COG Newsletter

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Victorian Schools Music Festival

So many great things happening at McClelland in the last few weeks which I’m sure you’ll read about but I thought I should highlight the Victorian Schools Music Festival which our College Concert Band competed in on Tuesday night. The VSMF invited school bands and orchestras to perform in some of Victoria’s premier performing spaces and our students were thrilled to be able to play at the Hawthorn Arts Centre. Being a large ensemble of mixed ability (made up of some 37 students from year 7 through to year 12), it was not an easy task as the music was rather demanding, fast paced and quite involved... The competition appeared to both scare and inspire the majority of the students into conducting regular home practice sessions. The students demonstrated tremendous growth in their playing abilities since receiving the pieces at the end of term one.

 

The band performed to an audience made up of students and teachers from other schools across the state and to a panel of two adjudicators. They then received an on-stage workshop from the visiting chief adjudicator (from the United States of America). Students also benefited from listening to a number of other bands perform pieces of a similar level.

 

I would like to thank our amazing Head of Music Mr Eric Budd and the wonderful team of Instrumental Music Staff for their tireless efforts, assistance and ongoing passion towards teaching and sharing their unique insight with our students. They have rehearsed the parts within their student’s lessons, held sectionals (often sacrificing their own lunchtimes to do so) and held after school rehearsals to run the pieces as a band. Especially effective was a rehearsal day that they held on the holidays which sounded like a lot of hard work as well as fun as it did involve pizza, soft drinks and free dress….

 

Whilst Mazenod got gold our band shared silver with Mt Waverley SC (a school of 1800 students) and we should all be very proud of their outstanding achievement. All of our young musicians are to be congratulated on their hard work leading up to and during this performance. I would like to however, single out their band director, Mr Budd who we are very fortunate to have as our Head of Music. I have forbidden him from ever leaving McClelland!

WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK

Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of randomly selected parents at each school.

It is designed to assist our school in gaining an understanding of parents’ perception of school climate, student engagement and relationships with our parent community. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.

 

The survey will be conducted online by ORIMA Research Pty Ltd and only takes 15 minutes to complete. The survey can be accessed via desktop computer, laptop, tablet or mobile at any convenient time within the fieldwork period from Monday 7th August to Sunday 27th August.

Approximately 30% per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the survey are anonymous.

For further information, please contact the front office or visit: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/management/improvement/Pages/performsurveyparent.aspx

THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA ASSOCIATION

Mornington Peninsula Regional Group

THE ROY WARD LEADERSHIP PRIZE 2017

For Outstanding Leadership Year 11 and 12 Students

Sponsored by Spowers Architects

  • The Order of Australia Association, Mornington Peninsula Regional Group invited nominations for the Roy Ward Prize. This Prize is granted to a student in years 11 or 12, who has shown, both in his or her School, qualities of character, leadership, and community service, which exemplify Australian citizenship, over an extended time period.
  • This annual Prize is in the form of a cash grant of $500.00 to the student and certificates for both the student and the school.
  • Annually approximately 60 students in the region are nominated, 3 shortlisted.
  • 4 students from the College were nominated by Mrs Andrews including Karabo Tlokotsi, Jack Hawkins, Georgia Gourlay and Caitlin Anderson
  • Congratulations to all nominated students, Jack Hawkins was very fortunate to be  shortlisted and attended the interview last week. I sat in on the interview and was impressed with Jack’s interview. The successful student  for 2017 was a student from Frankston High School.
  • Karabo, Georgia and Caitlin have all received a certificate of Commendation and Jack a certificate of High Commendation.