WELCOME BACK

Welcome back to all staff, students, parents and a special welcome to our new families. I hope 2022 will be a most rewarding year filled with many wonderful opportunities for learning and growth.

Congratulations to the school community for such a successful start to the year. I have been very impressed with the excellent way in which students have returned to school looking their best in their uniform, organised with all their appropriate materials and ready to learn.

It is with tremendous pride and honour that I continue as Principal of one of the best schools in the State! I look forward to the wonderful opportunities ahead and give a commitment to continue to serve this community with dedication and professionalism, providing all children with many opportunities to thrive and shine.

496 Year 7s joined our family and everyone has contributed to the most positive productive start.

COVID SAFETY

Rapid antigen tests - all staff and students have been provided with two packs of the tests. We ask that these tests are undertaken each week for the first 4 weeks of term, on two mornings before school.

If a positive result occurs then students are required to contact the office and isolate for seven days. Learning can still continue as all lesson work is uploaded onto the Compass portal every morning for every class by every teacher.

Masks continue to be worn by all staff and students while inside as a preventative Covid safety measure.

The air purifiers are also in as many spaces as possible to assist with ventilation and air movement.

I appreciate everyone’s collective efforts to keep us safe.

COVID-19 third-dose vaccinations are now available to 16-17 year olds who had their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine three or more months ago.

Supporting as many eligible students as we can to be vaccinated will help make our school as safe as possible.

Getting vaccinated is one of the most important steps we can all take to get direct protection against COVID-19.

There are many convenient and accessible options to access vaccinations. These include state-wide vaccination clinics, your local GP or pharmacy. You can book your appointment in a few different ways, including:

online: coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccine
by phone: 1800 675 398 (Coronavirus Hotline)
using the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder - COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder | Australian Government Department of Health;
In person: talk to your local pharmacy, doctor, or attend one of the State Vaccination Centres.
https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccination-information-children-and-teenagers

OFFICIAL OPENING OF EAST CAMPUS

On the first day of school, Monday 31 January, the Deputy Premier Minister of Education James Merlino attended to officially declare the second campus of McKinnon Secondary College open. He was accompanied by our local member for Bentleigh, Nick Staikos and the Department of Education Regional Director Ian Burrage, Senior Regional Executives Simon Hamilton, Darren Clarke, Stuart Andrews and representatives from K2LD, ADCO and SEMZ.

Michael Kan, Campus Principal, Peter Quinn, Head of Junior School and I were thrilled to be part of such a memorable occasion.

We held an assembly and it was a wonderful sense of occasion that we will never forget.

This new campus is a significant achievement and will serve the community for many years to come.

Everyone has settled in well and I really could not be more proud! The bus situation has improved for the end of the day and we have asked for an additional bus in the morning leaving the main campus. I really appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate all the new issues of a second campus.

YEAR 12 CAMP

It was absolutely wonderful to farewell the Year 12s on the buses for their final school camp. I know they had a tremendous learning opportunity and made new friends and created wonderful memories - many captured for this year's albums!

I thank the Student Managers - Chris Hudd, Helen James and Dan Blackmore and Brett Howe VCAL Manager for their incredible organisation and support. I also thank all the staff who were in attendance to ensure the success of the program. Well done to all involved.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP

The 2022 Captains were all introduced to our school community at our first whole school assembly. I congratulate these individuals and know they will serve our community exceptionally. They have qualities and dispositions they have demonstrated over many years and I wish them all well.

SENIOR SCHOOL LEADERS

School Captains

Taya Minin & Matthew Day

Deputy School Captains

Alice Connolly, Sophia Diegelmann, Harry Mills & Drew Thompson

SENIOR HOUSE CAPTAINS

Chisholm Captains

Monique Andjelic & Saksham Singh

Chisholm Deputy Captains

Holly Spencer & Billy Barton

Flynn Captains

Isabelle Sheldrake-Brown & Will Green

Flynn Deputy Captains

Elyn Kontopoulos & Ron Shamrak

Gilmore Captains

Stephanie Baker & Ethan Tran

Gilmore Deputy Captains

Mia Ciccolallo & Tom Howells

Monash Captains

Georgia Foran & Jordan Galgut

Monash Deputy Captains

Aniqua Hollingworth & Greg Liarakos

SENIOR MUSIC CAPTAINS

Chisholm Music Captains

Emily Andjelic, Akira Nishikubo, Sai Waller & Sophie Willis

Flynn Music Captains

Daina Harris, Jennifer Hoang, Elyn Kontopoulos & Drew Thompson

Gilmore Music Captains

Liana Kelemen, Tristan Fuhrer, Skyla Ruthven & Talia Zamir

Monash Music Captains

Louisa D’Ambra, Georgia Foran, Ben Jason-Easton & Andrew Seamer

JUNIOR SCHOOL LEADERS

Junior School Captains

Amelie Hicks & Jake Lasnitzki

Deputy School Captains

Leon Koh, McKinley Markham, Sam Markham & Kayla Morgan

JUNIOR SCHOOL COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Kerry Lyons

JUNIOR HOUSE CAPTAINS

Chisholm Captains

Joshua Bridges & Siena Nott

Chisholm Deputy Captains

Sam Markham & Ava Muelu

Flynn Captains

Mia Cashmore & Alexander Rowe Hansen

Flynn Deputy Captains

Anya Aquende & Bella Kaminsky

Gilmore Captains

Shrish Kumaran & Johanna Kyri-Ovenden

Gilmore Deputy Captains

Amaya Chapman & Ariela Sack

Monash Captains

Caitlyn Sin Mew Cheung & Dylan Galgut

Monash Deputy Captains

Felix Dinkelmeyer & Kayla Morgan

MASCOT

A few years ago three young women, Karleen Han, Sarah Hatigan and Catherine Chang came to see me about getting a school mascot to further enhance our sense of community and develop the McKinnon culture.

They worked tirelessly to include all students in the development, design and naming of this mascot.

‘Jasper’ was introduced to our community at our first assembly. The joy and excitement was obvious. I know this mascot will indeed work their magic for years to come. The girls involved have left an incredible legacy for the school.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Liana Kelemen (Year 12) who has been selected for inclusion in this year’s Top Arts exhibition at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia. You can see Liana's film 'Businessman', on display at NGV Australia from 18 March – 24 July 2022.

I would also like to acknowledge the achievements of Talia Zamir (Year 12) who attained an over 45 raw score for her VCE Geography. She has been acknowledged by the Geography Teachers’ Association of Victoria for having one of the highest results in Geography.

PARTNERSHIP IN EDUCATION

Part of the secret to the McKinnon model of success with student outcomes is the very strong partnership that exists between parents and staff. We value these quality relationships and I know students benefit from them tremendously.

Parents at McKinnon can be relied upon to attend concerts, drama nights when they are possible, all information evenings but also they read the newsletter, Compass feeds and keep informed and up to date with all relevant events.

They also assist students to be organised, punctual and in full uniform.

I hope we will be able to have events going forward.

This all contributes to student success and building strong relationships and I thank everyone for your efforts and tremendous support.

SCHOOL COUNCIL ELECTIONS

Notice of election and call for nominations

Nomination forms for the School Council elections are now available from the General Office at Main campus. Included in this newsletter is a link you can access which explains our School Council Elections.

Nominations are being called for two parent members, one school employee member and one student member. Anyone with any queries regarding School Council Elections are welcome to contact me at school. Closing date for the return of nomination forms is Friday 18 February at 4:00pm.

SECONDARY SCHOOL ENROLMENT PRIVACY COLLECTION STATEMENT

(PRIVACY INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND CARERS)

During the ordinary course of your child’s attendance at our school, school staff will collect your child’s personal and health information when necessary to educate your child, or to support your child’s social and emotional wellbeing or health. Such information will also be collected when required to fulfil a legal obligation, including duty of care, anti-discrimination law and occupational health and safety law. If that information is not collected, the school may be unable to provide optimal education or support to your child, or fulfil those legal obligations.

For example, health information may be collected through the school nurse or wellbeing staff member. If your child is referred to a specific health service at school, such as a Student Support Service Officer, or school-engaged psychologist, the required consent will be obtained.

Our school may use online tools, such as apps and other software, to effectively collect and manage information about your child for teaching and learning purposes, parent communication and engagement; student administration; and school management purposes. When our school uses these online tools, we take steps to ensure that your child’s information is secure. If you have any concerns about the use of these online tools, please contact us.

School staff will only share your child’s personal or health information with other staff who need to know to enable the school to educate or support your child, or fulfil a legal obligation.

When our students transfer to another Victorian government school, personal and health information about that student will be transferred to that next school. Transferring this information is in the best interest of our students and assists that next school to provide optimal education and support to students.

In some limited circumstances, information may be disclosed outside of the school (and outside of the Department of Education and Training). The school will seek your consent for such disclosures unless the disclosure is allowed or mandated by law

Our school values the privacy of every person. When collecting and managing personal and health information, all school staff must comply with Victorian privacy law. For more information about privacy including about how to access personal and health information held by the school about you or your child, see our school’s privacy policy:

https://www.eduation.vic.gov.au/Pages/schoolsprivacypolicy.aspx

Throughout this notice, ‘staff’ includes principals, teachers, Student Support Service officers, youth workers, social workers, nurses and any other allied health practitioners and all other staff at our school. This includes employees, agents and service providers of the Department, whether paid or unpaid.

TRAFFIC – SCHOOL ZONE SPEED LIMITS

I would also like to remind all parents to be careful when driving along McKinnon Road and South Drive. It is very congested and at times dangerous. Please be aware of street signs and adhere to road rules. Parents are being booked daily by parking officers from Glen Eira Council.

The school car park must also not be accessed by parents during school hours. Ask your child to meet you away from the relevant campus to ease congestion.

The speed limit is always 40km per hour along McKinnon Road and U-turns are not allowed. We have many students riding bikes so please be careful parking and opening doors.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

CSEF