by SMC

From the Principal

   /   
Last Sunday was the International Day of the Girl Child, an opportunity I took to reflect on the enormous potential embodied by the 1.1 billion girls aged under 18 who the United Nations says, ‘are poised to become the largest generation of female leaders, entrepreneurs and change-makers the world has ever seen.’

As members of the St Margaret’s College family, we have the collective honour and opportunity to influence that next generation. Every interaction we have with the girls, and with each other, is an opportunity to make a positive impact.

This year the United Nations has identified three areas of focus which it believes will allow girls to assert their power as change-makers, and I am buoyed by their alignment with the vision of St Margaret’s.

  1. To learn new skills to equip them for the futures they choose
  2. To lead as a generation of activists accelerating social change, and
  3. To live free from harmful gender-based practices.

The SMC Junior School curriculum, our REDS programme and the 700 big sisters acting as powerful positive role models are just a few of the ways in which we hope to set our girls up to realise their full potential.

Together we can influence the establishment of a positive mindset and firm self-belief in our girls from an early age. We can remind them that they are strong, capable and deserving of respect. We can make sure they know they are more than their appearance: we can praise them for their kindness, intelligence, leadership, athleticism and so much more.

Whether it is the Class of 2020, or 2033, it is a tremendous privilege to walk alongside our girls and their families into their bright future.