PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

FAREWELL CLASS OF 2024

It has been a busy week for our Year 12 students, who celebrated a number of events that mark the end of their schooling. This includes dress up day, the staff vs student dance off, the Year 12 Assembly and of course, culminating in the Valedictory dinner which was held at the Crown Casino Palladium on Wednesday night.

These events help create important memories, as well as reflect on the many memories already made throughout their schooling. Thank you to all the students for creating such fun, and for behaving appropriately.

The Valedictory was an incredible event, and it's a pleasure to celebrate with the parents/carers of our Year 12 Students on this auspicious night. As we know, the connection between families and the school helps provide our students with the best possible combination of support, care and inspiration. I know our families are grateful to our teachers and our school.

Congratulations to everyone who helped arrange these celebrations and to all staff who have supported our Class of 2024. I wish you all the very best for your exams.

YOUTH FORUM

Well done to two of our Year 10 students, Raphael Milmeister and Shelley Gordon who represented McKinnon at the Zoe Daniels' Youth Forum during the last week of Term 3, held in the Legislative Assembly, Parliament House on Tuesday 17 September. 

Thank you to Mrs Travitz for taking our students along to the event. What an incredible experience.

FUTURE SELF SEMINAR

All of our Year 10 students participated in the Future Self Seminar held on Thursday 19 September. We welcomed guest speakers to speak to students about their career pathways since leaving school. The aim of this event is to give our students an opportunity to dialogue with inspirational young people who can help them make more informed choices about their own educational and career pathways.

We would like to sincerely thank our guest speakers for joining us to inspire and educate our future leaders. Nathan Kayser, Sommer Liston, Maddy Begala, Alli Cole, Andrew Jewel, Jason Schwartz and Jessica Zivin we could not have created this program without your support. A special mention to the Year 10 Student Managers for their efforts in making this program a success.

LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP

I had the pleasure of participating in the Year 11 Leadership program late last term and, along with Lachlan Noble and Kellie Felmingham, watched tremendous presentations and provided feedback to future and current leaders about initiatives, public speaking and qualities of an effective leader. 

It was a wonderful session and I applaud all of the students for attending these workshops to further build their capacity and student agency here at McKinnon Secondary College. A special thank you to Mrs Kate Jobson, Head of Years 11 and 12, for creating and running this valuable program.

YEAR 10 CAMP

Our Year 10 students had the opportunity to attend a Victorian Experience Camp on Week 1 of Term 4. The 126 students and 12 teachers spent two nights each in Echuca and Halls Gap completing activities such as Fishing, Canoeing, Mountain Biking, Mini Golf. Each group was spoken to by an Indigenous Elder and met up in Bendigo for the day. 

What an adventure to prepare the students for their Central Australia trip in Year 11. A big thank you to Alistair McCooke for his organisation of this event and Rochelle Travitz for assistance along with all the teachers who supported this camp.  It really was a great success.

GERMAN SISTER SCHOOL VISIT

Our German Exchange program, which has been running for more than twenty years with our sister-school in Germany, commenced again this year after the forced pause due to the pandemic. Students of German from McKinnon were on exchange at our sister-school in Germany in April, and now their German partners are here for a four-week return visit, experiencing family life and school life in Australia. 

Our visitors from the Alfred-Wegener-Schule have already seen, tasted, played and enjoyed a large variety of aspects of life here thanks to the generosity of our McKinnon hosting families. 

In this exchange round we again see our visitors developing friendships beyond their immediate circle of exchange partners. Thank you to Mrs Fowler for her help with the exchange group, Ms Humphrey and Mr McCooke for offering additional curriculum-focused experiences for the visiting group from Germany.

Special thanks to the language faculty and everyone involved in making this experience so special. I would particularly like to thank Mr David Nutting who has overseen the organisation of the exchange.

THEATRE STUDIES

Congratulations to the Year 12 Theatre Studies class on their Monologue Showcase Night held Monday 7 October. Rather than perform as an ensemble, this task took on a different design and required all students to create a solo performance. 

Each student used their theatre and performance skills learnt over their time at McKinnon to interpret a creative performance which will, in its final state, be performed to the VCAA examiners for a portion of their study score.

Students showcased their final performances to their family and friends and included a set of mock examiners so each student could practice under exam conditions. It was a great night to celebrate all the hard work these students have put into their craft.

Thank you to the AV crew for their support in filming and photography, and to Lucy Angell and Natalie Same for their assistance in providing feedback to these students. I also want to thank their teacher Ellie Adler for her fantastic guidance and support over the year and preparing these students for their upcoming exams.

GREAT VIC BIKE RIDE

On the last Thursday of Term 3, Team MCK held their first training ride for the GVBR, riding a short 25km along the Dingley Bypass bike track to get a taste of riding in a group and communicating in bunch rides. 

Students continued their training throughout the holidays and into Term 4 so they're ready to complete the 500km journey from Wodonga to Healesville as the GVBR celebrates its 40th year anniversary. 

This event represents our school values and showcases their resilience; what an event! 

I thank the staff for their dedication and time commitment towards training our students for success in the event. Look out for the "MC What?" cycling kit in the area and give them encouragement.

ATHLETICS

On Thursday 10 October, our McKinnon athletics squad represented the Kingston Division at the Southern Metro Region Finals. They had amazing success in the track and field with 12 students successfully qualifying for the State finals on Monday 21 October. A special mention to Allegra Orso (Year 11) and Harry Robertson (Year 10) who won all 3 of their events.

All of the highlights from the day are in the Sports Report. Well done to all of the athletes and thank you to Ms Weiss and Ms Owen for organising this event and their support of the students. 

2024 MULTICULTURAL YOUTH SPORTS AWARD

Congratulations to McKinnon’s Deputy School Captain, Adem Savran, who has recently been honoured as the 2024 Multicultural Youth Sports Person of the Year at an award ceremony held at Parliament House last Saturday. 

This award honours young athletes who have achieved excellence in their sport while also contributing to their community through mentorship or leadership.

Adem exemplifies the school’s values as well as mentors young people in disadvantaged areas of Melbourne fostering community belonging.

We’re very proud of you, Adem. Thank you for making such a positive impact both at school and the wider community.