PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

NAPLAN

2024 NAPLAN results have been received and these have now been posted out to parents/carers. This will include information that explains how to read the report. Please be patient if you have not already received yours.

The cohort results were exceptionally strong.

PREMIER’S VCE AWARDS

Last Wednesday I had the pleasure to attend the Premier’s VCE Awards along with Kellie Felmingham (Assistant Principal) and Anna Zhang (International Student Coordinator) where the following students were recognised for their incredible VCE results:

• Emily Chang (2023 Graduate) for Top All-Round VCE High Achiever
• Wei Xuen Wong (Dux 2023) for Top Three International Student
• Jack Graffeo (Year 12) for Australian Politics undertaken at Virtual School Victoria

I commend these students for achieving such incredible results.

SOCIAL MEDIA BLOCKS: YEARS 7 - 9

In our ongoing efforts to promote healthy habits and wellbeing for our students, we are taking significant steps to further limit access to social media platforms for students in Years 7-9 while at school.

This decision is rooted in our commitment to addressing the negative impacts of social media on mental health. By reducing the distractions and pressures associated with constant connectivity, we aim to help students concentrate better, engage more deeply in their studies, and foster meaningful in-person relationships.

Our progressive open internet policy remains in place, furthering our mission to prepare students for the complexities of a globalised world. We believe this balanced approach will support our students' well-being and equip them with the skills needed for success into the senior school and beyond the classroom.

If you’d like to learn more about this topic and the school’s approach please come along to our parent night, information below.

NAVIGATING DIGITAL SAFETY: FOSTERING KINDNESS AND WELLBEING ONLINE

I am delighted to invite you to our upcoming Parent Evening/Panel Discussion, scheduled for Wednesday 31 July. The event will take place at the East Campus Gym, located at 14 South Dr, Bentleigh East.

Event Details

Date: Wednesday 31 July  

Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm

Location: East Campus Gym, 14 South Dr, Bentleigh East

Parking Advice: Parking options on South Drive are limited, so using surrounding streets or walking if you live locally is recommended.

For more information please click here. 

We expect that this event will be of great interest to our community, so RSVP is essential. To secure your spot, please register via our TryBooking event page: 

ATHLETICS CARNIVAL 

The McKinnon Athletics carnival held last Thursday saw a huge turnout of students who braved the chilly and wet conditions at the start of the day. Eventually the sun came out to shine on the Sport Captains and staff relay. 

It was great to see so many students dressed up and giving many track and field events a go, all earning house points as well as joining in with the novelty events. 

The winner will be announced at tomorrow’s General Assembly.

Well done to everyone involved in the organisation of the day, special thanks to Claire Weiss. It was a great celebration of the McKinnon values of community, resilience and success.

VOCAL NIGHT 

Congratulations to everyone involved in Tuesday night's vocal night which showcased the talents of our many voice students across all year levels. From the junior level groups, solo’s, duets, trio’s, accompanied items, to the Senior Singers a cappella four-part arrangement, the audience was captivated. 

Thank you to our Audio-visual team, Itay Volnerman (Year 8), Ms Leah Humphrey, Ms Ellie Adler, Ms Lucy Angell, Ms Tania Kaev, Ms Clare Bugeja and Mr Dmitry Serebrianik for their work. Particular thanks to Ms Blanka West for overseeing this entire night. Thank you to all the students, staff and parents/friends for your support of this lovely evening.

BASTILLE FESTIVAL  

Our Bastille Day 2024 celebration was a fantastic showcase of French culture, featuring a photobooth competition with French-themed props, a popular pain au chocolat bake sale, and impressive performances of "La Marseillaise" by Year 7 students and "Non, je ne regrette rien" by Year 10 students. 

One of the standout moments was a lunchtime crepe-making workshop, where our students learned from the expertise of David Caillaud from Artisanal Bakehouse in Bentleigh.

Thank you to the French language teachers and all participants for making this day memorable. Special thanks to Cedric Chamontin for overseeing this event.

CROSS COUNTRY 

Congratulations to the 39 students who represented McKinnon at SMR Cross Country on Tuesday 25 June. McKinnon had a successful day, winning both individual and team events. Congratulations to Luka Sideridis (Year 10), Archie Sideridis (Year 7), and Sophie Arbaitman (Year 7) for winning their individual races. Thank you to Mrs Breidahl, Mr Hudd and Jordan Butera for their support.

Thirteen students then represented McKinnon in the State Cross Country finals on Thursday 18 July at Yarra Valley Racetrack.  These students raced in tough, muddy conditions against the best runners in the state and performed outstandingly. 

Archie Sideridis (Year 7) was the individual winner of the 12-13 boys 3km race. Luca Sirianni (Year 7), Zavier Madden (Year 7), and Matvey Roche (Year 7) joined Archie to win the 12-13 boys team event, a fantastic achievement by our Year 7 boys! Thank you to Mrs Breidahl, Mr Hudd and Mr Adlington for their support. 

You can read the full list of results in the Cross Country report.

REFUGEE WEEK 

From Sunday 16 June to Saturday 22 June, we acknowledge and celebrate Refugee Week in Australia; since the end of the Second World War, Australia has taken in more than 800,000 refugees from across the world. Refugee Week began in 1986 and aims to promote a greater awareness of refugees, the issues they face and the contributions they have made - and continue to make - in Australia and beyond.

This year's theme is Finding Freedom: Family and it emphasises the central role that family plays in one's identity and personal freedoms. There are currently more than 43 million refugees worldwide (of whom more than 40% are under the age of 18), representing a global and humanitarian challenge that requires compassion and multilateral support. 

Throughout last week, we continued to raise awareness of this crisis and the ongoing issues that refugees face.

NAIDOC WEEK 

The first week of July was NAIDOC Week. This is an important celebration of Australia's First Nations people. The 2024 NAIDOC Week theme was, ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud’. 

McKinnon Secondary College is a proud advocate for Indigenous Australia, working hard to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and understanding across curriculum and school life though the Marrung Education Plan and the Department of Education. 

Both Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week are important events within the school calendar and continue to support intercultural understanding and respect for the oldest continuous culture on Earth.

TEEN MENTAL HEALTH 

Across the last two weeks of term 2, all Year 9 students were trained in Teen Mental Health First Aid. Across three 90-minute sessions, the course gives teenagers the skills they need to recognise and help with mental health problems and crises in their friends, and to get the help of an adult quickly.  Young people will often turn to each other when stressed or upset, and try to help each other, sometimes taking too much on and being unsure of how to help their friends. This course taught students how to recognise when their peers may be struggling, how to approach them and what to do to help them connect with suitably qualified adults. Year 9 students should be commended on their maturity in undertaking the course. Thank you to Patty Etcell who coordinated the roll out of the program to such a large cohort.

INTERACT CLUB 

On Thursday 26 June, the McKinnon Road Interact Club hosted a Sausage Sizzle on the MERC Deck, selling over 500 sausages to donate $702.95 to Headspace, an organisation actively supporting the mental health of Australians. 

This event was conducted in partnership with the Push Up Challenge, in which East's Interact Club were also involved in through a Bake Sale. 

Thank you to the following students and staff who contributed to the recent sizzle: Shauri Pedavalli (Year 11), Blake Harcourt (Year 11), Maleesha Dharmadasa (Year 10), Chloe Cooper (Year 10), Ver Ronn Chung (Year 10), Benjamin Mathew (Year 12), Elinor Roif (Year 12) Afroditi Ioannidou (Year 11), Mair Evans (Year 11), Nathan Pong (Year 11), Effy Huang (Year 11), Jazlyn Ho (Year 10), Huy Nguyen (Year 10), Michelangelo Hu (Year 7), Blossom Olaye (Year 7), Jean Lee (Staff), Frank Carere (Staff) and Enver Bise (Staff). 

Throughout Semester 1, they raised almost $6,000 for various causes, a brilliant achievement. Once again, congratulations to the Interact Club on continuing to support charities across Australia, and we look forward to seeing more events from the club in the future.

PUSH UP CHALLENGE 

The McKinnon Push-Up Challenge, held from Wednesday 5 June to Friday 28 June, was a resounding success in promoting awareness and encouraging positive mental health. Organised by Jemma Owen and the PE team, the challenge attracted a diverse group of participants who enthusiastically embraced the event's goal of highlighting the benefits of push-up exercises. Participants of all fitness levels engaged in friendly competition and mutual encouragement, fostering a supportive atmosphere throughout the challenge. 

In total, the McKinnon team completed an impressive 80,874 push-ups and raised $1,080, which will be donated to support our mental health charity partners, Lifeline and Headspace. Congratulations and thank you to all who contributed to this impactful initiative.  

JUNIOR CONCERT 

The Junior Concert, held on the last Wednesday of Term 2, was a magnificent showcase of musical talent and dedication from our youngest performers. This evening of celebrating music highlighted the impressive progress and hard work of our budding musicians.

The event featured a diverse array of musical ensembles, each demonstrating remarkable skill and enthusiasm. 

The combined Year 7 Concert Band, under the expert guidance of Mr West and Ms Waugh, delivered a polished performance that belied their young age. Equally impressive was the combined String Ensemble, conducted by Mr Lee.

Adding depth and richness to the evening was the Junior Choir, directed by Ms West. Their harmonies and dynamic control were a testament to their growth and dedication. 

The Intermediate Stage Band, led by Mr Byrne, particularly stood out with their tight ensemble playing and confident solos, offering a glimpse into the exciting musical journey that awaits our young musicians in their senior school years.

The event was masterfully compèred by Ms Humphrey, whose engaging presence tied the performances together seamlessly. The success of the evening was a clear reflection of the hard work and dedication of all McKinnon music staff, with special thanks extended to the entire multimedia team, Ms Bugeja and Mr Serebrianik for their planning of the event.

MEDIAEVAL DAY

Our Year 8 History classes returned to Mediaeval times for Mediaeval Day during the last week of Term 2.  Students participated in a fashion parade, completed exciting Kummargee group activities (from shield making to castle building), viewed Hall of Fame Creative Projects, and engaged in an array of Mediaeval games. 

Thank you to our supervising staff and to the Year 8 History team; Miss Arneil, Mr Gurry, Mr Jansen, Ms Ozcagli & Mr Shaw. Particular thanks to Miss Arneil & Mr Shaw who organised this enriching event. 

YEAR 9 WISDOM & SERVICE UPSKILL PROGRAM (WASUP)

For a third year in a row, our Year 9 students immersed themselves in the world of work via our job skills program, now known as WASUP.  

During the last three days of Term 2, students were given the option to participate in a range of job and life skill related programs by a range of external providers, including:

• CPR Training (Short Courses Australia)
• Barista Coffee training (Total First Aid Training)
• Self Defence (All Stars Martial Arts)
• Make-up, hair & beauty (Tamarua Beauty Academy)
• Bronze Medallion Program (Hampton Surf Lifesaving Club)
• Radio Communications (Hampton Surf Lifesaving Club)

I also wish to thank and acknowledge the following members of staff for developing additional workshops for this year's WASUP:

• Dylan Kernaghan (DIY Woodwork)
• Ben Browne and Damien Landini (Making Beats)
• Lee Laskaridis & Nethmi Ranasinghe (Customer Service Training)
• Matthew Shaw & Paul King (Coaching & Umpiring)
• Frank Russo (Photoshop and Coaching & Umpiring)
• Peter Quinn (Mastering WeVideo)
• Harry Richardson (IT Tech Skills - 3D Printing)
• David Machin (Self Care Workshop)
• Jessica Rogosic (What's My Brand?)
• Zoe Murdoch (Bronze Medallion & Radio Communications)

By all accounts, our Year 9 students were thoroughly engaged with the learning opportunities provided and proudly served as great ambassadors for the school. 

Finally, I wish to acknowledge and thank Chris Pantelios for his leadership, organisation and overall management of WASUP.