Keeping the people within the community connected and engaged is a mammoth task. At MGGS, the glue that helps bind this ‘village’ together is the Marketing and Community Engagement (M&CE) Office. Executive Director, Marketing and Community Engagement, Robyn McCutchan, leads a 14-strong team of talented professionals who bring expertise to MGGS. They hold specialist knowledge in events, marketing, communications, enrolments, archives and history of the School, as well as community activation and engagement. They connect with the broader MGGS community – parents (past, current, and future), Old Grammarians, staff (teaching and professional services teams) and our donors. They are supported by a wonderful volunteer network that includes the Parents Association and its auxiliaries, the Old Grammarians Society and a preferred supplier list of designers, videographers, photographers, and production companies.

"The School is greatly invested in maintaining a strong, vibrant and networked community that spans the globe, and to do that, we rely on so much within ‘our village’ to remain connected," Robyn explains.  

"We utilise a range of activities – it can be everything from social events, learning seminars, reunions, celebrations such as a Speech Night, or our much-loved Carol service where we celebrate our Anglican heritage.  

"It also extends to how we communicate, what channels we deploy, such as our online magazines, website, and social media platforms."  

"To keep a community connected, focused and aware of what is going on at the School requires us to think carefully about how we can best engage that community and to evaluate how successful we have been in doing so.”  

"We must be adaptable and flexible, continually innovate to make sure that our strategies and ideas evolve to meet the needs of the community we are trying to engage with."

Robyn says the work the M&CE team does day in and day out throughout the year is often behind the scenes.

"Most people don't realise that there is an enormous amount of strategic thinking, collaboration and effort required to pull together a publication such as IE or to keep tabs on everything that's happening in the classroom learning environment, and to annually replace our exiting Year 12s with a new group of families and in excess of 160 new Grammarians," she explains.

"A huge amount of planning and organisation goes into the delivery of social events or celebrations of excellence such the Dark Arts Festival or the Whole School Cocktail Party or running an Open Day for prospective parents to learn about the School from our student ambassadors, staff and educators. Everything needs to run seamlessly to create a great experience that enables participants to relax and enjoy their time at the School. Parents who are considering MGGS for their daughter need to feel that what they are seeing is the reality and that they have access to information to make an informed decision."

"I'm extremely privileged in my role to lead an amazing team of really diverse individuals with many talents. They cover everything from content creation to sales; from event management to data analytics; and customer relationship management to social media and the website. They make sure our community records are as up to date as they can be, manage the archives, and share stories that highlight the wonderful women, educators and professional staff that have and continue to make this school so special."

"Collectively, they provide our community the chance to learn about and celebrate so many things that otherwise would go unnoticed."  

Robyn, who has an extensive background in the education industry as both an educator and marketing professional in Australia and internationally, says she is "fortunate to have been given the opportunity to create and cultivate a vibrant and energetic team who can contribute to the progress of MGGS in so many positive ways."

"The team members work so well together, support each other and bring a complementary set of skills and great ideas," she said.    

"The team is unique in its composition and courageous in its quest to do their best to help the School build and sustain a vibrant, diverse and inclusive community. After all, a village is about the people, their commitment to each other and the development of the individuals within it. Creating a sense of belonging is therefore part of our focus."

"We always have to have our eye on the future and what the next generation of parents and alumnae need while remaining respectful of those who have come before. This is how MGGS has built such a strong reputation and has been a leader in the education of women in Melbourne for over 13 decades. It is because the School has always been focused on the child and the community who supports them," she said.  

“Today, perhaps more than ever, pressure on ‘the village’ has been to adapt and evolve faster than ever before. The world is changing and so too must we; we must be great listeners, be forward thinking and innovative in our practices, and always look for authentic and meaningful ways to connect.”