Daniella Rocco – Former Snowsports Parents’ Committee President
What inspired you to become involved with the school as a parent volunteer?
When my first child (Mia) started at Grimwade (in 2011), I was warmly welcomed on day one by a Melbourne Grammar parent volunteer – our Prep T Class Representative. She created such a sense of calm and confidence for those of us who were new to it all, and it really opened my eyes to the role the parent community plays in the overall school experience. I wanted to be part of building that experience, the way others had done for me.
Is there anything that has surprised you about the parent volunteer experience, or that you didn’t expect?
I went into it without any expectations – I just wanted to help in some way. But looking back, I’ve gained so much more than I ever anticipated: genuine friendships, family groups we enjoy spending time with and a much deeper connection to the Melbourne Grammar community overall.
It makes the school years more of a holistic experience I suppose. I was genuinely in awe once I understood the scale of coordination that happens behind the scenes and the commitment of many, how welcoming the existing volunteer network was, and how quickly you find people who share
your interests.
How would you describe the parent volunteer community at Melbourne Grammar?
Generous, welcoming, and genuinely collaborative.
It’s a group of people who help not because they have to, but because they want the school to be a place where every family and every child
feels included.
What inspires you to give back?
I think when you’ve had opportunities – whether that’s a good education, a supportive community, or simply the time and means to help – there’s a
pull to make sure others also get that same chance.
For me, it also comes back to the core purpose of supporting an environment that helps our children thrive and become who they want to be.
What would you say to parents who are considering becoming a parent volunteer?
Just start. Pick one thing, even something small, and get involved.
You’ll meet people you wouldn’t otherwise meet, you’ll see the direct impact you’re having on students’ experiences and seeing all of that come together will make you very happy.
Stephen Damiani (OM 1991) – Rugby Parents’ Committee President
What inspired you to become involved with the school as a parent volunteer?
Firstly, what the School and the sport gave me. I was fortunate enough to play three seasons in the 1st XV and lead the side in my final year, and those friendships haven’t faded – they’ve deepened. So, when my sons Marco and Leonardo entered the Rugby program, stepping forward wasn’t really a decision – it was a call of duty.
And second, the arithmetic. Our boys get six seasons of school rugby, then it’s gone. As parents, we can spend them behind the rope or just inside it – still off the field of play – as part of the experience. Boys learn dependability by watching the adults around them. If we want them turning up and giving 100% we must be seen setting the example.
Our community isn’t handed to us. We build it, one match at a time.
What inspires you to give back?
The Apollo theme our 1st XV coach Konrad Macindoe used with the boys at our Annual Dinner stuck with me. We remember the three men of Apollo 11, but it took 400,000 people to get them there.
It was not just 23 young men who went to the moon this season – it was the entire Rugby community that supported and went with them every step of the way. Every parent who battled smoke, onions, and hungry teenagers on a cooking shift. Every family who fuelled 30 boys on Friday evening for Carb Night. Every coach who stayed back after training. Every team manager who organised duties for game day.
The real reward is seeing the growth of these young men and to be part of it you must step up, not stand back.
What would you say to parents who are considering becoming a parent volunteer?
Say yes to one thing. Not the committee, not the whole season – one BBQ shift, one Carb Night, one lift to Ballarat. That is how everyone I know started, and I have never met anyone who regretted it.
You’ll come to know the boys your son plays alongside and their parents, and you’ll find friendships forming on the touchline that mirror the ones forming on the field.
