YEAR 9 WISDOM & SERVICE EXPO
McKinnon Secondary College
WISDOM & SERVICE
This semester the focus in Year 9 Wisdom & Service has been preparing our Year 9 students to engage with the wider community. This has included developing resumes, writing cover letters and participating in mock job interviews, all aimed at supporting our students as many of them begin their journey to the world of employment. Our Year 9 students demonstrated that as members of the McKinnon Secondary College community, they are the ideal employees of choice for local organisations, and many of our students have successfully landed their first casual jobs.
The other key area of focus this semester has been empowering our Year 9 students in identifying value they can bring to the community through the Wisdom & Service Project. The Wisdom & Service Project tasks students to identify an important community need, undertake research, propose a plan to address the community need, and where appropriate, put their plans into action. Students were not only given the opportunity to present their action plans to their classes, but also to take their ideas to the community at our Wisdom & Service Open Night on Thursday 23 October 2025 at East Campus. Students set up stalls throughout the campus, and parents, staff and other invited guests were given the opportunity to not only listen to our students’ "pitch" their ideas, but also to question their reasoning and justify their proposed undertakings.
Taking inspiration from TV shows such as Dragons' Den and Shark Tank, we introduced the "WASP Nest" (which stands for Wisdom And Service Project Night Exhibiting Student Talent) whereby eight groups were given an opportunity to present their pitch in an official capacity to an open forum, inclusive of five judges (or "wasps"). Considering the energetic "buzz" that was evident throughout the East Campus, we felt that the event was indeed suitably named and a successful way to celebrate our Year 9 students' achievements!
Well done to our Year 9 cohort for embodying our school values by approaching this event with Respect for their audience, completing their research with Integrity, producing a Community focused solution with Creativity, facing public scrutiny with Resilience, and ultimately celebrating Success with their overall learning throughout this experience.
Chris Pantelios
Year 9 Wisdom & Service Program Coordinator