LANGUAGES
CHANGES OF STAFF IN THE LANGUAGES FACULTY
Welcome to Mr Daniel Casey, who will be teaching our French senior students and also a few junior classes. He is an experienced colleague who joins us from the Peninsula School.
Mr Hubert decided to leave the school at the end of 2015 to move to a school closer to home. I would like to thank Mr Hubert for his contributions to the faculty, especially his involvement and further development of the French Exchange Program.
We also welcome Ms Chloe di Francesco-Mayot, a Graduate teacher, currently replacing Ms Zimmermann, who is on leave for further studies. She will teach junior French students.
Ms Chloe di Francesco-Mayot
Ms Chloe di Francesco-Mayot
I would also like to thank again Ms Stiglitz for her contributions over the many years of services to McKinnon Secondary College. Ms Stiglitz decided to retire at the end of 2015 and we wish her all the best for this next phase in her life.
E-BOOKS IN LANGUAGES
All Year 7, 8 and 9 French students are now using the e-book (course book only) which needs to be purchased from Campion. Your child will not be able to participate in the languages lessons if they do not have the online version of the prescribed textbook.
You will receive an access code for the purchased book. Please make sure you keep this information secure, in case your child´s access gets interrupted.
We are currently also testing German and French online resources in Year 9 German, Year 11 and 12 German and French. Students only have to subscribe to these books and are ready to use them.
VET ENROLMENT
As in the past 3 years, all Year 10 French and German students will be enrolled in the VET certificate II in Applied Language.
This national qualification is part of our Year 10 program and acknowledges the students' language learning. It counts as a Unit 1 and 2 subject and could be completed with Unit 3 and 4 (Certificate III in Applied Language) in Year 11. Students will receive an increment to their ATAR - 10% of their top 4 subjects.
This course should attract students who do not feel confident in completing VCE languages, but would still like to have their languages qualifications acknowledged in their final VCE statement.
If your son/daughter studies another language outside of school, the Victorian School of Languages offers this certificate in several languages.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.
And if you are still wondering why your child should learn another language, please read the following article I came across in EducationHQ AUSTRALIA
Andrea Fowler
Head of Languages
FRENCH EXCHANGE PROGRAM
In October 2015, the Year 10 French Exchange Program was introduced to the Year 9 students of French. Twenty students applied and were accepted into the program for 2016. We are now in the process of matching the students with the applicants from the French school. To do this, the McKinnon teachers and the teachers in the French school read through the students' applications carefully and then discuss possible matching via Skype. This should be finalised in March and then the students can start making contact with their French exchange partners. We will be welcoming the French students to McKinnon at the end of Term Two and it is very important to start forming a connection and common understanding between the students and their families.
Ms Dickson
French Teacher
GERMAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM
The current round of the German Exchange has got underway with the students in Germany taking up contact with their matched McKinnon partners this week. Over the coming months the McKinnon and German partners will get to know each other better online prior to the arrival of the German group in October.
We are about to start organising applications and pairings for a small group of current Year 10 students of German who indicated interest late last year in an exchange with partners at the same German school but with a different exchange timing, which would see them doing the return trip to their German partner at Christmas time (with associated traditions!) and without accompanying McKinnon teachers.
Mr Nutting
German Teacher