On Friday 11 September, students, staff, families, community partners and friends came together at Packer Park for our McK Respect Community Event, united by one powerful message: there is no excuse for gender-based violence.

McK Respect is bigger than one event. It represents our ongoing commitment to creating a culture of respect, equality, empathy, compassion, care and safety, and to challenging the attitudes and behaviours that contribute to gender based violence.

The afternoon brought our community together through sport, music and a shared commitment to change. Staff and McKinnon alumni joined our Year 11 and 12 student footballers and members of Glen Eira Old McKinnon Football Club on the field for the McK Respect football match, while our talented Year 9 and Year 10 student performers and Year 12 Sax Quintet brought music and energy to the event.

A particularly powerful moment was our 16-minute community walk around Packer Park, bringing hundreds of people together to honour lives lost, acknowledge those impacted by gender based violence and reflect on the role we can all play in creating a safer future.

We are incredibly proud of all the students who contributed to McK Respect, both on the day and in the work that brought the event to life. A huge thank you to our Student Working Group for their ideas, enthusiasm and support, our School Captains Gus Booth and Maleesha Dharmadasa for helping lead our community, our Interact students who ran the bake stall, and our VM students and staff who created the McK Respect banner.

We also extend a huge thank you to our MAV and facilities team, staff working group and the many staff members who gave their time, energy and support in the lead up and on the day.

We were honoured to welcome the Honourable Nick Staikos MP, Member for Bentleigh; Councillor Li Zhang, Deputy Mayor of Glen Eira; Ben Vasiliou from The Man Cave; and Kevin Murphy from the Department of Education.

We also sincerely thank Miracle Paws, BamBam Boxing, WHISE, Pulse8 Centre, McKinnon Basketball, Port Melbourne Football Club, Ormond Ice Creamery, Murrumbeena Football Club, Ormond Football Club, Victoria Police, The Orange Door and The Big Sister Experience for standing alongside us and supporting this important cause.

A particularly heartfelt thank you goes to Glen Eira Old McKinnon Football Club for their partnership in bringing McK Respect to life.

There is real power in numbers and in working together. Seeing our students, staff, families, sporting clubs, community organisations and leaders come together around this cause was a powerful reminder that meaningful cultural change is not the responsibility of any one person, school or organisation. It takes all of us.

To every student, staff member, family, partner and guest who stood alongside us, thank you.

Together, WE ARE THE CHANGE.

There is no excuse for gender-based violence.

McK Respect Project Team

Lachlan Noble, Assistant Principal

Patty Etcell, Head of Wellbeing

Ben Reid, Year 11 Student Manager

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