SCHOOL NEWS: YEAR 11

YEAR 11 GAMES NIGHT

On Friday 23 August, over 100 Year 11 students participated in the exciting games night. It was a great evening filled with music, trivia and group activities, the songs performed by the Year 11 Band Blankfaced, the performance was incredible with people all around the room screaming for the group of students and their electrifying performance. 

Trivia was fantastic as it gave students an opportunity to use their brains for something other than homework. The quizzes were fun and group activities were sprinkled in between trivia rounds. It was awesome to see everyone cheering on their teammates as they competed in ridiculous activities. I had a really good time completing the trivia activities with my peers, guessing the names of songs, matching the name of a teacher to a baby photo and many other fun activities. 

The night finished off with some individuals introducing us to the Dragonfly music space, a group that works with headspace to provide music therapy to young people, the group is run in honour of a graduated McKinnon student who benefitted from music therapy, they also provided us with a raffle where students bought tickets and won cool prizes. 

The night ended with the announcement of awards for the night and the winning teams, which resulted in yelling and clapping so loud that it left my ears ringing.

On behalf of all the students who participated in the games night, I would like to thank all of the teachers and students who worked hard to bring this event together, it really was a night to remember.

Lucy Kaldor-Bull, Year 11

YEAR 11 LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

Last Tuesday 21 August, almost 60 Year 11 students attended the Inaugural Year 11 Leadership program. This optional, after school workshop, was designed to help students develop their capacity for leadership - whether that be leadership in everyday life, or school leadership. Students spent the first session getting to know themselves and those around them through identifying their own character traits and working in groups. Moving forward, students will undertake a deep dive into traits of effective leaders, work on their presentation skills and learn about the importance of emotional intelligence.

If there were any Year 11 students who couldn't make session 1, but would like to join, please note the following date for the workshop in the MERC:

• Wednesday 18 September (3:15pm - 4:30pm)

We look forward to seeing you there!

Mrs Jobson and the Year 11 Student Management team

On Wednesday 21 August, Ms Jobson ran a helpful leadership program for Year 11s interested in exploring initiative and connection at our school. By starting off the session with a ‘get to know you’ activity, it was evident that all the students were eager to participate, creating a comforting atmosphere, people who were excited to bring back to the community. Keen students spoke about their unique perspectives around what they believe leadership was and how they upheld the school values of respect, integrity, resilience, community, creativity and success.

After that, we did a fun and uplifting scavenger hunt, split into groups with people we’ve never talked to before encouraging us to expand our connections. Most importantly, Ms Jobson revealed all the diverse positions that McKinnon’s leadership program has to offer. The program teaches students skills that are crucial in workplaces and general everyday life. I found it an amazing learning experience, and a great insight into what McKinnon offers. It’s great for everyone and really gets students involved in the McKinnon community and spirit.

Jessica Krivulin, Year 11

To lead is to grow. To inspire those who surround you to innovate and find creative solutions, to communicate to solve problems effectively and to make others feel heard. To advocate for those who cannot and inspire them to find their voice. But, whilst leadership is encouraged from an early age, it was never taught to us, most are expected to simply ‘find their way’. 

To combat this, McKinnon’s first leadership program was held on Wednesday 21 August, where roughly one hundred eager students poured into the MERC to discover how to make something that can often seem so unattainable, achievable. The workshop, the first of three, began with a thorough reflection of ourselves; the values we hold close to our hearts, and what it truly means to lead. Afterwards, we honed our collaborative teamwork skills by undertaking a scavenger hunt around McKinnon in randomly selected groups. This highlighted how working together is key to accomplishing a common goal, yet also provided us with the opportunity to get to know each other! 

We concluded the session by completing an online quiz that ascertained our biggest character strengths and our flaws; truly valuable information as by understanding your strengths you can use this to your advantage whilst simultaneously improving your weaknesses. 

Overall, the workshop was such a success, where each person who attended discovered so much about themselves and their friends, whilst being provided with valuable life experience that will enrich us in future jobs and leadership roles.

Kayla Morgan, Year 11

On Wednesday 21 August, over 50 Year 11 students were in the MERC, partaking in Ms Jobson's inaugural Leadership Workshop. Throughout the workshop, we gained an insight into multiple interpretations from students of what being a leader is, diving deep into the McKinnon values and reflecting on ourselves, and our current traits as a potential leader of the future. We even got to do a character strengths quiz, where everyone got to uncover traits they had (mine was being Fair!). Ultimately, the first workshop gave a good glimpse into what we would be doing in all the workshops, including refining our skills, introducing new ones, and seeing how we can become better leaders within not just the school community, but the general community.

I went not only to see what was to offer and join my friends, but because leadership is a constantly changing, evolving process, which calls for much development and change in the way we act. Of course, being the facilitator of numerous activities, I do believe that there will be some key improvements that can be made to being able to lead others, especially large-scale projects including the Interact Club, which I actively lead. I strongly recommend joining the workshop if you are in Year 11, or in future years, as this is truly beneficial for your professional development and skill sets, and plus, who doesn't like having some fun?

Shauri Pedavalli, Year 11