PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
GOODBYE TO THE CLASS OF 2019 - YEAR 12 ASSEMBLY
Students, staff and parents celebrated the end of compulsory schooling for our Year 12s this week.
I sincerely thank the staff at McKinnon who have shaped the next generation of Graduates.
I appreciate your incredible efforts on providing the best learning for our students.
Many parents end their formal association with the school and I thank all of you for your support over the many years.
The special relationship between parents and staff is part of the McKinnon magic!
I wish the Class of 2019 all the very best with their future endeavours and thank them for their service to McKinnon Secondary College.
WOMEN IN STEM AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (WISE) PROGRAM
Earlier this year, Monash University invited 212 female Year 10 students (53 teams from 45 schools) to attend a series of one-day workshops to learn about connected technology and the 'Internet of Things', develop hands-on skills in IT coding using the micro:bit device and discover how to develop and pitch an entrepreneurial idea. McKinnon sent two teams.
The girls involved were:
Team 1 - Bridget Chapman, Karleen Han, Alisha Gollen and Michelle Gu
Team 2 - Julia Giantos, Catherine Braniska, Jaime Tyzack and Grace James
Their teacher mentors were Ms Sweeney and Ms Nicholls.
At the conclusion of the Stage 1 workshops, a judging panel from the Monash IT Department and international organisations such as Hacker Exchange, selected 12 teams to attend a bespoke entrepreneurial workshop, designed to instil an entrepreneurial mindset and train participants how to turn their concepts into an economically sustainable product. Impressively, both McKinnon teams were selected to attend the final workshop.
In the final stage, two successful teams were selected to win an immersive entrepreneurial experience to San Francisco and Silicon Valley, California, USA - the global centre of technological innovation!
With a flawless presentation, McKinnon Team 1 was selected as one of the winning teams. The girls will be travelling, with their Monash mentors, to the USA in January. Congratulations to all of the girls involved and their mentors. This is truly a marvellous achievement.
JOB CAMP
On Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 September thirty-two Year 12 students attended a Your Job Camp which consisted of organisations engaged in offering students the opportunity to receive certificates for First Aid Training (Certificate 2), Working With Children Checks, Safe Food Handling and Responsible Service of Alcohol.
I received the following email after this event from one of the hospitality trainers:
“Good afternoon,
This is the first time I’ve taken the time to give my feedback to a school Principal regarding the students I have trained.
Yesterday and today I had the pleasure to work with 32 of your Year 12s and I would just like to inform you that in all the years I have been training this cohort of young people I have never been more impressed! These young adults were AMAZING!
Well mannered, attentive, switched on, engaging and inclusive! They clearly look out for each other and were very supportive. Congratulations to McKinnon College for producing such a great bunch of people!
All the best!”
I was absolutely thrilled to receive this email. I congratulate these students who are truly wonderful ambassadors for the College.
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations Eliza Cowley (Year 12) who has achieved Guiding’s Peak Achievement Award, the Queen’s Guide Award. This is the highest award that can be earned by youth members of Girl Guides Victoria.
As part of the Queen’s Guide Award, Guides are required to accomplish tasks in leadership, community service (volunteer work) outdoor skills, cultural awareness, working with their peers and to advance their own personal development in areas of their choice.
Eliza’s efforts in achieving this Award are highly commendable and we congratulate her on this wonderful achievement.