Vision for Teaching and Learning at St Mary MacKillop College - a statement that drives the development of a high performance learning culture at SMMC

At St Mary MacKillop College we have high expectations of our students as we equip them with the knowledge, skills and dispositions for lifelong learning. We pursue excellence through a teaching and learning environment that is inclusive, engaging and encourages growth. We value collaboration, innovation and building strong relationships.

These final days of Semester One, as the temperature continues to drop and we endure more cold and wet mornings, is a reminder of how quickly the year is progressing. Our Semester One examination period has concluded and I hope our students achieve results that reflect their hard work and personal effort. I also hope our students spend some time reflecting on their approach to their exams, and how foregoing some of their favoured activities to spend more time on preparation is certainly worth the investment in their learning. I recently read an article on celebrating successes and it was a great reminder that celebrating success is taking time to reflect on our own personal journey. In the school context, this journey is the progress students continue to make in their learning. The article can be found here.

Semester One Reports

At St Mary MacKillop College we recognise the importance of ongoing feedback to students about their academic progress. In light of this we have the Parent Access Module (PAM) where grades for assessment tasks are published and feedback is provided to inform students of their achievements and areas for improvement. We encourage students and parents to access the portal on a regular basis and to have conversations at home around their child’s academic progress. End of Semester reports have now been completed and are available online via the Parent Access Module (PAM). I encourage parents and guardians to take the time to discuss these with your child.

To review detailed feedback on each assessment task, please refer to the individual subject Learning Area, accessible via PAM. Hardcopies of End of Semester reports will only be printed and posted home over the holidays, if specifically requested.

If any parent is unable to access their child’s report online, or does not receive their specifically requested hardcopy by the beginning of Term 3, please do not hesitate to contact the Front Office.

All Victorian government and Catholic schools now must use the Victorian Curriculum F-10 for determining achievement levels for students in Years 7 to 10. Schools are required to report on the achievement of all students including those with disabilities ‘without exception’. The Victorian Curriculum achievement graphs contain some significant changes, with an explanation of new terms and codes under each graph. If you have any questions or concerns with the reporting of Victorian Curriculum levels for your child, please contact me in Term 3.

Please note: Some students who have a Personal Learning Program (PLP) may have an expected achievement level set which differs from their year level in some subjects. This will be explained in more detail at the parent’s next PSG meeting with Sally Op’t Hoog (Learning Diversity Leader).

Below is an explanation of the grading scale for assessment tasks:

Year 7 to 12

End of Semester Reports: Grading for Assessment Tasks

Assessments at Year 7 – 12 use the following grading criteria:

GRADE	DESCRIPTION
VH (Very High):	All criteria addressed to a very high standard or 85 – 100%
H (High):	Most criteria addressed to a high standard or 70 – 84%
M (Medium):	Criteria addressed to a medium standard or 50 – 69%
L (Low):	Criteria addressed to a low standard or 30 – 49%
VL (Very Low):	Criteria addressed to a low standard or 14 – 29%
NE (Not Eligible):	Student is not eligible for a result due to: Non-submission of work by the due date; lowest standard not met; copying or; plagiarism; or below 14%
LS (Late Submission):	Late but Satisfactory
NA (Not Assessed):	Task Not Assessed
AB (Absence):	Absent for task

End of Semester Result for VCE units:

GRADE	DESCRIPTION
S – Satisfactory	Assessment tasks completed.
N – Not Satisfactory	Insufficient work completed, or work below standard.

Grading Scale for Religious Education:

AWAKENINGS	DESCRIPTION
Extensive Knowledge	All criteria addressed to a very high standard
Thorough Knowledge	Most criteria addressed to a high standard
Sound Knowledge	Criteria addressed to a medium standard
Basic Knowledge	Criteria addressed to a medium to low standard
Elementary Knowledge	Criteria addressed to a low standard
Not Eligible	Student is not eligible for a result due to: Non-submission of work by the due date; lowest standard not met; copying or; plagiarism.

Learning Conversations at Home

As mentioned above, we encourage parents to engage their child in conversations about their End of Semester report and learning progress. The report should be read in conjunction with the feedback for assessment tasks that is available on PAM. Semester Two provides the perfect opportunity for students to ‘begin again’, to reflect on their learning from Semester One, to identify strengths and areas for improvement and to set goals for the term.

What did you learn at school today? What are you enjoying most at school? What challenges are you facing with your learning? These open ended questions will hopefully generate some interesting insights into your child’s experiences at school.

2022 Subject Selection Process

All students from Years 8 to 11 have now completed their initial subject selections for 2022. We have used the online Web Preferences system for several years now and it seems to work very effectively, but if you have any feedback or concerns please contact the Pathways Team. Many thanks to our wonderful Pathways Team, Ms Looney and Ms Brady, for their work supporting our students in their subject selections and for all the administrative tasks involved in the process.

Once the final blocking of subjects to be offered in 2022 is completed late next term, all students in Year 11 and Year 12 will have subject counselling interviews in November. Parents or guardians are strongly encouraged to attend these interviews.

Australian Curriculum Review

The Australian Curriculum is currently undergoing a review, and public consultation is open. If you are interested in having your say on the proposed revisions to the Australian Curriculum, please go to: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/consultation

Student enjoyment of reading

The cold weather provides a great opportunity to stay inside where it is nice and warm, and read a book. As we approach the winter holiday break, I encourage families to discuss their favourite titles, genres and authors. We are committed to improving literacy, and reading and discussing books is one way to improve literacy skills. Students in Year 7 and 8 spend the first 15 minutes of lesson 4 reading a book. I hope students have read some interesting books throughout Semester One. We continue to run our Book Bingo, and further information on this initiative can be found here.

Role modelling is critical here, and discussion about books with family members and friends is enlivening. In the busyness of the school term we often don’t have the time to read. Holidays provide a valuable opportunity for students to enjoy the kind of intellectually and emotionally enriching experiences that books can provide.

The image to the right (click to enlarge) has been taken from the Teacher Magazine website. ‘The most recent Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey measured the attitudes held by 15-year-olds on reading. An Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) Snapshot report has analysed these attitudes, and looked at how they differ between girls and boys, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, and most disadvantaged and least disadvantaged students.’

Happy reading!

Rescheduled General Achievement Test (GAT) Date

We wish to advise students and parents that the GAT has been rescheduled to Thursday 29 July 2021 from 10.00am – 1.15pm.

Year 7 and 8 Elective Changes for Term 3

Please note the new electives for Term 3:

7A & 8A: Art, Music

7B & 8B: Digital Technology, Textiles

7C & 8C: Food Technology, Health

7D & 8D: Wood, Drama

I would like to take the opportunity to thank our amazing staff for their commitment, passion and dedication throughout this semester. Our staff ensure powerful learning is delivered in every class, they are cognisant of the wellbeing needs of our students, and they support each other and everyone in our wider school community.

I wish our community a safe, enjoyable and refreshing holiday break. During these holidays may we all take some time to relax and unwind and count our blessings. Despite the bumps along the road this term, may our spirit not be daunted, but our tenacity and resilience continue to win the day as we enter the second half of the school year, and continue to learn to live our lives in different ways. The one constant through all this ongoing change is the presence of our faith.

It is important, both physically and mentally, to have a break during these holidays. Perhaps explore or rediscover a hobby or leisure activity you had to put on hold during the term. We look forward to welcoming our students back to school after the holiday break, all ready for another exciting term of teaching and learning.

YEAR 8 ART & DESIGN

MR JEREMY WOOD - ARTS DOMAIN LEADER