Term 1, Week 3, 2025 - Bravely 13 Feb 2025

For me, the start of a new year is not about making resolutions but about evolution - how we will grow, learn, and shape the year ahead. Each school year brings new opportunities but also new challenges. This year, I encourage each of us to channel one of our core values: courage. To be courageous. To choose courage.

While bravery and courage are often considered to be interchangeable, they are quite distinct. Bravery is about acting in the face of fear, stepping forward with confidence, and believing in yourself. Courage, however, runs deeper. It is about doing what is right, even when it is difficult. It is about standing up for justice, speaking out when something does not sit right, backing yourself even when self-doubt creeps in, and pushing through challenges when the easier path is to step back.

As we enter the 101st year of our school’s history, let us carry this spirit forward. May bravery propel us, but courage sustains us. This is the year I encourage all students, staff, and our wider community to choose courage in our learning, leadership, support, and care for one another. With courage, we can step boldly into the future.

Lighting the Legacy: Celebrating the Class of 2024

Last week at our Scholar’s Assembly, we celebrated the outstanding academic achievements of the Class of 2024 and recognised not just their results but the bright futures that lie ahead of them all. The Class of 2024 promised to Light the Legacy and guide our school through its Centenary year. They fulfilled that promise in remarkable ways, making us all incredibly proud.

The Class of 2024 was an eclectic, dynamic, and driven group, their achievements spanning a vast array of disciplines and pursuits. As a non-selective school, we pride ourselves on the belief that every student deserves an outstanding and enriching education. Here, we value-add. We don’t just prepare students for exams - we strive to prepare them for life in all its abundance.

Among the Class of 2024, we see future architects, designers, musicians, educators, health professionals, teachers, business leaders, nurses, scientists, lawyers, and computer scientists. Some have embarked on creative journeys in animation, fine arts, and fashion, while others are pursuing marketing, media, and communication. Still others are diving into the sciences, psychology, space science, and a vast array of engineering options. 

The breadth of study is remarkable. This diversity is not just a testament to their individual passions but to the strength of an education that nurtures curiosity, adaptability, and empowerment.

I reminded our Year 6 to Year 12 students sitting in the audience, wondering about their own future, that there is no single path to success. Their journey will be as unique as they are, shaped by their interests, motivations and the ever-changing world around them. There are many ways to learn, to grow, and to achieve. Whether through traditional academic pathways, hands-on experiences, creative pursuits, or innovative educational approaches, the key is to remain open to possibilities. As Eleanor Roosevelt says, ‘the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams’.Today's students must actively seek opportunities and forge their own way with courage, curiosity, and sheer hard work. Too often, we reduce success to rankings, scores, and percentages. Yet, true achievement goes beyond numbers. A top performer is someone who embraces challenges with courage, sees learning as a lifelong journey, is unafraid to take risks in pursuit of excellence and uses their knowledge to inspire, innovate, and lead in new ways.

To read more about the class of 2024:
'They always encouraged us to try our best'
Congratulations, Class of 2024

Shaping Our Future: Our Strategic Plan 2025–2031

This year, we embark on developing our Strategic Plan for 2025–2031 - a brave framework that will guide our school into the future while staying true to our core values and cherished heritage. This process is not just about setting goals; it is about engaging our entire school community - students, staff, parents, alumnae, and broader stakeholders - to co-create and shape a vision that is ambitious, courageous, and deeply connected to our Strathcona identity. We will seek input through forums, surveys, and collaborative discussions, ensuring that every voice is heard as we define our priorities for the years ahead. Central to this plan will be our commitment to academic excellence, innovation in teaching and learning, student wellbeing, and the continued empowerment of young women to lead with courage, integrity, respect, compassion and purpose. As we move forward together, we do so bravely - with conviction, aspiration, and the courage to bring our shared vision to life.

Honouring Our Foundations

Strathcona’s Foundation Day is more than a date on the calendar - it is a moment to pause, reflect, and honour the vision, determination, and sacrifice that laid the groundwork for all that we are today. For Strathcona Girls Grammar School, that moment began on 12 February 1924, when the school officially opened its doors. What began as a single house at 34 Scott Street has, over time, expanded to encompass an entire precinct, a physical manifestation of the school’s steady growth and enduring purpose. But Strathcona was never simply about buildings - it was about a bold dream brought to life by two remarkable women, Miss Henrietta Hughes and Miss Florence Livingstone. Henny and Liv, as their students affectionately called them, were not wealthy benefactors seeking prestige; they were visionaries, educators, and pioneers who invested everything, financially and personally, into creating a school that would empower young women for generations to come. Their commitment, courage, and faith in education remind us that Strathcona was built not just with bricks, but with purpose, resilience, and an unshakeable belief in the power of girls’ education. 

Each year, on Foundation Day, we stand in gratitude for their legacy and reaffirm our responsibility to carry their vision forward—bravely, faithfully, and happily. This year, we had the privilege of welcoming Karen Bull (Class of 1985) as our guest speaker, a woman whose career is as dynamic as it is inspiring. Joining her were her proud parents, Merle and Howard Bull, and her son, Ryan, making the occasion a true celebration of legacy and impact. A teacher, counsellor, and pilot, Karen has dedicated decades to assisting refugees, many from backgrounds of trauma, and helping them rebuild their lives through language and education. Her remarkable journey is a testament to the power of lifelong learning and the courage to embrace new opportunities - qualities she credits to her time at Strathcona. Her story reminds us that education is more than knowledge; it is a force for transformation, empathy, and change. To read more about Karen, click here.

A school’s Foundation Day is like its birthday - a time to celebrate its legacy, reflect on its journey, and welcome back those who have shaped its story. This year, we were privileged to reconnect with alumnae and long-standing staff members whose contributions continue to inspire the Strathcona community. Among our distinguished guests was Dr Barbara Martin (Class of 1951), who shared fond memories of her school days, from her love of Physics to becoming the first House Captain of Findlay House. After graduating from Strathcona, Barbara pursued a degree in medicine, overcoming significant challenges in an era when only 20 out of 160 medical students were women. Her resilience and determination led her to a remarkable 32-year career as a medical doctor in South Korea, exemplifying the courage and tenacity that define Strathcona women. To read more about Barbara, click here.

We also welcomed Mary Hall, who joined Strathcona in 1989 as the Tay Creggan librarian and Senior English teacher. A passionate educator and historian, Mary played a pivotal role in documenting our school’s evolution, authoring Into the 21st Century, Strathcona 2001–2014. Her dedication to preserving and sharing our history ensures that generations of students understand and appreciate the foundation on which they stand.

After our formal Foundation Day assembly, students and staff came together to mark the day in true Strathcona spirit - connecting across year levels and exchanging stories.

Warm regards,

Lorna Beegan
Principal

During this time, we took part in a range of workshops to develop our leadership skills and create networks with leaders from girls’ schools around the world. Guided by mentors and guest speakers, we explored the importance of staying true to our values and of effective communication. We also brainstormed initiatives and our theme to implement in our community this year, which we hope will guide our school’s journey in 2025.

These words: celebrate, support and empower, are the cornerstones of our focus for 2025 and form our theme, which is Celebrate her, Support her, Empower her, TOGETHER. 

Each aspect of the theme will entail activities, themed days and projects to look forward to over the course of the year. Our school values are reflected in this theme, with respect, courage and empowerment being integral to our choice of focus.

Celebrate her is all about being a part of a community that gets involved and excited about the incredible talents of the people who walk through the Scott Street gates each day. And here, we've got budding musicians, future athletes, aspiring doctors, event managers, researchers, accountants, diplomats and everything in between, and we want everyone to feel like what they do is recognised in this space.

Support her is another way to show our care and respect towards each other, and to extend this beyond our immediate school and into the wider community. We hope to work with our service captains in running drives and programs that everyone can be a part of, just to show a little kindness in a world where no kind act is too small.

And finally, Empower her is all about encouraging and equipping everyone with knowledge, hopes and goals as we move through the world as incredible young people. It's about showing courage, stepping out of your comfort zone in small but tremendous ways, and recognising the power in such a concept.

We are creating a banner that encompasses our theme, which will have a starry design because the focus doesn't need to be on being in the spotlight, but instead on creating our Strathy constellation - packed with the stars of each student and staff member as we shine brightly this year. 

We are really looking forward to working with all students in the coming week to create this banner to display it in our school as a reminder of our vision for this year.

'Leadership is not about being in the spotlight; it's about creating a constellation of stars, where each team member shines in their own unique brilliance.'

Elissa (School Captain), Aaryn and Eleanor (Deputy School Captains)

Lunar New Year Parent Lunch

Last Friday, 50 parents and staff enjoyed a special lunch celebrating Chinese New Year and the Year of the Snake at a restaurant in Camberwell. It was wonderful to see parents enjoying each other’s company and the traditional Chinese food.

Tuesday 18 February:
Year 1 Excursion to Melbourne Museum 
Snowsports Information Evening

Wednesday 19 February
Year 7 Burn Bright

Thursday 20 February
Year 7 Surf Lifesaving Day
Strathcona Open Morning

Friday 21 February
Year 7 Family Picnic and Sausage Sizzle

Tuesday 25 February
Year 7 Camp
SFA Dads and Special Friends Drinks on the Deck

Wednesday 26 February
Year 4 Excursion to Pollywood

For more information, please check the School calendar on Maple.