The Foundation
In 1984 MHS staged Pippin the musical and 40 years later it returned to the Memorial Hall stage. Members of the original cast and crew were invited to the opening to catch up with old friends and revisit the spectacle of this 1970s Broadway hit musical by Stephen Schwartz. Thanks to the generosity of MHS donors for the contributions towards new lighting and equipment that resulted in significant savings on the hire of equipment this year.
The Tattam-Wallis Band has served the School as its flagship musical ensemble for nearly a century. As a student-led initiative, the Band receives no annual funding. Many of the musical instruments, equipment and uniforms are decades old. Through the many years of practices, rehearsals and performances, much of the equipment was in disrepair.
In 2022, the Foundation provided $11,256 funding to upgrade equipment and uniforms. The band this year has taken ownership of its new bass drum and cases for all the snare and bass drums. There is now also a tailored pattern for a band tunic which can be used indefinitely.
The first of the new tunics was seem at the Anzac Day performance at the Shrine of Remembrance. This performance in particular, demonstrates the importance of the Tattam-Wallis Band to ethos of MHS and our part within the wider community. Shining brass, booming drums and crisp uniforms will be seen throughout the 2023 program.
Funding for new equipment is just one example of how the MHS Foundation supports programs at the heart of an MHS Education.
Can you help keep the unique character and depth of an MHS education alive? This tax-time join the many parents, old boys and supporters who give back to the school with a donation to the MHS Foundation.
After a 3-year hiatus, the MHS Foundation hosted another successful Giving Day last year.
Through the generosity of our MHS community, we smashed the Giving Day target of $300,000, raising an incredible $402,000.
With these funds, we can renovate five classrooms. The School is currently finalising quotes and approvals from the Education Department. We are getting close to commencing work.
We achieved this result with the support of parents, old boys, teachers, grandparents and students. Altogether 1220 people donated to achieve this outcome.
We also ran a House event on the day, and Forrest was crowned the House with the greatest community spirit. They had a total of 269 donors on the day.
A special thanks to our 120 volunteers who worked tirelessly on the phones. I would also like to recognise MHS Old Boy Nicholas Psyhogios and his team for feeding the troops with his delicious Greek BBQ.
We’ll keep you updated on the progress, but in the meantime, if you want to support the upgrade of MHS facilities, donate here today.
On the early morning of Friday, April 14th, at 5:00 am, the exchange program between Kasukabe Senior High School (KSHS) and Melbourne High School (MHS) commenced after a hiatus since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Accompanied by Mr. Fujino, Dr. Kemp, Dr. Mordini, and twenty VCE Japanese Second Language students, the group departed from Melbourne International Airport, filled with excitement.
The group departed for Narita, Japan at 8am. Since Japan was only an hour behind Melbourne, they spent the entire Friday on planes, bullet trains, and local trains. This full day marked the first stage of the trip, sightseeing and traveling across Japan. A quick dinner at Ikebukuro Station was followed by arrived at their hotel around 10:00 pm.
The following day, they boarded a bullet train to the first destination, Hiroshima. The group fully enjoyed the experience, making use of folding tables, limited Wi-Fi, and reclining chairs to work, eat, and rest.
Upon arrival in Hiroshima, they had some free time before checking into their hotel. Many joined the Saturday night dinner rush to dine on the local specialty, Okonomiyaki, a savory pancake.
Over the next few days, the group visited Miyajima Island, Itsukushima Temple, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, and the Atomic Bomb Dome. The students took on the responsibility of finding the routes and leading the group, allowing them to develop their navigation skills and become familiar with Japan’s public transport system.
From Hiroshima, they took two more bullet trains to reach Kyoto Station, which offered endless dining options and shops. In Kyoto, they visited various temples, with the students again responsible for finding their way to Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) and Ryoan-ji.
Their navigation and leadership experience in Hiroshima and Kyoto prepared them for the highlight of their time in Kyoto—the Language Day. On this day, they traveled around the city in groups, without relying on Google Maps, and used maps and their language skills to find destinations. Asking locals for directions, waiting at bus stops, and using physical maps became the norm. This day marked the end of the first stage of their trip.
On April 20th, the second stage of their trip began—the homestay and attending school at Kasukabe Senior High School. They were warmly welcomed at the school with applause and gift bags filled with souvenirs. After bidding temporary farewells to the students they had spent the previous week with, they went home with their host brothers.
Each student’s homestay experience was unique, filled with challenges, unfamiliarity, change, but also laughter, conversations, and smiles. They navigated crowded trains, had early wake-up times, and engaged in reciprocal English and Japanese lessons with KSHS students. The welcome assembly included speeches in both English and Japanese by the principals and student representatives from both schools, showcasing the strong school culture of Kasukabe High School.
In the classroom, despite difficulties in understanding lessons, such as Classical Japanese, the students made new friends, met different teachers, and participated in cultural activities like calligraphy. This firsthand experience of Japan’s education system was considered invaluable and different from studying Japanese solely from textbooks.
Melbourne High School Foundation is hosting an innovative Giving Day on Thursday 8th December and we need volunteers to help us reach out to our community.
For one day only, every donation will be doubled by generous matching donors. That’s right, a $50 donation will become $100 and a $500 donation will become $1,000. Now that is real impact!
We are raising funds to renovate dilapidated classrooms in the Castle on the Hill and we need your help to maximise this opportunity.
Join us at Giving Day HQ at the Hockey Pavillion to help us telephone old boys, parents and friends of MHS. You will help ensure our whole community is aware that they can double their impact on this special day.
We are planning a fun community event so invite your old classmates, school friends, fellow parents or teaching colleagues to join in the fun.
Shifts are for 2 hours only and after-hours shifts exist. If you speak a language other than English, we would love your support to reach out to people in your community.
On Tuesday 18th October, the Minister for Education, Natalie Hutchins, officially opened the Centre for Higher Education Studies (CHES). This new centre of excellence is designed to further improve educational outcomes for high-achieving and high-ability students.
The centre will be opening in the first term of 2023 and offers accelerated programs for senior students from government secondary schools.
This project was made possible through the MHS Foundation purchasing land at 669 Chapel St, South Yarra. Thanks to all the generous donors who made this project possible.
Representatives from the Melbourne High School Foundation were invited to the opening and were treated to a tour of the centre including presentations highlighting how the CHES program will foster a new generation of leaders, problem solvers and innovators in Victoria.
Here are few photos from the day.
Last week MHS celebrated a milestone at the Centre for Higher Education Studies. The Minister for Education, The Hon. James Merlino and Ms Nina Taylor MLC, Member for Southern Metropolitan, popped on a high vis vest and a hard hat to inspect the progress at 669 Chapel St. The tour was designed to publicly launch enrolments for the new centre.
On this wintery Melbourne day, the Minister was joined by Dr Tony Mordini, MHS Principal and members of the MHS Foundation Board. MHS students Nathan More, Jarrod Menezes and Vicente Morillo Morales were also in attendance with Morales providing a stellar address to the assembled media and guests. He explained how extension opportunities in higher education studies will help students like himself realise their full potential.
The event provided an opportunity to hear from both the Minister and the project architect, about the vision for the building which includes university standard science labs, recording studios, flexible learning spaces and a 200 seat amphitheatre.
Channel 7 News were also on-site to capture all the action. Click here to watch the coverage.
CHES will offer high-achieving and highly-abled secondary school students across Victoria, first-year university courses and select VCE subjects, contributing to their ATAR, whilst gaining university credits.
“Think of this place as a bridge between secondary school and university.
Whether it’s Health and human movement, Biology, Philosophy – you name it. There will be opportunity here.”
Minister for Education, James Merlino
The Centre was only made possible by generous donors to the MHS Foundation who helped purchase the land. This huge contribution was recognised by the Minister in his speech.
The higher education hub, worth 27.5 million, is the first of its kind in Victoria. It can host 325 students at one time. Hundreds more will be able to enrol online.
Students will remain enrolled at their secondary school and CHES studies can be taken as part of their VCE program. To expand access, and to support rural and regional students, CHES programs will be offered through virtual platforms as well as on-site.
Outside of CHES programming hours, the facility will be available for use by the MHS community for classes and other events, making it an incredibly flexible resource for MHS.
The first intake will be in January 2023. Applications for VCE subjects at CHES are now open on the CHES website. Applications for Higher Education Studies through CHES will open on Monday 11 July.
Want to help support the upgrade and development of new facilities at MHS? Consider a tax-deductible donation to the Building Fund today. Click here to find out more.
Students are back in the classroom after an extended period at home, away from the usual social opportunities offered within the school environment.
We caught up with the Student Wellbeing Coordinator, Jennifer Mill, to find out how the boys are settling into face-to-face learning and for an update on the Mental Health Wellbeing Program made possible through generous donations to the Health Promotion Trust.
“Students are happy to be back. They are happy to see their friends and to have sport again. There has basically been no sport for the last two years; a big issue, especially for a boy’s school.”
Jennifer Mill
Skills in online communication were acquired during COVID-19 and although important for their future, students’ overall communication skills have suffered during the lockdowns. Jennifer and her team have found that the boys are requiring additional support to gradually regain their social skills. This is more pronounced for the Year 9s, who find themselves onsite in the secondary school environment for the first time.
Co-curricular activities, such as the camps to Millgrove, are now increasingly important in the post-COVID 19 school environment.
“Activities outside the classroom help to create cohesive friendship groups that support students throughout their MHS journey and beyond. A buddy system, involving Year 11 students also ensures the Year 9s build connections within the school. This program provides opportunities for new students to explore the diverse range of extra-curricular offerings at MHS,” said Jennifer.
Jennifer was also keen to update us on how increased resourcing is helping to address the mental health needs of students. She advised that MHS was one of the first schools to receive new state government funding designed to expand the delivery of mental health support. The funds received allowed the school to extend the School Psychologist, position to full-time. Donations through the MHS Foundation also funded a provisional psychologist on a part-time basis.
This program growth has allowed the Wellbeing Team to meet increasing demands for case management, group work and psychological guidance across the school community.
“As reported in the media, services across Victoria are struggling to cope with a burgeoning youth mental health crisis. Students can wait for up to 3 months to access an appropriate mental health provider. To fill this service gap my team are supporting students for longer, often weekly or in more extreme cases twice a week, while they wait for services to become available” said, Jennifer.
In other news, the School’s Mental Health First Aid Program (MHFAP) is also beginning to take shape. The program is a suite of early-intervention courses that increase mental health literacy and teach the practical skills needed to support someone with a new or existing mental health issue or crisis.
With support from the Health Promotion Trust, Jennifer Mill has completed the first section of her MHFA training. Cecilia Martin, our MHS psychologist, will also complete this training shortly.
With a goal to reduce the stigma around mental health issues, the training will provide Jennifer and her team with the skills to run mental health first aid courses for MHS teachers, staff, parents, and carers.
“Communication is a feature of the MHFA training. The program aims to equip the whole school community with the tools and confidence to identify and respond to a mental health issue. The skills learned can be applied to everyday conversations, adding a mental health perspective to any situation or potential issue.”
Jennifer Mill
Jennifer is passionate about what can be achieved with the resources they are building within the Wellbeing Team and was keen to thank all those who have supported the program via a donation to the Health Promotion Trust.
To find out more about the Health Promotion Trust or to support the vital work of the Health and Wellbeing team Click here
Throughout the year the MHS Foundation receives diverse requests from the School community for funding. Some requests are essential for the School’s operations or to ensure student participation. While others stand out as necessary to maintain the core and spirit of what sets MHS apart.
The following is a snippet from a formal request, made by students – the Bandmaster, Assistant Bandmaster and Drum Major, to be precise.
The Tattam-Wallis Band has served the School as its flagship musical ensemble for near a century and has represented the school at community events. Notably, performing for the Governor-General on ANZAC Day and at the Grand Prix, Australian Open and School Sports Victoria (SSV) events.
The band is the School’s only major student-led musical ensemble and is closely aligned with Cadets, fostering skills of leadership, teamwork, and discipline within the band’s rank structure.
The Band receives no annual funding and as a result, the equipment including brass and percussion instruments and uniforms, are now decades old and in a state of disrepair.
We believe it is in the school’s best interest to invest in our band, for us to effectively play our role as the flagship band and musical face of the school.
If the band can replace its old and damaged equipment, it will perform to a much higher standard and be able to give more students the opportunity to participate in this unique extra-curricular program Melbourne High School takes such great pride in offering.
The MHS Foundation provided $11,256 to upgrade the Tattam-Wallis Band’s equipment to ensure its talented musicians can proudly represent the School using equipment that allows them to realise their full potential.
Funding for new equipment is just one example of how the MHS Foundation supports programs at the heart of an MHS Education. The Band’s public profile, glorious performances and ongoing contribution to the state of Victoria, have inspired the MHS community for decades. With new equipment and uniforms, the Tattam-Wallis Band is now in a position to continue performing for years to come.
Can you help keep the unique character and depth of an MHS education alive? This tax-time join the many parents, old boys and supporters who give back to the school with a donation to the MHS Foundation.
Peter James Ross,
B.Mus.Ed., Dip.Ed., Dalc.Dip., M.A.
Died 22 August 2021
MHS Staff 1975-1977, 1979
Peter Ross built on the strong tradition of outstanding music teachers at MHS. Joining the School in 1975, Peter quickly became deeply involved with the music programme. Taking over the School Choir at the end of Term 2 from Mr Bates, Peter arranged their music and organised a successful Choir trip in 1976 to Albury. He was promoted to Director of Music from 1977, replacing Geoffrey Bellsham-Revell. 1979 saw an expanded tour of Northern Victoria with 37 students performing at a number of towns in a trip overseen by Peter. He also conducted Music Camps at Tecoma; was involved in the concert and dance for the Jubilee; and formed the group the MHS Singers. In 1978 he took a year’s leave to study at Columbia University in the USA, completing his Masters of Arts. Peter Ross left MHS in 1979 to become Director of Music at Wesley College. Peter returned most years to attend Chorals, a sign of his enduring support for the School’s music program. Peter was also a long time supporter of the MHS Foundation.
Lou Barberis noted in the 1979 Speech Night Programme:
I cannot speak too highly of the contribution of Mr Ross since his appointment to the school in late 1975. His musical talent, his impressive presence, his scholarship and his devotion to his task have enlarged the musical perspectives of the school and ensured the continuation into the future of its fine musical tradition. We offer Mr Ross our congratulations on his appointment and our best wishes for fulfilment of all his ambitions.
Luke Savage and Alan Gregory