatic talents by senior Drama students. Dancers displayed months of rehearsal in two sold out shows at NIDA. MLC School girls are encouraged to explore through creative and performance experiences, as this helps shape character and allows so many to shine brightly.
Groove to a New Beat
This year’s Groove concert brought the smooth sounds of MLC School’s jazz and band musicians to the Factory Theatre in Marrickville for the first time. The new venue has a relaxed, club style atmosphere and was a hit with the audience.
ILLUMINATE
CELEBRATING CREATIVITY ACROSS CAMPUSES BY MARIAN DOULL, JUNIOR SCHOOL ART TEACHER
As a new member of staff, stepping into my first Illuminate exhibition this year was both exhilarating and a little nervewracking. Since joining in January, I’ve been captivated by the students’ boundless creativity and their joyful approach to artmaking. Illuminate offered the perfect stage to showcase this energy through a celebration of artistic growth across the Junior School and Senior School.
Our youngest artists in Pre-Kindergarten embarked on a whimsical journey, ’Going on a Bear Hunt’. Their exploration of different materials and techniques culminated in a hands-on experience where their families could take part. I was involved in that delicate dance of supporting their ideas and making sure they had the skills to give free rein to their imagination. I am always delighted by the way Pre-K children express themselves visually and believe this transient stage of development needs to be celebrated for its powerful expression.
Kindergarten students honed their observational and expressive skills through portraiture, while Year 2 responded to First Nations art with thoughtful interpretations. Year 3 did a deep dive under the sea, and
Year 4 soared above the clouds with their steampunk flying machines. Year 5 investigated environmental concerns including human impact on our oceans, through to the effects of bushfires. Each Junior School year level brought a unique lens to the exhibition, but what truly elevated Illuminate was the sense of connection it fostered.
The new Kindergarten to Year 6 Visual Arts syllabus set to launch in 2027, introduces a new assessment category ’Exhibiting’; it involves developing students’ understanding that artworks are valued, displayed and interpreted by audiences. Students develop observation through a critical and creative lens in the interpretation of their own and others’ artworks. Illuminate embodied this beautifully, as it emphasised the importance
of audience engagement and interpretation. Families enjoyed, reflected and discovered new facets of their children’s creativity. One Pre-K parent joyfully recognised a collaborative piece with their child, exclaiming, ’Look, it’s our tree!’ On the night, I was proud to witness Senior students being visibly impressed by the Junior artworks, with one remarking, ’Why are they so good in Year 2?’ This mutual appreciation shattered the myth that artistic value is tied to age.
Jake Morrissey, Visual Arts and Technological and Applied Studies Teacher, led this year’s Illuminate alongside student leaders, with the theme ’Step Right Up’. Senior School Houses worked together on their
interactive Carnival-inspired games built using recycled cardboard. Sally Marks, Head of Department – Visual Arts introduced me to a HSC student interested in wet felting. Our conversation on the night led to her gathering resources for her project from the Junior School. She really stepped right up to the opportunity!
Illuminate was truly a vibrant dialogue between students, families and educators across Visual Arts and Technological and Applied Studies. The presence of family, friends and Old Girls helped transform the evening into a powerful affirmation of the role art plays in education and our community.
DANCE MAGIC IN MOTION
Once Upon a Time, the annual Dance Showcase held at NIDA’s Parade Theatre invited audiences into a world of imagination and movement, inspired by the powerful messages found in children’s literature. Through dance, students explored how stories shape character and identity, unlocking the deeper narratives hidden within the simple pages of a storybook. This highly anticipated event took place over two nights for the first time this year.
Photos by WinkiPoP Media
MLC School’s 17th Sydney Opera House Concert
On a night where fate, fortune and fantasy converged, the biennial Concert delivered an unforgettable celebration of musical talent and creativity. The extraordinary breadth of MLC School’s music program was on display, from the whimsical charm of Junior School performances to the sophisticated artistry of Senior School compositions and solo moments.
The evening opened with the students from Year 6 to Year 12 singing and playing a rousing ABBA medley, compiled and arranged by Alice Chance (2011), MLC School’s Head of Composition and Old Girl. Her orchestration captured raw emotion and universal appeal. ’Australians are well-known internationally for being big ABBA fans’, she shared. ’Growing up, my family was no exception. I felt a particular affinity for one song given my last name—I’ll let you guess which one.’
A standout moment for the Junior School came with their performance of Touch the Sky from Brave. Featuring the MLC School Angeli Choir and the Junior School Sydney Opera House Strings, the piece was a soaring tribute to courage and imagination. These young performers truly captured the hearts of all those in the room, with most performing on the Opera House stage for the very first time (but likely not the last).
The concert’s second half began with a deeply personal and evocative composition by Alice Chance, How Can We Know Til We Go. Inspired by her own decision to move from Australia to France, the piece served as a metaphorical ’call to adventure’, a theme drawn from classical mythology. ’My composition is about the moment when we are called by a particular adventure, she explained. ’For me, the call was to move to France. I had no idea whether it would work out, but I had to try. Because, after all, how can you know til we go?’
An unwavering commitment to excellence was evident in every note played, every lyric sung, every dance move and every crucial backstage moment. The concert also reflected the broader support of MLC School’s teaching staff and the encouragement of parents and carers who continue to champion their daughters’ artistic journeys.
With April 2025 marking 100 years since the publication of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, it’s timeless themes of affluence, privilege and corruption resonated strongly in MLC School’s Senior Drama Production.
Set against the backdrop of 1920s glamour and looming despair, the production explored the fragility of the American Dream through compelling performances and evocative staging. The collaboration with Newington College students enriched the show and highlighted the expertise of the School’s dedicated Dance, Drama and Entertainment (DDE) Department, whose vision powerfully brought this story to life as the first official production to the refurbished Drama Theatre stage.
Celebrating the Classic and our new Stage
TOGETHER FROM THE START
NURTURING YOUNG LEARNERS AT MLC SCHOOL
At MLC Junior School, every child’s journey begins with a sense of belonging and joyful discovery. From their very first day, girls are welcomed into a caring environment where they are encouraged to explore, ask questions, and connect with others. Classrooms are alive with laughter and curiosity, and each day is shaped by new friendships, hands-on activities, and opportunities to share their ideas.
Wellbeing as the Foundation
For the youngest learners, wellbeing means feeling safe, heard, and respected. Girls experience gentle routines that help them settle in and gain confidence—from being greeted by familiar faces each morning to sharing stories and celebrating achievements together. Teachers listen to their thoughts and feelings, provide comfort when needed, and cheer their successes, big and small. Through play, group projects, and creative expression, each child discovers their unique strengths and learns what it means to be a valued part of the school community.
’Wellbeing spans physical health, emotional security, social confidence and the curiosity that drives learning,’ explains Joanne Sharpe, Deputy Head of Junior School – Wellbeing. ’At this formative stage in PreKindergarten and Kindergarten, girls need to feel that they are seen and heard, encouraged to express themselves and supported in developing friendships. For their parents/carers, “wellbeing” means having reliable guidance and a community network to help their children navigate early school experiences.’
MLC School’s approach to wellbeing is proactive and research-informed, tailored to the holistic developmental needs of young girls. Educators are trained to recognise emotional cues unique to young girls and intervene gently, whether through using play-based strategies or one-on-one support. As part of ongoing professional development, MLC School’s
educators keep pace with the latest research in early childhood and girls’ wellbeing to be at the forefront. MLC School remains committed to innovation, regularly updating practices and sharing insights with professional networks.
The School’s Pastoral Care Framework equips students with tools to articulate emotions, manage small conflicts and build self-confidence in a nurturing setting. Orientation sessions, inclusive community events and parenting workshops extend the importance of this wellbeing ethos beyond the classroom. Orientation sessions introduce families to the School’s inclusive culture, easing the transition for young girls and their parents/carers. Updates through the newsletter Audacia keep families engaged and informed about their wellbeing issues and focus areas at the time.
Practically for students, these approaches create an environment where girls feel secure, valued, and empowered from the outset of their educational journey. The focus on wellbeing means that each child’s emotional and social needs are prioritised—students learn how to express feelings, resolve conflicts gently, and gain confidence in themselves. With supportive routines, inclusive events, and clear communication between home and school, girls transition smoothly into the community and take pride in their identity as learners.
Daily life at MLC Junior School is filled with fun, curiosity, and meaningful connections. Students are encouraged to share ideas, celebrate achievements, and explore their unique strengths within a nurturing setting. The strong partnership between teachers and families ensures that girls are known as individuals, allowing their interests and needs to shape their experiences. As a result, students grow not only in academic skills but also as resilient, compassionate, and independent individuals— well-prepared for future learning and life beyond the classroom.
’We work in collaboration with parents/carers from the start of their school journey. If that’s from Pre-K till they graduate in Year 12, it’s potentially fourteen years of their life which is significant.’ shares Anna Michalopoulos, Head of Counselling and Student Health.
’It may seem natural for parents/carers to continue doing things for their daughters and getting them involved in everything, but Anna shares ’… the reality is, you want to start to teach them to do things independently and also engage in activities they can manage for their age, especially if they have trouble expressing how they are feeling.
’It’s natural to not know where to start, but it is important to collaborate with MLC School’s community of leaders in girls’ education. ’To support parents/carers in this journey, we run parent workshops on various issues which provide practical strategies which are designed to help families support their daughters both at school and at home.
The feedback from these workshops has been overwhelmingly positive. For instance, one parent reported that they found it useful to know and recognise the signs that their daughter may be overscheduled. Another parent/carer highlighted that education around the importance of routine, rewards and structure was particularly helpful. It is important to identify signs of anxiety or stress early on so they can receive gentle, targeted support in a responsive way.’
Learning Guided by Purpose
From their very first days at ’big school’, MLC School’s curriculum is designed to reflect how girls learn best: through secure relationships, engaging environments and high expectations balanced with warmth and celebration. ’We view our youngest learners not as “future students” but as capable, curious thinkers in the present,’ says Sonia Weston, Deputy Head of Junior School – Curriculum.
In Pre-K, a carefully structured, evidence-based oral language program builds vocabulary and comprehension through shared stories and rich discussion. This is complemented by hands-on activities and purposeful play in all subjects that deepens understanding and nurture connections with peers.Kindergarten builds on these foundations with structured reading, writing and numeracy programs that blend focused instruction with collaboration and exploration. For example, during a literacy session, girls might listen to a shared story and work in small groups to retell key events using puppets or picture cards. This approach builds language skills while helping them practise turn-taking and active listening. In Mathematics, hands-on experiences such as building towers with blocks or counting natural objects collected from the playground encourage teamwork, problem-solving and exploration of number concepts. The nurturing of social skills and independence learning alongside curriculum is designed to be meaningful and set girls up for life.
Each week, girls also attend specialist classes that match their stage of development. In art, they explore creativity and teamwork through painting and music. Physical Education builds confidence and coordination through movement and games. Library time encourages a love of books, and science classes spark curiosity with simple experiments and exploration. From the very beginning, families are invited to events
and information sessions that explain how the school teaches reading and maths, and that celebrate each girl’s progress. Sonia says, ’As leaders in early education, we love to witness how this strengthens the partnership between school and home for a lifetime of learning.’
In Pre-K, children build their vocabulary and understanding through storytelling and lively group discussions. They also learn by doing hands-on activities and playing together, which helps them make friends and understand new ideas.
Kindergarten continues to develop these skills with lessons in reading, writing and maths. These include both group and individual activities. For example, girls might listen to a story and then work together to retell it using puppets or pictures. This helps them practise sharing and listening to others. In maths, using blocks or counting objects found outside makes learning about numbers fun and interactive. Alongside learning new things, children also develop independence and social skills in ways that are practical for their age.
Language as a Bridge to Learning
’Talking is learning,’ says Noha Walker, MLC Junior School’s EAL/D Specialist. EAL/D stands for English as an Additional Language or Dialect, and involves the targeted provision of English language instruction to support students in developing the necessary literacy and language skills to access the mainstream curriculum.
Oral language competence in the early years is a powerful predictor of later literacy success, as determined by research from the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC, 2021). The Pre-K to Year 2 period is a critical window for language development; this is when young minds are acquiring English for everyday communication, while gradually building the academic language needed for school.
Second language acquisition research highlights the deep connection between speech and literacy (aka reading and writing). Models such as The Mode Continuum and The Writing Cycle (Derewianka and Jones, 2018) show that spoken language serves as not only the starting point, but also enables continuous support for reading and writing
development. These models are underpinned by Language Acquisition theorists such as Jim Cummins (1979, 1981, 2000) who stresses the interconnectedness of language and its differing use. Jim Cummins’ distinction between Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills (BICS) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP), explains how children first learn to use language socially before using it for academic purposes.
’Both kinds of language are essential, and they begin with talking. All students therefore require an understanding and application of language register and how language shifts depending on the field (what’s being talked about), tenor (who is involved) and mode (spoken/written/visual). These variables affect the language and grammar choices students must learn to navigate. Oral language development is thus not only foundational, but cyclical and essential for all learners’ Noha affirms.
“Of all the tools for cultural and pedagogical intervention in human development and learning, talk is the most pervasive in its use and powerful in its possibilities… speech shapes the higher mental processes necessary for so much of the learning which takes place, or ought to take place, in school” (Alexander, 2005). Robin Alexander’s Dialogic Teaching further elaborates on this view and distinguishes rich classroom talk as dialogue or dialogic talk; a form of communication that emphasises conversation and shared dialogue to explore meaning and understanding.
In line with this, the Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA)’s Talk Moves (Edwards-Groves, 2020) outlines effective ways teachers and of course parents/carers can support dialogic talk that leads to thinking:
Wait time
Giving children time to think and speak
Revoicing
Repeating or rephrasing what a child says to deepen understanding
Reasoning prompts
Asking “Why do you think that?” or “Can you explain?”
Turn and talk
Encouraging discussion with a peer or parent before sharing
Inviting elaboration
“Does anyone want to add to that idea?”
At home, you can easily use these strategies by chatting with your child, asking them questions that spark their curiosity, and encouraging them to share their thoughts.
Whether you’re speaking in your home language or in English, simple, everyday conversations help children build the language skills they need for reading, writing, schoolwork, and making friends.
By bringing together wellbeing, learning, and language development, MLC Junior School helps every girl start her learning journey feeling supported and confident. The staff are caring and thoughtful, making sure each child’s first school experiences are fun, meaningful, and full of opportunities.
Further information
Alexander, R.J. (2005). Teaching Through Dialogue: the first year. London: Barking and Dagenham Council. Australian Early Development Census. (2021). 2021 AEDC national report: Early childhood development in Australia. Australian Government. Cummins, J. (2000). Language, Power, and Pedagogy. Bilingual Children in the Crossfire. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Derewianka, B. (2018). ’Creating dialogic contexts for learning’ in Jones, P., Simpson, A., & Thwaite, A. (eds) Talking the talk: snapshots from Australian classrooms, Sydney, PETAA. Edwards-Groves, C. (2020). Talk moves: A repertoire of practices for productive classroom dialogue (PETAA Paper 195). PETAA.
GIRLS WHO LEAD, CODE AND CREATE
MLC School’s co-curricular Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) offering is a vital extension of the classroom. This is especially true for high-potential learners who thrive when challenged beyond the usual curriculum.
Our STEM co-curricular offerings are designed to stretch students’ thinking, deepen their technical skills and foster a sense of belonging within a community of like-minded peers. Over the past eight years, these programs have grown significantly, both in scope and in student participation, and now they engage more than 150 students on a regular basis.
A key initiative is the MLC School STEM Academy, which provides opportunities for students to explore science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics through four themed terms. From mathematical art and 3D modelling, to wearable tech and practical engineering projects, the Academy encourages creativity, curiosity and applied problem-solving. This structure allows students to develop confidence in both scientific thinking and collaborative work, while also offering the chance to discover personal areas of interest within STEM.
Within the program, girls participate in intensive workshops and prepare for major competitions including RoboCup and VEX Robotics, where they work in teams to design, build and code robots to solve complex tasks. These experiences are not only technically demanding, but they also develop resilience, teamwork and leadership under pressure.
For students seeking more advanced challenges, our Junior and Senior Robotics programs provide a competitive and high-engagement environment. Entry into the Junior Competition Robotics Program is selective, with students submitting an application and completing a practical task. Those selected must demonstrate exceptional aptitude, creativity and commitment to learning. Within the program, girls participate in intensive workshops and prepare for major competitions including RoboCup and VEX Robotics, where they work in teams to design, build and code robots to solve complex tasks. These experiences are not only technically demanding, but they also develop resilience, teamwork and leadership under pressure.
MLC School’s Senior Robotics program builds on these foundations and welcomes both beginners and experienced students. Students collaborate on real-world engineering and automation challenges. ’Many senior students involved today began their robotics journey in the Junior School and have continued their passion into the secondary years. In fact, the success and expansion of our Senior Robotics Program was driven by student demand’ shares Marie Cassar, STEM Lab Coordinator.
What makes these programs especially powerful is the opportunity they offer for mentorship and leadership. Senior students regularly volunteer as STEM Academy mentors, or apply to become paid student mentors which provides them with valuable work experience as they assist younger learners while serving as role models. For many girls, it’s quite transformative to be around a peer just a few years older who knows how to lead confidently and is just as passionate as they are.
Marie is proud of the countless mentor-mentee relationships that form, ’It reinforces the message that STEM is a space where they belong, are shown respect and where they too can lead. As educators, it is our responsibility to not only identify high-potential learners, but to offer them environments where they are known, challenged and inspired. STEM is THE place to take risks, ask big questions and push girls’ thinking to the next level. When girls see themselves as capable, creative and confident in STEM, they not only imagine the future. They start shaping it.’
SPEAKING UP matters
In a historic moment for girls’ education, MLC School student Harriet Hahn (Year 11) stood tall on the stage of the Sydney Opera House, delivering a powerful impromptu speech that earned her third place overall in the inaugural Dame Enid Lyons Oratory Competition. Her achievement was more than a personal triumph, it was a resounding affirmation of the power of diverse young women’s voices.
The competition, modelled after the long-standing Lawrence Campbell Oratory Competition for boys, was created to ensure girls in girls’ education across NSW—public and private schools alike—have a platform to be heard. As Sonia Berry, Executive Officer of the Independent Girls’ Schools Association (IGSA), explains, ’For 90 years,
the Lawrence Campbell Oratory has been a prestigious stage for boys. But girls deserve that same opportunity. So, we created it. And what a joy it has been to see it come to life with the support of Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC and journalist Julia Baird.’
Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC with Harriet outside Admiralty House
A Voice That Resonates
From a high calibre pool of 30 students, Harriet was selected among the top ten finalists. The competition finals day involved a visit to Admiralty House, where she met Her Excellency, Sam Mostyn, herself an MLC School past parent. ’[This competition], its important for a generation that wants to be heard...’ Mostyn shared. ’Prosecuting those ideas, sharing them on stages... having the confidence and skills to do that—it really makes a difference.’
That evening, Harriet took the stage at the Sydney Opera House’s Drama Theatre. With just 15 minutes to prepare, she chose one of the three topics: ’For most of history, anonymous was a woman.’ Unable to access the internet and having to draw upon her own experiences, these words by writer Virginia Woolf spurred Harriet into tackling the social complexities of single-sex boys schools shifting gears to be co-educational alongside the societal tendency to silence female voices. ’I wanted to critique the idea that co-education automatically solves misogyny,’ Harriet said. ’Girls deserve spaces where their voices are not just heard, but amplified.’
The Making of Speakers of Excellence
Harriet’s journey began in Year 7, when she won the NSW Legacy Junior Public Speaking Award. ’That was the moment I realised I loved competitive speaking,’ she recalls. Her passion was nurtured through MLC School’s Oratory and Debating co-curricular programs, led by Andrea Rowe, Oratory Coordinator. ’No one becomes a good speaker by accident,’ says Andrea. ’MLC School girls start as early as Year 5 during their leadership year, learning how to craft and deliver speeches, all while building resilience through competitions.’
According to Andrea, ’Unlike most competitions, the uniqueness of the Dame Enid Lyons format is in its focus and impromptu nature. Girls get three topics (one of which includes a Shakespearean quote), but they must choose one, and have just 15 minutes to prepare an eight minute speech. It’s a test of quick thinking, clarity of ideas and courage.’
Leaders Speak but also Listen
MLC School’s commitment to empowering girls through speech is deeply embedded in its values. Chair of IGSA and Principal Lisa Moloney, who attended the inaugural competition, said that ’Harriet’s performance was
a powerful reminder of the strength and clarity young women bring to public discourse. We are incredibly proud of her courage, intellect and the way she represented MLC School.’
The competition’s namesake, Dame Enid Lyons, was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives and to serve in Federal Cabinet. Her legacy lives on in every girl who steps up to speak. ’Learning to orate gives young women confidence,’ Harriet says. ’It teaches them that their ideas matter—and that they can make a difference.’
A Future Shaped by Words and Girls
Harriet hopes to coach younger students and eventually apply her speaking skills in law and business. Her advice to future speakers? ’Just try it. Everyone is passionate about something. Why not share that with the world?’
For Andrea, ’It was great to reflect with Her Excellency how both our daughters attended MLC School and had excelled in Drama at the School. It was such a highlight of their times at the School. We discussed how the skills and confidence they gained have been so valuable for their future careers.’
One thing is clear, the Dame Enid Lyons Oratory Competition not only means the voices of young women are being heard; they’re leading the conversation.
Harriet participating in the 2024 igsa Festival of Speech hosted by MLC School
THE DA VINCI DIFFERENCE
NURTURING HIGH PERFORMERS AT MLC SCHOOL
Each year, a group of students at MLC School step into a world of intellectual challenge, collaboration and creativity through the da Vinci Decathlon. It’s a prestigious academic competition designed to stretch the minds of high-potential learners in the spirit of an Olympic Decathlon. MLC School has proudly participated in the Decathlon for over two decades.
In 2025, MLC School’s teams from Year 5 through to Year 11 had a wonderful time competing with hundreds of like-minded students from across the Sydney metropolitan area. ’The event always enriches, excites and challenges students. Our girls are determined to excel and give their best. I’m always surprised and proud.’
The da Vinci Decathlon celebrates the spirit of Leonardo da Vinci, the famous polymath who embodied curiosity and creativity. The competition challenges students across ten disciplines: engineering, mathematics, code breaking, art and poetry, science, English, ideation, creative producers, cartography and legacy. It places a strong emphasis on higherorder thinking, problem-solving and teamwork.
’We’ve been doing da Vinci since I arrived at the School in 2007’ says Jan Falls, MLC School’s Mind Challenges Coordinator. ’It’s a cornerstone of how we challenge and support our highpotential learners.’
Selection is rigorous, despite a deep pool of talent across the School. ’We could easily enter da Vinci three times over,’ Jan shares. ’Such is the calibre of students we have, but the rules only allow eight per year group to form a team.’
Students are invited to participate based on observed strengths throughout the year. ’It’s not enough to be brilliant in one area,’ Jan explains. ’You need to be versatile, collaborative and able to perform under pressure. The competition is designed so that completing every task is nearly impossible. Students must strategise, prioritise and support each other as they have to work simultaneously on challenges.’ After attending training sessions, students need to formally apply, which involves internal reflection regarding the commitment as well as having to articulate why they should be selected. This process encourages self-awareness and confidence.
Training is supported by specialist teachers’ expertise across disciplines. Students learn to manage time, present ideas clearly and work across multiple papers simultaneously. ’It’s essential to even learn practical skills like how to dismantle and reassemble papers in an organised manner with a stapler. It seems like a small tactic, but it’s a base for efficient teamwork that ensures marking is not jeopardised in any way.’
Students return year after year, building confidence and camaraderie. Even during COVID-19 when the competition moved online, enthusiasm remained high. ’It didn’t matter that it was virtual, the challenge and excitement were still there’ Jan recalls. Perhaps the most telling transformation is the determination students show. ’For some, it was arriving at school at 6.45am after the magnificent 17th Sydney Opera House concert,’ Jan recounts. ’For others, it was getting to the venue at Knox Grammar School despite the chaos of Sydney trains during the industrial action. When it appeared we might have been stuck at Hornsby Station, I heard girls offer to pay for an Uber to Warrawee saying “We can’t miss the first challenge!”’
In 2025, MLC School’s teams from Year 5 through to Year 11 had a wonderful time competing with hundreds of like-minded students from across the Sydney metropolitan area. ’The event always enriches, excites and challenges students. Our girls are determined to excel and give their best. I’m always surprised and proud.’
MLC School placed in nine out of the 10 disciplines this year, which speaks to the breadth and calibre of the current da Vinci community that Jan Falls has led over the years. The strength of this performance is no mean feat. Year 11 were up against around 42 teams while Year 6 and Year 8 were up against 78 teams. MLC School obtained 22 total placings, with the majority in engineering, followed by English – including a first place in both of these categories.
’To place in anything is marvellous in of itself, and to be the top Inner West girls’ school with the most placings is a true testament to our students’ dedication and diversity of skills development over the years,’ says Jan.
When students were asked why they fiercely compete year after year they shared a variety of heartwarming reasons, ’Ms Falls gives the best pep talks! She’s literally got our backs’ said one student while another shared ’The da Vinci Decathlon is the highlight of the year, getting together and putting all we’ve worked towards into practice.’
For parents and carers, the da Vinci Decathlon is a glimpse into how MLC School nurtures excellence, resilience and leadership capabilities in its students. This program not only celebrates talent but cultivates personal growth, year after year.
Old Girls’ News
Photo by Beowulf Sheehan
Old Girl Makes Miles Franklin Literary Award Shortlist
MLC School proudly celebrates the literary achievements of Old Girl Dr Fiona McFarlane (1995), whose latest work, Highway 13, has earned a place on the 2025 Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist.
This marks her second nomination for Australia’s most prestigious literary prize, which honours novels of high literary merit that explore Australian life. Notably, Highway 13 is the first collection of linked short stories ever to be shortlisted—an innovative milestone in the award’s history. This prestigious accolade sits alongside her first nomination for the Award for The Night Guest in 2014. Fiona received an MLC School 2023 Alumnae Award for Cultural Contribution.
This recognition adds to an already glittering list of accolades, including the Barbara Jefferis Award, Voss Literary Prize, Queensland Literary Awards, Nita B Kibble Literary Award, The Story Prize, Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards, the International Dylan Thomas Prize and the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal. Highway 13 has also made the 2025 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards shortlist for Fiction, out of 645 entries.
Two of her novels, The Night Guest and The Sun Walks Down, were selected by 50 literary experts as among the best Australian books of the 21st century. This recognition underscores the profound impact of her writing and we’re honoured to share her trailblazing legacy and thoughts in the interview below.
What does being shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award again mean to you personally and professionally?
It was an honour to be recognised alongside such an exceptional shortlist.
Monique Rooney, Senior lecturer in literature, film and new media at Australian National University has described Highway 13 on The Conversation as: “…a thrilling collection that explores an uncanny restlessness haunting the Australian psyche. Its crystalline prose and keen observations about everyday life open up new ways of thinking about the historical crimes that
underpin our collective unsettlement.” Tell us, what inspired this collection of short fiction?
The popularity of true crime podcasts, which I listen to myself. I found myself wondering why so many people are fascinated by stories of terrible true events. Why do we tell and re-tell these stories? What ethical concerns do they raise?
What role does research play in your fiction, especially in crafting the world of Highway 13?
My previous book, The Sun Walks Down, was set in 1883 and involved enormous amounts of research. Highway 13 was less intensive, although I did read memoirs by flight attendants and quiz my sister, who works in costume for film and tv, about life on a film set.
How do you hope Highway 13 will resonate with readers—especially young women—years from now?
I hope readers will see that it’s full of joy, despite the horror you’d expect given the subject matter. It’s a book about people loving each other in the face of grief and bewilderment. And it’s often quite funny.
How do you balance literary ambition with emotional authenticity in your characters?
Literary ambition and character authenticity feel connected to me. It’s my ambition to write characters who feel emotionally authentic –whose inner lives make sense, even if they’re messy or contradictory. There are always philosophical questions running through my work, but those only resonate if the characters feel emotionally convincing to the reader.
As a thought leader in Australian literature, what themes do you believe are most urgent for writers to explore today?
Issues like the legacies of colonialism, racism, immigration, climate change and domestic violence are undeniably central to our national conversation, and they will – and should – find powerful expression in our literature. But I also don’t think writers should feel beholden to thematic checklists. The most compelling Australian writing often surprises us by feeling urgent in ways we didn’t anticipate.
How do you see the role of literature in shaping social understanding and empathy?
Reading is a reminder that other people exist – not as abstractions, but as individuals with fears, joys and contradictions as complex as our own. It reminds us that there are other ways to live, to think, and to love, and that some of those ways may be available to us too. Literature doesn’t preach or prescribe; its power lies in attention – in the careful, sustained observation of human experience. That attention can subtly shift how we see others and how we move through the world ourselves.
Why did debating, public speaking, history and English literature become your passions at MLC School?
They’re all forms of storytelling, which has been central to my life for as long as I can remember.
At the Class of 2016’s Prefect Induction, you shared that the world of beauty and language that you’d seen as distant and unreachable, something to be found in
libraries or London or New York or in the past, was actually available to you ’...that I, a girl in a navy uniform on a CityRail train on my way to school in Burwood, could one day be a writer.’ Looking back now, how do you think MLC School advanced your childhood dream of wanting to be a writer?
I was lucky to have inspiring teachers –Jeanette Lindsay, Robyn Jadeja and Nicole Mockler in English, Barbara Hawkins in Ancient History – who helped me see how language and ideas could open up the world. But the most lasting influence was meeting the poet Dr Emma Jones (1995) in Year 7. Emma and I became writers together, and even now, we’re each other’s first readers and fiercest champions. That kind of creative companionship is rare and has taken us all over the world, but it began at MLC School.
Which authors or books have shaped your voice as a writer the most?
Christina Stead, Patrick White, Flannery O’Connor, Toni Morrison, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Shirley Hazzard, Michelle de Kretser, Eudora Welty, Sylvia Townsend Warner, Vladimir Nabokov… too many to list them all!
What advice would you give to girls developing their writing and storytelling skills?
To read widely and voraciously, in all genres and across all time periods.
MLC School extends heartfelt thanks to every member of our community who has contributed to the School throughout the 2024/2025 financial year.
Your support — whether for scholarships, through our Annual Appeal, for new building projects or Building Fund contributions via fee statements - has played a vital role in shaping the future of our students.
Almost 500 donors have given generously to initiatives such as the MLC School Building Fund and the MLC School Scholarship Fund, as well as offering gifts to be used at our discretion. These contributions help to maintain and enhance the exceptional learning environment provided for MLC School girls, both today and for generations to come.
Because of your generosity, we can continue to deliver fantastic facilities and create meaningful learning opportunities that enrich the MLC School experience.
Thank you for your support.
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VALE
It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of members from our community.
Vale to all those in the MLC School community who have gone from our lives. As daughters of the light, they are in our thoughts and prayers.
Judith Chapman (Leben, 1949)
We were informed by Robyn, Judith’s daughter, that Judith Chapman (Leben, 1949) passed away peacefully on 22 December 2024 at the age of 91.
Judith was born in Lismore and spent her senior school years boarding at MLC School. She shared many stories of her life as a boarder, especially about the lifelong friendships she made at MLC School. These were friends with whom she never lost contact, and who helped Judith’s family further understand the importance of those close bonds.
After leaving MLC School, Judith worked in the bank in Lismore, leaving only to move to Sydney with her husband David.
Judith was excited when her granddaughter, Jessica Tippett (2018), also enrolled at MLC School. This gave Judith an opportunity to revisit the School many times for student events, and to tell her family even more about her time at MLC School and what it meant to her.
GET IN TOUCH
We value being able to recognise Old Girls who are no longer with us. To get in touch, please contact Barbara Hoffman, MLC School Archivist, on +61 2 8741 3214, or email bhoffman@mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au.
Scan to read about the lives of our late Old Girls online
Judith is remembered, loved and missed by her three children and all her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Lois Balleine (Walker, 1951)
Lois passed away on 16 February 2025 at the age of 89.
In her last year at MLC School, Lois was the Head Prefect and the winner of the School Prize. She was a boarder and a proud member of Leawarra House who maintained great affection for MLC School throughout her adult life.
Lois was part of an MLC School multigenerational family: daughter Rosemary Denton (Balleine, 1981) and granddaughters Lucinda Denton (2011) and Emma Denton (2015) were students. Her husband, Tony, was a member of the MLC School Council (the Treasurer of Council in the 1980s) and Tony’s sister, Helen Crabb (Balleine, 1956) is also an Old Girl.
As an exuberant Old Girl, MLC School mother and grandmother, Lois attended countless concerts, carnivals and Speech Nights, and helped with school projects, music practice and pickups, all well into her retirement. She was also a regular and enthusiastic attendee of the annual Sapphires’ Luncheons.
A dedicated physiotherapist and churchwoman, Lois brought characteristic energy and warmth to all her endeavours. True to the MLC School spirit, her memory remains a light in the lives of those who knew her well.
Lynette Anderson (King, 1954)
Lynette’s son Paul has written to let us know that his mum passed away peacefully on 10 November 2024 at the age of 88. Lynette was the much beloved mother of four children and grandmother to four grandchildren.
Beth Durran (Fisher, 1955)
Beth’s daughter, Old Girl Kristen Durran (1985) has written to tell us the sad news of her mother’s death on 14 September 2024 at the age of 86.
Beth boarded at MLC School for her high school years, as did her older sister Helen Marks (Fisher, 1951). In her final year at MLC School, Beth was on the Sports Committee and was a Senior Prefect.
After leaving school, Beth attended the Teachers College, and went on to teach in infants schools in Sydney, Canberra and Yass, before becoming the Head of Infants in Dubbo.
After she married her beloved Bob they moved interstate and she concentrated on raising her family.
Beth died after a fairly short illness and had been saddened by the deaths of Bob in 2020, her MLC School friend, then sister-in-law,
Diana Fisher (Newbiggin, 1955) in late 2022, and her sister Helen Marks (Fisher, 1951) in early 2024.
Beth was a loved and loving wife and mother, who found great joy in her children and granddaughter. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her.
Barbara Riley (1965)
Barbara’s daughter, Bronwen, has contacted us with the sad news that after a battle with breast cancer, Barbara passed away in October 2024 at the age of 75.
She is survived by her three children Heather, Andrew and Bronwen and her many grandchildren, who she adored.
To her last day, Barbara was still best friends with Heather Prince (Walker, 1965) who she met during her much-loved years attending MLC School.
Rosemary Keane (Sloggett, 1972)
Rosemary’s daughter, Mija Keane (2005) has sent us this beautiful tribute to her mum:
Rosemary joined MLC School in Year 7 as a day girl. She is remembered as a well-liked and popular student who enjoyed athletics, tennis and school dances. She was a talented athlete who was regularly part of the All
Schools’ Athletics Team. In 1970 and 1971, Rosemary was the Churunga Sports Captain, and in her final year she was the School’s Vice-Captain.
In 1977, Rosemary obtained a Bachelor of Education at the University of Sydney, achieving a result that led to her being selected to teach at North Sydney Demonstration School where teaching was on display as an exemplar of best teaching practices in New South Wales. Over her 50 years of teaching, she taught at various schools, including MLC School’s Kent House in the early 1980s, Belmore South Public School, and for many years, Russell Lea Infants School (now Russell Lea Public School). She was a passionate and inspiring teacher. On many occasions, former students would approach her to say ’Hi’ and recount fondly of their time in ’Mrs Keane’s’ class.
After marrying in 1981, Rosemary and Anthony travelled and worked overseas before making their home in Five Dock, and later in Hunters Hill. Family was everything to Rosemary and she spent as much time as she could with her three children and two grandchildren. Her two daughters, Mija (2005) and Harriet (2010), also attended MLC School.
Rosemary was known for her beautiful, warm smile and kind, friendly character. She was fun-loving and social, busy with choir, book club and Scrabble. She instilled in her children the importance of education and reading. She enjoyed catching up with classmates at MLC School reunions, the most recent being her 50 Year Reunion in 2022.
Rosemary died peacefully in February this year from complications of a long-standing cancer. She will be greatly missed by all her family and friends.
Melissa Begg (1984)
We were very saddened to learn that Melissa Begg (1984) died on 31 May 2025 after a three year battle with cancer.
Melissa was at MLC School from Year 6 to Year 12. She was a HSC High Achiever and winner of the Jessie Douglas Memorial Prize (aeq) for her HSC Visual Arts major work, and the Prize for Distinction in English (aeq) at the 1984 Speech Night. She said that MLC School instilled in her ’a staunch feminism and an ambition for a successful career.’
The below tribute is extracted from an article by Paddy Manning published in the ’Byron Echo’ on 13 June 2025.
Goonengerry solicitor Melissa Begg was a true friend, keen traveller, loving partner and a brilliant, gutsy lawyer who dedicated a large part of her working life to the advancement of Aboriginal land rights in NSW.
’Liss’ enrolled in communications at the University of Sydney, hoping eventually to become a journalist, doing late shifts at 2SER and Radio Skid Row in Redfern. Instead, she got a job at the headquarters of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC). At NSWALC she came to a realisation – ’land rights means land claims’, as she said often – and so she enrolled at the University of Technology Sydney to do law part-time.
Melissa saw that for all the success of the Land Rights Act introduced in 1983, nobody was doing the mechanical work of scouring the gazette on a weekly basis to identify and properly claim vacant Crown land. With the support of colleagues, Melissa started doing the hard yards, lodging thousands of claims on behalf of local land councils all over the state, building up a vast property portfolio with an undeveloped value of more than a billion dollars.
’Mel just kept pushing that land claims agenda, as the beating heart of land rights,’ said one time NSWALC boss and former state Labor MP Maurie Keane. ’Mel was an Amazon warrior for land rights.’
In 2000, Melissa and her lifelong partner Joffre Salkeld moved to a rural block at Goonengerry, outside Mullumbimby, where they would make a home together for the next 25 years – a base for expeditions all over the world, from the Caucasus to Bolivia, and every part of Asia. Melissa spoke Bahasa Indonesian and loved the whole archipelago, visiting a dozen times.
Melissa soon set up her own firm, Hinterland Legal, and got a Master’s Degree in intellectual property law. The landmark land rights work continued, strategic and deliberate. One claim upended the controversial Fingal development at Tweed Heads – a project that wound up before ICAC – and delivered seven kilometres of beachfront back into Aboriginal hands.
With Indigenous ecologist and former Goonengerry ranger Dr Chels Marshall, Melissa spent the next ten years fighting for Aboriginal rights in marine and terrestrial space. She represented Nambucca Heads Aboriginal Land Council in Federal Court native title proceedings and Indigenous land use agreement negotiations with the state government, for the South Beach/Gagaal Wangan co-management National Park and the Warrell Creek and Gumma Indigenous protected area. She was the brainchild for the testing of an accord that paved the way for co-management of conservation lands in NSW and Australia.
Eminent native title lawyer Andrew Chalk recalls Melissa as tenacious and dedicated, without being a zealot. ’She always met people where they are,’ he says.
’She was gutsy as,’ says Dr Chels Marshall. ’Her tenacity in taking up the fight for marginalised people made her feared by others but loved by the Aboriginal community. Rest In peace my dear friend and comrade, let our ancestors embrace you in this new domain.’
Deirdre Skillen (1991)
The Skillen family are saddened to share the news of the passing of Deirdre Skillen (1991) who passed away on 19 March 2025 at the age of 50.
In 1984, Deirdre joined Year 5 at Kent House. At school, she was active in many co-curricular activities, participating in Hockey, Cricket, violin and speech lessons. In Year 12, Deirdre was a member of the Interact Club and the Cricket team. She was also the only person in 1991 to complete the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award, performing an exploration of the South Coast of Victoria which involved traveling from Geelong to Port Fairy, Victoria, along the famous Great Ocean Road.
After school, Deirdre became an accomplished hang glider and paraglider. She represented Australia in numerous national and international competitions, and for a time she was the President of Sydney Paragliding Club.
Professionally, Deirdre worked in Human Resources. Outside of work, she had a deep love of language and contributed to the Macquarie Dictionary by helping to identify and catalogue new words. Throughout her life, she remained closely connected to many friends from her time at MLC School.
Deirdre is the beloved daughter of Douglas and Susan Skillen, adored mother of Caiden Edward, and cherished sister of John, Maree (MLC School Class of 1986) and Sarah (MLC School Class of 1995).
A CHERISHED TRADITION:
Old Girls Reunite
MLC School’s annual Reunions honour the enduring connection between past students and their school. This year’s event welcomed Old Girls from the classes of 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005, 2015 and by popular demand, 1965. The Senior Centre was filled with laughter, warm embraces and shared memories. Principal Lisa Moloney reflected on the School’s legacy of empowering young women and reaffirmed a bright vision for the future.
A CHERISHED TRADITION:
OLD GIRLS REUNITE
EXCELLENCE 140 YEARS of
SCAN TO UPDATE YOUR DETAILS
As MLC School approaches its 140 th anniversary, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the generations of women who have walked the halls, shared the traditions, and shaped MLC School’s legacy.
From 1886 to 2025, every Old Girl is part of the story and we want to make sure no one is left out of the next chapter.
Over the years, we’ve naturally lost touch with some Old Girls. Not because they were forgotten, but because life moved forward — new cities, new careers, new chapters. Now, as we look ahead to a year of celebrations and reflection, we’re reaching out to reconnect.
To see who we’re trying to reconnect with, or to update your own contact details, please visit community.mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au/ pages/lets-reconnect
Together, let’s honour the past, celebrate the present, and ensure every Old Girl has the opportunity to be part of this special moment in MLC School’s history. Because you were never lost. We just lost touch.
A LOT OF LOVE FOR MLC SCHOOL’S MUMS
Each year, the Mother’s Day Breakfast brings together students, families and staff to celebrate and honour the spirit of motherhood. Guests were treated to a morning of shared stories, breakfast, coffee and indoor games.
FLYING HIGH FOR FATHER’S DAY
The Father’s Day breakfast was a morning of connection, competition and celebration of father figures in our community. Families gathered for a relaxed brekkie followed by the highly anticipated paper plane competition for those in the Junior School.
RUNNING WITH SPIRIT
Athletics Carnivals in 2025 brought colour, energy and camaraderie to the track as girls competed with confidence and enthusiasm. The Junior School carnival was a celebration of participation, running and throwing, with students cheering each other on in sprints, relays and novelty events such as the sack race. In the Senior School, House Spirit was on full display through a wide range of costumes. House cheers were embraced across all year levels. Our dedicated Spirit Captain, Sima, alongside House Captains and Vice-Captains led the rousing cheers.
Dates to Note
Term 4
Speech Day/Speech Night
Term 1
Commencement Day
Term 1 begins for all Year 7 and new students in Year 5 to Year 11
Commencement event for all Year 7 and all new students
Pre-Kindergarten to Year 11 and parents/carers
Term 1 begins for returning students
Thursday 4 December 2025
Tuesday 27 January 2026
Wednesday 28 January 2026 in Year 1 to Year 12
Term 1 begins for Pre-Kindergarten
Thursday 29 January 2026 5-day program
Term 1 begins for Kindergarten
Term 1 begins for Pre-Kindergarten
Friday 30 January 2026
Monday 2 February 2026 3-day program
Parent Welcome
Academic Excellence Assembly
Term 2
ANZAC Service
Friday 6 February 2026
Thursday 12 February 2026
Tuesday 28 April 2026
Back to College Day – 140 Year Celebrations Friday 1 May 2026
Mother’s Day Breakfast Friday 8 May 2026
140 Year Anniversary Gala Dinner Saturday 13 June 2026 – Sydney Hilton Hotel
Town Hall Music Concert Wednesday 24 June 2026
Old Girls Events
Old Girl’s Union (OGU) Meeting
Wednesday 5 November 2025
OGU AGM and General Meeting Wednesday 18 February 2026
International Women’s Day Breakfast
Multigenerational High Tea
Friday 6 March 2026
Sunday 8 March 2026
London Reception – House of Lords Tuesday 24 March 2026
Back to College Day – 140 Year Celebrations, Friday 1 May 2026
Boarders Lunch and Alumnae Awards Dinner
Reunion Saturday Saturday 2 May 2026
Class of 2021 5-year reunion
Class of 2016 10-year reunion
Class of 2006 20-year reunion
Class of 1996 30-year reunion
Class of 1986 40-year reunion
Class of 1976 50-year reunion
OGU Meeting
Wednesday 13 May 2026
OGU Meeting Wednesday 12 August 2026
Chocolate Recess Monday 14 September 2026
Sapphires Chapel Service and Lunch
Tuesday 20 October 2026
We very much encourage and welcome your news and love to receive photos.
To get in touch, please contact Barbara Hoffman, MLC School Archivist, on 02 8741 3214, or email bhoffman@mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au
