Term Two has started in style for the VCE students, with some outstanding academic achievements from both our Year 11 and 12 students! Students are beginning to consolidate everything that they have learnt over the course of the semester in preparation for the mid-year exams which are to be held from Monday 31st May to Friday 11th June. We wish students all the best for their preparation, which will give them a taste of what to expect in their end of year assessments.

Staff were also heartened to see so many students and parents attend the online Student Progress Meetings. The school places a lot of value on these opportunities to provide feedback to our families, and would encourage all students to participate in these sessions when offered in the future in order to progress with their learning.

As well as their academic prowess, students should also be celebrated for their mature, professional manner in which they have engaged in a number of wider school activities, including the school ANZAC service on Friday 23rd April, as well as the school Athletics Carnival on Monday 26th April. Well done to each and every one of you for acting as strong ambassadors for the college, and leading the way for our junior year levels!

University Delegate Visits

VCE students have been lucky enough to receive visits from delegates from a number of universities over the last few weeks, including RMIT, Deakin and Swinburne. These sessions have run during our MAP Study Space periods, and have provided students with information regarding courses offered, prerequisites for entry, as well as general knowledge about life on campus. We would encourage all students to undertake their own visits to prospective TAFEs or universities in order to get their own feel for the venues, before ultimately making their own decisions regarding their pathways during their final year of school.

Aspire Higher – Melbourne University Visit

On Wednesday 12th May, fourteen of our Year 11 and 12 VCE students enrolled in our Aspire Higher Program visited the very prestigious Melbourne University. There we heard about the impressive history of the institution which has been integral in shaping our nation, as well as how highly regarded accreditation from Melbourne is both Australia wide and overseas. Students were provided with plenty of information about their most popular courses, ranging from Psychology and Law, to Medicine and Arts. The group was then given a guided tour by two current Melbourne University students of the beautiful, leafy City campus, with highlights including the Biology Department, Library and world famous underground carpark. We hope that our McClelland College students were inspired by the visit and that we see many more of our alumni enrolling at Melbourne over the coming years!

ABCN – Focus Leadership Program

Congratulations to our Year 11 students who were nominated to participate in the prestigious ABCN Focus Leadership Program. The aim of the program is to develop the skills and confidence of future female leaders by providing them with a mentor from the business world. This year, students were lucky enough to work with the leadership team of Bluescope Steel, who have run a number of online sessions with our students, culminating in a day in the city working in the company’s boardroom to be held on Monday 24th May. Well done to each of the students for both their nomination and their hard work as a part of the program! We look forward to seeing how you put these newfound leadership skills into practice over the coming years as a part of our school leadership team, as well as in the wider community once you leave the college. A special thank you also to both the ABCN team and the leadership group from Bluescope Steel!

Leadership Training Day at St Kilda Football Club

On Monday 3rd May, our School and House Captains were involved in a very special program at St Kilda Football Club headquarters in Moorabbin. Students were granted access to the inner workings of the club, with a guided tour providing them with an insider’s look at the workings of the club, including change rooms, recovery centre and gym. We than had access to their facilities for the remainder of the day, with the intention of developing student’s leadership and teamworking skills. The captains were lucky enough to have AFLW superstar Georgia Patrikios working with them for the entire day, before being privileged enough to hear from Club CEO Simon Lethlean and Community Engagement Officer Goy Lok. As a special bonus, Senior Coach Brett Ratten and Assistant Coach Brendan Lade both ran sessions with our captain team, inspiring them to take the lead and initiative when working with others. McClelland College is ever grateful to the St Kilda Football Club for dedicating so much time and resources to working with us, and look forward to maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship between parties in the years to come.

Staff vs Student Events

Well done to the students for gradually clawing back the lead in the Staff vs Student Cup!

The staff team maintained a slim lead leading into the first term break, with a stirring win in the European Handball on the final day of term. Despite the best efforts of Sam Conell in goal, the unstoppable force of Deondre Samuelu up front, and the hard work / basketball skills of Jozef Djeri and Matt Orr, the teachers were able to grind out a hard fought win. Commiserations to Mr Joy who will spend an extended stint on the sidelines with a collarbone injury.

The students now lead the competition with a 3 – 2 lead after two stirring wins at the Athletics Carnival in both the relay and the three-legged egg and spoon race. Despite the best efforts of Mr Calton and Mr Maksimovic, the students were quite literally able to run away with the lead.

The next Staff vs Student event will be a Trivia Competition held on Tuesday 25th May in the IC, followed by Volleyball in the Gym on Monday 21st June.

Looking forward to seeing as many staff and students there participating and supporting as possible!

Senior School Formal

And finally, well done to all Year 11 and 12 students who attended the Senior School Formal on Friday 7th May at Functions by the Bay in Frankston. It was an amazing evening, with highlights coming from the amazing dance skills on show by students, as well as the amazing fashions on display by all. Staff at the venue were amazed at the good behaviour and energy of our students, congratulating the school for our amazing cohort of young individuals. A special thanks must go to all of the McClelland staff that attended the evening, particularly in light of the fact that they were at school late the night before conducting parent teacher interviews. Well done to all involved!

AIME Lunch