From the Head of School

House Spirit

With our Swimming Carnival fast approaching on Monday 31 March 2025, the Houses have begun preparing to compete for points in the GA Davey Cup, and their chants for Spirit points. It has been heartening to see the Year 6 students welcomed into the senior Houses. Just today, the Year 6 cohort was officially welcomed into the Senior School assembly for the first time, after being ‘handed over’ by Head of Junior School, Daniel Sandral. This is always a special occasion for Year 6 and we are so pleased in the Senior School to be part of their transition to the campus.

Tour day

On Tuesday, we welcomed members of our wider community onto the campus for tour day. Each term, our Year 10 and Year 11 students volunteer to lead groups around the School as tour guides. The tour guides were recognised for their representation of our School’s values. Parents found them knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and genuine; they appreciated the authentic insights they provided into life at MLC School.

Punctuality

This week we have noticed an increase in students signing in late in the mornings at the Studies Office. Lessons start at 8.15am and students must ensure that they are at school with enough time to attend to their locker and then arrive at their designated classroom, ready to start on time. We ask for your support in this, noting that students will be followed up with accountability points if they are consistently signing in late.

Science focus

This week, I visited several Science classrooms. The engaging hands-on lessons in progress were fantastic to see. In the Year 8 classroom with Amy Lim, the students were conducting experiments on gravity and force using flour, cocoa, and marbles – I noticed that the students worked really well to articulate their observations. I then visited Year 9 students who were expertly led by Hallie Kim and Linda Chui to explore electrical currents and circuits, showcasing excellent teamwork in their groups. In Year 11 Biology, the class was investigating the surface area to volume ratio using agar cubes as cell models. It was great to see the students demonstrating our MLC School learning dispositions of curiosity and collaboration. A big thank you to Maryellen Ottaway’s Science team for creating such enriching learning experiences and for having me drop in!

Click on gallery to view full images

Study Hub

As our Year 12s look toward their assessment block next week, I have been so pleased to see the way they have been proactively seeking support and feedback. They have also been working really well together. I often see students covering whiteboards with revision materials and testing each other in Study Hub.

Numbers are increasing, and students are effectively using the space and seeking assistance from teachers. Next week, both Year 11 and Year 12 are welcome to attend as usual. Year 12 students, who will be in their exam block, are still encouraged to study in the library or on Level 3 and stay for Study Hub. Year 11 students are encouraged to attend regularly. The teachers rostered on are listed below:

Year 7 Parent teacher interviews

A reminder that the Year 7 Parent/Teacher Interviews are scheduled for Wednesday 5 March 2025 from 4.15pm to 7pm on the Ground Floor and Level 1 of the Senior Centre. Luminary meetings will commence meetings from 3.30pm with individual parent/teacher meetings to follow.

– Joanna Graffen
Head of Senior School