From the Head of Senior School
Assembly this week
Congratulations to Year 11 students who stepped up to host our Senior School Assembly this week. Deputy Head of Senior School – Wellbeing, Andrew Taylor, said it was a great success and praised the students for their leadership and professionalism.
Co-educational opportunities
Today Year 7 parents will learn more about the opportunity for girls to attend the yearly fundraising dance at St Patrick’s College in Strathfield (see article here). We are always open to opportunities to collaborate with schools for various social and educational opportunities and I was so pleased to see this in action at the 2024 Sony Foundation Camp and at the various debating and drama productions throughout the year.
A note about jumpers, cardigans and blazers
Please note that the only outer garment to be worn to and from school is the blazer. Jumpers (and cardigans for Year 10 – Year 12) are only to be worn to school if underneath the blazer (note page 15 of the school diary and pages 60 – 67 of the Parent Handbook). The purpose of this is to ensure uniformity and a professional appearance among students, promoting school pride and discipline. Additionally, please remind students to label their blazers clearly with their names.
Mother’s Day Classic
A cause close to many of us is the annual Mother’s Day Classic, supporting breast cancer research and awareness. Let’s encourage the entire school community to participate and show solidarity. This event not only raises funds for a vital cause but also fosters a sense of unity and compassion among students and families. We look forward to seeing the community come together for this meaningful occasion. To sign up please join the MLC School team below:
Staffing updates
Mathematics
One of our Mathematics teachers, Vito Zurlo, has recently resigned in order to relocate back to Italy. We are committed to ensuring that students are well-supported during this transition. To this end, a thorough recruitment process is underway to find a suitable replacement. The Year 12 classes taught by Vito are our priority, and we will ensure that these classes are handled by current experienced Year 12 teachers or his replacement if we consider their expertise will be such as to benefit the senior classes. We will write directly to those Year 12 families that are impacted once we have further information. This is likely to be in the coming two weeks.
Visual Arts
Earlier in the term I wrote that our Head of Department, Sally Marks, has been on sick leave. This will continue until the end of term, however, we are very pleased to advise that she is well on the way to full recovery. Zoe Rawlinson and Lucy Pero have been appointed as joint Acting Head of Department for the remainder of Term 1 to support the team. We look forward to Sally returning at the beginning of Term 2. Additionally, we are excited to welcome Cianne Brewster back from parental leave at that time.
Unfortunately, Brooke Sanderson, who was assisting in a temporary capacity this term and teaching Year 7 and Year 8, is unable to continue due to illness. We are grateful for her contributions and will ensure that her classes are adequately covered during this period before Cianne returns. We are fortunate to have Anita Modok who is well known to the School supporting the students. We also have Visual Arts casual teachers who will assist under the leadership of Zoe and Lucy, ensuring a smooth transition and continued support for our students.
– Joanna Graffen
Head of Senior School