PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

ART SHOWS 

Our Senior Art Show opened on Monday afternoon, and what a huge success!

Our 2024 Artist in Residence, Aunty Heather Kennedy, opened the show to help us celebrate the achievements of our Years 10, 11 and 12 students. The night was also the official opening of the 2024 McKinnon Road Campus Mural.

Heather opened the show by discussing the significance of the mural project and celebrating the connections she was able to make with our students. Working with her has not only allowed us to learn about her art-making process but has also provided our students with valuable insights into Australia's history and the experiences of First Nations People.

The artwork, titled Walking in Two Worlds, is now installed as a mural at the entrance of the T-block gallery space and has also been featured in a global Art Exhibition by The International Visual Literacy Association, titled Illuminating Perspectives. What a significant achievement! I congratulate Jessica Rogosic for her work with the IVLA to facilitate this opportunity.  

We celebrated a range of successes on the night and I would like to congratulate all the students who received awards for their exceptional work this year within the Visual Arts.

A special congratulations to Nathan Nguyen (Year 12), who received the Guest Speakers Award for his charcoal portrait titled Smoke and Mirrors. 

I am also very excited to award Sofija Lukac (Year 12) with the Principal’s Choice award and I look forward to displaying her artwork in my office soon! 

I’d like to extend a very sincere congratulations to our Visual Arts team; Our Learning Area Manager for the Visual Arts, Peter Eglezos, Anna Bourke Su-Jin Chang, Maria Garcia, Tracy Griffith, Jackson Muir, Lynton Perry, Eliza Portelli, Jessica Rogosic, Annelise Scott and Amy Simpson. Thank you to our Visual Arts technician, Ms Leisa Hunt, and our Arts Captains Audrey Gelberg (Year 10), Charlotte Dwyer (Year 12), Dionne Tran (Year 11), Ilyana Brough (Year 10), Jane Liu (Year 9), Joy Su (Year 9), Samuel Adlard (Year 12), Shivani Kumaran (Year 8) and Stefania Trapetsa (Year 8).

REMEMBRANCE DAY 

A number of our students attended a ceremony at the Bentleigh RSL on Monday to commemorate Remembrance Day when we pay tribute and honour the brave men and women who selflessly served their countries to protect the values and freedoms we hold dear.

Thank you to our Year 9 Captains Solomon Batkilin and Kiara Naidoo for laying a wreath on behalf of McKinnon SC and to the following Years 10 and 11 students for performing:

Olivia Capurro-Martinez (Year 11)

Felix De Lemos (Year 11)

Julia Rodda (Year 10)

Yeri Soung (Year 10)

Jessica Sweeney (Year 10)

Gwendolyn Thiere (Year 10)

Thank you also to Georgina Mead, Clare Bugeja and Peter Quinn for accompanying these students.

Another group of our Year 9 student leaders had the opportunity to represent the College at the Shrine of Remembrance's Remembrance Day service. Students completed a tour of the Shrine, learning about the significance of Remembrance Day and Australia's military history.

Thank you to Caitlin Arneil and Georgia Wiley

 for arranging this experience. 

At both of our campuses we gathered Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 students together to conduct separate Remembrance Day ceremonies which were led by our Years 10 and 9 leaders.  It was very special to bring students together in year levels and I was most impressed by our leaders and the reverence they brought to the occasion.  

Thank you to Josh Cukierman who coordinated these ceremonies at both campuses.

WOODWIND CONCERT 

Well done to all the students involved in the Woodwind concert which was held last Thursday evening at the East Campus. It’s always a delight to hear these students perform and to witness the growth and improvement in their performances. 

Well done to the music students involved in the woodwind performance at the East Campus last week. It’s always an incredible pleasure to hear these musicians play.

Thank you to our Woodwind teachers Bernadette Russo, Karen Nansen, Martin Lee, and Megan Waugh. I'd also like to acknowledge and thank Megan Papworth and Zoe Bartholomeusz. As always, thank you to the AV team.

YEAR 11 THEATRE STUDIES 

The Year 11 Theatre Studies showcase was held on Friday 1 November and was a wonderful night filled with lots of energy from all the performers.

This night offered friends, families and the school community the ability to come together to enjoy a full-scale production put together by the Year 11 Theatre class. After a semester of hard work learning about many productions roles and what is involved in putting together a production, this showcased so much talent and clear passion for the performing arts.

Their performance of Where in the World is Frank Sparrow, by Angela Betzein tackled eclectic modern theatre styles and all students designed all props, sets, costumes, lighting and sound for the show.

Thank you to all who helped make it such a successful night including the Music and Audio team lead by Michael Birkett, the Photography and Videography team led by Andrew Krause and Caleb Goldwaser, and our classroom teacher Ellie Adler. This event would not be possible without their guidance and dedication.

Congratulations on a wonderful night celebrating the Performing Arts.

FLAMENCO WORKSHOP 

It was wonderful for McKinnon Year 8 students of Spanish to experience their first-ever Flamenco lesson at the East campus last week. 

The students enjoyed the fun, flare and history of this incredible experience, learned a few dance moves and practiced the language outside the classroom.

Thank you to the Spanish language team for arranging this engaging and fun workshop.

RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS 

I’m thrilled to announce the official launch of McKinnon’s Respectful Relationships Initiative, a cause that aligns closely with our values as a school and community. Together, let’s take a stand for respect, equality, and safety. This isn’t just an event, it’s a powerful movement toward fostering a culture where all young people feel valued and safe.

Walk alongside me as we raise awareness and take a stand against gender-based violence. Together, we’ll walk sixteen laps around the McKinnon Rd Campus Oval to represent our commitment to the UN Women campaign,  16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Each lap symbolizes one day of activism, reminding us of the difference we can make, step by step, in building a safer, more respectful community for all.

Event Details:  

📅 Date: Friday 29 November  

🕒 Time: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM (early finish at 2:30 PM)  

📍 Location: McKinnon Rd Campus Oval  

Let’s unite as a school community and take this important step together. Wear a touch of orange to show your support, and let’s make a lasting impact, walking forward with purpose and solidarity. To join us, please register here. Together, we can create a culture of respect and equality for all.

MUSIC SUCCESS

Music Teacher Sergei Golovko was honoured at the Universal Marimba Competition Belgium 2024 with an exceptional award of honour for his significant international contribution to the development of the concert marimba. 

Presented by renowned marimba artist Dr. Ludwig Albert, this award recognises Sergei’s dedication and passion for his craft. Congratulations on this incredible achievement.