Principal’s Update | May, 2025
Principal’s Update.
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It is great to be back in the Principal chair after my Term of long service leave. I had a wonderful European adventure and have returned refreshed and reinvigorated. The school was in great hands during my absence with leadership at all levels. I am delighted to return to school with students settled into the year and doing well across the board - in our co-curricular programs, in leadership roles, and of course in their classes.
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Road Safety.
Throughout my time as principal I have, with School Council, continually advocated for safer roads around Mac.Rob: for changes to the speed limit, changes to the sequence of lights and requests to the Port Phillip Council for a crossing supervisor. I am pleased to advise that finally our advocacy has been responded to. Recently, Hon Melissa Horne MP, Minister for Ports and Freight, Roads and Road Safety and Health Infrastructure has responded to indicate that there are impending changes to traffic management that will assist with road safety. I am delighted that our concerns have been listened to:
The improvements include:
New footpaths surrounding ANZAC station, a new 40 km/h permanent speed limit on Albert Road between St Kilda Road and Kings Way
A part time 40 km/h speed limit (7 am-7 pm) on St Kilda Road adjacent ANZAC station to improve pedestrian safety.
Upgrades to the intersection of Kings Way and Albert Road which has new electronic flashing ‘Give Way to Pedestrians’ signs making crossing at this intersection much safer.
Further changes are proposed to the Kings Way and Albert Road intersection as part of the Victorian Government’s Shrine to Sea Masterplan, which will relocate and widen the pedestrian crossing on the Kings Way east approach closest to our school.
We are also working with the Port Phillip City Council to try to secure a crossing supervisor. Of course we also make regular reminders to students.
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Renovations - Wellbeing/Careers & New Science Lab.
This year we are renovating two areas of the heritage Kingsway building to make them more functional for students and staff. This is a school-funded project that responds to the dire need we have for more science laboratories and more functional wellbeing and careers spaces.
Perkins Architects and the Victorian School Building Authority have been working closely with the school to complete the detailed designs to prepare them to go out to tender. We are very happy with the design process and the outcomes they have produced. They have been very consultative and responsive to feedback.
A huge thank you to Sam Crocket, Michelle Pride, Mirela Matthews (Science Leader) and Katrina Adams (Wellbeing Counsellor Leader) for their contributions so far.
The below diagrams provide a snapshot of the progress made.
➲ At Mac.Rob, we’re constantly trying to improve the facilities for both students and staff in the absence of government funding for building works. To learn more about how you can help us to improve our school facilities this EOFY, click here.
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Legacy service at the Shrine of Remembrance.
Our Year 9s did a splendid job of providing the music for the annual ANZAC Commemoration Ceremony for Students at the Shrine of Remembrance on Monday, April 28th. During School Singing the students had been preparing to perform 3 songs with the Melbourne High School Year 10s.We were very proud of their efforts.
Our School Captain, Naomi Yang, also read a moving poem called ‘In Flanders Fields’. Pictured below are Dr Mordini and I with the students and with our two school captains.
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Year 12 Formal.
The Year 12s had a lovely evening at Leonda on the Yarra on Friday 2 May. Congratulations to the formal committee, Ms Elli Rose and Daniel Crowe and the rest of the team for organising such a wonderful event. It all went off without a hitch, including the staff dance. Nothing makes us happier than seeing students taking time out to have fun together.
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SRC Week & Multicultural Assembly.
This week we celebrate SRC week. The SRC representatives are running several lunch time activities throughout the week to engage the school community, including a Wellbeing Expo and a Staff vs Student match and other fun events. We started the week with Multicultural Monday with performances at assembly and a magnificent parade for students in multicultural dress. It was a true celebration of what makes our school community special.
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Bunnings BBQ.
A big thank you to the Parents Association, and in particular, Jasmine Wan (president) for her coordination of the Bunnings BBQ. We are so grateful for the hard work that went into organising and running the BBQ. We appreciate the efforts to bring the community together and support the school.
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Combined School Musical: “The Pirates of Penzance”.
The combined school musical, “The Pirates of Penzance”, opened on Thursday, May 8th, and continued with 4 performances through until Saturday evening. We were excited to see the wonderful performances from students who have collaborated so well with peers from Mac.Rob and Melbourne High School and also with staff over a long period of time to produce something truly phenomenal. They even let me have a little cameo role on opening night, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
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International Ball.
The school community enjoyed a terrific night out on Friday, May 23rd at the International Ball for 2025, held at the St Kilda Town Hall. It was a sold out event, and a fantastic celebration of our school’s diversity and spirit. You can read more about it here.
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Lap Around the Lake.
It was with great excitement that the annual Lap Around the Lake (House Cross Country) returned to the Mac.Rob this year. This was a regular feature of the House Cup prior to the dastardly COVID years, and finally it returned. All students and staff spent the afternoon out in the fresh air, either running or walking in a wonderful, active, healthy, community building event. Congratulations to staff and students for making this a great celebration.
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Congratulations: Anna Bradbury Little Scholarships from the Mac.Rob Foundation.
Congratulations to Naveli M and Diya D who were awarded the $1500 Visual Arts Scholarships, and to Riitta R and Yuyang (Kaly) G who received the $1500 Music Scholarships. We look forward to seeing what you do to further develop your talents.
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Collaborating with other schools.
We are collaborating with Mentone Girls Secondary College (MGSC) to act as critical friends. During Term 1 a large contingent of their school leaders came for a visit to Mac.Rob and observed classes. They provided us with feedback about our implementation of the Learner Model. On Tuesday, May 6th the Mac.Rob Principal team visited MGSC to observe their practice and provide feedback about the practice they are collectively working on. It was a great learning experience and the reciprocal visits will continue once per term throughout the remainder of this year.
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It has been a very positive start to the Term 2 with much to look forward to throughout the second half. I hope you enjoy the showcase of achievements in the latest newsletter.
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Sue Harrap | Principal
What’s On At Mac.Rob.
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Premier Concert | Tuesday, June 3rd
Students, families, and friends of Mac.Rob are warmly invited to the Premier Concert - our first for 2025. This concert is a showcase Mac.Rob’s varied musical ensembles and the repertoire they have been working on this year. Led by a team of dedicated specialist teachers, the Mac.Rob music program offers opportunities for musicians of all levels and experience to develop their playing and musicianship. This is a free community event for all ages.
Music At Mac.Rob | Premier Concert
When: Tuesday, June 3rd | 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Where: The Mac.Rob Hall (Kingsway Building, Level 2). Please enter via Entry 4 and the Reception foyer.
The Premier Concert commences at 6:00pm and concludes at approx. 8:00pm (2 hour duration).
Doors will open at 5:45pm. Please enter via Entry 4 (Kingsway Building, Level 1) and present your tickets to the box office, located in the foyer.
Student Highlights.
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Football - Inter/Senior Beachside Division.
On May 2nd, Mac.Rob’s combined Intermediate/Senior Footy team came together at Highett Reserve to compete in the Senior Footy Beachside Division. Our team played matches against Cheltenham Secondary College, Albert Park College, Mentone Girls’, and Yavneh Secondary College.
The first two games of the day tested our team’s resilience as we were finding our feet and probably still even learning each other's names. Despite this, our teamwork and gameplay improved as the day went on, as we applied pressure to the opposing team and utilised strong defensive strategies so it was harder for them to get goals.
We weren't sure how we would play going into the matches, however with the consistent improvement of strategies, communication skills and friendly competitive spirit, our team was able to bag two wins against Mentone and Yavneh, ultimately leading to the perfect finish to our day. This was a milestone for the Mac.Rob footy team, as it has been many years since the team has won games at interschool sports.
Another highlight of the day was all the dogs that we got to play with as the reserve is a very popular dog park! We worked so well together as a team and our coaches could not have been prouder of our efforts.
Ruby & Mia (10G)
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Current Affairs Club.
This term, the Current Affairs Club in collaboration with the humanities domain at Mac.Rob, held an exciting mock election for the electorate of Macnamara, which is the electorate where Mac.Rob is located. It was an exciting opportunity to model our civic responsibility for our community, especially knowing that many of our students will be eligible to vote in the next Federal election.
We aimed to inform our community about the experience of voting, including transforming the Theatre into a busy polling centre, complete with ballot papers, voting booths, the important ballot box, election officials, and enthusiastic campaigners outside ensuring an authentic voting experience.
One staff member remarked that they voted based on which ‘campaigner’ was most effective at sharing information about their candidate prior to voting. Once the voting was complete, members of the club counted the votes and also had some enlightening discussions around which votes are valid and invalid, as well as gaining experience navigating Australia’s preferential voting system, including how preferential votes are counted, and experiencing counting votes over a number of rounds to determine a result.
This event was a meaningful exercise in civic education, highlighting the complexities and excitement of Australian democracy. Well done to everyone involved! The Current Affairs club meets fortnightly at Mac.Rob and continues to discuss ongoing national and international politics.
Hermione (10F) | Current Affairs Club Leader
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Swimming Competition Results.
Congratulations to Weylen T for completing her School Sport Swimming Victoria at MSAC on May 1st with the following results:
2rd in Girls 12-20 Years Breaststroke 100m
2rd in Girls 15 Years Breaststroke 50m
2rd in Girls 12-15 Years Freestyle 100m
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Lap of the Lake.
This year, on May 7th, Mac.Rob welcomed back our annual school-wide event, Lap of the Lake! After being on hiatus since before Covid, the sports and house teams worked in collaboration for this highly anticipated day. Despite some wet weather, we were so proud of the high attendance across the school, as well as the number of runners on the day – which was about 75!
Congratulations once again to our age champions:
18-20 Year Olds - Ellen H
17 Year Olds - Emma N
16 Year Olds - Diti P
15 Year Olds - Nicole R
13/14 Year Olds - Caitlyn C
At the end of the day, after tallying the points up, Nereids took the crown, winning their SECOND event of the year! Congratulations and thanks to everyone who participated and we hope you enjoyed spending time with your friends outside, enjoying the beautiful scenery.
Nikita D and Tina H | Sport Captains
Dai G, Yiluo H, Angel M, Yeju L, Meruna M, Sienna L, Abigail M, Jenisha F | House Captains
