SCHOOL NEWS

YEAR 12 TRIVIA NIGHT

On Friday 19 June, the annual Year 12 Trivia night was held in the hall. A long awaited and enjoyable night, filled with laughs, games, prizes and of course costumes. With no theme, groups were able to dress up in a costume of their choice all of which was shown off during the fashion parade, with the Principal team costume taking out the win, along with honourable mention for The Minions and Disney Villains. 

As the night progressed, the stage lit up with a dance off where groups battled it out to win points towards their team. Along with other mini games such as general knowledge song/music table questions and a dead or alive version of heads or tails using well known celebrities. 

The main competition featured a range of entertaining categories, including Sport, where teams tackled questions on famous athletes, iconic moments, and sporting history. The crowd favourite was undoubtedly the Brain Rot round, which challenged participants on the latest internet trends, memes, and viral moments. The Entertainment round also proved popular, with questions covering music, movies, television, and pop culture.

The event was a wonderful opportunity for the Year 12 cohort to come together and enjoy time with one another outside the classroom as we approach the end of our final year. 

Congratulations to the winning team, and thank you to everyone who participated, supported, and helped make the night such an enjoyable occasion. In total we had around 276 Year 12s in attendance, meaning that we raised well over $2000 for the State Schools Relief, which is a not for profit organization that provides support and financial aid for government school students who face financial hardship.

We would also like to thank our sponsors, who supported the event by providing a range of different prizes. Thank you Palgong, Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, St James Souvlaki, Pasta Prego, Brighton A+Mart, Main Street Cafe Mordialloc, Dolce Ice Creamery and Godiva Chocolates. 

The night was a resounding success and couldn’t have been done without the tireless support and effort from our teachers along with the Year 12 student council who put the night together; organising sponsors, creating questions and setting up the hall. 

Thank you,

Harley Karro

Year 12 Student 

WISDOM & SERVICE 

In Wisdom & Service this year, one of our main projects was the Community Service Project. We chose something we were passionate about to focus on and figured out a way we could contribute to our community. For my project, I chose to focus on domestic abuse, but more specifically mothers and children who have escaped abusive relationships. I chose to help by focusing on the financial constraints, as mothers often don’t have the means to support themselves and their children without the assistance of a partner. To help with this, I crocheted plushies to donate. Along with my partner Erina, we made 13 plushies that we donated to a shelter. 

Along with the action part of this project, we also did an Expo Night, where we presented our project to our parents and the wider community. Expo Night was very enjoyable, and it was very fulfilling for us to share what we’d done to contribute.

Along with this at the Expo Night, six groups presented their projects to a panel of judges to be considered for the Thistlelonian Award. I was given the opportunity to present, and it was very interesting to see all of the incredible projects people had poured their heart into. It was nerve racking to stand up in front of a crowd and share what we’d done, but everyone spoke with confidence and passion.

Overall, this project taught me a lot about the challenges for those who suffer domestic violence, as well as how anyone can make a difference. I improved my skills in how to present my work, which I know I can use in the future.

Keira Nixon

Year 9 Student

TERTIARY AND PATHWAYS EXPO

Following the success of our inaugural event last year, we were absolutely thrilled to host our second annual Tertiary and Pathways Expo on Thursday 18 June. 

Between 4:30pm and 6:30pm, our school community came alive as over 1,500 students and parents gathered to explore future study and career options. We were incredibly fortunate to host nearly 30 diverse exhibitors on the night. 

Major universities were out in full force, including Monash University - who brought seven representatives from across their faculties - the University of Melbourne (with four dedicated staff members), Deakin, and RMIT. Excellent vocational and specialised pathways were also on display, courtesy of Chisholm, Box Hill, and Holmesglen TAFEs, alongside Tristar offering brilliant advice on commercial pilot licenses, and the Australian Defence Force answering a steady stream of student questions.

The evening was a huge success, providing a valuable opportunity for students and parents to speak directly with industry experts. Families made the most of the night by diving into specific questions regarding degree options, required prerequisite subjects, and future employment prospects. Our school careers staff were also buzzing, running spontaneous mini careers interviews, aiming to inspire students to feel excited about the paths available to them. 

The feedback from both parents and students so far has been really positive. With institutions already promising to bring even more staff next year to cater for our school, we are already looking forward to making next year’s event even bigger and better!

Delmar Zachest

Careers Coordinator

TOMORROW MAN/ TOMORROW WOMAN

This week on Wednesday and Thursday, the Year 10 and 11 students participated in the transformative Tomorrow Man and Tomorrow Woman incursions, which provided an invaluable space for personal growth, deep reflection, and enhanced peer connection. 

Designed to challenge rigid societal expectations, these immersive workshops allowed our students to look beyond traditional gender stereotypes and drop their social masks in a safe, non-judgmental environment. 

The Tomorrow Man sessions empowered young men to build their "emotional muscle" and redefine healthy masculinity by breaking down the restrictive barriers that often prevent them from speaking openly about their struggles. 

Simultaneously, the Tomorrow Woman workshops challenged young women to confidently reclaim their voices, express their boundaries, and support one another in living authentically. 

By fostering heightened emotional literacy, mutual respect, and genuine empathy, these sessions equipped our senior students with essential life tools to better navigate relationships, support their peers' mental wellbeing, and positively shape McKinnon culture.  

Through these targeted modules, our Year 10 students learnt to dismantle social pressures, foster peer accountability, and develop the authentic communication skills needed as they transition into adulthood; while our Year 11 students examined how peer pressure influences their treatment of others, while developing a compassionate inner dialogue and the practical skills needed to cultivate truly respectful relationships.

After delivering over 10,000 workshops across Australia, reaching over 350,000 students, the Tomorrow Man/Woman organisation is closing their operations at the end of June. McKinnon Secondary College students have benefitted enormously from these sessions over the years, and we thank them for adding such value to our wellbeing program.

Kate Jobson and Charlotte Douglas

Assistant Principals

Heads of 11 & 12 and 7 & 10