What an extraordinary year this has been with many of us glad to see it coming to an end! Hopefully things will be more normal in 2021. Please be assured that at the beginning of the next school year we will send communication out regarding any organisation that is necessary as directed by the DET, until then enjoy the break with your family and we look forward to seeing you all back in 2021.
We would like to take a moment on behalf of all the staff to recognise the enormous amount of support we have felt from the parent community as we have all navigated through the unusual year. Thank you so much for the unexpected teaching roles you have all played and the constant adjusting to school arrangements.
Unfortunately we have been unable to hold our normal thank you morning tea.
A big heartfelt thank you to you all.
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT OVER THE HOLIDAYS
It has been a difficult year for many in our community, and we wish to remind you that there is support available for students during the school holidays. The Department of Education have developed factsheets for students, parents and carers.
YEAR SIX GRADUATION
The Year Six students attended their secondary school orientation programs this week. The majority of students will be heading to McKinnon Secondary College. Students are also enrolled into Bentleigh Secondary College, Frankston High School, Glen Eira College, Albert Park College, Maribyrnong College and a small range of catholic and independent schools. We wish them all the best as they enjoy their last few days at McKinnon Primary School.
Our Year Six students began their Year Six graduation celebrations with a live streamed ceremony this morning. This will be followed with a trip to Luna Park and a special picnic day as the grand finale.
The ceremony included a message from our School Council President Natasha Hosein and from the local member Nick Staikos MP who announced the recipient of the Lorraine Francis Award which was Freya Kitney. We were also lucky enough to have many student performers this year Kathleen, Yeri, Tristance, Stefan , Frank, Vibhan, Justine, Khiem, Meira, Ben, Jin and Max who who shared their musical expertise. The ceremony provided an important opportunity for all students to celebrate their many successes at primary school and to say farewell to their classmates as they head towards secondary school.
On behalf of the organising committee, we thank the volunteers who have contributed to the organisation of the event. A special thank you to Lucy Curl, Mat Smith, Catherine Hales, and Bianca Tomaino in ensuring the students were well prepared for the ceremony and the continual encouragement and support demonstrated towards students throughout the year.
END OF TERM 4 – EARLY DISMISSAL FROM 1.20PM
A reminder that all students will be dismissed on Friday 18th December A- L 1.20 -1.30pm and M- Z 1.30 – 1.40pm.
Team Kids will offer care from 1.30pm on the final day of the term should supervision be necessary with the early dismissal of students.
COMMENCEMENT OF 2021 SCHOOL YEAR AND DATES
Students in Year One – Year Six will begin classes on Thursday 28th January at 9.00am.
Foundation students will begin classes for half a day on Thursday 28th and Friday 29th January and attend full days beginning Monday 1st February at 9am.
If you would like to know any dates for the 2021 school year, please remember to check the Compass Calendar.
2021 STAFFING
This year has been a terrific year and we would like to thank all our staff for the incredible commitment they have shown to all our students.
At the end of this year we will farewell Garin Sandler who has accepted a position at Keysborough Gardens Primary School, Brooke Roberts and Shae Glass who have accepted positions at Caulfield Primary School. Stewart Spencer is off on an adventure to Darwin where he will be teaching. Peter Adshed will be taking leave next year as he explores Tasmania. We also farewell Hadas Paz our librarian who is leaving due to Hannah Macklow returning and Maria Antiohos who is relocating back to NSW, both Hadas and Maria worked as part of the Literacy and Language team. Finally Amy Liu who has been at McKinnon Primary School for eight years and has secured a position fulltime at an independent school. Amy has worked as part of the Chinese Immersion Program when she first started and has for the last four years worked to support the Mandarin Program in a part time role. On behalf of the school community, we would like to thank these staff members for their dedication and energy in providing the very best for our students. We wish them all well for the future and wish all of them the very best with their new adventures and thank them for their contribution and commitment to McKinnon Primary.
Next year we welcome new members of staff to our school Diane Murphy and David Zuker, along with returning staff members Claire Brooks, Aaron Smith and Hannah Macklow.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2021 STUDENT SCHOOL LEADERS
Over the last few weeks, our Year Five students have engaged in writing leadership applications, conducting speeches and participating in interviews for their chosen areas. The students have demonstrated extraordinary skills during this time and many have managed their reactions very maturely if they have been unsuccessful.
It is with pleasure that we announce our student leaders for 2021 below.
| School Captains | Ting Ting Sun | Kingsley Harjanta |
| School Vice Captains | Riva Guliya | Harish Salwathura |
| Walnut House Captains | Ciara Tarasuik | Lewis Fletcher |
| Walnut House Vice Captains | Ynez Chapman | Oliver Aydin |
| Collins House Captains | Chloe Tran | Alexander Stavropolous |
| Collins House Vice Captains | Millie Hurst | Aarav Gandhi |
| Tucker House Captains | Lara van Lint | Flynn Grenda-McKinnon |
| Tucker House Vice Captains | Milla Nolan | Zac Finnegan |
| Moylan House Captains | Kelis Simons | Harvey Weigall |
| Moylan House Vice Captains | Isobel Huntley | Devin Webber |
We are still in the process of completing the other captain positions and we will announce these in 2021.
2021 KEY DATES
Please mark in your diary the dates for information night next year as they will come up very quickly.
Information Nights 2021
| Date | Year Level |
| Monday 8th February | Year 6 |
| Year 4 and Year 5 | |
| Tuesday 9th February | Year 1 and Year 2 |
| Foundation and Year 3 | |
| Wednesday 10th February | Specialist Areas |
There will be a Zoom link provided if you are unable to attend in person.
Three Way Conferences are planned for 16th February.
SECURITY OVER THE SUMMER BREAK AND BIKE SHED
If you are at the school over the holiday break and you notice anything concerning, would you please contact Caulfield Police Station on 9524 9500 or 000.
Please note the bike shed is only locked during school hours on school days, so please do not leave bikes and scooters in the bike shed overnight as we cannot guarantee they will not be taken as the bike shed is unlocked.
Wishing everyone a safe, restful and enjoyable summer break. Look forward to seeing you all back in 2020.
Have a great weekend,
Simone, Suzanne, Chris and Andrea