PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

NAPLAN

The 2025 NAPLAN results have been received by the school, and these reports will be posted out to parents/carers over the coming weeks. Along with the results, you will receive information that explains how to read the report. 

I am very pleased to announce that once again, the cohort results were exceptionally strong.

JUNIOR ENSEMBLES CONCERT 

Congratulations to everyone involved in the recent Junior Ensembles Concert. The event was a wonderful showcase of talent, with over 200 students from Year 7 Band and Strings, Extension Strings, Junior Choir, and Intermediate Stage Band taking to the stage for their first concert of the year.

For many Year 7 students, this was their debut performance, reflecting the hard work and dedication they have put in since the start of the year. The enthusiasm and enjoyment were evident, making it a memorable experience for both performers and the audience.

CULTURAL DIVERSITY WEEK

We celebrated Cultural Diversity Week across both McKinnon campuses at the end of Term 2. Students and staff enjoyed many activities throughout the week including Cultural Trivia, Karaoke, Henna hand painting, Origami, a World Song Concert, a World Music Ensemble performance, Just Dance K-pop and the viewing of a Ghibli movie. In addition, Year 7 students had the opportunity to participate in an African drumming workshop, listen to songs in different languages and see the Korean hip hop dance, led by Ms Nonaka. This highlighted to the younger students at McKinnon the importance of Cultural Diversity Week and showcased the unique way the school celebrates it. 

Every lunchtime throughout the week, students enjoyed a variety of food stalls, which included boba tea, brownies, ice cream stall, samosas, sushi and baked goods just to name a few. Thanks to Mr Frank Russo and Mr Hieu Dan for helping these food stalls come together. 

Special thanks to Mrs Nayyar who coordinated and oversaw all of the activities and programmes for the entire week, and to all the students and staff that helped make this week an incredible experience.

PREMIER VCE AWARDS 

Ms Kellie Felmingham and Mr David Graham attended the Premiers' VCE Awards ceremony during the last week of Term 2, which are held to recognise outstanding VCE students from the Class of 2024.

• Jiatong Wei for Top All-Round VCE High Achiever and Specialist Maths. Special thanks to Jiatong’s maths teacher, Mrs Emma Mullane

• James Werbik for Economics. Special thanks to James’ Economics teacher, Mr David Graham

• Isabella Chang Wollmann for Portuguese undertaken at Victorian School of Languages (Absent)

Well done to these amazing students on achieving exceptional academic results in their final year of schooling.

FUTURE SELF SEMINAR

On Thursday 3 July, our Year 10 students participated in an enriching program that provided valuable learning opportunities.

The Future Self Seminars gave students insight into the upcoming work experience program. We were fortunate to welcome guest panelists Jocelyn Henry, Megan Maya and Jhai Manogaran, who generously shared their career journeys and answered questions from our students. We extend our sincere thanks to our panelists, as well as the Year 10 Careers and Student Management teams, for organising such a successful event.

We are incredibly fortunate to be able to offer such a diverse and meaningful array of programs to support our Year 10 cohort.

WASUP - Wisdom and Service Upskill Program

Our Year 9 students concluded Term 2 by participating in the Wisdom and Service Upskill Program, or WASUP as it is affectionately called. This is the fourth year where our Year 9 students have had an opportunity to immerse themselves in a range of job ready and personal development skills. This year's offerings included the regular favourites of CPR Training and Introduction to Barista Coffee courses, as well as some new opportunities such as Introduction to Hair Styling, DIY Lashes and the RSPCA Industry Experience.

I would like to thank each and every member of the Wisdom & Service team for developing workshops such as Introduction to Customer Service Skills, Interview Skills, Study Skills, Retail Skills, as well as all of the staff that helped facilitate our school-based workshops.  

In particular, I wish to thank and congratulate Chris Pantelios for his leadership of the Wisdom & Service team, as well as his organisation and management of this amazing and ever-growing learning opportunity for our Year 9 students.

YEAR 12 TRIVIA NIGHT

Congratulations to the Year 12 Trivia night committee who organised a wonderful event where over 250 Year 12 students enjoyed a night of trivia, dancing, live music and games.

The night raised over $3000 for State Schools’ relief. Special thanks to Ormond Ice Creamery, Miss Ruby Cafe, Dolce House, Hoyts and McKinnon’s Interact Club. Well done to all staff and students involved.

PUSH-UP CHALLENGE 

The McKinnon Push-Up Challenge, held from Wednesday 4 June to Thursday 26 June 2025, was a remarkable success in raising awareness and promoting positive mental health. Organised by Jordan Butera, Charlie Rowe, and the PE team, the event brought together participants of all fitness levels who embraced the challenge's goal of highlighting the benefits of push-up exercises. 

Throughout the challenge, participants engaged in friendly competition and mutual encouragement, fostering a supportive atmosphere. 

Collectively, the McKinnon team completed an impressive 53,793 push-ups and raised $1,288, 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.

BRASS NIGHT

Brass night was a fantastic celebration of music, showcasing the brilliance and dedication of our talented brass musicians. With energetic and passionate performances from students across all year levels, the concert truly highlighted the strength, spirit, and sense of unity within our vibrant music community.

A special thank you goes to our devoted brass teachers: Yael Marks, Tim Rex, Lindsay Ryan, Dmitry Serebrianik and Tracy Videon for their tireless efforts in preparing and inspiring the students. Thank you also to the AV and facilities teams. 

An acknowledgement also to the families and friends whose enthusiasm and support made the night even more special. Your presence and encouragement mean so much to our students.

MARKET BOULEVARD DEMOLITION/ CONSTRUCTION

The school has been advised that the builders will be doing most of this work outside of school start and finish times. They are hoping to minimize disruptions as much as possible and obviously we want that, too. And I also want to assure you they will take every measure to ensure the highest consideration and care is being taken in relation to the removal of any dangerous materials.

I would also like to advise our community that the new official address for the East campus is 📍 20 Market Boulevard, Bentleigh East.

MCKINNON STUDENT AWARDED INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP

Congratulations to Year 12 student, JJ Braithwaite, who has been awarded a full tuition scholarship for the Undergraduate Program at Berklee College of Music, one of the most prestigious music institutions available to young musicians worldwide.

Well done to everyone who has played a part in JJ’s journey during his time at McKinnon. Your collective contributions have helped shape a young musician who is now being recognised on a world stage - and this success is something to be celebrated by all who’ve been part of his musical upbringing. Well done, JJ, we’re very proud of you!

You can read more about JJ’s journey and achievement in Success Stories.