Go McKinnon!

We hope you have managed to survive the extreme rain over recent days as we officially farewell summer. There have been so many great learning opportunities and activities happening in and around our great school over the past fortnight and again we are reminded of what a great community we are part of. Our senior students continue to shine on the sporting fields and their efforts and attitude are only to be admired, appreciated and congratulated. We receive regular feedback about the positive and respectful manner in which our students hold themselves when representing our school. Well done to all those who participate in our Inter-school sports program. We must thank the committed staff who work so hard to provide a positive and enjoyable experience for our sports stars! A special congratulations to our District Swimming Team who came first at the competition on Tuesday…. Go McKinnon!

 STUDENT LEADERS 2020

Yesterday we celebrated our student leaders for 2020 with a formal badge celebration. The Year Six Captains as well as the Student Representative Council receiving their badges. We were joined by our School Council president Natasha Hosein and our community to celebrate the event. We have attached the list of student recipients for your reference.

Leadership Badge Presentation

 YEAR FIVE CAMP

Last week Year Five headed off on the annual school camp. This year they visited Coonawarra, just outside Bairnsdale. The camp was full of action which included a new event for McKinnon, horse riding. We would like to thank Mr Lusted, Miss Keys, Miss Arranga, Miss Bellwood, Mrs Dove, Mr Barker, Mrs Constantinou, Mr David Kefaloukos, Miss Karabatos, Miss Tomaino, Mr Reith, Ms Andradi, Ms Kenna and Ms Doyle.

 LABOUR DAY HOLIDAY

A reminder of the upcoming Labour Day holiday. Being a public holiday, the school will not be open on Monday 10th March.

CURRICULUM DAY FOCUS (TUESDAY 11TH MARCH)

During Tuesday’s curriculum day staff will be working with student data. The morning will focus on how to better interpret data to further enhance our student outcomes. During the afternoon, all staff will be participating in CUST (Cultural Understanding and Safety Training). This department training is mandated for all Victorian schools and is aimed at further developing cultural awareness and understanding of our indigenous people focused on creating a positive climate for learning and development where we demonstrate the highest levels of respect and inclusion. As a result, Koorie children and learners of all ages feel strong in their identity and engage together. We will also be focusing on the analysis of data to inform our teaching in the area of Mathematics. This will be facilitated by our Maths Leader Andrew Kearl.

CLASS REPRESENTATIVES

Thank you to all the parents who have responded with their contact details to receive class communications. Thanks also to the parents who have offered themselves to be the class representative. Apologies for the delay as we compile class distribution lists.

 CRAZY COLOUR RUN

This is an exciting event on our school calendar. The Colour Run will take place on Thursday 12th March at MCKINNON RESERVE. The Colour Run is a significant fundraising event for the school. The funds raised directly affect the facilities our students enjoy. This year the funds will be directed towards the upgrading of Adventure Island. Not only does this event promote a healthy and active lifestyle, we believe it will be highly enjoyable and engaging for our students. In addition to being covered with coloured chalk if they choose, students will also have access to other fun activity stations as they make their way around the course. Details about the Crazy Colour Run have been distributed and we encourage all students to establish an online fundraising account. This can be a great way to reach out to distant friends and family to gather their support. The experience of other schools is that online fundraising has boosted their monies raised. Students will also be rewarded for their fundraising efforts with the ability to choose a range of prizes depending on the level of funds raised. All students raising a minimum of $10 will get to choose a prize. We’re looking forward to this wonderful event on our calendar and thank our Parents Club, especially Lib Norton for her work in organising this day for us.

INSIGHTS ON COMPASS

All families in the school are required to complete three Insights on Compass. These Insight (permissions) are valid for the whole year. Please note at any time you are able to modify this status and remove or add any permission. All families need to complete these in order for their children to participate in a wonderful school event like the Crazy Colour Run. If you haven’t already please complete these ASAP.

These insights cover media & photography, class lists and walking excursions.

ACCIDENTS HAPPEN

We would like to remind families that the Department of Education does not provide personal accident insurance or ambulance cover for students. Parents/carers of students, who do not have student accident insurance/ambulance cover, are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including the cost of ambulance attendance or transport as well as any other transport costs.

It is the responsibility of parents/carers to look into their preferred options for insurance/ambulance cover. The Department cannot provide advice to families on the purchase of individual student accident policy or ambulance cover.

Private property brought to school by students, staff or visitors is not insured and the Department does not accept any responsibility for any loss or damage.

This can include mobile phones, calculators, toys, sporting equipment and cars parked on school premises. As the Department does not hold insurance for personal property brought to schools and has no capacity to pay for any loss or damage to such property, students and staff should be discouraged from bringing any unnecessary or particularly valuable items to school.

A NIGHT WITH MICHAEL CARR-GREIG

Thank you to the parents who attended this informative and entertaining night at McKinnon Secondary College. It was great to see so many McKinnon parents in the audience. Michael provided parents with fantastic, practical advice on how to raise adolescent children in the 21st century. He spoke about cybersafety, limiting screen time before bed, maintaining lines of communication with your child and encouraged all parents to assist their child/ren to find their own SPARK.

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