FROM THE BOARD

I welcome you to the latest edition of The Ruyton Reporter. As one of Victoria’s oldest schools for girls and with a rich and vibrant culture, The Ruyton Reporter is a significant publication for our community. Exploring Ruyton stories of endeavour and achievement, this magazine celebrates what has sustained and inspired our school for 145 years; our Ruyton girls. The last twelve months has been significant for our community. Having embraced the return to onsite learning and cocurricular activities, our students found joy in the simple pleasure of being together, inspiring participation and collaboration across the student body. Making an impressive contribution to the life of our school through a wide range of endeavours, our Year 12 students led with distinction and applied themselves to their studies with focus and determination. Achieving outstanding VCE results, this cohort of remarkable women will be remembered for leading with Meraki and Vibrance and ensuring the spirit of Ruyton lives on in our student body; to be bold and to lead lives of impact and purpose. Many years of planning have now come to fruition with the commencement of the Dream Now project. The largest building project in Ruyton’s history, Dream Now will provide world class educational and enrichment facilities through a Performing Arts Centre and Library precinct. The realisation of this redevelopment will strengthen Ruyton's commitment and capacity to deliver an outstanding all-round education and support our girls to become confident women who will challenge, shape and change the world. Over the course of 2021-2022 the Board oversaw the development of our new strategic plan, Fearless Pursuit This plan, launched in November 2022, was formulated through an eighteen-month planning process, enabling us to clarify what we already cherish as a community, confirm who we are, and contemplate future directions and possibilities. It provided us with the space to reflect and look forward simultaneously; to reconsider and reimagine our plans in a rapidly changing and complex educational landscape.

Fearless Pursuit launches an adventurous series of pathways as we explore the possible, plausible and probable futures in our context and culture. Through the realisation of this plan, we will ensure that Ruyton is future fit by remaining open-minded, agile and with the needs of our girls at the centre of all that we do. We will go beyond to enable them to be bold and take centre stage.

Supporting the vision of Fearless Pursuit are our staff, students, families and alumnae. Enhancing social interaction amongst parents and across year levels after two years of disconnection, the Parents Of Ruyton association (the POR) continues to work tirelessly with Class Reps and the Community Relations team to promote community engagement and inclusivity. The Old Ruytonians’ Association (ORA) has also had a productive period hosting twelve successful reunions since the last Ruyton Reporter was published. I thank the POR and ORA for their dedication to and care for our school.

On behalf of the Ruyton community, I thank our outgoing Deputy President of the Ruyton Board Kylie Taylor. Kylie has provided deep expertise in many areas but notably all things related to marketing, communications and strategy management. Her skills and expertise have been highly valued by the Board and I would like to acknowledge Kylie’s service to the School over the years in her role. Our deepest thanks to Kylie. Succeeding Kylie as Deputy President is Fiona Griffiths, who has served several years as a valued Board member already. Thank you, Fiona.

The Board of Directors also thank and acknowledge Linda Douglas and her Executive Team for leading Ruyton in the way in which we are sure Hilda Daniell envisaged. Ruyton has had another strong year and as we look forward to the challenges of the future, we are well placed to receive them.

Virginia McLaughlan President The Ruyton Board