In Term 4, 2025 faculties across the School have been meeting to shape a program that truly reflects the diversity of learning at Ivanhoe Girls’. From game design to clean energy futures (and plenty more ideas still taking shape), we’re building a curriculum that offers more – more choice, more agency, and more ways for every student to succeed.

These ideas aren’t just living on paper either, they came to life through our End of Year programs. Year 7 students designed solutions for new ways of living, thinking about how we can create a better future for both people and the planet. Year 8 threw themselves into fast-paced design sprints to explore how small ideas can spark big change. Year 9 focused on health and careers, discovering who they are and who they can be for others. While Year 10 tackled real-world business challenges through immersive enterprise experiences.

At the same time, our partnership with the University of Melbourne’s New Metrics team continues to grow, as we reimagine how learning is assessed. Together, we’re
exploring innovative ways to recognise competencies such as creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration – helping students gain a more holistic understanding of their progress. Digital badges and portfolios, adaptive rubrics, and assessment that embraces complex competencies have all been integrated and tested in our End of Year Programs in 2025. It’s an exciting step toward celebrating not just what students achieve, but how they learn, think, and grow along the way.

Construction Update

The work of empowerED doesn’t stop in the classroom – it’s now taking shape in bricks and mortar. The official Groundbreaking Ceremony, held on 12 September, marked the beginning of the construction for our brand-new empowerED purpose-built facility, a space designed to inspire creativity, innovation and future-focused learning.

The event was a wonderful celebration of community, with students, staff, and special guests gathering to mark this important milestone. We were privileged to hear from a number of speakers, including our Senior School 2025 Captain Jemima McArdle, 2025 Vice Captain Giovana Presta, and Junior School 2025 Captain Aya Zaidi, each sharing their excitement and hopes for what empowerED will bring to future generations of Ivanhoe learners.

With the Groundbreaking now feeling like a distant memory, demolition of the former carpark and sports courts has been completed, along with bulk earthworks, foundation piling and the initial concrete pour for the lift pit. The pile foundations have been installed for the new platform that will support more energy-efficient mechanical services to the existing Swimming Pool, Gymnasium and Performing Arts Centre buildings as well as to the new building. The full platform structure and the associated plant will be installed progressively throughout the year as breaks in school activities allow.

The foundation works for the new building have also been completed. The lower parts of the new building’s lift core have been installed, as have the in-ground services and water retention tanks. The majority of the ground floor slab has recently been poured and very soon the structure of the new building will start to take shape above ground. We’re happy to report again that works remain on schedule.

Introduction to Mr Matthew Dau, Director of empowerED

Looking back on my career so far, it’s probably fair to describe it as more of a scribble than a straight line. I’ve been fortunate enough to pick up experiences and skills from places as varied as architecture studios and mining engineering sites, to aged care facilities and costume design workshops – both in Australia and abroad, from South Africa to Kuala Lumpur.

Threaded through all of these adventures has been one constant: education. Whether working with primary or secondary students, tertiary learners, or adults, I’ve always been excited by the potential of others and the excitement that comes with realising your own capability. Every setting, no matter how unexpected, has taught me something new about how people learn, and that curiosity and creativity thrive in the spaces where ideas cross paths. Even more than that, that meaningful learning often happens in the most surprising of places.

What I’ve learned for myself from these experiences, is that there’s real power in approaching learning like a designer – testing ideas, embracing iteration, and finding joy in the process of discovery. I’ve seen how skills built in one field can completely transform another, and how students flourish when they’re given the freedom and support to connect disciplines and think differently.

I look forward to bringing these experiences to Ivanhoe Girls’, and the empowerED program, as we take aim at a future that is even more bold, interconnected, and full of possibility than the amazing school we already have.

Mr Matthew Dau
Director of empowerED