PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

HOUSE CROSS COUNTRY CARNIVAL

The House Cross Country Carnival was held on Friday 5 May and was a wonderful event. It was great to see so many kids taking part. They looked fabulous dressed up in the 90’s theme!  There were two courses, one for students at the Main Campus and another at the East Campus.

I want to thank and congratulate Jen Pemberton, Chris Hudd, James Bridges and Liam Adlington for organising such a successful carnival. 

I also thank the Interact Club, Josh Cukierman, and Krishna Fleming for selling drinks to raise money for the White Helmets charity.

Congratulations to the winning house - Gilmore!

Thank you to all the staff who helped make this important event possible.

VCE THEATRE STUDIES PRODUCTION

I was thrilled to attend the Year 12 Theatre Studies play on Saturday night. The play, The Secret in the Wings by Mary Zimmermann, is an intriguing and thought-provoking play that reimagines the Grimm fairytale genre.  

It was enthusiastically performed by the cast and expertly produced by our wonderful students. I congratulate them all on a mesmerising and engaging production.  

Congratulations to Lucy Angell, our Theatre Studies teacher who led and inspired our students to achieve such excellence and to Michael Birkett from the AV team for ensuring it ran smoothly.

I also acknowledge and thank local member Nick Staikos MP for coming to the performance and supporting our students.

IDAHOBIT DAY

On Wednesday 17 May, we celebrated IDAHOBIT day which is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia & Transphobia. This important day aims to raise awareness of LGBTQI+ rights.

Our Pride club held a bake sale at the East Campus on Monday and at the Main Campus on Wednesday with all proceeds going to charity. Their tables were full of delicious donated homemade baked goods and both campuses were filled with colour and joy. 

Thank you to Katherine Sip, Peter Eglezos and Jordan Abela for coordinating these fun and inclusive events which really do keep our campuses connected and in support of each other, all while giving back to the community.

A free dress day was also held on this day with gold coin donations going to OzHarvest who are a leading food rescue organisation who stop good food going to waste by delivering it to charities that help those in need.

Thank you to both the East and Main Campus School Council students for coordinating this collection.

YEAR 9 WISDOM AND SERVICE PROGRAM 

This week saw the commencement of our two-week Wisdom and Service program for our Year 9 students, where they undertake a variety of experiences to build social aptitude and job ready skills.

This program includes a three-day camp to Warrnambool, a job skills program including an accredited hospitality course and first aid training. Students can also choose several additional courses such as Self Defence, Bronze Medallion/Surf Rescue accredited course, an introduction to AFL/Sports Umpiring and Positive Education and Study Skills workshops.

This is an incredible opportunity for students, and I hope that these experiences and qualifications inspire them to be confident, job ready and community minded.

I thank and acknowledge Peter Quinn, Chris Pantelios, the Student Management team and all the teachers and staff involved for their organisation of this program. 

STRING NIGHT

The annual String Night performance is being held tonight at the Alan Lawrence Theatre. It is a showcase of the many talented string students McKinnon has to offer. 

The evening will feature large string ensembles, extension ensembles, chamber music and VCE soloists and I very much look forward to seeing this performance. 

Many thanks to Clare Bugeja for her organisation of this event, as well as the string staff Stuart Cook, Georgina Mead, Christine Vincent, Andrew Albanis and Jill Griffiths for their preparation of the students. 

Thank you also to Blanka West and Karen Neumann for providing piano accompaniment. 

STUDENTS ONLINE PRESENCE 

Some concerning behaviours have come to our attention of students using Social Media inappropriately after hours. As we have seen, this can negatively affect students at school, disrupting their learning and wellbeing. We have a number of programs that address students’ online communication, one being Project Rocket, which began this week for our Year 7 students.

We ask that parents monitor their child's behaviour online and take the opportunity to discuss their online presence. We will also be speaking to the Year 7 cohort about this in the upcoming Year Level Assembly.

As the experts advise, students’ use of mobile devices should be monitored and managed at home by parents and guardians where possible. Further information and support can be accessed through the year level Student Management teams and Wellbeing.  

AMBULANCE COVER

We encourage all parents to have family ambulance cover. Schools do not cover costs of an ambulance if one is called. Sometimes children present to the Sick Bay and a judgement is made that we call for ambulance assistance. We always do our best to look after all students and we have a duty of care while they are with us. 

Ambulance cover is quite cheap as opposed to ambulance cost without cover. We also ask all parents to ensure contact details are accurate and changes to phone numbers, addresses and work details are provided in case of an emergency.

Information about Ambulance Victoria membership can be found at http://ambulance.vic.gov.au

BIKE RIDING

Please be mindful of students cycling, particularly along McKinnon Road, as there have been incidents where students have been hurt whilst riding their bikes. Please always check for cyclists before opening your car doors.

Students are reminded to wear their helmets, ride carefully and not speed along McKinnon Road as this is especially congested during peak times. 

Scooters, electric scooters or skateboards should not be ridden to school.