PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

TERM 2 START

We have had a tremendous start to Term 2 and I hope it continues to be smooth.

Students are looking exceptional in their uniforms and I thank you all for your concerted effort to help them.

Students may wear summer or winter uniforms until next week (Friday 13 May). 

Blazers are essential to and from school this term. I know the supply chain issues have caused some shortages, but the uniform shop will continue to do its very best to supply families with the necessary items as soon as possible.

ANZAC DAY

On Sunday 25 April, Mr Noble was accompanied by School Captains Taya Minin and Matthew Day at the City of Glen Eira and Caulfield RSL Centenary of ANZAC Day service held at Caulfield Park where Taya also read the poem "In Flanders Fields".

Mr Serebrianik was accompanied by the McKinnon Senior Brass Ensemble, together with three vocal students who performed at the ANZAC Day Service at the Bentleigh RSL.

McKinnon Brass Ensemble:

Marcel Minkovski (Year 11)

Akira Nishikubo (Year 12)

Hadyn Collier (Year 11)

Luc Georges (Year 11)

Harry Mills (Year 12)

Filip Pacak (Year 10)

James Spencer (Year 10)

Drew Thompson (Year 12)

Malachy Carney (Year 8)

Eyal Sharon (Year 9)

Nemo Yao (Year 8)

Anzac Vocalists:

Talia Zamir (Year 12)

Jodie Silberthau (Year 11)

Georgia Foran (Year 12)

At General Assembly last week, we commemorated ANZAC Day paying tribute to the men and women who sacrificed so much so that we enjoy our freedoms.

I include here the very moving presentation given by Simon Hughes.

“If you travel to modern Turkey, it is possible to visit the ancient city of Troy. Standing on its broken walls you see fields of sunflowers stretching almost all the way to the Dardanelles, the waterway that divides Europe from Asia. If you look really hard, in the distance, on another hill, you can almost see the outlines of the Gallipoli peninsula. The scene of two tragic battles, then, Troy and Gallipoli, giving rise to two powerful myths.

When you visit Gallipoli Cove you marvel at its beauty and serenity. Understandably, the Anzac troops had neither the time nor the inclination for sight-seeing. One of them, Michael Hynes, was 27 years old when he enlisted for service in the Australian Imperial Force in May 1915. He served as a private in the ambulance brigade first at Gallipoli and then in France. He was wounded once, had several near misses and was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in 1917. He would return to Australia in 1919 after exactly four years away. Michael Hynes was my grandfather. 

Those first Anzacs were humble men who were entirely unaware of the legend being constructed in their name. Later, when I read my grandfather’s diaries, I understood very well why he didn’t wish to speak of his four years away. Make no mistake, war is a tragedy. On Anzac Day we do not celebrate war, rather we commemorate those men – and women – who suffered at the hands of history. That is the meaning of the phrase: Lest we forget. 

So, more than a century on we remember the Anzac spirit which we define as bravery and loyalty. These are not uniquely Australian qualities, of course. The Turks who defended their land against the invading forces of the British and the Anzacs were just as brave. Mustafa Kemal Attaturk who led the Turkish forces at Gallipoli and was the founding father of modern Turkey expressed it best in a speech honouring the men of other nations who lost their lives at Gallipoli. 

“There is no difference between the Johnnies and Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours,” he said. “You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.”

The men who enlisted in the First World War were responding, in part, to what they perceived as their duty to empire. We also have a duty. It is our duty, as the heirs of the Anzac generation, to keep the dogs of war at bay. Lest we forget that the rights we take for granted are hard-won and there are forces in our world intent on depriving us of them. It is up to us to never forget the lessons of history. We are all global citizens with a responsibility to set the world on a better course. We do this through compassion and selflessness. We do it through understanding, not ignorance. We do it through patience and compromise, not stubbornness and prejudice. We do it through negotiation, not resorting to violence. We do it through respect and tolerance. Our clear duty is to celebrate our humanity, not to diminish it.

‘LEST WE FORGET’

SPORTS AWARDS

The Victorian School Sports Awards were presented on Wednesday 27 April at The Glasshouse at Olympic Park. 

These awards recognise students and teachers who excelled or made an outstanding contribution to school sport. 

There were 28 individual student awards each known as a ‘sporting blue’.

Riva Guliya (Year 7) was awarded a blue for her success at McKinnon Primary School in cricket. She was in the district team, a member of the southeast Cricket Association and representative side. She was also Selected by School Sport Victoria and Cricket Victoria to Captain the 2021 Victorian Under 12 State Cricket team. 

This year, Riva has been selected to play in cricket Victoria’s Youth Premier league competition. We wish Riva continued success. 

Sam Kay (Year 12) was acknowledged for his contribution and success with volleyball. His dedication to volleyball extends beyond his own ambitions to inspiring and developing his student peers. He has coached fellow athletes as part of a development squad. 

Sam‘s passion and commitments have seen him experience outstanding success at state, national and international levels. 

In 2021 as a member of the under 18 Victorian Beach Volleyball team and part-time member of the Australian Volleyball Academy Sam achieved two gold medals. 

We applaud Sam and wish him continued success.

VOLLEYBALL VICTORIA

McKinnon Secondary College has been awarded Most Outstanding School for 2021. This award, presented by Volleyball Victoria to one Victorian school each year (public or private), takes into consideration not just on-court results, but also attitude and presence off the court.

Throughout Victoria’s five lockdowns, McKinnon was lucky enough to have a team of dedicated coaches creating training programs and engagement opportunities online for all athletes. 

We were recognised for our continued support towards our athletes as well as for the work done by our student coaches who continued to act as role models for younger year levels and continued to give back to the sport and to their school.

By the end of 2021 McKinnon Secondary had placed Top 3 in all Volleyball Victoria endorsed school competitions, ranked as State Champions for two out of four SSV events (with the other two being awarded State runners up), and, we had over 30 students represent the state and school after being selected as part of the beach and indoor state teams. 

I want to thank and acknowledge Rhiannon Parker, Sandy Hope, and Ellie Adler whose commitment and dedication was the driving force behind this program’s success. 

I also congratulate Ellie Adler who was nominated for the Most Outstanding Teacher 2021 award.

PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEWS

Thank you for the excellent Parent-Student-Teacher interview days. The feedback received has been very positive and everyone is appreciative of the in-depth knowledge shared by teachers. 

The ease of connection via Google meets has indeed made these interviews so accessible. One learning from the Covid pandemic was to connect virtually. This has allowed parents to connect who were never able to physically attend the school in previous years. 

Feedback is crucial for the students to know how to improve their learning and performance.

WE ARE HIRING 

We are currently seeking a full-time office administration person for the east campus. If you are interested please refer to the position advertised on recruitment online.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Coco Greenberg - Class of 2020 - who was recently awarded the Hansen Scholarship at the University of Melbourne. 

The Hanson Scholarship is one of the most valuable undergraduate scholarships in the nation valued at over $100,000. Scholars receive accommodation, funding for international exchange, a bespoke program of mentoring, access to cultural and social events, and pastoral care. 

I could not be more proud of Coco and she is such a worthy recipient.

STUDENT ATTITUDES TO SCHOOL SURVEY

Students will soon be invited to participate in a confidential online survey to be conducted during school time. The survey will take around 20 - 45 minutes to complete. 

Please keep an eye on Compass for further information. The feedback received helps inform our next areas of focus

RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

As many of you now know, I have decided to retire from my principal position at the end of 2022. These 25 years at McKinnon have been my professional best. I am proud of all the staff and students who have been at McKinnon throughout my tenure, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the relationships formed. 

I feel this is the right time for me and my family and will allow me time to travel and stress less! 

The Department will advertise this vacancy towards the end of this term and go through a thorough statewide selection process to select the right person to take the school into its next chapter. 

There will be time for me to say goodbye in term 4 but I have appreciated all the good wishes. It does indeed feel bittersweet at the moment.