Principal’s Update | August, 2025.
Principal’s Update.
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Exciting Upgrades to the Heritage Kingsway Building.
We are in the final planning stages of a self-funded renovation of our much-loved heritage Kingsway Building.
The upgrades will create more welcoming, private, and soundproof spaces for our Student Wellbeing Counsellors and Careers staff, ensuring students can access these important services with comfort and confidentiality.
To meet our growing need for science facilities, we are also transforming a ground floor classroom into a state-of-the-art laboratory. Works will begin in September and be completed for the start of the 2026 school year — supporting the learning, wellbeing, and aspirations of our students for many years to come.
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Combined Winter Concert at Hamer Hall.
On Monday, July 28th, the 2025 Combined Winter Concert filled the stage at Victoria’s premier performance venue, Hamer Hall.
Students and staff from both Mac.Rob and Melbourne High rose brilliantly to the occasion, delivering an evening of outstanding music.
Highlights included the Combined Orchestra’s captivating performance of An American in Paris by George Gershwin, and the Combined Chamber Voices and Unicorns choir bringing energy, warmth, and humour to Oklahoma! by Rodgers and Hammerstein.
It was a night of exceptional talent, artistry, and collaboration — a truly unforgettable experience for performers and audience alike.
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Combined Play: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.
This year’s Combined Play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, opened to a sold-out audience in Melbourne High School’s Black Box Theatre on Thursday, August 14th. Based on the acclaimed novel by Mark Haddon, the production took a fresh approach, with two alternate casts and student direction from Finn and Wyn.
The results were remarkable, with each cast offering a unique interpretation of the script. Congratulations to the Mac.Rob performers: Rithi, Sara, Pranaya, Lumina, Hermione, Jeet, Sukhmani, Thenumi, and Akarshini for their commitment and outstanding performances.
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Adelaide Exchange: Prefects’ Cup.
On Sunday, August 17th, we welcomed around 65 students and staff from Adelaide High School for our long-standing Prefects’ Cup exchange. It was wonderful to see familiar faces, meet new friends, and witness heartwarming reunions. We thank all Mac.Rob families who generously hosted students in their homes.
Over two and a half days and across thirteen events, the Prefects’ Cup was fiercely contested - Mac.Rob proudly took the win this year — but more importantly, connections and friendships were strengthened. We are incredibly proud of our team, and particularly acknowledge Tina Huang and Nikita Dhar (Sports Captains) and Emma Lionello (Sport Leader) for their outstanding organisation and leadership.
We look forward to visiting Adelaide in 2026 — with the hope of bringing the Cup back home.
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Nanzan High School: Japanese Exchange Visit.
Our new sister-school relationship with Nanzan High School officially began when ten visiting students were warmly welcomed at Melbourne Airport by their Year 11 Mac.Rob host sisters on Saturday 16 August.
Congratulations to Shungo Sawaki for his excellent organisation and hosting skills, and sincere thanks to Ms Watanabe and Mr Kasuya for travelling to Mac.Rob to establish and strengthen this partnership. Programs such as this significantly enrich our students’ language learning and cultural understanding — not only for those hosting, but for all students engaged in the Japanese program.
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2026 Student Leadership Positions.
It has been inspiring to read applications and interview students putting themselves forward for key leadership positions in 2026. I have been particularly involved in the selection of our School Captain and Vice Captain, but have been keeping a close eye on the selection process for SRC Co-Presidents.
Throughout the process, I was reminded of the privilege we hold as a school: “there are no wrong options” for us, with so many possible, high quality candidates. Each candidate brought passion, insight, and a strong commitment to service. I extend my thanks and congratulations to all applicants, and acknowledge Ms Hannah Williams, along with Naomi Yang, Varada Lele, Fizzy Adebayo, and Khim Oeng, for their thoughtful leadership of the process.
Kind regards,
Sue Harrap | Principal
Student Highlights.
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John Monash Commemorative Service.
On August 10th, we had the privilege to represent Mac.Rob at the John Monash Commemorative Service alongside other schools like John Monash Science School, Melbourne Boys’ Grammar, and Mount Waverley High School. In Parliament, we honoured Monash’s legacy and listened to a variety of speakers who spoke about his incredible achievements, not only on the battlefield but in the field of science and technology as a civil engineer, on top of his unmatched passion and advocacy for education.
A notable speaker was the 2018 John Monash Scholarship recipient, Sonia Loudon. Upon receiving her masters in Education Policy from Harvard University, she returned to Australia with a goal of improving the quality of education in under-served communities. As such, her speech was addressed to all students to motivate and inspire us to take the initiative in our own educational experience, and encourage others to do the same.
John Monash’s leadership during the Battle of Hamel was invaluable; however, his German and Jewish heritage drew scrutiny from many of his superiors, casting doubt on his ability to command the Australian army. This even led the Prime Minister of the time to travel to France and personally ask Monash if he was capable of leading. Despite the skepticism surrounding his new strategies, he pressed on, and achieved historical successes.
Beyond the battlefield, Monash was a key figure in establishing ANZAC Day commemorations and one of the driving forces behind the construction of the Shrine of Remembrance. Sonia Loudon, in her address to us, paid tribute to his infatigable resilience by posing us this powerful question: “What is one passion we hold that would drive us to persevere even in the face of doubt?”
Khim & Fizzy, SRC Co-presidents
Naomi & Varada, School Captain & Vice Captain
Dumini & Hannah, Middle School Captains
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Brain Bee Challenge.
On August 6th, three Year 10 students - Mackenzie L, Minju K, and Shreya K - represented Mac.Rob at the State Finals of the Brain Bee Neuroscience Challenge. These students were also invited to a full-day event consisting of presentations on the latest research in neuroscience, exploring the neuroscience laboratory and touring the anatomy museum at the University of Melbourne.
Reflection by Mackenzie L (10D):
"Mac.Rob’s school value of “Growth” doesn’t always look like grades or awards. Sometimes it looks like realising how much there still is to learn. To discover more about this universe we’ve been born into.
When I started the Brain Bee Challenge, I thought I was just skimming through some basic old facts of neuroscience. But between those nights making Anki decks about neurodegenerative diseases and pasting notes about the visual cortex into Notion, standing in the Florey Institute today watching real stem cells become neurons with the next generation of truly cutting-edge technology being built right in front of our eyes, the possibilities behind this incredible experience hit me really hard. There is so much more out there to learn, and so many questions we don’t even know how to ask yet.
This journey has made me realise how powerful curiosity can be. How something as simple as opening a lesson or chasing a question can lead you somewhere entirely new. There’s something revelatory about watching research that will one day save lives, and knowing that it starts with people just asking questions.
Being one of Victoria’s Brain Bee state finalists today was an incredible honour, and standing alongside such brilliant students reminded me of how much potential lives in young minds. To me, this competition wasn’t just about facts, but about science and its limitless, endless possibilities. About how much more we are capable of, and how we might one day be the ones to find the answers. I’m so grateful for the support of my friends, teachers, and teammates. Massive shoutouts to Minju and Shreya, the cramming together and all the laughter are some of my core memories now :)
And finally, to anyone even slightly curious about neuroscience, chase that feeling. There’s a whole universe in your head. Go find it 🧠."
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Year 10 History: Making The Modern World.
This semester, the Year 10 History “Making the Modern World” class have been working hard and engaging in lessons about Australia’s significant involvement in the World Wars.
The ANZAC soldiers had tremendous impact battling in places such as Papua New Guinea, Singapore, the Western Front in France, the Middle East, and Turkey, and even received their war training alongside the pyramids in Egypt.
To consolidate our learning of these war efforts from the ANZACs, Ms. B brought in many primary sources and artefacts from her family friend's personal collection. These belonged to Melbourne soldiers from WWI and WWII showing their wartime experience.
We were shown pictures of their travels in the Middle East, Egypt, France, and Europe. We read the letters they sent home, viewed their medallions, and even saw telegrams of death and consolation letters from the British monarchy.
All aiding in realising that what we are learning isn't just history but it was truly people's lives and stories.
Bavleen K (10K)
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For-A-Meal | Interact Club.
On Tuesday, August 6th, the Mac.Rob Interact Club proudly hosted its annual For-A-Meal event, bringing together more than 200 student volunteers with a shared purpose: To make a tangible difference in the lives of those facing food insecurity.
In just one afternoon, our dedicated volunteers packed an incredible 19,500 meal packs. These meals will be sent to Somaliland, where they will support refugees living in camps and communities suffering from the devastating effects of severe drought.
What made this event even more meaningful was that the students themselves raised the funds needed to purchase the raw ingredients. Through bake sales and a successful Bunnings BBQ, Interact members demonstrated their commitment to service and community by funding every meal packed.
It was a powerful display of teamwork, compassion, and leadership – a day filled with purpose and pride. Congratulations and thank you to the Interact Club for leading this impactful initiative. Your hard work is helping bring hope and nourishment to thousands.
Well done, Interact!
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VCE French Expressionism Excursion.
In Week 11 of Term 2, our Art Making & Exhibiting (AIM) class had the incredible opportunity to visit the French Impressionism exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria and engage with a presentation diving into curation, conservation, and exhibition design.
Stepping into the rooms, we were met with embellished walls, adorned with life-like, flowy artworks and rooms which each conveyed varying themes and moods.
The exhibition seemed to transport us through the nuances of Impressionism, stopping to focus on key figures such as Monet, Renoir, and Degas, and gave us the opportunity to observe their myriad colour palettes, techniques, atmospheres, and individual art styles.
The experience was illuminating, especially the sections which documented the behind-the-scenes process of planning and displaying works, which is sure to enrich our own exhibiting endeavours. We are all so grateful for the experience and can’t wait to see how it will inspire our future creativity!
Naveli M (11B)