ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS' REPORT
PUNCTUALITY TO SCHOOL
It has been the College’s policy for many years that students who arrive late to Period 1 (which begins at 8:50am), will receive an automatic lunchtime detention unless a note/phone call with an acceptable excuse is provided by a parent. An acceptable excuse is a doctor’s appointment, illness, etc. We ask all parents to support our expectations by ensuring students arrive at school by 8:30am, allowing enough time to get organised and be in class before the start of Period 1 at 8:50am.
If students have to leave school during the day or are arriving late (e.g. due to a medical appointment), they must have a note from their parents explaining the situation. Students must show this note to the Attendance Officer at the General Office when signing in or out of the school. In addition, this information can be entered on Compass. We thank parents for their support on this matter.
If students in Years 7 to 9 do need to leave the College early during the school day (e.g. due to illness or appointment) they must be collected by a parent/carer. We are unable to dismiss students without adequate supervision. Any student who is feeling unwell at school must report to the Health Centre - we will then contact families if required. We ask that parents/carers do not call students directly during the school day.
YEARS 10 & 11 EXAMS
The Semester 1 exam period is commencing the week beginning Monday 5 June for Years 11 and 10 students. Students should be preparing for exams at home, spending time working through revision resources and revisiting topics covered this semester. We wish all students undertaking exams a productive period of study.
VCAA GAT
The VCAA General Achievement Test (GAT) will be undertaken by all students completing a Unit 3 & 4 subject in 2023 on Thursday 15 June. No classes will be conducted on this day. Students are expected to be at school by 8:15AM. Students must know their VCAA student number, which can be obtained from their Student Managers. Pens, pencils, an eraser and scientific calculator are required. An English and/or bilingual dictionary can also be taken into the exam room. No electronic dictionaries, thesaurus or white-out liquid-tape may be taken into the GAT.
REPORTS
End-of-semester reports will be available on Compass at the end of Term 2. These reports will include a transcript of all information provided via Learning Tasks throughout Semester 1. Please note that this information is posted on Compass by teachers as each assessment is completed, so you do not need to wait until the end of the semester to access your child’s academic results. To complement Learning Tasks, Progress Reports (reflecting on students’ work ethic, behaviour and organisation) will also be published at the end of Term 2.
When reflecting on their results, students should focus upon the attributes and behaviours teachers recommend for further improvement - perseverance, hard-work, asking for help, taking pride in their learning and setting high expectations. Educational research has proven that intelligence is changeable (not predetermined or fixed), and that academic growth can be achieved by all - working hard, being resilient and acting on the advice provided by teachers are the keys to achieving this growth.
YEAR 7 (2024) - SIBLING ENROLMENTS
If parents/carers have another child wanting to start Year 7 at McKinnon next year, please note that you still need to complete a Year 7 enrolment form. This can be collected from the General Office at the Main Campus.
CORRECTION DAY
As outlined in the previous newsletter, the College’s annual Correction Day will take place on Thursday 15 June. Staff will be finalising assessments and semester reports. As such, classes will not be conducted on this day, so students should not attend school. The only exception is VCE students who are completing the GAT.
MOBILE PHONE POLICY
As outlined in both the State Government Policy and our local College Policy, students must leave their mobile phone in their locker during the school day. We have unfortunately had to confiscate an increasing number of phones in recent weeks because some students continue to carry their phones with them in class and in the yard. Our phone policy is designed to help students improve their concentration in class, build stronger relationships with their peers and ultimately improve their mental health. Please remind your child that if they choose to bring their phone to school it must remain in their locker (secured with a school-provided combination lock). We thank all families for their support on this issue.
BIKE SECURITY
Bikes must be locked with a secure bike lock when students ride to school. It is clear from our observations that many students are continuing not to do this, leaving their bikes at risk. It is very difficult to investigate a stolen bike when it is not locked, even when we have some CCTV cameras around the area. To further improve bike security, we are now locking the middle gate next to the bike compound at the main campus to protect bikes from thieves. This gate will be locked from 9:30am to 2:30pm each day.
ROADWORKS ON TUCKER ROAD
There will be significant roadworks on Tucker Road and Ellen Street that will start on Monday 29 May.
Traffic management will be in place with lane closures and reduced speed limits for up to four weeks. Please allow extra time to travel to and from school.