PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
COUNCIL OF INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
After 18 months of intensive self-study, our journey to achieve international accreditation culminated in a visit from the Council of International Schools. The weather was bitter but the visiting team under leader Terry Hamilton of the Hanoi International School received a warm welcome.
Eleven team members sat down and spoke to many of our teachers, students, support staff and parents. It was something of a logistical feat to coordinate everyone to fit in with the hectic schedule but we managed it. In the meantime, the school was running normally.
I can honestly say we were all a little nervous at opening up our school to outside scrutiny. It soon became clear, however, that we had much to celebrate about the excellent work that we do for our students.
Of course there is always room for improvement and that is the reason we embarked on the accreditation process in the first place. The world is rapidly changing and we want to ensure that our students are equipped to survive and thrive in it.
As the five-day visit drew to a close, it was obvious that we had been given an opportunity to shine – and we did just that. I could not be more proud of our teaching staff and support staff all of whom have gone above and beyond to document all that we do.
As for the students, they astonished me with their maturity and ability to articulate their knowledge of the world they live in. The CIS visit has given us very clear guidelines for future improvement.
I look forward to driving these changes to make our wonderful school one of the very best for a long time to come.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR SCHOOL COUNCIL PRESIDENT
Congratulations to our School Council President, Mr William Confalonieri who has been appointed to sit on the Advisory Board with the Victorian Public Sector Commission (VPSC).
A core function of the Advisory Board is to advise the VPSC on its strategic plan.
I am sure William will make a significant and invaluable contribution with this responsibility.
NAPLAN RESULTS
VCAA has informed us that the NAPLAN reports will be delivered to schools in the week commencing 17 August.
This is a further two week reduction in the reporting timeline compared to 2014 and reflects VCAA’s ongoing commitment to timely reporting.
NAPLAN 2015 reporting consists of:
The NAPLAN school reporting package which includes a printed individual student report for each student who participated in the test and a report brochure for parents;
The NAPLAN data service which provides access to the full suite of reports showing school, state and some national data.
I congratulate all students who undertook the paper and gave their very best.
I also acknowledge the tremendous efforts of Mr Kan in implementing this test for such large cohorts of students.
WINTER CONCERT
Our annual Winter Concert is to be held at the Robert Blackwood Hall on Thursday 20 August. Rehearsals are well and truly underway. This is always an impressive occasion and a highlight on the school calendar!
I encourage parents, grandparents and friends to attend and celebrate together the showcase of musical talent of our students. Tickets are on sale via a link on the McKinnon Secondary College website: www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
I thank the music team for their efforts and look forward to a very successful event.
VCE INFORMATION NIGHT
Our VCE Information Night is to be held next Tuesday 11 August. This is of vital importance for our Year 10s, who will be making significant decisions about their educational program for next year.
It also provides incredible resources for our Year 11s to gather information about tertiary courses they may like to consider for 2017.
The Senior School Team, the Learning Area Managers, Teachers, current Year 11 and 12 students and representatives from various Universities and TAFE’s will all be present to answer questions and support current students to ensure they make informed decisions.
The evening begins at 7:00pm. I look forward to seeing many in attendance.
VTAC PARENT NIGHT
Year 12 parents are invited to attend this very informative evening to be held on Tuesday 18 August in the Lecture Theatre.
Mr Mest and the Senior School Team will give a presentation about the tertiary selection process.
Key dates will be provided that students must adhere to. Parental support is essential during the next few months.
I wish all the Year 12s the very best with their tertiary selections for 2016.
SPEECH IN THE VICTORIAN PARLIAMENT
Our local member for Bentleigh, Mr Nick Staikos, spoke about our school production The Little Shop of Horrors and our school in general during yesterday’s session.
I encourage you to follow the link, click here
I thank Nick for his encouraging words of support for our school.
DYSTURB - PHOTOS
This month another thought provoking photo has been posted.
I thank the team of Year 8 girls who assisted the artists during a very cold lunchtime.
VICTORIAN VOLLEYBALL SCHOOL CUP TOURNAMENT (STATE COMPETITION)
Congratulations to all who participated in the Victorian Volleyball Schools Cup.
Many staff, students and parents contributed to make the tournament successful. I would like to thank and acknowledge the coaches, Mr DeSalvo, Ms Dickson, Mr Braniska, Ms Andrieux, Mrs Roney and Liam Adlington.
This three day event involves many elite volleyball schools and many students across six teams.
Many have commented on the outstanding sportsmanship qualities demonstrated by our students, and for that alone, I am very proud.
Thank you to all for being such admirable ambassadors for McKinnon. Well done and thank you to Mr Desalvo and Ms Dickson for the coordination of this event and their dedication to this tournament.
Thank you also to Mr Hudd, Mr McConnon, Mr King and all the parents for coming to watch and cheer the students on.