Mentor Magazine: Spring 2022

WELCOME

they wish to enrol. Early registration will place families higher on the list and increase their chances of securing a place in their preferred year of entry. We ask that you complete one form per child.

The best way to experience Mentone Grammar is to visit our vibrant Campus and speak with our students, staff and community. You can do this by attending a School Tour or Open Day event, or by booking a Private Tour with our Enrolments Team.

Open Days and School Tours 2023

• Open Day Saturday 25 March 2023: 9.00am – 12 noon

• School Tour Monday 1 May 2023: 9.30am – 11am

• Open Day Saturday 12 August 2023: 9.00am – 12 noon

• School Tour Thursday 19 October 2023: 9.30am – 11am Please note that registration is essential.

A Virtual Tour

Mentone Grammar is a high performing village within the bayside community that offers a first-rate, well-rounded education for students. Our learning program is built around developing Happy, Healthy and High Achieving young people from our Early Learning Centre to Year 12. We are renowned for our successful learning model of TogetherApart-Together, where girls and boys in middle school (Years 5 - 9) learn within a coeducational environment in gender-specific classes. In our Early Learning Centre through to Year 4 and in Years 10 - 12, students learn in a fully coeducational environment.

We understand how important the decision of school choice is for families and appreciate and value your interest in our School. Mentone Grammar continues to experience great enrolment interest and we endeavour to accommodate families, however, there is a fixed capacity for each year level. If you are aware of anyone who wishes to join our School in the future, please remind them that it is essential they register for our waitlist for each child

If unable to visit us, you are welcome to explore our Virtual Tour or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

While it is a big decision to choose a school, it doesn’t need to be stressful. I am often contacted by families who are overwhelmed with choices, information and perceived pressures of making a decision. We want your family to really enjoy the process of learning about the exciting opportunities on offer for your child. If you wish to understand more about the enrolment process, what the School can offer for your child’s specific interests, abilities and needs, and when the School may be able to offer your child a place, I encourage you to contact me. I will be delighted to answer any questions you have and support you in making the right decision for your family.

I look forward to welcoming you and your family to our caring community.

PERNILLA EKLUND ALLAN REGISTRAR

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

To say that the School has reactivated its programs is a massive understatement. So many great activities have recommenced and it is no surprise that, on the back of the COVID lockdowns of the last few years, we end each term extremely tired but highly rewarded for undertaking the multitude of things on offer.

Learning Journeys, Sport, Music, Drama, Dance, Art, Chess, Public Speaking and Debating, the Café Program, Cadets, to name but a few, have created an extremely vibrant community once again. I commend all of the staff and students for their fine efforts.

To have everyone back at school on an ongoing basis is such a joy and, whilst some of the behaviours that have accompanied this are a little off kilter, there is clear evidence that people are coming back around after two unusual years. Social behaviours are the biggest concern as we reactivate moving from a home-study scenario to a school-based one. Given the disruption that COVID presented, we can be justifiably proud of the work of our staff and students. Understanding that our young people lived through a particularly challenging time is important and nurturing them back to a more ‘normal’ world is critical.

The end of Semester 1 saw the retirement of Mr John Horler who gave long and loyal service to this School, for which we are incredibly grateful. Ironically, John returned only weeks later, such is the shortage of teachers in our country, to do some casual relief teaching!

Recently, we hosted our Alumni elders for a luncheon, a group called Friends of Frogmore, and they were highly impressed with the state of the School and the students they encountered on the day.

Similarly, the School Production returned with great gusto with our staff and students performing the highly entertaining Mamma Mia!

We also saw the start of the biggest capital works program in the history of the School with the commencement of our new Bayview precinct due for completion, all things going well, for Term 4, 2023.

Sporting successes have also been celebrated along with an enormous amount of outstanding teaching and learning. The focus in our classrooms has been highly impressive in most instances.

Most important of all our staff and students continue to create a Happy, Healthy, High Achieving environment which we can all be proud of.

I commend to you all that is going on in the School at this time and thank you for your ongoing support.

MAL CATER PRINCIPAL

FROM THE CHAIR

It is my great honour to have been elected as Chair of the Mentone Grammar Board to succeed Mr Geoff Ryan AM who has, so ably, led the Board over the last five years. I am fortunate to have been on the Board in recent times and to know that there is great depth of talent on the current Board. Our Board is made up of a diverse range of skill sets which brings high level governance to the School.

During the year Mr Simon Appel OAM, retired from the Board having been both a Director and, more importantly, Chair. Simon’s contribution to this School has been enormous. His 12 years of leading the Board saw the School grow in number and stature. He also, in liaison with the Principal, oversaw the successful transition of our School from being an all-boys’ School to being a contemporary coeducational School. Together, they undertook a number of major building projects which have enhanced our School’s resources. We are indebted to Simon for his extraordinary contribution.

As has been announced recently, the Board is about to undertake its most important responsibility in the recruitment, appointment and induction of a new Principal. Our Board members understand the enormity of this task and assure the School community that this will be undertaken with great rigour as we look to appoint Mr Mal Cater’s successor.

Our School has been through an amazing period of development on many fronts thanks to the leadership of Mal and we will be looking for a leader who can continue this journey, ensuring that we remain a student-centred organisation providing a broad range of opportunities for our staff and students. Mentone Grammar is well regarded in the independent sector, and we are confident that we will attract a very strong field of candidates.

One aspect that makes Mentone Grammar attractive for Principal candidates is that the School has such strong financial governance in place. This is enabling us to undertake major works, for example, redevelopment of the Years 7 & 8 learning spaces with the creation of the new Bayview Precinct. The scale of this project is impressive when one observes the significant building site which has been created following the recent demolishing of the old Bayview Building.

The ongoing reinvestment of surpluses into educational and wellbeing resources is a critical element of the School’s good governance.

I thank all members of the School community for their ongoing support and look forward to engaging with you particularly as part of the School’s Centenary in 2023.

Best wishes,

ROSS JOBLIN CHAIR

Ross Joblin (CHAIR) Geoff Ryan AM Rev. Kevin Pedersen Troy Riley Amanda Codila Kylie Watson-Wheeler Darren Murphy Chris Hewison Sally Buckley Jeff Connolly Simon Appel OAM Peter Royston Troy Riley Kylie Watson-Wheeler Geoff Ryan AM Mal Cater Jarrod O’Neill Nicole Bradshaw

MENTONE

BOARD

DIRECTORS

GRAMMAR FOUNDATION

MARY JONES EARLY LEARNING CENTRE

Learning in the ELC is not contained to the four classroom walls. We love to challenge the children to take considered risks, to challenge themselves to think, question and to imagine. All these skills contribute to a healthy, happy inquisitive child.

With the changes of seasons, we have immersed the children in nature, with visits to our Bush Kinder Program at our Keysborough Playing Fields, fun local walks to Mentone Beach or using the great play spaces around the School Campus. The benefits of connecting with nature are numerous. Nature provides countless opportunities for discovery, creativity, problem-solving and STEM education.

Interacting in natural environments allows young people to learn by doing and experimenting with ideas. A curious child is a joy to see, and I know how many questions a child can ask about How? Who? When? and Why?

Over the winter we have established an Indigenous garden alongside our flourishing winter/spring garden. This has kept the children very busy. In that connection, a walk through the ELC rooms sees children busily separating waste items into separate coloured-coded bins. Children and staff take the edible food scraps out to our worms/composting bins and are eagerly awaiting the collection of ‘worm juice’ for our garden.

One day, our young people will inherit this planet from us and, through education and establishing everyday sustainable practices, we aim to make changes where we can to improve the health of our planet. We encourage all of our community to try to adopt this learning within their homes too. Our curious learners are capable of so much, we just need to empower them!

Being immersed in nature is such a positive experience not only for children but for adults as well. It can lift one’s mood, connect you to your local community and can reduce anxiety and stress. I look forward to bumping into you on my own walks in the local area.

Nature provides countless opportunities for discovery, creativity, problem-solving and STEM education.

Climbing trees and splashing in puddles in the Bush Kinder Program, Keysborough Playing Fields.

LIBBY CHISLETT DIRECTOR OF THE MARY JONES EARLY LEARNING CENTRE

Making the most of sunny days at Mentone Beach.

A special day. A walk to the beach with Dad for Father’s Day.

Getting ready for summer. This term has seen our four-year-old’s spread their wings and take to the water for weekly swimming lessons.

EBLANA FOUNDATION - YEAR 4

This year our theme has been all about reconnection. We have seen the return of so many of our beloved events and activities after a long hiatus and through these we have reconnected as a school, and as a community. We have embraced the opportunity to come together again as a campus of remarkable students and staff.

The return of events has included all that we do in service of others. Students in Eblana are encouraged to help others less fortunate than themselves in the hope this experience makes them feel good, creates a sense of belonging and purpose and helps them put their own lives and experiences into perspective. Our children are very keen to get involved in these initiatives and these experiences will, hopefully, set them up for a lifetime of happiness built around the desire to offer support to others. This year, our students and their families have generously donated to:

• Backpacks4kids is a not-for-profit organisation providing essential items for displaced children in emergency situations. Eblana families donated generously as part of our Harmony Day celebrations.

• The Indigenous Literacy Foundation supports remote communities across Australia to help supply books that are culturally relevant and written by Indigenous authors and illustrators. Eblana students donated both books and gold coins as part of the Great Book Swap during Book Week.

• Yarrabah School is a specialist school for students with a range of mental and physical challenges. We have had many families connected to both schools, and Mentone Grammar has a had a long and multifaceted relationship with Yarrabah for several years. Our Social Service students visit often and assist with excursions and camps as we can. In September, Eblana students embraced this senior school initiative and donated gold coins as part of Pyjama Day, to assist Yarrabah with purchasing additional classroom equipment.

• Pets of the Homeless is an organisation helping to keep vulnerable people and their pets together by alleviating the burden of providing essential pet care during times of hardship. Eblana students and their families generously donated pet food, toys and essentials to this wonderful cause driven by our Eblana Social Service team.

• We look forward to our last social service initiative for the year where, as part of the festivity, goodwill and giving at Christmas we look to support the Brotherhood of St Laurence in the fight against poverty, and donate Christmas gifts for children in need. Our hope is that in 2023 we can build on these initiatives and branch out supporting others, beyond donations. We encourage our whole community to join us.

JESS RICHARDS HEAD OF EBLANA

One of the great ironies of life is this: He or she who serves almost always benefits more than he or she who is served.

GORDON B. HINKLEY

WINTER FUN IN EBLANA

OUR LIBRARY

ALWAYS FUN

Winter is a busy time in the Library as we work to complete some of our annual Library initiatives, continue with class environmental activities and celebrate Book Week.

This year, National Simultaneous Storytime was recognised on 25 May. Eblana students were treated to two of our wonderful Foundation students, Teddy and Ryker, reading Family Tree by Josh Pyke.

In August, our students finished reading and recording their books read, as part of the Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge. Our Library classes continued to focus on activities from the Calendar of Environmental events which included:

• Term 2 – Hairy-Nosed Wombat Day, World Bee Day and World Oceans Day, National Reconciliation Week and Sorry Day

• Term 3 – National Tree Day, Platypus Month and during September, Biodiversity month.

Finally, during August we celebrated Book Week!

The week started with a live performance production titled Story Quest, presented by Perform! Education. We had a visit from award-winning author, Claire Saxby, whose book Iceberg won the Picture Story Book Section for 2022. For the first time, we held a Great Book Swap which is a new initiative where all students bring in their favourite book in exchange for a gold coin donation. We raised $444.00 which will help gift carefully chosen books to children in remote communities across the country.

As always, the students had a wonderful time, with the end-ofweek parade being a highlight. The costumes and smiles worn by students is always one of the best parts of the week. Our staff also looked magnificent, dressed as Mr Men characters from the series by author Roger Hargreaves.

Ryker T and Teddy H record a reading of Family Tree by Josh Pyke for National Simultaneous Story Time.

THE GREEN TEAM OUR WINTER GARDEN

It has been a busy time for the Eblana Green Team as we prepared for spring.

The Team continued to meet weekly to discuss ideas on the best ways to make a difference both on a local level, including within the Mentone Grammar community, whilst also considering how to implement actions and initiatives on a global scale.

Students have been getting their hands dirty preparing the beds in The Magic Garden. This involved weeding, mulching, feeding the soil with our home-grown ‘worm tea’ and harvesting the citrus from the lemon and orange trees.

The Green Team has also researched companion planting. Companion planting is the practice of growing different plants together for mutual benefit, helping to prevent disease and insect infestation. The plan is to have a selection of flowers and vegetables that best attract bees and other pollinators, that are vital for a healthy ecosystem.

The group has also been developing the Waste Free Wednesday program where classes receive points for lunch boxes with minimal packaging. It is our aim to reduce the amount of waste in Eblana by educating students to pack their food in reusable containers. The Green Team also hopes to educate all Eblana students on the art of reusing paper before discarding it and to use less paper where possible.

BELINDA MCKINDLAY TEACHER LIBRARIAN AND GREEN TEAM COORDINATOR

RIVIERA YEARS 5 & 6

SOVEREIGN HILL

As part of our Riviera opportunities, students have immersed themselves in a Learning Journey to either Sovereign Hill or Canberra. Each of these experiences link to the learning undertaken in the classroom within Humanities.

For Year 5 students, their time in Ballarat at Sovereign Hill saw them learning side by side with their peers and staff about the Gold Rush whilst sharing spaces with their peers. The sights and sounds have been eloquently captured below by Gemma S.

Clip, clop, clip clop. ‘Look out everyone, here come the Clydesdales!’ There they were, strong and beautiful, pulling a carriage up the hill followed by clouds of dust. We only just arrived at Sovereign Hill and everywhere you looked there was something to do. Gold panning, candle making, gold smelting and gold mine tours deep underground. Moments later, coordinated soldiers came marching down the street. The lead soldier had a drum and was banging it like there was no tomorrow! Oh, the excitement these sounds made! We only just arrived, and I am already looking forward to what is about to come!

CANBERRA

Our Year 6 students travelled to Canberra for a week’s immersion in our capital city, in the days prior to the 2022 Federal Election. An incredible opportunity just to see things in Canberra that are only accessible as part of a school group.

Evening activities were also part of this experience; hearing from people associated with The Big Issue and their life journey as well as taking part in activities at Questacon and the ever-competitive bowling evening, where many reconnected in a different, fun way. Aaryav D shares one of his highlights:

One place in Canberra I really enjoyed was Questacon. Questacon is a science centre in Canberra that has multiple rooms across multiple floors, accessed by a ramp which leads to the end goal, which was a model of Mars. At every milestone it would show how many kilometres to go until you reached Mars. Questacon had different science experiments and hands-on activities that I am sure everyone enjoyed doing.

We are so pleased that this year we were able to resume our Learning Journeys as these have provided invaluable experiences that we are sure the students will remember for years to come. Everyone is eagerly anticipating the Learning Journey to Shoreham early in Term 4 for our Riviera classes.

MARY CRAVEN ANGELA O’CONNELL HEAD OF RIVIERA DEPUTY HEAD OF RIVIERA

BAYVIEW

YEARS 7 & 8

Learning Journeys this year support our students to grow and develop as individuals. Group challenges promoted confidence-building and trust, while students made new friends, reacquainted themselves and reconnected their social networks. What COVID took away from students, this year has been about re-engaging and learning who they are, not only as students, but as individuals. I have been proud of the positive mindset and can-do attitude of students and staff to make Learning Journeys so successful. Despite the ongoing overlay of COVID and a harsh flu season, the resilience of the School community shone through.

SHOREHAM

Year 8 students who were unable to visit Central Australia last year, were delighted to enjoy catch up trips early in 2022, re-establishing our terrific relationship with the wonderful staff of Remote Tours and the residents of the Lilla community. Central Australia is a trip not to be missed and our students relished the Red Centre, fondly learning about the history of our Indigenous culture. They experienced the spectacular scenery of Kata Tjuta and Uluru through guided hikes in Kings Canyon and The Valley of the Winds. Year 7 students in Terms 2 and 3 were similarly mesmerised with their trip to Central Australia, loving the beauty of wonderfully, colourful sunrises and sunsets, with majestic star-studded nights.

Our students were able to stimulate their creativity and appreciate fun and adventure through activities experienced in their Gembrook Outdoor Education Program. They enjoyed mountain biking, abseiling, rock climbing, hiking, cooking outdoors, canoeing, low ropes challenges, caving, orienteering and dot painting. Students overcame their fears, encouraged by staff and other students, to go outside their comfort zones, as this is when they learned the most about themselves.

Finally, Shoreham provided the necessary stable influence in a familiar setting, where Year 8 students rode horses, hiked the picturesque Two Bays Trail, and rode mountain bike trails where they could laugh, improve their fitness levels, and enjoy life. Year 7 students relished surf lessons and enjoyed tree surfing on a high ropes course and tube rides at Enchanted Adventure on Arthur’s Seat.

We can never underestimate the value of these Learning Journeys to develop students fully, especially in middle years where they are metaphorically ‘paddling’ their way through adolescence. One can hope that students now appreciate school far more than ever before and that, through nature, they continue to find themselves.

MICHAEL MARTIN (ACTING) HEAD OF BAYVIEW

GEMBROOK

GREENWAYS YEAR 9 CAMPUS

Winter for Greenways students has been action-packed, enriching and memorable, with the central aims being teamwork, camaraderie and personal growth.

In the midst of a Melbourne winter, Term 3 saw students travelling all over Australia with World Expeditions as they explored Kakadu, Far North Queensland or the Blue Mountains. Activities on each of the trips varied and allowed Greenways students to be immersed in Indigenous communities across the country. While spending time in unique locations, they explored Padakul in the Northern Territory; the Daintree Rainforest and The Great Barrier Reef in Queensland; and Mount York in the Blue Mountains. All students who travelled on these trips came away with a new appreciation of the vast landscape of Australia, and a sense of connection and community as they experienced aspects of Indigenous Country that were deeply meaningful. The students came home with an array of knowledge, stories and memories that will stay with them for a long time to come.

Back on Campus, The Greenways Café was full of enthusiastic baristas who were happy to be serving delicious food and drinks to members of our community. The practical food knowledge gained and the appreciation for the bustling nature of hospitality were both constant and ongoing. Term 3 also saw our students participate in their final single days of the Cadet Training Program as they prepared for their Cadet Camp at the Puckapunyal Military Base. The bush camp allows Greenways students to work with and learn from senior students in their platoons while they manage themselves sleeping in hoochies and living under the stars. Many students will choose to continue on in the Mentone Grammar Cadet Unit as Frogmore leaders, where they will complete courses to come back and work with Greenways students in future years.

On and off the field, the Winter Sport fixture and the alternative Saturday S.M.A.R.T. Program concluded with great success, particularly the S.M.A.R.T. Showcase which was held in the Creativity Centre on the last Saturday of the season. In the long-awaited return to the stage many Greenways students performed in the Senior Musical, Mamma Mia!, along with brilliant performances in several winter musical, dance and drama ensembles and concerts.

During in-class Mentor sessions, students have commenced preparation for their Greenways Gala Folio Presentations which will be presented to families and to the community at year’s end. Our weekly Mentor sessions have continued to encourage students to focus on their mental health and wellbeing, while developing skills that enable them to face challenges with an array of useful strategies and techniques.

At the time of writing, we look forward to the opportunity to host the final Learning Journey for our Year 9 cohort: a paddling trip along the Murray River. We are sure that the resilience, positivity and diligent work ethic that students have developed this year will hold them in good stead as they experience the Australian bush from the water. This Learning Journey promises to provide development opportunities that are comprehensive and build upon their unique skillset they have developed on Learning Journeys throughout the year.

I had a great time going to Kakadu with my friends, I especially enjoyed going to the waterhole and learning about the Indigenous culture. I enjoyed going on the hikes with my friends and making bracelets out of the fibres that we picked from the sand palm plant in the bush. I made new friendships with people that I hadn't spoken to much and had an amazing time with everyone. If I got the chance to go again to Kakadu, I would take that opportunity to go again.

Arshpreet K Year 9

JULIE JAMES CATHERINE POULTON HEAD OF GREENWAYS DEPUTY HEAD OF GREENWAYS

I really enjoyed seeing a different part of Australia and learning more interesting things about Australian history. Hudson R Year 9

I enjoyed the immersion we felt when learning about the different cultural activities of the Indigenous people of Kakadu. Luca S Year 9

FROGMORE

SENIOR YEARS 10 - 12

It has been another great term in Frogmore with a number of fantastic activities reinstated as we return to a full program. The opportunities to welcome parents and carers back onsite for events such as Mamma Mia!, Singers’ Concerts, information sessions and House dinners has seen Frogmore reconnect as a vibrant community.

Our students have made the most of all that is on offer at Mentone. A highlight has been the reconnection of students with their House and House activities. At the core of our School philosophy is the understanding that student achievement and success is underpinned by health and happiness. In the Frogmore Campus, our vertical House system provides a comprehensive pastoral care support program to ensure meaningful connections with each and every student.

This approach is fostered by a dedicated team of House Coordinators and Mentors who nurture and support our students. Student House Captains also play a pivotal role in coaching and guiding our younger students as they move through their time in Frogmore.

As Frogmore grows, so does our pastoral care system, to ensure students are able to access the care and guidance they need to achieve their personal best. In 2023, our Centenary year, Mentone Grammar will welcome two new Houses, Johnston and Clark.

JOHNSTON ‘JETS’ (ORANGE)

Bessie Johnston was Mentone Grammar’s first-ever full-time female member of staff and Acting Headmistress. Bessie was an exceptional languages teacher, became head of the School’s first ever ‘nursery’ and led the School at a very challenging time in its history, a time when it may well not have survived. It is wonderful that we can acknowledge the contribution of Miss Johnston by naming a House in her honour.

CLARK ‘CRUSADERS’ (PURPLE)

Decorated Vietnam veteran, Neville Clark, was Headmaster of Mentone Grammar for 15 years from 1988 to 2003. Neville’s impeccable leadership is characterised by the honour, integrity and strength of the many Mentonians he nurtured. His thoughtful building of the arts and cultural opportunities, alongside sport, became an enriching legacy, together with a redeveloped House system with the strong focus on pastoral care and mentoring that remains a pillar of the system today.

HOUSES ARE LIKE FAMILIES

The House community feels like a second family that is supportive, cohesive and one that respects one another. Coordinators and Mentors place great emphasis on encouragement and succeeding in House activities, whether that is trying something new or aiming for the House Cup. Each House is as eager as one another to try its hardest and to compete at every House event, and House Arts is a good example of this as it was inclusive of everyone. Lastly, participation is the key to being a part of your House and everyone’s positive attitude makes it fun to be part of a great team. They are the reasons I love my House.

Meg L – Year 11 Drinan House

Being in a House is a special part of our School. In my House, I have formed close friendships across year levels with House events being times in the year to look forward to. Our Houses had many highlights this year, with everyone cheering each other at House Arts or the passion as Houses sang their chants at House Athletics.

Houses are a place to have fun, build culture and camaraderie and give everyone a place to belong where they can thrive.

Bella O – Year 11 Jones House

The strong sense of camaraderie and pride students have for their House were well and truly on show this term. Both the House Athletics and House Music events saw high levels of participation and excitement, while showcasing both brilliant individual and team performances. The House Championship is always passionately contested, but this year it is about more than just the Cup, it is about being a part of something special, something students have not been able to enjoy for the past two years. I congratulate all students on getting involved in these activities with such enthusiasm. Being a first for me, these events have been really inspiring, demonstrating just how much energy and vibrancy House spirit brings to Frogmore and what a critical element this is in our Campus. I look forward to further House events in Term 4 with the much-anticipated Tug of War and the Summer Sport competition.

At this time of year, we take great pride in celebrating our Year 12 students who are now in the final months of their educational journey at Mentone Grammar. It is often in these final days that students reflect on their time at School and cherish the strong connections they have made with their teachers and their House –memories that will last a lifetime. We wish them well as they embark on their final examinations.

I want to thank the Mentone Community for the tremendous support of our Campus. I look forward to a strong finish to the year as we continue reconnecting with our programs and ensuring our students have access to the many wonderful activities and events on offer at Mentone Grammar.

JASON MANN HEAD OF FROGMORE

DIFFERENCE VCAL STUDENTS MAKING A

For their Duke of Edinburgh adventurous journey, students enjoyed an overnight practice journey, hiking the Two Bays, trailing and camping at Shoreham. For the real deal, they challenged themselves to a hike and abseil in the You Yangs and a 38km bike ride around the bay. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award further develops skills in leadership, teamwork, perseverance and problem solving.

Several students have been undertaking community service throughout Term 3 at Yarrabah School and local opportunity shops, learning a lot and giving back.

Our Senior VCAL students have been finding ways to give back to their School community by engaging in School Improvement Projects. Projects have ranged from art installations to additional tables in the decked seating area, to the construction of picnic tables at our Shoreham property.

Our Intermediate VCAL students undertook their On the Edge project in Term 3, an integrated project focused on understanding marginalised groups in our community. They took part in a workshop at The Intersection, learning the importance of empathy in understanding homelessness; and the Wheeltalk program, learning about disability inclusion through personalised experiences and sport. They also constructed bat boxes for the dwindling microbat population in the bayside area and developed their own Apps to address a health or community issue that is important to them.

THE WINTER MONTHS PROVIDED VCAL STUDENTS WITH MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO RECONNECT WITH THEIR COMMUNITIES, WITH NATURE AND WITH EACH OTHER.

Through their weekly work placements, students are connecting with the world of work, understanding the responsibilities that come with the role of employee and developing an impressive suite of transferable skills. Mentone Grammar supports many of our students, with students undertaking work with our Maintenance team, Marketing team and assisting in the ELC and Eblana campuses. The students absolutely love working within the School and reconnecting with teachers they may have had when they themselves attended the junior campuses.

Students have also enjoyed the support of Mentone Grammar staff as part of their project work. Mr Jason Mann and Mr Andrew Pate were enthusiastic judges for the Intermediate Burge Joint Project, while a team of Marketing and Alumni staff gave valuable feedback to Senior VCAL students presenting their Personal Branding portfolios. A group of students also came to school on Open Day to share their experiences in VCAL with prospective students and families, making delicious pizzas in the VCAL pizza oven, for visitors to sample. The value of staff and students collaborating cannot be underestimated and it is wonderful to see these strong connections in every aspect of the VCAL program.

SHELLEY MUIR HEAD OF PATHWAYS AND CAREERS VCAL AND VET COORDINATOR

ESPORTS A BIG HIT IN 2022

Esports is the ultimate in inclusive team sports, there are no barriers, anyone can play. Our lunchtime sessions are fun and supportive, where a shared interest in gaming has created a new opportunity for cross-campus mentoring and friendship and, of course, greater tech skills and knowledge. Wendy Gardner

WHAT A FANTASTIC YEAR IT HAS BEEN FOR OUR INAUGURAL ESPORTS TEAMS.

We started the year with a Years 5 & 6 team competing in the Fuse Cup, Just Dance, competition at Wesley College. The students had a fantastic day competing against eight other Victorian Schools. We also entered teams consisting of Years 9, 10 and 11 students into the Meta High School Esports Competition, where we competed against schools across Victoria in Rocket League, and League of Legends. Our Rocket League team progressed to the State Championships, held at Torrens University, where they won! They are now the current Victorian State Champions. In Term 3 we entered a Years 5 & 6 team and a Years 7 & 8 team in the second round of the Fuse Cup – Mario Kart. The Years 7 & 8 team faced some tough competition against nine Victorian Schools and our Years 5 & 6 team qualified against eight schools for the second round, Semi Finals, in again a very tough competition. We also entered teams combining Years 9, 10, 11 and 12, into the Meta High Schools Cup in Rocket League, Valorant and Chess, with all teams competing well against schools across Australia. Our State Champion Rocket League team competed in the National Finals for Meta High School Esports Rocket League in Term 3 and progressed to the Grand Final, finishing as runners up. This was an amazing feat considering it is the team’s first year of competition. Congratulations to Jake D, Fred L and Sam F. All students are welcome to join our Esports teams for upcoming competitions. Please email Wendy Gardner in the Technologies Department at: wag@mentonegrammar.net

WENDY GARDNER

PERFORMING ARTS

A WINTER OF SPECTACULAR PERFORMANCES

WE ARE BACK, AND IN FULL SWING! WITH A FULL PERFORMING ARTS CALENDAR, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE DO WHAT WE DO BEST; CREATE, CHALLENGE, BUILD SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE AND INSPIRE.

Our winter events opened with Cre8tive Dance and was out of this world, with a show titled Outer Space. This spectacular show, involving 60 dancers took to the stage with sequences and costumes. The program featured 23 items ranging from solos and small groups, to the full ensemble. On stage we saw silver space suits, brilliant lighting effects and amazing choreography. The music comprised compellingly themed songs such as Space Oddity, Saturn, Across the Universe, Cosmic Girl all leading to the big finale, Starships by Nikki Minaj. Just brilliant.

CRE8TIVE DANCE

SINGERS’ CONCERTS

Our Singers’ Concerts were, once again, a moment of great joy for both those on stage and off stage. A feature of this popular concert series is the surprise ability to uncover brilliant new performers, and this year was no exception. These concerts comprised a variety of musical styles and genres ranging from classic stage musicals, to pop and opera much to the delight of the large audiences.

The Bayview Play, Final Frontier , was another new work developed specifically for Bayview students. An absurdist comedy, it combined styles such as classic western, science fiction and swashbuckling pirates. It is a tale set alternatively in a ‘one-horse town’, with battles in outer space which somehow connect with pirate shenanigans on the high seas…yes, it was crazy! Nothing was as it seemed.

BAYVIEW’S FINALFRONTIER

Our Opera students staged an entire opera this year, L'enfant et les sortilèges. A wonderful and intriguing creation by the French composer Maurice Ravel with a libretto written by Colette. The thrilling score captured the wonder of a child’s imagination, with musical references from the early 20th Century exhibiting the impact of American popular music, stage musicals and Reviews on Maurice Ravel’s musical language. George Gershwin was a friend of Ravel, and both shared a respect for each other’s musical creations. However, one wonders what Gershwin might have thought of the hilarious and baffling interchange between the Teapot and the China Cup characters!

OPERA ENSEMBLES CONCERTS

Our season of Ensembles Concerts featured all larger ensembles and choirs performing works from a wide range of styles and genres. The Concert Program comprised the Senior Vocal Ensemble, the Bayview Singers, Cat’s Meow, Froggers, Concert Band 1, Concert Band 2, MG Orchestra 1, MG Orchestra 2, the Opera Orchestra, the Clarinet Ensemble, the Brass Ensemble, The Roquettes, the Chamber Wind and Percussion Ensemble. A highlight, of course, was the return of our swanky Jazz Cabaret evening, ritzy and soulful as always.

GAVIN CORNISH HEAD OF PERFORMING ARTS DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

HERE WE GO AGAIN!

MAMMA MIA!

After two years of online productions, the Thorold Theatre was jam packed with full houses for the triumphant return of the Senior School Production, Mamma Mia! It has been a long journey back to the Thorold Theatre, but it was certainly worth the wait. Every show had audience members up out of their seats dancing, laughing and singing along with the exceptional performances.

As student numbers have continued to grow in our School and in the Performing Arts program, we have been blessed to be able to ‘double-cast’ our production, allowing for greater opportunities and more students to share the spotlight. This has provided the opportunity for students to rehearse their characters together, to step in for others when they were ill and create a sense of what it’s like to be in a professional production with understudies and swings. It has also amplified the mentoring that takes place from our Year 12 performers down to our Year 9s with students collaborating, meeting outside of hours to rehearse and support each other, building not only a show but a culture and a community. This process ensured that our students reached exceptional heights, embracing the funky pop hits of ABBA and larger-than-life characters to present hilarious shows night after night that wowed everyone.

Congratulations to all the cast and crew involved on what was a triumphant return to the stage for the Senior Production.

JAMIE MCCARNEY ASSISTANT HEAD OF PERFORMING ARTS DRAMA TEACHER DIRECTOR

FOLLOWING PASSIONS A SEASON OF S.M.A.R.T.

OUR COCURRICULAR S.M.A.R.T. PROGRAM, THAT PROMOTES SPEAKING & DEBATING, MEDIA, ARTS, RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, AND RUNS ADJACENT TO THE SATURDAY SPORTS PROGRAM, PROVIDES YEARS 8 - 12 STUDENTS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN A SEASON OF PASSIONATE, SUPPORTED LEARNING.

The Program is designed to enable students to discover and cultivate their cocurricular talents, under the guidance of specialist facilitators. Programs are determined by the interests of the students and made available based on that interest. This year, Dance, Food Technology, Music, and Visual Arts were all taken up enthusiastically.

This season, the students have worked extremely hard across all areas, and they were proud to invite their parents and friends to the inaugural S.M.A.R.T. Program Showcase on Saturday 30 July. The Showcase provided an opportunity for students to exhibit their work and learning within their chosen area. It also enabled students, staff, parents, and the wider Mentone Grammar Community to observe the S.M.A.R.T. Program in action and provide their support to the students in their pursuits.

The Showcase played host to several group and individual performances throughout the Creativity Centre. The first event was produced by the S.M.A.R.T. Dance Program, which performed a contemporary dance, also produced for the Cre8tive Dance concert, highlighting the skills and techniques learnt over the course of the program. Next, was the S.M.A.R.T. Music Program, where students chose, rehearsed, and performed three pieces, ranging from a duet to a whole group number. The pieces reflected their musical abilities and talents, along with their knowledge of different musical stylings. The S.M.A.R.T. Visual Arts Program hosted an Art Exhibition, which gave guests the opportunity to peruse some amazing work which used a range of different media and techniques, at their own pace. The S.M.A.R.T. Food Technology Program did a fabulous job catering for the event, providing delicious food which highlighted their diverse culinary skills developed throughout the Program.

The event was a raving success, and we thank our Executive Team, and Heads of Faculty, for their continued support of this creative program.

LACHLAN HOWARD S.M.A.R.T PROGRAM COORDINATOR

SPORT WINTER

Our theme for the winter season was simply, ‘we love to watch you play’. And play they did! Our Keysborough Playing Fields were once again a hub of activity each Saturday, with the three Ovals, Soccer and Hockey pitches and Netball courts hosting multiple games each weekend. Similarly, our School was busy with Girls’ Soccer, Basketball and Netball on non-stop rotation and our Cross Country runners did us proud competing in events all around Melbourne each week, including our annual hosted event at Braeside Park.

WE LOVE TO WATCH YOU PLAY

An exciting highlight of this season was the fielding of our inaugural Girls’ Hockey team that, due to an abundance of talent, entered the Firsts AGSV/APS competition immediately. Whereas some teams will take time to make their mark at this level, our Hockey girls did an outstanding job, acquitting themselves brilliantly with a team of Years 7 - 12 students who were unbelievably proud to be the first Girls’ team for Mentone Grammar. Particular mention must be made of Head prefect, Evie Stansby, who, along with her great friend Jayde Temby, co-captained this team. After being the first female to play First XI Cricket for Mentone Grammar earlier in the year, Evie was named in the Australian U21 Hockey team, the Jillaroos, throughout the Winter season but always prioritised playing for Mentone, even when scheduling clashes made this difficult. She, along with Jayde, Zara Geddis and Sarah Connell were all also part of State teams throughout the season, a great reflection of the level of talent the squad possessed, and their individual and collective leadership of the younger students has set the standard for years to come.

Showing respect and pride for our Indigenous friends from the Lilla community and beyond.

Mentone Grammar was excited to be part of the AGSV Reconciliation Round celebrations and, as a tangible example of our commitment to Indigenous connection and awareness, all our Firsts teams were proud to wear our Indigenous uniform, specially designed by two sisters from the Lilla community in the NT, a place well-known and enjoyed by our Bayview students. The idea behind the design was community and connection, with circles representing communities, and even though these are geographically separate, they are strongly connected as depicted by the connecting lines. The importance of water within both communities is also represented. With enthusiasm and respect, our students not only embraced these concepts, but were also actively involved in detailed conversations and learning opportunities around them, making the Indigenous Round one of the absolute highlights of the year.

Our Boys’ Soccer and Girls’ Soccer Firsts teams also had very successful seasons, with the Boys hosting an afternoon match against Marcellin on Frogmore Oval which saw one of the largest School crowds ever gather to watch a match, that was of the highest quality. Our teams had outstanding seasons, the Girls' team displaying some of the best skills and teamwork our Firsts had ever displayed and the Boys falling agonisingly close to causing an enormous upset in their semi-final match against the more fancied PEGS team, going down 2-1 to the eventual Premiers, in a result that gained them the greatest of respect from their opponents. These teams have high levels of motivation for 2023 and will no doubt set their sights on even higher prizes next year.

A home ground advantage and a great win for the Firsts Soccer Team.

Leading by example, Claudia and Tom proudly represent Australia and Mentone!

As well as some great team success, two of our students deserve particular congratulations after they represented Australia in different Athletics competitions. Both Tom Byrne (Year 12) and Claudia Hollingsworth (Year 11) competed in the Oceania Athletics Championships held in Mackay, Queensland in June, with Tom running the 400m Hurdles and the 4 x 400m Relay and Claudia winning the 1500m and coming second in the 800m events. In further recognition of her outstanding ability, Claudia was then selected to again represent Australia at the World Championships in Oregon, USA and the U20 World Championships in Cali, Columbia. As a 17-year-old, this in itself is a phenomenal effort and her experiences during these events and being part of these Australian teams has further motivated her for future endeavours. We are so fortunate to have students like Evie, Tom and Claudia represent Mentone Grammar and they are all outstanding examples of students who give their all to their chosen sporting pursuits and our School as a whole. Congratulations on being extraordinary examples to our younger athletes. To all our students who represented Mentone Grammar in the winter season – we loved watching you play.

PETER O’GORMAN HEAD OF SPORT

Year 12 leaders Evie and Jayde lead the inaugural Girls’ Firsts Hockey team.

ATHLETICS CHAMPS!

In September, our Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics teams were excited to finally be back at Lakeside Stadium, to compete in the Association’s 100th running of the AGSV Athletics Championships. This was the culmination of an Aths season that began in earnest with a pre-season camp held during the Term 2 school holiday break, training sessions that began during the same break and continued throughout Term 3, three days a week with record numbers of students attending, creating an incredibly positive vibe across our team that included students from Years 6 - 12. It was great to finally be back competing on the track.

This season I had the honour of being selected as Captain of the Girls’ Athletics Team, in my final year, along with Monique Zahra as my Co-Captain. On Saturday 3 September we were able to go back-to-back and defend the Girls’ title in the AGSV Centenary year.

To say I am proud of these girls would be an understatement. Every single one of them standing next to me today, committed to three trainings per week plus Saturday early morning trial meets. The enthusiasm and energy from everyone was outstanding and even from those individuals who showed up to every training and trial but unfortunately were not selected in the final team. Your dedication did not go unnoticed and has been, and will be, appreciated in the years to come.

The Boys’ Team also had a very successful day out with brilliant performances from each and every one of them that was good enough to earn them a third-place finish, with the smallest of margins separating the top three schools.

I have only been able to experience two AGSV Athletics Championships in my time at Mentone Grammar, one in 2019 and one this year, and to say the least they were two of the best School sporting experiences I have ever had, so to all those young aspiring athletes in the room today, I strongly encourage that Athletics is one of the sports that you have a go at.

Thank you

ASH VAN ROOYEN GIRLS’ ATHLETICS CAPTAIN 2022

AN ASSEMBLY SPEECH BY GIRLS’ ATHLETICS CAPTAIN 2022, ASH VAN ROOYEN.

FROM THE CHAPLAINS CREATING RIPPLES

AN ANGLICAN SCHOOLS REUNION

Mentone Grammar recently joined 26 other Anglican schools from around Melbourne and Victoria for the biennial Anglican School Service at St Paul’s Cathedral. Yet another event that had been impacted by recent restrictions, we were able to gather again this year and reconnect. The importance and significance our Anglican schools attach to this event is probably best exemplified in those schools travelling from Wangaratta, Cobram, Warragul and Ballarat to participate in this service.

Numerous students commented on how amazing it was to be a part of a religious service with hundreds of students from other Anglican schools, as it dawned afresh on them that they were part of a bigger schooling identity. Creating a meaningful interaction between the participating schools within the confines of a service in the cathedral is always challenging. A highlight this year was the interactive activities incorporated into the service, where students could turn around in their pews and discuss some set questions with the next row. To facilitate this, schools were seated in pre-mixed rows, so that they could interact with students from other schools.

The theme for this year’s service was, Creating Ripples. In today’s globally connected world we are constantly overwhelmed with bad news from all over the world. One outcome from this is that we can tune out to things that don’t directly affect us and become only focused on what’s happening within our own lives and what we have control over. This can have the unfortunate effect of making us feel disempowered, uncaring and insular.

The theme of Creating Ripples was chosen to help young people reflect on the fact they are not powerless to the grand schemes of the world but can exert influence by starting from where they are and acting with whatever power they possess. The initiative, or kindness, or support we express in our individual context, can ripple out and cause wider impact than we may initially anticipate. The service was a call to our young people to be encouraged, to engage, to act in their own context and with the power they already possess.

The speaker for the event, Paul Joy, Chaplain at Yarra Valley Grammar, used as one example the place we had gathered. St Paul’s Cathedral is celebrating its 175th year. We sat in its confines, overawed by its architecture and were drawn to reflect on the deeper call on life from God. Yet, this stately building was born in the imagination and will of a person almost two centuries ago. What we take for granted today and what continues to influence us didn’t always exist but came into fruition through the imagination of one person. Similarly, we could each leave a legacy that could go on for years.

The students from Melbourne Girls’ Grammar wrote a ripple prayer. Prayers that started off with concerns close to our hearts but then diverged out to pray for our families, schools, nations, politics and environment.

It is an interesting exercise to reflect on the things that influence and shape us and where those ripples started.

REV. MICHAEL PRABAHARAN SCHOOL CHAPLAIN

MENTONE GRAMMAR FOUNDATION BUILDING FUND 2022

Mr J Walsh & Ms T O'Brien

Mr R & Mrs N Lorinc

Mr J & Mrs J Laurent

Mr N & Mrs M Fisher

Mr A Palai & Mrs J Chauhan

Ms K Miller

Mr C & Mrs E Thompson

Mr A Shokeen & Mrs N Singh

Mr X Ren & Mrs J Zhang

Mr J & Mrs M Cooper

Mr W & Mrs R Goldsworthy

Mr I & Mrs K Bohlken

Drs A & C Van Heerden

Beck and David McCowan

Mr J & Ms S Meagher

Mr W & Mrs M Bean

Mr P Lin and Ms S Zhu

Mr S & Mrs A Orchard

Mr A & Mrs T Richmond

Mr W Mo & Mrs X Huang

Mr A Williams & Ms Q Cai

Mr N Parsons & Ms L Jackson

Mr S & Mrs S Nickols

Mr M & Mrs N Wloszczak

Mr S Thearam & Miss N Pasupuleti

Mr C Robinson & Ms E Steverink

Mr Y Wang & Ms Y Jin

Mr O & Mrs S Bridge

Mr B Ong & Ms M Yoshimura

Mr R & Mrs D Rose

Mr G & Mrs M Orfanidis

Dr P & Mrs S Gowdie

Mr J Wang & Ms Y Chen

Mr Y Zhao & Ms X Zheng

Mr Z He & Mrs Q Chen

Mr N & Mrs K Houghton

Mr Y & Mrs B Xiong

Mr M Stott & Mrs E Walch

Miss K Lloyd-Griffiths

Mr A & Mrs J York

Dr M Gokhale & Dr S Aradhye

Mr S & Mrs S Hill

Mr E & Mrs M Gasparini

Mr N & Mrs L Gilligan

Mr C Paterson

Mr E & Mrs S Vrondou

Mr M Kwok & Mrs Y Zhang

Mr D & Mrs M Lettieri

Mr O & Mrs C Coquerel

Mr R & Mrs K Steiner

Mr A & Mrs C Orphanides

Mr J Naffine

Mr S Fernando & Mrs K Dona

Mr R & Mrs S Parker

Mr B & Mrs L Baker

Mr A & Mrs S Lansdell-Clarke

Mr K & Mrs J Cameron

Mr D & Mrs S McKenzie

Mr J & Mrs S Rosaia

Mr A & Mrs S Rodgers

Mr M O'Rourke & Miss N Blackwood

Mr J Dumoff & Ms R Hughes

Mr C & Mrs J Bull

Mr M Goble & Ms T Robertson

Mr S Han & Mrs S Youn

Mr A Koul & Dr A Kaul

Mr S & Mrs S Iatropoulos

Mr G & Mrs K Bentley

Mr B & Mrs L Harper

Mr G & Mrs H Schmidt

Mr Y Wang & Ms Y Lu

Mr M & Mrs S Bowman

Mr L and Mrs L Morrison

Mr T & Mrs L Weisheit

Mr N & Mrs K Jones

Mr M Mairs & Ms A Byers

Mrs L Rafferty

Mr R & Mrs S Hollingsworth

Mr C & Mrs H Vayenas

Mr K Tyagi & Ms B Woodhoo

Mr T Hong & Mrs B Liu

Mr D & Mrs A Green

Peter Gibson

Mr S Naim & Mrs S Worthy

Mr K & Mrs B Elliot

Mr O & Mrs J Garside

Mr M & Mrs N Backman

Mr A Xipolitos

Mr G & Mrs S Berry

Mr D & Mrs S Bunnett

Mr S Burrows & Mr K Kelly

Mr A & Mrs M Austin

Mr G Van Ameyden & Ms S Nuttall

Mr X & Mrs B Li

Mr A & Mrs E Hood

Justine Piper

Mr A Burgon & Ms C Hill

Mr D Wang & Ms Y Huang

Mr S & Mrs B May

Miss J Humble

Mr Z Zhu & Ms H Shen

Mr S & Mrs L Haidar

Mr N & Mrs A Hough

Paul Brady

Mr N Lanthois & Ms C Inglis

Mrs M & Mr S Eccles

Mr N & Mrs M Raymond

Mr J & Mrs K Arnold

Mr W Zhao & Ms J Cao

Mr N Ma & Ms Y Cao

Miss G Firth

Mr R Aujard & Ms K Hatton

Mr A Kondratov & Mrs E Kondratova

Mr Y Monzie & Mrs G Delgado

Mr A & Mrs S Rakers

Mr K Wale & Ms Y Zhang

Mr K & Mrs L Syrros

Mr C & Mrs S Rawlings

Mr B & Mrs D Henshall

Mr C Lee & Mrs W Tan

Mr N & Dr E Fletcher

Mr Z Shi & Ms J Sun

Mr M O'Hare & Mrs A O'Hare

Mr S & Mrs J Page

Mr M Beljon & Ms S Baldey

Mr T & Mrs J Hancock

Mr M & Mrs S Cirkovic

Mr P & Mrs K Colliver

Mr P & Mrs D Stilianos

Mr M & Mrs C McGrath

Mr Z Qiao & Mrs J Zhang

Mr B Zhong & Mrs C Tang

Mr M & Mrs S Patron

Mrs C & Mr A Kemp

Mr D & Mrs C McLean

Ms K Zheng

Mr L Cao & Mrs V Tao

Mr S Thompson & Dr S Mackenzie

Mrs M Basin

Mrs J King

Mr A Hones

Mr M & Mrs L Xu

Mr J & Mrs L Donaldson

Mr T Antoniou & Ms K Farr

Mr A & Mrs B Lea

Mr J Lu & Mrs L Wei

Mr P Potts & Mrs N Clark

Dr T Stephens & Mrs N Ohshita Stephens

Mr A & Mrs L Spink

Mr T & Mrs M Chamberlain Mr B Pavan & Dr S Nashi

Mr R Hadiwiyana & Mrs N Widjaya

Mr S Huynh & Mrs T Nguyen

Mr R & Mrs V Okalyi

Mr M Marr & Mrs L Morris-Marr

Mr W Ji & Mrs L Zhu

Mr L Wan & Mrs W Zhang

Mr N & Mrs C Stuhlener

Mr A & Mrs J Lowe

Mr A Bromidis & Mrs E Minasian

Mr C Guo & Mrs H Liu

Mr W Shi & Ms L Liang

Mr A Pruthi & Mrs R Budhraja

Mr M and Mrs M Parker

Mr M & Mrs J Langhorne

Mr D & Mrs T Basile-Goto

Ms L Lewis

Mr R & Mrs L Langenfelds

Mr T Riley

Mr D Liu & Mrs X Cai

Mr S & Mrs A Bera

Mr C Bowen & Ms A Haire

Mr W & Mrs C Growdon

Mr O Akhmedov &

Mrs N Knyazkina

Mr A & Mrs L Trevis

Mr Z Xiang & Mrs M Jin

Mr C & Mrs Q Zhang

Mr K Fernando & Mrs J Sieira

Mr P Li & Ms M Si

Mr H Nguyen & Ms D Dao

Mr J Papagiannis

Mr M & Mrs D Granell

Mr J Lee & Ms C Yan

Mr J & Mrs R Inton

Mr L Harris & Ms T Newgreen

Mr Y Huang & Mrs Y Li

Ms L Fedotova & Mr B Fedotova

Mr P Soden & Mrs Z Eidi Moghaddam

Mr A & Mrs G Hamilton

Mr B Qian & Mrs M Lin

Mr G & Mrs L Williams

Mr I & Mrs L Vrionis

Mr G & Mrs K Barker

Ms J Besly

Mr M & Mrs S Amos

Mr K Aravindth & Mrs H Fonseka

Mr W Jin & Ms J Zhang

Mr Y Piao & Ms H Zhang

Mr A & Mrs D Chambers

Mr E & Mrs J Glotzer

Mr T Quach & Ms T Liu

Mr R & Mrs C Denbury

Mr A & Mrs V Chaplin

Mr H Qin & Mrs J Zhang

Mr Z Romanis & Ms G Nadenbousch  Mrs P Liao

Mr J Tirta & Ms C Sardjono

Mr M & Mrs S Koopman

Mr C Taylor & Mrs M Hester-Taylor

Mr X Yu and Ms C Wei

Mr Terry & Mrs Cheryl McCoy

Mr J & Mrs L Redfern

Mr R Taylor

Mr B Stevens & Mrs D Cooper

Mr T Pullar & Ms M Robinson

Mr C & Mrs A Olds

Mr C & Mrs J Scott

Mr C & Mrs S Barden

Mr G Zheng & Ms H Shi

Mr D & Mrs J Milligan

Mr D & Mrs A Minster

Mr T Johnson & Ms K Burchmore

Mr D & Mrs H McPherson

Mr P Kacper & Ms R Whitehead

Mr D & Mrs L Whitehouse

Mr G Khong & Mrs W Ge

Mr M Wang & Mrs S Dong

Mr J & Mrs K Zeigler

Mr D Lemke & Ms E Tee

Mr R Sanderson & Ms Olivia Pizzey

Mr T & Mrs V Lyons

Mr X Liu & Mrs H Dong

Mr C & Mrs M Burnside

Mr A Waring & Mrs L Yang Waring

Mr B Dahlstrom & Ms K Dahlstrom

Mr M Henderson & Ms S Lee

Mr J & Mrs G Kruss

Mr S & Mrs S Toncinich

Rev J & Ms J Chamberlain

Mr C & Mrs C Livanos

Mr S & Mrs S Bloomfield

Mr D & Mrs A Kerr

Dr A & Mrs L Leaver

Mr G Bouloukos & Ms C Siegel

Mr P & Mrs M O'Sullivan

Mr K Davies & Ms A McVean

Mr I & Mrs S Khan

Mr X Tan & Mrs L Lei

Mrs H Lockett

Mr R Bacon & Ms F Cargin

Mr P & Mrs J Mason

Mr C & Mrs V Papadopoulos

Mr S & Mrs E Chechelnitskiy

Mr R & Mrs J Davies

Ms Janette Grunfelder

Mr M & Mrs K Ridd

Mr S & Mrs K Nish

Mr G & Mrs V Crowhurst

Mr J & Mrs L McMinn

Mr S & Mrs M Chippindall

Mr A & Mrs D Corcoran

Mr J Cuevas & Ms I Real

Mr B & Mrs J Hamilton

Mr I Mohammad-Ali & Mrs L Warke

Mr S Ryan & Ms S Corin

Mr S & Mrs P Purushothaman

Mr D Bone & Mrs E Thomas

Mr Z Shi & Mrs R Yu

Dr D & Mrs C Noble

Mr M & Mrs S Bailey

Mr A & Mrs S Robinson

Mr A & Mrs A Hunt

Mr M & Mrs F Marshall

Mr R & Mrs A Smith

Tracey & Craig Horobin

Mr M & Mrs E Selby

Mr N & Mrs L Antoniou

Mr H Jiang & Ms Zeng

Mr A & Mrs R Sheil

Ms J Maris

Mr S & Mrs K Lamble

Mr S Oh & Ms H Do

Mr Y Guo

Mr M & Mrs K Humphreys

Mr B & Mrs P Lee

Mr T Tam & Mrs C Chan

Mr J & Mrs M Weller

The School gratefully acknowledges the following donors

to the Mentone Grammar School Foundation Building Fund up to, and including, September 2022.

Mr A & Mrs K Batty

Mr C & Mrs Y Guneysu

Mr M & Mrs H Simpson

Mr M & Mrs S Siegel

Mr T & Mrs A Hawkins

Mr B Dart & Mrs K Ewart

Mrs T Bucci

Miss R Kay

Mr S & Mrs S Scott

Mr A & Mrs P Wiegard

Mr D & Mrs K Federici

Mr M & Mrs J Skinner

Mr W & Mrs G Carter

Mr S & Mrs C Davie

Sangeeta Thaker

Mr M Selby & Ms J Stewart

Mr G Pyszczek & Ms M Monk

Mr J & Mrs M Segal

Mr D & Mrs J Spitzer

Ms Y Armstrong

Mr A & Mrs S Cafarella

Mr P & Mrs A Kokkinos

El Rio Pinehurst P/L

Mr G & Mrs S Fliess

Mr R & Mrs M Leydin

Mr Y Wang & Ms J Lu

Mr G & Mrs S Fliess

Rev J & Ms J Chamberlain

Mr A Konstantinidis & Mrs G Goodchild

Mr D & Ms J Gomez

Mr Y Wang & Ms Y Cai

Mr D & Mrs F Bunting

Mr D & Mrs S Messina

Mr T Hughes & Ms S Shearer

Mr M & Mrs D Pearce

Mr A Vella & Ms K Doye-Vella

Mr K Yang & Mrs H Liu

Mr B & Mrs S Sampson

Mr P & Mrs K Absalom

Mr N & Mrs J Cheah

Mr D & Mrs L Sandercock

Mr R Slater & Ms Cameron

Mr C Liu & Mrs Z Jin

Mr T & Mrs M McGlone

Mr M & Mrs N Garrett

Mr X Yu & Ms X Wang

Mr T Kay & Ms K Payne

Mr M & Mrs R Corah

Mr Z Weng & Mrs B Wei

Mr R & Mrs N Webster

Mr R & Dr A Petty

Mr S & Mrs F Stevenson

Dr J Galanos & Mrs S Nhieu

Mr A Al-hashimi & Mrs M Alyassin

Mr D Brand

Mr A & Mrs A Brown

Mr A & Mrs M Cowley

Mr P & Mrs K Ursprung

Mr T Cotton &

Mrs L Thompson

Mr J & Mrs R Kieseker

Mr F Wassmann & Mrs S Bulut-Wassmann

Mr J & Mrs D Macras

Mr M & Mrs C Matulick

Mr K & Mrs H Hennessy

Mr M and Ms G Lazzari

Mr M Zhou & Mrs L Li

Mr S & Mrs K Mellett

Mr G & Mrs P Chandoke

Ms Y Murphy

Mr I & Mrs M Wienand

Mr M & Mrs F Olfers

Ms L Pitt

Dr C & Mrs D Pregnalato

Mr B & Mrs A Baker

Mr A & Mrs K Gregor

Mr R Kennedy & Mrs K Clerke

Mr C Billing & Mrs V Stisen

Mr G Reading & Ms L Nabutjom

Mr K Russell & Mrs C Russell

Mr J & Mrs L Lau

Mr K & Mrs N Blacow

Mr C & Mrs M Rann

Mr H Li & Ms F Zhu

Mr H Shuai & Mrs Z Yuan

Mr N Xu & Mrs X Pan

Mr & Mrs F Hutchinson

Mr S & Mrs R Browning

Mr D & Ms F McCall

Mr S & Mrs C Markovic

Mr R & Mrs M Murphy

Mr A & Mrs J Barnard

Mr R & Mrs K Holmes

Mr M & Mrs G Toby

Mr D & Mrs E Laws

Mr S & Mrs G Dakic

Mr M & Mrs T Alapont

Mr D & Mrs C Ruberu

Mr R & Mrs A Hood

Mr D & Mrs B Coates

Mr D & Mrs K Nixon

Mr S & Mrs C May

Mr R Clarke & Ms D Thompson

Mr M Davey & Ms T Nash-Davey

Mr L & Mrs J Georgiadis

Mr M & Mrs H Doig

Mr X Gu & Mrs Z Li

Dr S Venkatachalaiah & Ms A Narayan

Mr S & Mrs M Farrow

Mr A & Mrs R Ishchenko

Mr N & Mrs T Lund

Mr S & Mrs T Reed

Mr M Haidar & Dr S Zaman

Mr A & Ms V Scott

Mr M & Mrs N Smith

Dr R & Mrs J Armit

Mr S Song and Mrs R Li

Mr M & Mrs S Anderle

Steve Mautone

Mr C Arnault & Ms M Adelson

Mr T & Mrs S Cheema

Mr S & Mrs F Douglas

Claire Walker

Mr A & Dr L Woll

Mr V Luthra & Mrs S Joglekar

Mr P Magennis & Ms J Haslam

Mr T & Mrs J Wiedermann

Mr G Smith & Ms E Cabanillas Vega Hugh Sullivan

Mr S & Mrs T Scott-Branagan

Mr P & Mrs J Mentiplay

Mr P & Mrs M Nayna

Mrs J Mi

Mr C & Mrs S Cleur

Mr C & Mrs A Huxtable

Mr C & Mrs G Rowlands

Mr U & Mrs I Guvenir

Mr A & Mrs E Dunn

Ms M Gill

Mr R Wei & Ms G Han

Mr W Hunter & Ms A Stokes

Mr C & Mrs J Zimmer

Ms S Smith

Mrs N & Mr S Knight

Mr T & Mrs M Paterson

Mr D & Mrs M Pipito

Jason McNamara & Louise Hilder

Mr D & Mrs M Parr

Dr A Neeman & Ms J Karpeta

Mr A & Mrs G Bethune

Mr P & Mrs K McKinnon

Mr S & Mrs A Dormer

Mr D & Mrs T Flower

Mr B & Mrs C Dennis

Mr N & Mrs N Kerkez

Mr A & Dr A Frankeni

Mr I Kulakovskiy & Miss P Lagutina

Mr S & Mrs K McDonell

Mr M & Mrs C Bond

Mr B Marcombe & Ms S Spillane

Mr V Shanmugamani & Dr G Meenakshi Sundaram

Mr S Zou & Mrs E Liu

Mr G & Mrs M La Torre

Mr N & Mrs F Sheppard

Mr M Daniell & Ms K O'Connor

Mr M Cox

Mr D & Mrs L Jenkins

Mr B & Mrs L Harding

Mr A & Mrs C Moloney

Mr D & Mrs M Bishop

Mr S Deshpande & Ms A Joshi

Mr M & Mrs E Gorringe

Mr B & Mrs P Sargeant

Mr M & Mrs K Savahl

Mr A Bozic & Ms D Katanovic

Mr X Zeng & Ms M Sun

Mr S & Mrs J Blackman

Mr A & Mrs D Gerresheim

Mr R & Mrs O Sleep

Mr J & Mrs S Bhansali

Mr P & Mrs S Appel

Mr M & Mrs V White

Mr C & Mrs C Phillips

Mr P & Mrs D Stilianos

Mr D Royale & Ms P d'Avrincourt

Mr M Chan & Miss R Wane

Mr D Cullen & Ms S Jefferson

Mr C & Mrs J Lane

Mr P Hodgkinson & Ms C Ramage

Mr Z Zhu & Mrs W Zhong

Mr K Dong & Ms D Chen

Mr A Dimopoulos & Ms H Poliviou

Mr M & Mrs L Flanagan

Mr M & Mrs I Lazic

Mr D & Mrs J Murphy Mrs Q Cao

Mr J & Mrs N Kitchen

Mr M & Mrs K Dannals

Mrs T Burlock

Mr P & Mrs R Birch

Mr D & Mrs S Shipton

Mr C & Mrs A Michael

Mr T & Mrs M Corrigan

Mr J Li & Ms Y Song

Mr J & Mrs N Jacobs

Mr M & Ms C Laidlaw

Mr S Jiang & Mrs J Li

Mr M & Mrs P Ostapchuk

Dr S & Mrs N Fairlie

Ms N Jefferson

Mr T Phan & Mrs T Nguyen

Mr V Le & Mrs K Tran

Mr G Hanson & Ms P Torossi

Dr A Tucker & Dr J Selman

Mr O & Mrs D Benoit

Mr R Lynch & Ms T Filiadis

Mr R & Mrs O Malaeb

Ms J Veza

Mr C Jones & Mrs L Matthews

Mr S McGinnes & Ms C Jennings

Mr K Brodie & Ms B Morris

Ms K Edwards

Mr M & Mrs J Howe

Mr J & Mrs K Vorster

Mr D & Mrs K Fenech

Mr L & Mrs M O'Donnell

Mr P & Mrs D Stilianos

Mr A & Mrs R Cheers

Mr C Adams & Mrs M Jennings

Mr D & Mrs L van Straaten

Mr I & Mrs C Richards

Mr A & Mrs L Fogarty

Mr A & Mrs B Sawyer

Mr M & Mrs R Griffin

Mr B & Mrs R Kushnir

Mr A & Ms M Wong

Mr B & Mrs S Clayton

Mr P & Mrs R Brown

Mr V & Mrs M De Zoysa-Lewis

Mr A & Mrs M McCauley

Mr M Wheeler & Ms K Watson-Wheeler

Mr L & Mrs S Temby

Tracy Mu

Mr B Koster & Ms C Hart

Mr K & Mrs R Devers

Mr N Oliver & Ms C Terry

Mr S & Mrs V Johnson

Mr S & Mrs D Weeks

Mr D & Mrs K Bennett

Mr M & Mrs S Wane

Mr R Wei & Ms G Han

Mr N & Mrs A Bountroukas

Mr A & Mrs C Smith

Mr L & Mrs M Hart

Mr N & Mrs T Panagis

Mr T & Mrs A Wavish

Mr S & Ms A Dugar

Mr D & Mrs B Ingram

Mr R Wei & Ms G Han

Mr A Roest & Ms J Van Der Scheer

Mr P & Mrs M Ellix

Mr D & Mrs M Hughes

Mr B & Mrs J Stafford

Mr B & Mrs C McGann

Ms J Kemelfield

Mr A & Mrs J Marsh

Dr F & Dr N Gomes

Mr C Prior & Ms S Tozer

Mr Z Yang & Mrs C Xu

Mr R & Mrs T Watkins

Mr P & Mrs K McKinnon

Mr R & Mrs K Livingstone

Mr N & Mrs D de Silva

Mr G & Mrs L Duker

Dr S and Mrs R Arendse

Mr R & Mrs A Dimachki

Mr R & Mrs A Smith

Mr M Robinson & Ms V McMahon

Mr G & Mrs Z Watt

Mr B and Mrs G Connor

Mr D Higginbotham & Mrs Y Gao

Mr B and Mrs J Lenarcic

Mr & Mrs I Mahoney

Mr D & Mrs A Tryfonopoulos

Mr Vinning

Mr A & Mrs S Hirst

Correct at the time of publication.

CENTENARY SPECIAL EVENTS

BOOK

FROM THE PRESIDENT

The Mentonians Association is absolutely delighted that we have finally been able to hold several special reunions and events in 2022. After not being able to gather, our Alumni has shown up at two important reunions in substantial numbers to reconnect with their ‘old school’, friends, peers, and former teachers.

Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held in July with our Committee returning, as listed. We welcomed Taylah Woods (2011) as a General Committee Member and we thank Taylah for already contributing to the group.

We were delighted to, once again, hold our Annual Dinner at Woodlands in August and more recently, in September, we were overjoyed to welcome back our biggest ever group for the Friends of Frogmore Lunch. A special Golden 50-Year Reunion also took place the following evening with a number of attendees flying in from interstate to join the celebrations!

At each of these occasions Principal, Mal Cater, took the opportunity to outline the year of celebrations planned for Mentone Grammar’s Centenary in 2023. Please remember to keep your contact details updated, to be sure that invitations are received.

For Mentonians, the Centenary year will commence with our annual Shoreham Family Picnic on Sunday 26 February, followed by our huge Alumni weekend on 1 & 2 April. The Committee is also busy planning for our involvement in Mentone Grammar’s Centenary celebrations and looks forward to having a large number of

Mentonians and their family members join us at the special events, featured in these pages.

In closing, I would like to take the opportunity to sincerely thank our Committee members (pictured below) for their efforts in gathering so many of their year group for their 10 Year Reunion; along with Jono Ling (2008) who also ensured that our Polaroid cameras were clicking during the night, so our Mentonians could take home a special memento from their reunion.

MARK HENRICKS (1977) PRESIDENT

TMA COMMITTEE

PRESIDENT Mark Henricks (1977)

VICE PRESIDENT Jon Ponnusamy (2010)

TREASURER Vic Stroumos (1978)

SECRETARY Georgia Ahern (2011)

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Josh Burt (1989) Cameron Dunkerley (1986) Mike Durack (1967) Ivan Eaves (1966) Miranda Ingram (2013) Jono Ling (2008) Jeremy Longstaff (1989) Peter Newton (1966) Rob Sinclair (1976) Taylah Woods (2011)

ALUMNI MANAGER Suzanne Ashley

L-R Georgia Ahern (2011), Taylah Woods (2011) and Jon Ponnusamy (2010).

L-R Class of 1977, Nick Millar, Mark Fletcher, Ray Fellows, Michael Ooms with TMA President, Mark Henricks.

Class of 1986, Scott Phillips, Daniel Pilbrow and Cameron Dunkerley.

CONNECTIONS

THE MENTONIANS ASSOCIATION (TMA)

Our purpose is to serve our members and support the School. We aim to excel at meeting our members’ needs and to achieve this we have customised our 2023 Centenary Events Calendar to maximise contact with as many past students as possible. We look forward to catching up with you at any or all of our exciting events planned for our Centenary year. Please contact Suzanne Ashley: suzannea@mentonegrammar.net for any further details.

CENTENARY SPECIAL EVENTS

Don't forget to save the dates for our Centenary special events in your calendar. See pages 36 & 37 for details.

OFFICE +61

thementonians@mentonegrammar.net

Suzanne Ashley suzannea@mentonegrammar.net

ART EXHIBITION

Friday 3 March 2023 bit.ly/MGArtExhibition

CHURCH SERVICE

Sunday 5 March 2023 St Augustine’s Anglican Church www.trybooking.com/CCJQL

GOLF DAY

Friday 31 March 2023 Woodlands Golf Club www.trybooking.com/BYXXO

EXHIBITION SPORTS DAY

Saturday 1 April 2023 Keysborough Playing Fields www.trybooking.com/BZALK

REUNION LUNCH

Sunday 2 April 2023 Mentone Grammar Sports Centre www.trybooking.com/BYXVQ

GALA BALL

Saturday 26 August 2023 Melbourne Room at MCEC www.trybooking.com/CCDOQ

CONTACTS

AUSTRALIA

ADELAIDE Peter Bray (1985) peter.bray@westnet.com.au

BRISBANE Dan Chalmers (1999) daniel@chalmers.email

CANBERRA Michael Taylor (1955) mbt@netspeed.com.au

SYDNEY David Guazzarotto (1987) david.guazzarotto@leapgen.com

PERTH Tim Ponnusamy (2006) timothy_ponnusamy@hotmail.com Phillip Yap (1985) pyap01@gmail.com

HOBART

Michael “Rusty” Reynolds (1986) michael.reynolds@dhhs.tas.gov.au

INTERNATIONAL

CANADA Ontario Mervyn Archdall (1957) marchdall@rogers.com

ENGLAND London Cambell Lean (1993) Cambell.Lean@isgplc.com

Manchester Canon Chris Ford (1969) christopher.ford5@btinternet.com

Plymouth John Read (1973) theoldtro@gmail.com

HONG KONG Peter Cheung (1992) cpcheuc@hotmail.com

JAPAN

Onomichi City Gareth O’Gradie (1999) ogradie@hotmail.com

MALAYSIA

Kuala Lumpur Kamal Ragupathy (1992) kamalpathy@gmail.com

USA Florida David Pearson (1987) aussiepearson@gmail.com

New York Chris Leslie (1982) chris-leslie@macquarie.com Arnold Ephraums (1982) aephraums@mac.com Chris Jacob (1999) cj@cjacob.com

Vermont Justin Johnson (1985) qdo606@gmail.com

SINGAPORE David Goh (1961) davegoh@fastdel.com

THAILAND Jitti Rachjaibun (1964) jitti_rach@dhonsiridsel.co.th David Wylie (1973) david.wylie@yahoo.com U.A.E. James Halliday (2008) james.halliday@hotmail.com

www.mentonegrammar.net/mentonians/update-your-details

MAY’S MEGA

CLASSES OF 1997

Making up for lost time, we were thrilled to reunite a ‘bumper’ number of Mentonians in May, along with teaching staff, past and present, to share the evening recalling old memories and making new ones.

Many of those attending took a tour of the School, ably led by current students, and were amazed at the changes since they walked the halls of the Frogmore corridors themselves! Back at the Function Centre after a brief welcome from Mentonians President, Mark Henricks (1977); Principal Mal Cater (1981), also welcomed those in attendance.

The night seemed to go all too fast with so much to catch up on, enjoying the tunes from our DJ – Connor Bourke (2015), taking fun, group photos and plenty of ‘selfies’ on the Insta cameras.

It was fantastic to have so many staff join us for this occasion, and we thank Trevor Stevens, Mike Wilton, Leigh Rowlands, Rohan Murphy, Ian Webster, Jane Gribble, Gary Colling, John Horler, Nick Toovey and Judy Beazley for attending and making the night a very special occasion.

Apologies were received from Rev. Michael Prabaharan and Cameron Lancaster who were away on Learning Journeys. We missed their company and look forward to having them join us at future events.

From the TMA Committee, we also thank Peter Newton, Vic Stroumos and Jono Ling for their assistance on the night. The reunion proved to be a ‘roaring success’ due to the efforts of Maddy Gabsch (2012), Jon Ponnusamy (2010), Patricia Valeri (2010), Georgia Ahern (2011) and Taylah Woods (2011) for ensuring a huge turnout for those celebrating their 10 Year Reunion!

SUZANNE ASHLEY ALUMNI MANAGER

REUNION!

A JAM-PACKED JULY REUNION!

1975, 1976, 1977 (45 YEAR CELEBRATION), 1980, 1981, 1982 (40 YEAR CELEBRATION), 1985, 1986, 1987 (35 YEAR CELEBRATION) AND 1990, 1991, 1992 30 YEAR CELEBRATION!

After a few false starts over the last couple of years, The Mentonians Association hosted an outstanding stand-up cocktail event on Friday 22 July.

The Reunion was very well supported by a mix of several year groups, with many choosing to commence the night with a tour of the School. Everyone was impressed by the Year 12 tour guides and amazed by the first-class enhancements made to the School over the years.

For us, the highlights included the ability to catch up with many past students, from various year levels, with ease. A photo montage conjured up all sorts of memories as great stories were told from the classrooms, sporting fields and cadet camps were, perhaps, a little embellished as the night went on!

There is significant momentum gathering towards the major reunion for the 100th year, to be held at Mentone Grammar on Sunday 2 April. A not-to-be-missed event.

PATRICK HARRINGTON AND TROY RILEY CLASS OF 1990

TMA ANNUAL DINNER 2022

On Saturday 13 August, The Mentonians Association Annual Dinner was held at Woodlands Golf Club with all our sporting clubs represented. Steve ‘Chooka’ Grey (1974) was exceptional as Master of Ceremonies, and skillfully kept the night on track. Continuing tradition, there was a roll call of notable guests, including Former Board Chairs and Directors, Geoff Ryan AM (1965), Simon Appel OAM and Barbara Appel, Principal, Mal Cater (1981), Association President, Mark Henricks (1977) and Kris Henricks and Bob Nottle CBE (1960). On this occasion Mrs Jan Drinan was unable to join us but was ably represented by two of her children, Hayley, and Aaron Drinan. President, Mark Henricks, provided a warm welcome on behalf of The Mentonians Association and Principal, Mal Cater, delighted in sharing news of the School’s many and varied Centenary celebrations planned for 2023, with something for everyone in an action-packed year.

MARK HENRICKS (1977) TMA PRESIDENT

We recognised with pride our Life Patrons and Club Presidents in attendance and sadly noted the passing of Shane Warne AO (1987) earlier this year.

We then acknowledged John Peers (2006), who in Tokyo, was the first Mentonian to win an Olympic medal in tennis. Josh Burt (1989) and Andre Blasse (1981) also acted as officials at the Tokyo Games.

After not being able to gather to celebrate over the last two years, we took the opportunity to thank the following club legends, who informed and entertained us with their video recollections during our 2020 and 2021 Annual Dinners:

OMBC: Roger Stansfield (1977)

OMCC: Ivan Eaves (1966), Darryl Stevens (2000)

OMFC: Garry Norton (1970), Mel Speers (1965), Monique Maitland (2015), Kyle Conlon (2011)

MHC: Josh Burt (1989), Michael Keen (1977), Gordon Tansey

MSC: Cameron Dunkerley (1986), Michael Watling (2003), Samantha McLean (2014) and Honorary Mentonian, John Christou, Mentone Soccer Club President Young Achiever: Kate Hore (2012) – AFLW Goal Kicker of the Year 2020

The evening commenced with an upbeat Around the Grounds video which was very well received, capturing commentary and footage of many sporting club members and personalities in action at Keysborough.

Each year we acknowledge staff members who have achieved 10 years of service to the School and induct them as Honorary Mentonians. Congratulations to: Miriam Floyd, Karen Sheehy, Jessika Rabe, Katherine Nish, Nicole Bradshaw, Heather Stone, Tammy Frankland, Jess Richards, Kirsty Klimas, Michele Gill, Lisa Turner and Debra McLeod.

THE MENTONIANS ASSOCIATION – ANNUAL CLUB AWARDS

Our Clubs may nominate those who have served their teams for a minimum of 10 years, to become Honorary Mentonians. This year, Honorary Mentonian status was conferred upon Tony Austin, with dual nominations from both the Old Mentonians Cricket Club and the Mentone Hockey Club.

Amongst some exceptional nominations, the Sports Person of the Year Award saw Marcus Spivey from Mentone Soccer Club acknowledged as a most deserving winner. Club Person of the Year was awarded to Matthew Austin (1990) from Old Mentonians Football Club.

Rachel Reynolds from the Old Mentonians Basketball Club, our 2021 Club Person of the Year, finally received her award as well!

L-R OMBC Club Person of the Year 2021, Rachel Reynolds; MSC Sports Person of the Year 2022, Marcus Spivey; OMCC and MHC Honorary Mentonian 2022 Tony Austin and OMFC Club Person of the Year 2022, Matthew Austin.

THE MENTONIANS ASSOCIATION – LIFE PATRON AWARD

TONY DRINAN MEDAL AWARDEE 2022

At the Annual Dinner, members from our Clubs gather to acknowledge service and excellence. On this occasion, we also award our highest honour, the Tony Drinan Medal. This year the Award was bestowed on Peter Royston (1967) who joined Mentone Grammar in Foundation in 1955 and has essentially had a life-long association, giving back to his ‘old School’ over many years in a volunteer capacity. We congratulate Peter on joining a group of esteemed Mentonians who have been awarded this medal since 2001.

Each year at the Annual Dinner we raise a glass to honour Tony Drinan, Jan Drinan and their family members for their continued support, friendship and connection with this Award to our community, past and present.

Special thanks to Stephen Grey (1974), our Master of Ceremonies and the TMA Committee, especially Georgia Ahern (2011), TMA Secretary and Jon Ponnusamy (2010), Vice President.

SUZANNE ASHLEY ALUMNI MANAGER

In a night with many highlights, we recognised the lengthy dedication and exceptional service, camaraderie and support provided by current teacher, Trevor Stevens, during his lengthy career at Mentone Grammar and his incredible support of The Mentonians Association and Clubs over many years. We also awarded our 2021 Life Patron, Bruce Watkins, for his exceptional service to the Old Mentonians Basketball Club. Both Trevor and Bruce were delighted to accept their awards and expressed thanks to their families, staff, and fellow club and committee members.

Life Patron 2022, Trevor Stevens and OMBC Life Patron 2021, Bruce Watkins.

Life Patron 2022, Trevor Stevens and family. L-R Peter Gowdie (1995), Sarah Gowdie, Trevor Stevens, Cheryl Stevens, Darryl Stevens (2000), Veronica Stevens and Hylton Mason (1997).

Peter Royston (1967) and his wife, Fiona.

Mentone Soccer Club – Men’s and Women’s Teams.

Aaron Drinan, Hayley Drinan and Peter Royston (1967).

Taylah Woods (2011) and Georgia Ahern (2011).

L-R Sam Ingram (1984), Ken Speers (1974) and Stephen Grey (1974).

Cameron Dunkerley (1986) and Jono Ling (2008).

CONGRATULATIONS TO PETER ROYSTON (1967)

TONY DRINAN MEDAL WINNER 2022

Peter Royston joined Mentone Grammar in Foundation (Prep) in 1955 and immediately made the most of every opportunity offered. In addition to his academic talents, Peter’s sporting prowess was felt as a member of the first Mentone Grammar Premiership Swim team that won consecutive AGSV Premierships in 1965, 1966 and 1967. He also played in the First XVIII Football team and excelled as a Cadet Under Officer in the School’s Army Cadet Unit.

A well-respected leader amongst his peers, Peter’s academic skills, sporting involvement, personal integrity, and strength of character, led to his selection as the 1967 Head Boy. To acknowledge his stellar efforts during his final year, he was awarded the prestigious W. S. Leslie Medal for outstanding Scholarship, Leadership and Sportsmanship.

Peter studied Law at Monash University having received Honours in Literature, History and Economics. In 1974, he began practising in family and criminal law, general litigation and property. Since 1989, he has practised as an accredited family law specialist and served as Chairman of the Executive of the Family Law Section of the Law Institute of Victoria for three terms; spending 10 years on the Family Law Advisory Committee on Specialisation, which included assessing family lawyers seeking accreditation as a specialist.

Continuing his commitment and service to our School community, Peter made a significant contribution as President of The Mentonians Association from 1971 – 1973. He was instrumental in developing the School’s inaugural Golden Reunion Dinner for Alumni, encouraging his fellow 1967 cohort to be the first year to celebrate in this way, 50 years since leaving Mentone Grammar. He served on the Mentone Grammar Board from 1985 – 2015, including 19 years as Deputy Chair. He has been an important member of the Mentone Grammar School Foundation since 1987 and has been Deputy Chair of the Foundation since 2012.

Peter also enjoys life-long friendships with many of his school friends and fellow team-mates through his 50+ years association with the Old Mentonians Football Club (OMFC).

Peter has led an accomplished career and generously contributed his expertise over many years to the strategic leadership of our School. In 2019 our Aquatics Centre (now operating as Mentone Aquatic) was named the Peter Royston Aquatic Centre to honour his dedication, service, and commitment to Mentone Grammar School.

NOMINATIONS FOR THE TONY DRINAN AWARD

OPEN

The TMA Committee

AWARD ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Any former student of Mentone Grammar who, in the opinion of the Selection Committee, has achieved outstanding success, bringing honour to the School and service to the community can be nominated. The achievement need not be in their chosen vocation, but may include academia, business, sport, community service, the armed forces or services to government.

For further details please email: thementonians@mentonegrammar.net

Peter Royston, Head Boy (1967).

AN EXCEPTIONAL MENTONIAN AND TO RECOGNISE THE

OF FORMER MENTONE GRAMMAR STUDENTS, THE TONY DRINAN

IS AWARDED EACH YEAR TO A PAST STUDENT WHO HAS ACHIEVED OUTSTANDING SUCCESS BRINGING HONOUR TO THE SCHOOL AND SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.

Peter Royston (1967) pictured with wife, Fiona, son Scott (2005) and partner Maddie.

L-R Principal Mal Cater ( 1981), Aaron Drinan (1997), Hayley Drinan, Geoff Ryan AM (1965) and Peter Royston (1967).

A GOLDEN REUNION CLASSES OF 1970, 1971, 1972

After almost three years of planning and several postponements, we were thrilled to be able to gather members from the Classes of 1970, 1971 and 1972 for their 50-Year Golden Reunion on Saturday 3 September at Woodlands Golf Club.

The group enjoyed a magnificent dinner, sharing memories and watching younger versions of themselves in the photo display on the screens.

Along with several members of the group travelling from country Victoria, we thank the following Mentonians for making the effort to travel from interstate to join us –Geoff Cooper, Phil Hull and Tim James from Western Australia and Greg Horwill from Queensland.

IAN THOMAS (1970) REFLECTS ON A WONDERFUL EVENING…

On the third attempt, the 1970 school leavers finally got to celebrate our 50-Year Reunion, along with the 1971 and 1972 school leavers, after COVID-19 disrupted the planned 2020 and 2021 reunions. It didn’t take long for the friendly banter to get going. Comments like ‘You haven’t changed a bit’ and ‘I remember you with more hair’ were common. As the night wore on, the stories got bigger and bolder.

For many of us seeing Bob Nottle, ‘Stretch’ Webster, Geoff Ryan and Lawry St Leger brought back fond memories. The Principal, Mal Cater, energetic as ever, welcomed us and encouraged us to rekindle old friendships.

There was a lot of rekindling that night. Gavan Dearie, Paul Skaftouras, Greg Horwill, Mike Follett, Graeme Watts, Bob Allardice, and Gary Norton hardly had time to draw breath as they caught up on 50 years of life stories. Julian Cheeseman, John Marks, Thomas Lee, and Ross McLeish recalled memories of old teachers and, of course, our School Marshal ‘Lobby’. While the old school days were a common theme, there was just as much conversation about what has happened since leaving school – families, work, life’s challenges. The night went all too quickly, and it was soon time for Steve Shorten (1972) and me to recall a couple of our own more memorable experiences.

Our thanks to Mentone Grammar for hosting this very special milestone event and for the tireless work that Suzanne Ashley, the School’s Alumni Manager, put towards organising the night.

Those present were very grateful to the School for getting us together and presenting each attendee with a 50-year commemorative pin. It was a night not to be forgotten and just the tonic to get us all back for the School’s 100-year anniversary next year!

L-R 1970: Paul Skaftouras, Mike Follett, Bob Allardice.

L-R 1970: Ian Thomas, Bob Allardice, Graeme Watts.

L-R 1970: Mark Whitby, Susanne Whitby, Thomas Lee.

L-R Principal Mal Cater (1981), Julian Cheeseman (1970), Sue Nottle, Alison Ingram, Bob Nottle CBE (1960).

L-R 1971/1972: Geoff Cooper, Brent Young, Michael Woodward, Phil King.

L-R 1972: Trevor Nye, Andrew Walker and Steve Shorten.

L-R 1971: Phil Hull, Geoff Ryan AM (1965), Rex Davis, David Leverett.

2022 Golden Reunion Group

FRIENDS OF FROGMORE

LUNCH

On Friday 2 September 2022, we were delighted to host 135 alumni and guests in our Function Centre for our annual Friends of Frogmore lunch. After a warm welcome from Principal Mal Cater and Alumni Manager, Suzanne Ashley, Reverend Andrew Stewart noted our Mentonians and staff members who have sadly passed away since we last gathered, and graciously led a blessing of thanks for all those in attendance.

This year’s theme, Celebrating our Teachers, certainly revived many memories, including those noted below by John Dods (1957) who travels from country Victoria, with wife Jan, for this very special day on our calendar.

Looking back on these carefully selected and highly skilled teachers, it is perhaps, unfortunate that many past students are unable to recognise the very solid foundation they provided, until later in life. The teacher list is long, and it is only when past students congregate that it becomes obvious that the sum of the whole memories is so much greater than individual memories. One might wonder just what influenced a student's decision to follow a science-related career, prompted by the ingenious and talented Cal Sibley. Austin Ivey has, no doubt, inspired some to follow a career in History or Archeology. His strict discipline left students in no doubt as to what was needed, while all teachers taught the unseen values of character, courtesy, and morality. Despite the very long list of teachers, it is obvious that they did much more than just ‘teach’. With help from the many other facets of the School, they provided a well-rounded education with additional education coming from the School Cadet Unit - ensuring all understood rules and their application at the very least. One cannot omit a mention of Phil Kent – a student, sports identity, teacher of multiple subjects, an on-stage performer and Cadet Under Officer, likely inspired others to follow at least one of these careers.

It was noted that the reminders of memories, kindly displayed during the luncheon, provided a vehicle for much hilarity and fond memories of many more teachers than single former students. This is probably the reason we Old Mentonians have such an enjoyable time at the annual Friends of Frogmore luncheon. Our ranks are certainly thinning, but that does little to dampen our enthusiasm for returning to where our education began at Mentone Grammar – by our beloved teachers.

SHARING MENTONE MEMORIES

It was an enchanting event, made even more enjoyable post our previous lockdowns. It is possibly the only time and place where our early and vital education is remembered so vividly, simply because of the gathering of former students. Of course, all this only happened because of our amazing educators (although possibly not recognised at the time). Names like Lionel Large and John Egan are synonymous with our reading and writing skills of today, while Milton Thrift made a lasting impression with his own skills in Mathematics and Music.

Look out for our video interviews conducted prior to the Friends of Frogmore Lunch with Steve Shorten (1972), Ross McKenzie (1968), Ian Webster (1962) and Max Simmons (1959). If you would like to share memories of your time at Mentone, please contact:

Suzanne Ashley

suzannea@mentonegrammar.net

+61 3 9581

L-R Jan and John Dods (1957) with Margaret and Clive Pullen (1957).

L-R Rev. Andrew Stewart, Alison Ingram, Charlie Daddo (Head Prefect), Simon Appel OAM, Jan Drinan, Mal Cater (1981), Greg Woodward (1975), Geoff Ryan AM (1965) and Evie Stansby (Head Prefect).

L-R John Dods (1957) and Peter Russell (1959) proudly still wearing their Mentone Grammar blazers!

MAKING MEMORIES

CELEBRATING OUR HISTORY WITH JIM RUNDLE – MASTER EMERITUS (1965-1991)

In preparation for our Centenary Celebrations in 2023, we were delighted that Jim Rundle, former History teacher and author of Against All Odds – A History of Mentone Grammar School 1920-1988, recently returned to Mentone Grammar to spend time sharing some wonderful anecdotes on a multitude of topics, across many decades.

CATCHING UP WITH HUGH GREEN (1963) – MASTER EMERITUS (1976 - 2017)

One of the things we love most about Mentone Grammar is seeing the joy that ‘lifelong’ friendships can bring to our alumni. Generations of Mentonians will fondly remember Hugh Green from one of his many roles at Mentone Grammar - as a fellow student, Boarding House Master, English teacher, his 45-year association with the Mentone Grammar Cadet Unit, along with a comprehensive knowledge of military history, as a librarian and an archivist!

With all these accolades, Hugh has remained humble and values his friendships with his Mentonian friends, catching up on a regular basis.

Jim Rundle and Mal Cater, Principal.

L-R Peter Nesveda (1966), Hugh Green (1963) and John Dawson (1965).

VALE

JONATHAN CARROLL – MASTER EMERITUS 1971 - 1998

Jonathan Carroll commenced his association with Mentone Grammar School in 1971, as a resident Master in the Boarding House. In 1974, Jonathan took up the position of Gymnasium Director and Senior Physical Education teacher, responsible for the planning, organisation and operation of the Physical Education program. Basketball was the first sport that he coached, with great success. Our records show that in 1975, he coached seven teams to a Grand Final, with six winning a premierships and the seventh team losing by a single point!

Jonathan also coached Athletics, specialising in sprints, relays, high jump and indeed, any event. He coached an Under 15B Australian Rules side as well as Tennis teams. In the late 70s and early 80s, Jonathan was the coordinator of the School Life Saving groups. Many students gained Bronze Medallions, Bronze Crosses, and Awards of Merit, with the Royal Life Saving Society recognising his outstanding contribution, and presenting a Commonwealth Recognition badge to Jonathan in 1984. However, it was the introduction of Soccer as an AGSV sport that saw Jonathan’s true talents come to the fore. He was the Coach of the First XI Soccer team, as well as Coach of the combined AGSV First Soccer team. In 1993, he coached the Firsts team to an AGSV premiership. Many players blossomed under his excellent coaching, and many were selected as AGSV Representatives. Jonathan also arranged many Soccer clinics over the years with the highlight being Soccer tours of Denmark, Sweden, and the UK, where he was able to use his local knowledge to arrange the tours and associated school matches.

As a member of School House, Jonathan acted as both Tutor and Mentor to students in Years 8 - 10. In 1988 he was appointed School Registrar and held that position during 1989 with growth in the School roll due to his recruiting efforts. Jonathan also held the position of Liaison Officer for the Old Mentonians Society, organising many successful reunions and social functions.

Jonathan retired at the end of 1998 and was described in the Mentonian as ‘an enthusiastic, diligent and well-respected staff member by all staff and students.’ In his retirement, Jonathan enjoyed spending time with his family, travelling and singing with the church choir and Welsh Male Choir. We extend our sincere sympathy to Jonathan’s wife, Margaret, his children Trudi, Liam, Andrea and their families.

Labore et Honore

The Mentonians Association records with sadness the passing of the following Mentonians. Our thoughts are with their families and friends:

Jonathan Carroll with the 1993 Premiership Team.

Staff Farewell 1998 – Trevor Scott, Jim Doyle, Jonathan Carroll, Dan Wallace.

Jonathan Carroll at the 2017 Celebration of Soccer.

Jonathan Carroll on the 1990s Soccer Tour.

VALE

BRUCE FRY (1971)

We record with sadness the passing of Bruce Fry and send our sincere sympathy to his family. Bruce, a Victorian Backstroke champion is pictured here in the 1971 Swimming premiership photo. Bruce captained the Swimming team to success in 1971 with the following commentary in the Mentonian of 1971: The outstanding performance of our Swimming team was again the highlight of our sporting year. The team was undefeated in all triangular meetings during the season and after an exciting finish to the AGSV Carnival, we emerged victors for the seventh consecutive time. To remain on top for so many years and against very strong opposition is of great credit to the School.

Labore et Honore

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

SCHOOL TOURS & OPEN DAYS 2023

Open Day Saturday 25 March 2023: 9.00am – 12 noon

School Tour Monday 1 May 2023: 9.30am 11am

Open Day Saturday 12 August 2023: 9 00am – 12 noon

School Tour Thursday 19 October 2023: 9.30am 11am

Please pre-register online https://www.mentonegrammar.net/ enrolment/school-tours-and-opendays/

PRIVATE TOUR

If you would like to arrange a Private Tour, please contact the Enrolments Team on: + 61 3 9584 4211 or email: enrol@mentonegrammar.net

Cnr Como Parade West & Lucerne St, Mentone

Our swimming programs are designed by Olympians Toby Haenen & Andrew Lauterstein who share a love and passion for swimming focused on fairness, consistency and progression. Ph: (03) 9581 3288 Email: info@mentoneaquatic.com

Mentone Aquatic @mentoneaquatic

Greenways Café Greenways Campus Phone: 9584 4211

Parent & Friends Association Friendraising - Fundraising - Dads@MG Secondhand Uniform Shop

M MArchives Centre

For all historic Mentonian donations please contact Records and Archives Manager Kerryn Van Der Merwe at: kerrynv@mentonegrammar.net

THE MENTONIANS ASSOCIATION (TMA)

For all Mentonian queries, please contact: Alumni Manager

Suzanne Ashley suzannea@mentonegrammar.net 03 9581 3254 (direct) 0481 602 144

REUNIONS AND EVENTS

Reunions are special occasions that keep you connected with your old School and each other, so please don’t let the opportunity pass you by.

FACILITIES

R.M. Sykes Shoreham Camp Marine Parade, Shoreham

Keysborough Playing Fields 756-768 Springvale Road, Keysborough

Don't forget to mark all our special Centenary events into your diary, and book early to avoid disappointment.

THE MENTOR

PUBLISHED BY MENTONE GRAMMAR 63 Venice Street, Mentone 3194

T +61 3 9584 4211

W www.mentonegrammar.net

E enquiry@mentonegrammar.net ABN 87 616 069 977 CRICOS 00323C

EST. 1923

Editor Jen Blackburn Design Mosaic Studios

CONTRIBUTORS

With special thanks to: Ross Joblin Chair Mal Cater Principal Suzanne Ashley TMA Editor

Stuart Bainbridge, Sharon Bates, Peter Bratuskins, Libby Chislett, Gavin Cornish, Mary Craven, Katya Dunham, Pernilla Eklund Allan, Wendy Gardner, Hunter Griffin, Mark Henricks, Lachlan Howard, Julie James, Steph Kinnear, Garrett Kinchington, Monique Lawrence, Jason Mann, Michael Martin, Belinda McKindlay, Shelley Muir, Angela O’Connell, Peter O’Gorman, Catherine Poulton, Michael Prabaharan, Jess Richards, Andrew Stewart, Amy Watts, Ben Wolstencroft, Danny Yardis.