Her Majesty enjoyed a morning of celebration attended by dignitaries from Australia and Tonga and representatives of the Uniting Church. The day started with a welcome assembly with Year 6 and Year 7 students in the audience. There was a Chapel Service and visits to classrooms including a Senior Science class. Year 2 and Year 3 students waved the Tonga flags, as the Queen processed into the Senior Centre to the rhythms of the Taiko. Her Majesty stopped to speak with our Middle Leaders and was exceptionally interested in our students. I was so proud of our musicians who were exemplary throughout the day, and our Indigenous dancers who impressed the Queen with their storytelling through dance.

The collaboration between MLC School and Tonga aims to enhance educational opportunities, foster cultural exchange, and strengthen the bonds between the two institutions.

From the time that I started at MLC School, one question that parents and students regularly asked me was whether we could have a sister school partnership with Queen Salote College in Tonga. Newington College has a long and most successful relationship with the boys’ school Tupou College, and several of our families have been enriched through meeting and working with the Tongan members of the Newington community.

I am so pleased that through the support of Her Majesty, the Queen Salote College Council and ex-students association, the MLC School Council and the staff and students at both schools we have been able to reinvigorate the friendship that began all those years ago.

I had the great honour of visiting Tonga and spending time at Queen Salote College last year and I knew from our first welcome that we would indeed be able to build a very special and mutually rewarding partnership.

Although our schools are geographically some distance from each other, it has become most apparent that we are more similar than we are different and have so many things in common:

• Our shared Methodist foundations and beliefs
• The central part that music plays in both schools

Both schools also share a commitment to the education of young women in an environment where they can:

• Reach their full academic potential
• Express and develop their faith
• Grow up knowing that they can achieve whatever they put their minds and effort to
• Be supported to become the leaders of tomorrow
• And now, also experience the joy of being part of a community that extends beyond geographic boundaries

We were also honoured to host the Principal and leaders from Queen Salote College at MLC School. Discussions were around how we might provide opportunities for the students and staff of Queen Salote College and MLC School to learn from each other, how we can support the International stream at Queen Salote College and the opportunities to progress our special relationship.

I look forward to what the future holds for our schools and our communities – I believe that together we can build a wonderful program of mutual learning.

– Lisa Moloney
Principal