PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

YEAR 8 CAMP 

After the success of last year’s camp, our year 8 cohort again visited the beautiful Kinglake Forest Adventure Camp. Their slogan ‘the learning is in the journey’ rings true, with students participating in a variety of activities which move away from the traditional camp experience. The camp facilitates activities where students are guided through meditations, develop skills in resilience and leadership, and are encouraged to step out of their comfort zone. 

During the day students challenged themselves to settle their minds in a forest bathing mediation, created an artistic Journey Piece, worked as a team to balance the giant See Saw and overcame fears in the Leap of Faith and Freefall.  After the sun went down the students immersed themselves in African drumming, fireside Indigenous stories and a Hunger Games group challenge. Overall a great few days at Kinglake.

Thank you to the Year 8 Student Management team, Liam Adlington, and all the staff who attended. These unforgettable memories aren’t possible without you!

EDUCATION PERFECT LANGUAGES CHAMPIONSHIP

McKinnon students have once again shone on the global stage in the 2025 Education Perfect Global Languages Championship.  Every year, this international competition provides our students with a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate their linguistic prowess in a wide array of languages, and to improve their skills in the languages they study at school.

Thanks to the efforts of our students, we secured second place in the global ranking out of 1804 schools, and first place in Victoria out of 1205 schools. With over 376,000 points earned and an impressive spread of individual awards, including multiple Elite, Gold and Emerald awards, our students truly showcased their linguistic talents. A special mention to 8D French for being the leading class with the highest point contribution, demonstrating teamwork and determination.

This achievement highlights our commitment to developing global citizens through a rich and diverse language program.

Thank you to Jennifer Lynd and Cedric Chamontin for overseeing this event, as well as our incredible Languages Department and all the staff and students who were involved.

TOMORROW MAN/TOMORROW WOMAN 

Last Friday, our Year 11 students explored innovative workshops run by the Tomorrow Man and Tomorrow Woman team, supporting and fostering emotional intelligence, challenging gender stereotypes, and promoting mental wellbeing. These programs created safe spaces for students to explore identity, build resilience, and strengthen peer connections.

The Tomorrow Woman workshops empowered young women to challenge societal pressures, develop confidence, and embrace their authentic selves. Meanwhile, the Tomorrow Man workshops encouraged young men to redefine masculinity by embracing emotional expression and empathy, helping them build supportive relationships and a positive sense of self. Both programs aimed to cultivate a school culture of respect, inclusion, and emotional strength.

Thank you to the McKinnon staff who were part of these sessions and the Year 11 student management team, with the support of Kate Jobson, Head of Year 11 and 12, for organising the event. An enriching experience for all!

SPOOKY STRING NIGHT

It was a pleasure to attend Spooky String Night which showcased the variety of string ensembles at McKinnon. There were large ensembles from varying year levels and a number of small ensembles ranging from solos, duets, trios and quartets. The program was very dark and gothic, a good way to welcome the coming winter season! 

You can read more about Spooky String Night in the Performing Arts Report

SCHOOL TOURS

Our school tours were very popular and I thank our wonderful Year 10 students who helped show our prospective families our wonderful campus. 

Thank you also to Pip Andrieux for coordinating the school tours.

MCKINNON SPORTS

You can catch up on all the highlights from the Softball, Baseball, Swimming and Diving finals, and enjoy photos from these events in the Sport News section. Our top Year 7 runners also took on the 20m Shuttle Run Challenge with great energy an determination.

Congratulations to all our students for their efforts and achievements!

OLD MCKINNON/GLEN EIRA FC

The Old McKinnon/Glen Eira FC is back in 2025, and after last season's Premiership glory, the Senior Women's team find themselves competing in the VAFA Division 1 competition. We have started the new season with three straight victories which has been terrific under returning coach Melissa Kuys, who brings her wealth of experience from her time in the AFLW and VFLW programs.

Our Senior Men's team have had a tough start in Premier C Division. Most of the team are ex McKinnon students and their development has been remarkable.

It is always wonderful to attend these community sport events at Packer Park watching the various teams.  It reflects so well on our culture that students are keen to engage with our partnership with the Glen Eira Football Club after they graduate and continue to play under our banner.