ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS' REPORT

NAPLAN TESTS

We would like to thank the students of Year 7 and Year 9 who undertook NAPLAN this week, and extend our thanks to the parents for their support of the process. We were very impressed with the student’s punctuality and effort in these tests. We have a proud tradition of very strong NAPLAN results and I am sure this years’ students will ensure this continues.

STUDENT CHROMEBOOKS

It is an expectation that all McKinnon students have a school-approved Chromebook purchased through our supplier. As with other parent-purchased resources like textbooks, these devices have been selected specifically to enhance our curriculum.

The success of our Chromebook program relies on all students working on a standard platform; therefore, bringing a device not purchased through the school's supplier is problematic. Students may experience network accessibility issues, while non-school approved devices cannot be serviced and maintained by our technicians. In addition, we are continuously rolling out new Google apps and features through our school domain and these are only compatible with Chromebooks purchased through our supplier. For these reasons, students bringing a different device to school (e.g. MacBook, Windows laptop) may be at a disadvantage in the classroom.

Chromebooks are a critical element of our teaching and learning program. If you need to purchase one for your child, please contact our IT office (help@mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au or 8520 9054). Families experiencing financial difficulties are welcome to contact the College to discuss ways in which we can provide support.

EXAMINATIONS

This semester we will return to onsite exams for all students in Years 9, 10 and 11. These will take place in the coming weeks, with the exam timetable and revision resources being shared with students. Teachers and students put in a significant amount of additional work to ensure that academic excellence is achieved by all those who seek it. This is a busy and challenging time for students and teachers alike, and we congratulate them for their efforts.

Many senior students will also undertake the VCAA General Achievement Test (the GAT) on Wednesday 9 June and we wish them well in this important task.

MCKINNON’S UNIFORM POLICY

McKinnon is very proud of its uniform policy and we want to ensure all students follow it appropriately. Currently, they should be in either full winter uniform (including a blazer to and from school) or PE uniform (if they have PE/sport on that day). The correct PE uniform comprises:

Blue McKinnon-branded shorts or track pants
Red McKinnon PE polo shirt and/or McKinnon rugby top
McKinnon-branded PE jacket

Please note that no variations or additions to this policy are acceptable. If new items need to be purchased please visit our new uniform supplier, Bob Steward, located in Centre Rd Bentleigh. Their website can be accessed here.

FACE MASKS ON BUSES/TRAINS

If your child is going on an excursion where they are travelling by public transport or bus, please note that they need to wear a face mask. The College is unable to provide masks for all students. It is a great idea for all students to keep a spare mask in their school bag.

AMBULANCE COVER

We encourage all parents to have family ambulance cover. Schools do not cover costs of an ambulance if one is called. Sometimes children present to the Sick Bay and a judgement is made that we call for ambulance assistance. We always do our best to look after all students and we have a duty of care while they are with us. Ambulance cover is quite cheap as opposed to ambulance cost without cover. We also ask all parents to ensure contact details are accurate and changes to phone numbers, addresses and work details are provided in case of an emergency.

Information about Ambulance Victoria membership can be found at http://ambulance.vic.gov.au

TRAFFIC CONGESTION

At the start and end of each school day the traffic situation outside the school along narrow McKinnon Road is chaotic at best. Please do not park illegally or in the bus zone. Try and pick up your children a distance away from the school if possible.

Please do not drive into the school at all and always take greater care on wet roads. Thank you for your support in this matter.

TAX-DEDUCTIBLE BUILDING FUND

In recent years many families and ex-students have made generous donations to our tax-deductible Building Fund. The College will use such funds to support the next stage of our redevelopment of the College’s facilities throughout the school. The new facilities will replace many buildings from the mid-1950s.

Further information about our building fund and the next stage of our redevelopment can be found on our website at http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/p/building-fund.html.

On behalf of the staff and students of McKinnon, we sincerely thank all those who have contributed to our Building Fund.

MYKI TICKETS

Many excursions require students to provide their own ticket for public transport. Before any excursion using public transport, students must ensure they have a myki that has a positive balance.