Clean look for muck-up day

By Bridget Brady
CASEY secondary school principals have praised the behaviour of Year 12 students during their final day of classes.
School finished for hundreds of Year 12 Casey students last week, and the congratulations from school leaders comes as controversy plagued the muck- up day of a private Melbourne boys school.
All Year 12 students from Xavier College in Kew were suspended from the last few days of classes for misbehaviour after a student was taken to hospital when he was injured during muck-up day.
But Casey principals say there have been few muck-up day antics at their schools.
Lyndhurst Secondary College principal Steve Phillips said there was no term labelled muck- up day at the school.
“Calling it muck-up day is part of the issue,” he said.
Mr Phillips said the Year 12 students wore fancy dress for their final day last Thursday and hosted their own lunch and presented a few light-hearted awards to their teachers.
The students also run the school assembly later in the day.
Mr Phillips said giving the students the responsibility of organising and running their final day ensured their behaviour was respectful.
“It was a really good day and the kids were great. We tend to negotiate with the students about what they can and can’t do and they appreciate that … we were very proud of them.”
Hampton Park Secondary College principal David Finnerty said his students were very respectful on their last day.
“It went off exceptionally well, with no disruption to the college whatsoever,” he said.
“We met with them prior to the day and indicated what our expectations were and they measured up.
Casey Grammar School principal Evelyn Sayers also said she was happy with the Year 12s on their final day.
“I can honestly say that we have never had one single day that we’ve not felt proud of the students,” Mrs Sayers said.
She said the students enjoyed a breakfast on their final day, before the whole school formed a guard of honour and clapped the students as they walked out of the school grounds.
“It’s a beautiful occasion and you can see all of the true emotion on their faces.”
Mrs Sayers said the students left the school during the morning of their final day and enjoyed their valedictory dinner that night.
A spokesperson for St Peter’s College in Cranbourne said there was no muck-up day at the school. She said there was a mass for their last official day and a breakfast the next day.