After a busy day of staff professional learning and planning today, we are looking forward to welcoming our students back for Term 2.

As I look ahead, it is clear that it is going to be an action-packed term with many opportunities for learning and growth. There will also be numerous special occasions throughout the term when our community can come together to enjoy friendship, collaboration and entertainment. On the entertainment front, our Senior School Production of ‘Legally Blonde’ is sure to be a highlight. Watch out for information about tickets coming soon through your regular Friday Hive updates.

On ANZAC Day, this Saturday, we will be proudly represented at the wreath-laying ceremony at the Heidelberg RSL by some of our Junior School leaders, and by our newly formed Marching Band in the main ANZAC March to the Shrine of Remembrance. Keep an eye out for our blue blazers if you are at the march or watching on TV. We were represented for the first time last year by our drumline, but this year takes our participation to a whole new level and will call on the skills and bravery of our students as they take on the challenge of performing at this very special public occasion.

The first few weeks of term will see the vibrancy of both Junior School and Senior School House Athletics, and the adventurous spirit of our Year 10s come to the fore as a small group take on the challenge of an extended outdoor education expedition. Later in the term our Junior School students will have the joy of learning in the outdoors through their camp program. Year 5 loved their time at Queenscliff in the final week of Term 1, and our Year 12s enjoyed the very special rite of passage that is the Lorne Retreat.

At the end of last term, we also celebrated the approval of our second Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), adding additional actions to those completed in response to our first plan. I would like to thank the RAP Committee members, including staff, students and parents, whose hard work and dedication made this possible.

We always take the opportunity to work on the grounds and buildings during the term break, and the last two weeks have been no exception. The new lift which provides access to our Science Labs will be commissioned during Week 1, and significant preparatory work was done around the Swimming Pool and Gymnasium for the mechanical plant upgrades needed to incorporate our new building in a sustainable way. Visible progress continues on the new building, with ground and first-level slabs in place and the second level to be poured across the next two weeks. The next opportunity for our ‘Construction Club’ students to tour the site and meet with the architects is coming up and I know they will be amazed by the progress since their last visit. You can see the latest timelapse video of the construction and a gallery of images following this article.

All of these experiences and opportunities reflect the richness of school life at Ivanhoe Girls’ and the strength of our community. I look forward to welcoming students back tomorrow and to a term filled with learning, challenge and shared pride in all that our students and staff achieve.

Ms Narelle Umbers
Principal