{"id":44521,"date":"2026-03-20T14:51:19","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T03:51:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/?post_type=article&p=44521"},"modified":"2026-03-20T14:51:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T03:51:19","slug":"from-the-principal-258","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/article\/from-the-principal-258\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Principal"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Late last week, at the invitation of Her Majesty Queen Nanasipau\u02bbu Tuku\u02bbaho<\/a>, the School Chair, Kylie Bryden Smith, Deputy Principal, Melissa Boyd, and I travelled to Nuku\u2019alofa, Tonga, joining thousands of Queen Salote College (QSC) alumni from around the world for several days of celebration and festivities to mark 100 years since the College\u2019s founding in 1926. \u00a0<\/p>\n

It is hard to explain the significance of QSC to the Tongan community but suffice to say that the Tongan government declared the anniversary a\u00a0public holiday, underscoring the prestige of the event and the importance of QSC as the nation’s only all-girls school.\u00a0The celebrations were livestreamed by ABC Pacific and watched by audiences from around the world.<\/p>\n

MLC School in Sydney and QSC share\u00a0an historical\u00a0sister school partnership\u00a0that has lasted over 90 years. This relationship is built on our shared Methodist foundations, a mutual commitment to providing excellence in girls’ education, and long-standing cultural and royal ties.\u00a0With support from our school community, the partnership was reinvigorated in 2023. MLC School families have provided textbooks and supplies for QSC students and MLC School teachers volunteer their time to mentor QSC staff. In 2025 we were honoured to host a visit from\u00a0Queen Nanasipau\u02bbu<\/a> to mark the significance of our collaboration.<\/p>\n

The first official record of the relationship between QSC and MLC School is recorded in the 1935 edition of Excelsior<\/em>, in which it is reported that in August 1935, Her Majesty the Queen of Tonga, Queen Salote Tupou III visited MLC School and addressed the student body who showed their appreciation through \u2018a great storm of enthusiastic clapping\u2019 and singing the School song for her. The Excelsior<\/em> article that chronicles her visit refers to the fact that in the years prior, there had been several Tongan girls attending MLC School, many of whom were now \u2018conspicuous in Tonga.\u2019<\/p>\n

Our records also show that Jeanette Loy (Maddox, 1960) MLC School Old Girl, former staff member and former member of the School Council was appointed Headmistress of Queen Salote School from 1971-1973. During Jeanette\u2019s time at MLC School, the MLC School senior students supported the education of Tongan girls at QSC.<\/p>\n

As part of my speech at the QSC celebrations, I was honoured to announce that the family of Jeanette Loy have created a fellowship which will support teachers from both Queen Salote College and MLC School to visit each other\u2019s schools for the purpose of professional exchange and learning. The fellowship also provides for an annual prize to be awarded to a senior student at each school who demonstrates a commitment to global exchange and understanding through her involvement at school.<\/p>\n

This fellowship will benefit students and teachers at both schools, encouraging excellence in teaching and learning and building intercultural awareness and understanding. We are very thankful for the Loy family support to enable this important initiative which enables us to continue to build the relationship and connection that Jeanette so strongly believed in.<\/p>\n

As well as the funds from the Jeanette Loy fellowship, both the Queen Salote College ex-students association and the MLC School Old Girls Union provide financial support for the program.<\/p>\n

The relationship is supported by the Australian High Commission and aligns with a broader commitment to Pacific education partnerships. While in Tonga we were invited to meet with Brek Batley, Australian High Commissioner to Tonga to discuss our partnership with QSC and how we might work collaboratively with his team to further the impact of our work.<\/p>\n

– Lisa Moloney\u00a0<\/em>
\n<\/strong>Principal<\/p>\n

Click on gallery to view full images<\/em><\/p>\n