Welcome
McKinnon Secondary College lives by its motto ‘Wisdom and Service’. We foster a love of learning and respect for diversity. We strive to nurture empathetic, creative and confident young people who are connected to our community and Indigenous heritage. We want our students to embrace opportunities for continuous improvement and accept the challenges of a complex and globalised world.
News
Brass Night
Congratulations to all who participated in the annual Brass Night at McKinnon Secondary College on Tuesday 13 August! The evening was a remarkable success, featuring over 100 talented performers who showcased their dedication and passion for music.. The audience enjoyed a captivating array of solos, duets, and group performances, highlighting the unique skills of each musician. Special thanks to the guest artists whose contributions elevated the event and provided invaluable experiences for our students. The enthusiastic audience played a crucial role, their support creating an encouraging atmosphere for the performers. Behind the scenes, a dedicated multimedia team ensured everything ran smoothly, contributing to the event's success. Congratulations to the brass staff, performers, and everyone involved in making this night an unforgettable celebration of talent and community spirit!
Wisdom and Service
In 2021, McKinnon students Jack Graffeo and Wesley Mu (current Year 12 students), developed one of Australia’s most popular COVID-19 tracking websites, CovidBaseAU (https://covidbaseau.com/). Created to simplify and improve the communication of COVID-19 data, it quickly amassed nearly 55,000 followers on Twitter and has been acknowledged and celebrated worldwide, including by then-Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton. The Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at Melbourne University recently recognised these students. Jack and Wesley were also awarded the Wisdom and Service badge at the General Assembly. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition! Michael KanPrincipalMELBOURNE SCHOOL OF POPULATION AND GLOBAL HEALTH VISITOn Thursday 11 July, Wesley Mu and myself, Jack Graffeo (Year 12) and together with our friend Darcy Hersbach, were invited to the University of Melbourne School of Population and Global Health to provide a presentation on our Covid-19 data project CovidBaseAU. This was one of Australia’s most popular COVID-19 tracking websites, acknowledged worldwide and referenced in numerous publications. We began the day by providing a presentation to Epidemiology and Biostatistics researchers about our Covid-19 data tracking project CovidBaseAU, as well as discussing how we feel health data should be best presented by the federal government and answering how we think we can increase interest in public health amongst young people. We also offered our experience about the different challenges we faced and what we learnt from managing the project. We were very grateful to the University which presented us Certificates of Outstanding Achievement recognising our contribution to public health during the pandemic. We also took questions from various researchers such as Professor Tony Blakely and Professor Nancy Baxter, discussing issues like the reporting and accessibility of public health data. Following this, we toured the campus meeting with and talking to numerous different researchers, and learning about the different health issues they are working on. We are very grateful to Dr Andrew Lau (Lecturer in Epidemiology) and Dr Anurika De Silva (Senior Research Fellow Biostatistics) who facilitated our visit and introduced us to the different researchers who we were able to meet. We are very grateful to the University for offering us this opportunity to visit, providing us an insightful and valuable experience in which we learnt a lot about public health issues. Jack Graffeo and Wesley MuYear 12 StudentsIN THE NEWSSome news articles detailing their work:https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/meet-the-melbourne-kids-helping-australia-track-the-virus-20210924-p58ul0.htmlhttps://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-24/covid-base-website-makers-reveal-identify-as-three-teenage-boys/100489474https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/24/absolutely-madness-melbourne-teenagers-reveal-they-are-behind-leading-covid-tracking-websitehttps://globalvoices.org/2021/09/27/three-melbourne-teenagers-inspire-public-with-their-covid-19-data-tracking-website/
Volleyball Three Days Schools Cup
On Wednesday 24 - Friday 26 July the annual Three Days Schools Cup for Years 10-12 (Volleyball) was held at Dandenong Stadium. Fifty of our top senior students have been training all year for this special event. Our school was very successful, and four of our five teams received medals. Well done to the Open Honours Girls who received a Bronze Medal, the Year 10 Honours - both boys and girls who received a Silver (all Year 9 athletes), the Year 11 Honours Girls received Bronze and a great effort from the Year 11 Honours Boys who came 7th. Thanks to all the wonderful teachers and coaches who put in a lot of time and effort for our athletes: Mrs Shmerling, Mr Adlington, Mr Woolhouse for driving; and our dedicated McKinnon Volley coaches - Zoe and Tayla Fischer, Minja Zlatic, Ariel Greenberg and Stephanie Baker. A huge thanks to the parents who could make it to cheer the athletes on! Sandy HopeVolleyball Co-ordinator
Premier's VCE Awards
McKinnon Secondary College students win top honours Congratulations to Emily Chang (2023 Graduate), Wei Xuen Wong (Dux 2023) and Jack Graffeo (Year 12) who have been recognised with a Premier’s VCE Award for their outstanding academic results in 2023. Emily Chang received a Premier’s VCE Award for being a Top All-Round VCE High Achiever, which is given to students who achieved outstanding results in at least five of their subjects. Wei Xuen Wong received an award for Top Three International Student and Jack Graffeo received a Study Award for Australian Politics. The annual Premier’s VCE Awards recognise the top-performing students in the state. This year, 310 students were recognised at the prestigious award ceremony, including three international students and six students who completed the VCE Vocational Major program with distinction, and 23 Top All-Round VCE High Achievers who achieved study scores of 46 or higher out of 50 in at least five VCE subjects. Principal Michael Kan attended the Premier’s VCE Awards along with Kellie Felmingham (Assistant Principal) and Anna Zhang (International Student Coordinator). The entire McKinnon Secondary College community would like to congratulate the students on being the recipients of such a prestigious award. Emily Chang is currently studying Medicine at Monash University. Wei Xuen Wong is currently studying Applied Data Science at Monash University. Jack Graffeo is currently studying Year 12 at McKinnon Secondary College We wish them every success. To view the full Honour Roll and to read more about the Premier’s VCE Awards, visit: https://www.vic.gov.au/premiers-vce-awards
East Campus Mural Documentary
I am excited to announce that the documentary capturing the development, construction, and installation of Anthony Breslin’s mural is complete! The mural titled A Frolic in the Mind’s Garden, is now a well-loved landmark at our East Campus and this documentary will further memorialise this immense achievement by our staff and students! Thank you to Marianne Latham from Latham Films for the creation of this mini-doco covering the mural's progress from start to completion. In late 2023, McKinnon Secondary College commissioned Anthony Breslin to design an inspiring collaborative mural for a large wall facing their sports area and playground. The concept was to be grounded in the school's philosophy of 'Wisdom and Service' and the aim was to bring the students together, under Anthony's mentorship, to create a visually stunning, large-scale work that would encapsulate their experience at the school and enhance the school's environment. From this brief 'A Frolic in the Mind's Garden' was born - a gloriously colourful mural of Anthony's iconic bugs, hearts, flowers, and trees, all coming together in joyous unity. These were created as cut-outs to be worked on by teams of the student body, who applied their individual patterns and designs. The massive final project comprised over 120 separate pieces of long-wearing construction materials, cut via laser and plotted out over the wall's expanse via CAD system, with the expert help of Melbourne's Lignum Furniture's team. This massive project ultimately had a student body of over 400 students, teachers, and Anthony's creative team, scheduled to work on the mural's different stages and ultimately arrive at completion and installation. The mural was launched in May 2024 to a large crowd of students, school staff, and art lovers and will uplift visitors to the school and local area for years to come. You can read more about the mural here. Peter EglezosLearning Area Manager - Visual Arts
Class of 2023 VCE Results
I am pleased to present you the Class of 2023 VCE results. These results reflect the cumulative contributions of our incredible staff and the hard work of our students. Once again I am particularly proud as these outstanding results make us the top non-selective Government school in the state. Thank you for your commitment and dedication to our students. https://mckinnon.sc/2023VCEResults Kind Regards, Michael KanPrincipal
Junior Ensembles Concert
Congratulations to all our young musicians on their outstanding performances at the Junior Concert held on Wednesday night. Your dedication and hard work shone through in every note. From the Year 7 Concert Band's polished renditions to the String Ensemble's melodies, each group demonstrated remarkable skill. The Junior Choir's harmonies and the Intermediate Stage Band's confident solos were truly impressive. Special commendations to Mr West, Ms Waugh, Mr Lee, Ms West, and Mr Byrne for their expert guidance. Thanks to Ms Humphrey for her engaging compèring, and to Ms Bugeja, Mr Serebrianik and the MAV team for overseeing the event. Well done to the entire music department for their passion in nurturing the talents of our young musicians. Lachlan NobleActing Principal
Alumni Art
It was a pleasure to host a morning tea for two of our Alumni - Jan Palethorpe - class of 1973 and Marian Crawford Class of 1972. Both Jan and Marian are successful artists and Marian is now a lecturer at Monash Fine Art. The school recently acquired some of their art to display at the East Campus. It is wonderful to have our alumni artist’s work on display at the East Campus, infusing it with culture and connecting the campus to our proud history.
East Campus Concert
East Campus was the stage for a remarkable concert, where over 270 talented performers showcased their musical prowess. The String ensembles, Concert bands, The Choir, Percussion ensembles, World Music Ensemble, and the Junior Stage Band captivated the audience with their dedication and hard work, delivering a diverse repertoire of exceptional performances. The success of this event was a testament to the unwavering support of the school community. The audio-visual crew and maintenance team worked tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring a seamless production and creating an unforgettable experience. Their invaluable contributions were the backbone of this musical extravaganza. This concert was a celebration of the power of music to unite and inspire. Congratulations to all the wonderful students and music staff for this remarkable achievement, a true testament to the transformative power of music.
Year 9 Languages Expo
On Wednesday 5 June, the Year 9 language classes presented a project they’d been working on for weeks: an Expo. This expo ran throughout lunch, with stalls of the students spread around the 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4 area, inside and outside the classrooms. We made expos on a certain topic related to the language we were learning. Since I am doing French I did one about the History of Luxembourg with my partner Madison. We all set up our stalls and got ready to teach visiting students and teachers about our topics, with brochures, posters and quizzes. As soon as the bell rang for the beginning of lunch, students from both year levels instantly flooded the area, eager to look at what the language students had to offer. The entirety of lunch, there were people all around our expos looking at our displays and winning food prizes for themselves, all the while educating themselves on various French, German and Spanish related topics which ranged from foods to architecture, and from famous sports players to fashion. When students and teachers visited my stall, Madison and I greeted them in French and told them facts about the history of Luxembourg, and if they answered a question we asked correctly, they won a chocolate! The atmosphere was buzzing and everyone was enjoying themselves whether it was the stall owners or students or teachers. It was such an amazing experience which we were looking forward to from the start, so if you came this year, I hope you had fun and if you didn’t I hope you can either make or visit a stall next year! Merci beaucoup! AlisaYear 9 Student Last week, The Year 9 language classes hosted the Language Expo. Students were required to explore an aspect of a French, German or Spanish speaking country and make a stall showcasing this aspect of culture. These stalls ranged from The Eiffel Tower, Real Madrid, Spanish Food, Luxembourg, crepes and even Kylian Mbappe. The stalls were then opened to the school where over 300 students turned up to see our displays of culture. It was hectic, chaotic and a lot of fun to learn and present. After the vote the Swiss Squad, Das Auto, Coco Chanel and French desserts won. Thank you to the Year 9 language teachers for making this possible. JackYear 9 FrenchOn Wednesday 5 June, all the language classes participated in the Language Expo. For this, every student got into groups to research an aspect of the culture of their country. Many people researched and presented about certain foods, but others also talked about the sports, royalty or fashion of their culture. It was very interesting to walk around and learn from other friends. Many groups had a very interesting display, by bringing in food or creating interactive activities. One group even made a puppet show! My stall was about Food in Paris which I completed with my friend Amber. Did you know that Parisian people love to eat snails? On average, one French person eats around 500 snails a year! Congratulations to the top four stalls voted by the staff and the students: Coco Chanel, Das Auto, Swiss Squad and French Desserts. As part of the Expo, there was also a quiz conducted, which contained questions about all the different stalls. Congratulations to Clementine and Ariel who were tied winners for the quiz. Overall, the Expo was a great success this year and a lot of fun to be a part of! ChinthyaYear 9 FrenchBilingual Article Notre groupe a étudié l'équipe de France. Surnommés les Bleus, ils sont entraînés par Didier Deschamps. Sous sa direction, l'équipe a connu de grands succès, comme la finale coupe du monde 2022 et 2018. Les Bleus sont réputés pour leur talent exceptionnel ; des joueurs comme Mbappé et Kanté en sont de bons exemples. Cette équipe talentueuse reflète l'excellence du football français. Notre groupe a beaucoup aimé ce projet. Nous pensons que l'équipe de France est un modèle d'excellence sportive. This term, our group studied the French national team. Known as Les Bleus, they are coached by Didier Deschamps. Under his leadership, the team has achieved great successes, like reaching the FIFA World Cup 2022 and 2018 final. Les Bleus are renowned for their exceptional talent; players like Mbappé and Kanté are good examples. This talented team reflects the excellence of French football. Our group really enjoyed this project. We think the French national team is a model of sports excellence. Amirali, Morgan and OscarYear 9 French
National Reconciliation Week
Last week we recognised and celebrated National Reconciliation week which is recognised on 27 May - 3 June each year. This is an important time to reflect on our indigenous heritage. The theme for Reconciliation Week this year was “Now, more than ever” reminding us that no matter what, the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will and must continue. It is a time all Australians can learn about our first nations peoples' histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.Wear It Yellow DayAs a part of our commitment to building understanding and respect for First Nations peoples, the McKinnon community came together during Reconciliation Week to participate in the Wear It Yellow/Red/Black Day campaign. This event, where students and staff wore a splash of red, yellow or black and brought a gold coin donation for the not-for-profit organisation Children’s Ground, raised awareness and much-needed funds for Indigenous communities. The event was supported by our student led Interact Club, who held a festive and very successful BBQ fundraiser at lunchtime on both campuses. At the end of the week, I was very pleased to be able to announce that these joint efforts meant we raised over $3000 for Children’s Ground. Through Children’s Ground, our money will contribute to creating long-term change for at-risk Indigenous children, their families and communities. Thank you to Ms Emily Condell, the Global Youth Forum, our Student Councils and the entire McKinnon community for supporting this important cause. Michael KanPrincipal
German Exchange
Our German Exchange group returned from our stay at our sister-school in central Germany at the end of April. Friendships were established that promise to last a long time, and at the farewell party before the end of our stay it was wonderful to talk with many happy German families whose children were the partners of our McKinnon students. Our students expanded their German vocabulary and experienced family life in Germany and were warmly integrated into family and community activities. Our student Isabella Petroulis, Year 10 said of her German exchange partner: "We got along straight away and it was so crazy to see her in person after only seeing each other online for months." Lucy Green, Year 10 reported before our return to Australia that she believes "our experience in Germany will last a lifetime". Our students made presentations in classes at our sister-school, booked by several teachers, so that the local students could learn (including via hands-on activities) about aspects of Australian life and culture directly from our students. The PE teachers at our sister-school were impressed with the way our students ran the introductory sessions on AFL football! We have a good foundation for the return visit to McKinnon SC by those German exchange partners in September 2024. During a three-day trip to Berlin organised by our teacher counterparts at the sister-school, our students learned more about German history from a visit to a museum about life in the former GDR, and they visited the Bundestag and saw the large chamber where internationally significant matters are decided in the German federal parliament. Our students also had the opportunity to chat with and ask questions of a federal parliamentarian who did a superb job of explaining political matters and challenges at a level suitable for our students. Our students took part in an evening of local folk-dancing practice! We experienced evidence of the long-term friendship results that our exchange program has engendered when a German woman who participated in our exchange program 20 years ago (when she was a student at our sister-school) contacted us while we were there. She told us of her ongoing friendship with her former McKinnon SC exchange partner, and of other former exchange partners who still have reunion visits in Germany or in Australia. You can read introductory information about the German Exchange at this link. David NuttingGerman Teacher
