Year 10, 11 & 12

Assistant Principal's Report

Daily school attendance is important for all students to succeed in education and to ensure they don't fall behind both socially and developmentally. Students who regularly attend school and complete Year 12 or an equivalent qualification have better health and employment outcomes, across their lives. It is important that students develop habits of regular attendance at school.

It’s not okay for students to be away or late to school and it’s important that students are only absent if they are genuinely ill.

Below are some easy-to-follow tips to improve attendance at school:

✔ Commit to sending your children to school every day. 

✔ Make sure children arrive at school and class on time (you can check this on                            Compass).

✔ Inform the school when they are away, sending medical certificates and other evidence 

    of genuine absence. 

✔ Students must catch up on missed class work. 

The College promotion policy states that students must maintain a satisfactory attendance rate of 100% in all subject areas, unless ill. If senior students are absent on the day of a SAC, then they must provide a doctor’s certificate to be able to sit the SAC for a scored assessment.

Teachers have been working with students to reflect on their semester 1 school report and I’m hoping that all students, with the support of their parents/carers are actually instigating this plan to assist with their academic improvement for this semester. 

There are always opportunities for students to get support with their learning at the College.  Every Wednesday, after school, we offer Homework Club for all students. This is where students can get assistance with their class work in all subject areas, please encourage your child to make the most of this opportunity. 

Classroom teacher’s complete Progress Checks on Compass, approximately every 5 weeks, for students studying a Year 11/12 subject who have uncompleted class work and are at risk of not obtaining a satisfactory pass for a particular subject.  Please discuss these checks with your son/daughter and ensure that the necessary work is completed and submitted to the appropriate teacher to ensure a successful outcome.

If there is anything that we can do to support you with your child’s learning, then please don’t hesitate to contact their Tutor Teacher for further assistance. 

Bryan Woollard - Assistant Principal Years 10 - 12

Year Level Leader's Report - Year 10

The work our Year 10's have been doing in setting their future directions has come to a head with our pathways week. Last week the Year 10's met with different universities, TAFE's and employers to find out what they need from their senior schooling to get into the career they are passionate about. Students had a chance to be VCE students for a day with their subject tasters, getting to know the expectations of Year 11 and 12. Students should have by now locked in their subject preferences for VCE and are on track to be our graduating class of 2025. 

Earlier this month a dedicated group of students went on work experience. Students went through an application process and contacted prospective employers. We had students working in places as diverse as farms to lawyer’s offices, childcare centres to consulting groups. Congratulations to all the students for their efforts, the school has received glowing feedback about their work from their employers. 

Finally, we would like to remind parents and carers of the school policy around attendance. We are looking closely at student attendance as part of their promotion to Year 11, so if your child is away, please let the school know as soon as possible. Please encourage your child to contact their teachers to ask for work to make up for anything they may have missed – particularly in this busy time of year with assessment tasks. 

John Lister – Year 10 Year Level Leader 

john.lister@education.vic.gov.au

Year Level Leader's Report - Year 11

Year 11 students have had the opportunity to reflect on their semester 1/unit 1 results through tutor organisation time and the holiday period. Students have returned to school determined and full of motivation to achieve in semester 2, to develop and best prepare themselves for Year 12 studies in 2024. To assist in the increased pressures of Year 12, Wednesday afternoon tutor classes have been combined in the AVID centre to promote collaborative study groups and working with peers to facilitate learning. Students sit within subject groups, assisting one another with their homework and study for upcoming assessments. This new initiative coordinated by Jesse Damjanovski, the Year 11 Co-ordinator, has seen many students utilising their time more efficiently and adapt their ways of learning through these collaborative study groups, demonstrating essential skills in senior high school and tertiary study.

In the coming weeks, students will be undertaking their second Elevate workshop. In term 1, the students undertook the student elevation seminar which is an essential skill in maintain focus and motivation. Students will take part in the Memory Mnemonics Workshop which will cover overcoming reliance upon rote learning, the role of attention in memory and managing distractions and semantic learning techniques for higher level memorisation.

In addition to the Elevate program, in week 7 of term, all Year 11 students will partake in the Fit2Drive Foundation program. Fit2Drive’s flagship program offers Year 11's a unique opportunity to examine the complexities of decision-making and risk assessment as a young road user. Guided by a team of facilitators, students are taken through both large and small group activities, assessing what practical tools and strategies are needed to effectively keep themselves and their mates safe on the roads. At each stage, students are encouraged to discuss and share with each other their thinking about different road safety issues. The expertise of local Victoria Police and Fire Rescue Victoria officers are utilised as students are taken through the non-negotiable facts surrounding road laws and a relevant real-life case study.

Many of our Year 11 art and drama enthusiasts have been working tirelessly in recent weeks in preparation for the upcoming College musical, Legally Blonde. The musical tickets are now on sale, and we send our best wishes to all our Year 11 performers, hoping it is a great success as has been the case in previous years with our College musical.

In recent weeks, there has been an increased expectation on uniform, arriving to school on time and mobile phones. The Year 11 team appreciate the work families have been doing at home, reinforcing the importance of the following in conjunction with the work being undertaken at school. It is important these expectations are still continually met and adhered too to enable students to focus more on their learning opportunities.

If you have any questions or queries, please contact your child’s tutor teacher or myself.

Ashlin Brown – Year 11 Year Level Leader 

ashlin.brown@education.vic.gov.au

Year Level Leader's Report - Year 12

A warm welcome back to the Year 12 students as they embark on their last full term of their Secondary education.

General Achievement Test (GAT)

I wanted to acknowledge the efforts of the Year 12 students in the completion of the GAT on the 15th of June in Term 2. The General Achievement Test is an important part of the process of completing Unit 3/4 or VM as it vital to support students at the end of the year with their examinations and results and it appears on their official transcripts from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority.

Careers Expo 

On the 14th of July the Year 12's ventured into Melbourne to attend the Careers Expo. They spoke to a huge range of potential employers and tertiary education providers and came away with lots of good ideas for their future pathways. It was a very successful day!

VTAC Preferences

Our Transition and Pathways Leader, Pina Siragusano, has been working closely with our Year 12's to prepare them for their applications to tertiary pathways like TAFE and university. All Year 12's need to register with VTAC upon opening on the 31st July. Students must register by the 28th of September with a registration fee of $55.00. Students who submit later than closing date will have to pay additional late fees. Ms Siragusano will support all students with this process and if you have queries on this please contact her through the college contact. 

General 

I wish to remind students of the expectations of attendance in VCE and how crucial it is to be at school each day in uniform and engaging in their learning. Another reminder to ensure that each child is continually reflecting on how they are performing in each subject and what ways they can reach full potential to obtain success in their subjects. Please engage with all your subject teachers by asking questions, reviewing notes at the end of the day, completing homework and preparing for SACs. This is your last term to put in the work to reach your full potential! As always, please be communicating any concerns to your tutor teachers and make the most of your final full term!

Tayla Clayton – Year 12 Leader                                                                  tayla.clayton@education.vic.gov.au