PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

WELCOME BACK

The Term has commenced and students look well rested and impressive in their uniform. I hope they have reflected on comments made by their teachers in their reports and can endeavour to achieve their very best this semester!

PARENT OPINION SURVEY

The Parent Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of school climate, student behavior and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and implementation strategies.

The survey is aligned with the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes and along with the Attitudes to School Survey will provide our school with actionable insights in key elements for school improvement. Approximately 30% of families have been randomly selected to participate in this survey and this is an important part of accountability for our school.

The 2018 survey will be conducted online by ORIMA Research Pty Ltd and only takes 15 minutes to complete. The survey can be accessed via desktop computer, laptop, tablet or mobile at any convenient time within the fieldwork period from Monday 30 July to Sunday 26 August 2018.

Feedback of this kind allows us to reflect on our community opinions and gives us an opportunity to celebrate the positives and to address any concerns.

I thank the families involved. We appreciate your cooperation and support.

SENIOR CENTRE

I appreciate the incredible understanding and good will shown by our staff and students during the construction of our new Senior Centre.

We hope we can place our Year 12s in the new wing soon.

It is a beautiful facility that will serve our community well.  I cannot thank the local member Nick Staikos enough for his advocacy of McKinnon to ensure this construction was undertaken. It is indeed the largest ever investment made!

During the holidays the original first wing of the school (our B Block) was demolished.  It has been quite an emotional time for many with fond memories and events being remembered in B Block.

The new build will be completed fully by September but we will have access in the coming days for our Year 12 cohort.

I thank those students in particular for their support and understanding.

I hope they enjoy these state of the art facilities and we hope it will provide a terrific learning opportunity for generations to come.

PIERRE DE COUBERTIN AWARD

The Pierre de Coubertin Award is named after the founder of the modern Olympic Games and takes place on an annual basis to recognise senior secondary students who demonstrate attributes consistent with Olympism through participation and commendable behaviour in sporting activities.

Each nominee must participate actively in the schools physical education program with a consistently positive attitude and must have represented the school in a sport.

The recipient of this prestigious award 2018 is Will Sharp (Year 10).

Will has always been exemplary in PE classes at school. He has represented the college in a range of sports, including swimming, athletics and cross country.

Will is a national swimmer, having represented Victoria on numerous occasions and winning medals at the Australian Age Swimming Championships.

We congratulate Will on this marvellous award and wish him all the best in his future sporting endeavours!

CONGRATULATIONS TO STAFF

The following staff members – Jenny de Kretser (45 years), Chris Hourigan (45 years), Alan Stubbs (40 years), Diana Hatch (40 years) and Karen Romari (40 years) were recognized last weekend by the Hon James Merlino and senior Department of Education representatives at a ceremony for their long service and commitment to education in Victoria.

These are tremendous milestones and I thank them for their contribution to generations of students at McKinnon.  They have indeed made a significant difference.

MOBILE PHONES AT McKINNON

We have embarked on a much firmer approach to phone use this year. Students are now not permitted to use their phones from 8:30am until the end of the day bell (including recess and lunchtime). We have thoroughly considered this shift and are committed to following through to help your child concentrate better in class, build stronger relationships with their peers and ultimately improve their mental health.

This change was made through extensive consultation with students and staff and after reviewing the current research on the subject. Students should keep their phones at home or leave them in their lockers at school. If parents have an urgent need to contact their child over the course of the day they can leave a message at the school office. 

As the year progresses we will be reviewing how our policy on mobile phones is working. We ask that parents support us in this new approach.

Make sure your contact details are up to date on our system.

UNIFORM REQUIREMENTS

McKinnon is a school with a strict Uniform Policy.

It is an expectation that all who belong to this community abide by the rules.

All students should now be in full winter uniform.

I really make no apologies for the strictness with which we implement our uniform requirements.  As a member of this McKinnon team it is an expectation that this policy is understood and adhered to.  

The ONLY acceptable jacket is the navy wool school blazer embroidered with the College emblem.  This can be worn in classrooms, in the yard and MUST be worn to and from school in Terms 2 and 3.

The school jumper can be worn in class or outside in the yard during the day; however, when travelling to/from school, students must wear the blazer (rather than the College jumper). The jumper may be worn underneath the blazer.

Students may wear the PE/Sport uniform to and from school on the days that they have scheduled PE or Sport. This will avoid the need to change at school.

We thank parents, on whom we rely, to assist us by ensuring your children are impeccably dressed in their uniform.

TRAFFIC SAFETY

McKinnon Road is particularly busy around the start and end of the school day. Our staff have observed drivers disobeying the road rules during these times and creating safety hazards for our students and families. Please observe all road rules, such as no “U” turn in McKinnon Road and keeping to the 40km speed limit, which is at all times not just during school hours, to ensure students start and end the day safely. Please ensure your child is wearing a helmet if riding a bike and is aware of the rules regarding riding to school.

With our building project now well underway we need to be mindful of the large trucks entering the school. Parents who collect their children from school are advised to meet them in the surrounding streets, away from congestion.

VICTORIAN STATE SCHOOLS SPECTACULAR

Tickets are available for the States Schools Spectacular at tiketek.com.au/spectacular or by phone on 132 849.

Kate Collier (Year 12), Chloe James (Year 11), Orr Zaacks (Year 11) and Hadyn Collier (Year 7) are representing McKinnon Secondary College this year at this event. The show is a wonderful display of singing, dancing and exceptional talent from many state school students.  We wish our students great success and we know they will be wonderful ambassadors for our school.