From the Principal

As we mark our 140th anniversary year, we pause to reflect on what has always defined MLC School: its people, its purpose and its enduring community. It is a timely opportunity to acknowledge the dedication of MLC School’s teachers and support staff, past and present, whose commitment continues to shape the School experience for each generation of girls.

Behind every improvement, initiative, conversation and assessment is an enormous amount of often unseen work. Throughout this year alone, the School has reinvigorated its sports program, established the largest all‑girls cadet unit in Australia, introduced a new research‑based approach to professional learning, and continued its rigorous reflection on academic performance. Behind the scenes, MLC School has also become the first Australian independent school to implement Security Copilot, strengthening IT security and data protection, while progressing important capital works and working closely with the P&F and Old Girls’ Union to build further opportunities for connection. There is much to celebrate.

Community connection has been a highlight of the term. Many Old Girls joined families, staff and friends of the School at events such as the Parent Welcome evening and the inaugural Community Prayer Breakfast. Led by Council member and parent of an Old Girl, Rev Lindsay Cullen, the breakfast offered a meaningful moment of reflection on education as formation — a reminder that learning at MLC School has always been about shaping character, values and purpose, not just outcomes. We also held our annual Multigenerational High Tea on International Women’s Day, which brought together generations of Old Girls alongside current students and their grandmothers, mothers and alumnae, for an afternoon celebrating connection, continuity and shared history. You can read more about this in this article.

Academic excellence also remained a focus with the Assembly for Academic Achievement celebrating the Class of 2025. Seventy‑six students were recognised for outstanding academic results, including state and cohort achievements. The Ros Pesman Medal was awarded to Maya Al‑Soufi for placing first in the state in German Beginners, while the Rev Dr Charles J. Prescott Medal for the highest ATAR was presented to Sophia Shaikh, who achieved 99.95. With more than half the cohort achieving an ATAR above 90, and many others demonstrating significant personal growth, the Class of 2025 exemplifies the School’s commitment to educating the whole girl. You can read more about the Class of 2025 results in this article.

Perhaps most affirming were the reflections shared by parents, including one family who wrote of their gratitude for the belief, care and encouragement shown by MLC School staff throughout their daughter’s journey — a sentiment many Old Girls will recognise. It is a reminder that MLC School’s impact is measured not only by results, but by lives shaped with confidence, resilience and hope.

As our graduates step into futures across Australia and the world, and as Old Girls continue to carry the spirit of MLC School into their own communities, we look ahead to the remainder of this milestone year with pride and optimism. We look forward to many more opportunities to come together, reconnect and celebrate the legacy shared by Old Girls, past, present and future.

– Lisa Moloney
Principal