The MLC Girl
What is it about the MLC experience that remains with a student for life?
Methodist Ladies' College has a long tradition of outstanding graduates, many of whom have gone on to make significant contributions in one forum or another. Ask an MLC Collegian what she values most about the time she spent at school and she will refer to the relationships she formed with other students, her teachers and staff.
At the end of each year, the College farewells approximately 180 Year 12 girls. For some this experience has spanned 13 years, for most five or six. What does an MLC Leaver look like? What type of person is she? How well is she prepared for life beyond school and what is special about the set of experiences she has had during her schooling?
The best classroom today is rarely the one in which all of the students are sitting quietly reading or writing while the teacher supervises from behind the teachers' desk - it is more likely to be a noisy place with groups of girls engaged in many different tasks. Curriculum has certainly changed (and will continue to change).
Assessment and reporting is very different to a century ago. What has held true through all of this change is the values, based on traditions established over 100 years, that underpin an MLC education. As girls develop, the formation of new peer relationships is paramount. Girls are guided and supported through learning communities and tutorial groups. From that point on, relationships grow in many different directions as girls sample and explore the huge array of subjects and extra curricular activities on offer. They do find it difficult to say no to anything. And why should they? The first couple of years are about taking some risks, trying new things and discovering strengths and talents.
The Outdoor Education program takes girls to forest, ocean and river environments to face personal and team challenges. Other experiences like the 50 Mile Walk; swimming with whale sharks; sailing the Leeuwin Ocean adventure and participating in the UK Sports Tour allow girls to get to know their teachers away from the classroom and to make new friends. Perhaps music is where her special gifts and talents lie? Many come to MLC already realising this talent while others are beginning a journey of discovery.
The Interhouse Singing, Drama and Mime festival sees every girl in the six College Houses rehearsing for choirs, drama or mime, culminating in a spectacular day of performances. Through the PE and Sporting programs both competitive and non-competitive options are on offer, teaching a student the value of team work, as well as striving for her personal best.
The MLC girl is proud of the part she has played in community service. She may have met regularly with the Amnesty International group or trained as a volunteer with the Red Cross Soup Patrol (providing for homeless people in the city). She might even have continued her commitment well after leaving MLC and then return as a guest speaker.
An MLC girl has the courage to question and challenge - in appropriate contexts and in appropriate ways. She will take a stand on issues about which she feels passionate and articulate her views clearly and with confidence. An MLC girl has explored the effects - and at times the consequences - of mixing work and play in different proportions. She has moved both ways along that continuum. Long after she stops wearing the distinctive bottle green blazer it is the journey, the fun and friendships that an MLC girl remembers and cherishes.
Reflections of Deputy Principal, Yvonne Palmer