Senior School Report  

We have just started Term 3, and have already had some exciting events for Semester Two.

We had our 100 Days of Success with our Year 11 students on Wednesday 19th July, where we celebrated the end of Semester One with acknowledging some of the successes our students achieved. Some of these included academic achievements and 100% attendance. We had the Year 11 VET music class perform for the students and staff and we had guest presenter, an illusionist, Tim Ellis, who captivated all our students’ attention with his magic. We concluded our celebrations with the ‘Cutting of the Cake’ and afternoon tea was provided for all the students and staff.

Year 12 VCE students attended a Tertiary Information Session (TIS) presented by Cathy Armstrong. They were given information on VTAC, how and when to apply for courses, scholarships and special consideration when writing their SEAS applications. Students need to start looking at courses, as they will need to put down eight preferences when filling in their applications.

All Year 12 students will need to register with VCAT (on-line) if they want to be considered for a university or TAFE course. They also need to have a Tax File Number. Students were also given a ‘VCE Exams Navigator 2017’ which is a document published by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). It gives students information about approved materials and equipment needed for exams, VCAA rules and the Examination timetable.

We have started our “ABCN Focus Mentoring Program for Girls”.  Ms Anna Langley and Rosemary Bambery will take 12 Year 11 students to OPTUS on Collins St for their first session on developing their ideas around the qualities of leadership.  They are looking at different female leaders from different fields, such as sports, politics, academia, religion, community, science, arts and literature.  Senior female executives are working with the girls as their mentors, and our students are documenting their progress in learning.  The program has been a huge success the last few years and we are very excited about this year’s program.

Our Term 3 Progress reports are due on the 17th August for our Year 11 students and the 13th September for our Year 12 students. It is vital that parents are accessing their ‘Parent Portal’ through COMPASS and are monitoring, not only the reports, but also their child’s Attendance.

Following the Progress reports, we have our Parent Teacher interviews.  These are on Wednesday 20th September. We encourage all parents to come along and discuss their child’s progress in VCE or VCAL with their teachers on that afternoon.

The Year 12 VCAL students are still working with our community and are thoroughly enjoying their work and the responsibilities they have been given.  They are continuing their work at the Sunshine Hospital.

They were also involved in the Multi-Cultural Evening run by the Wellbeing team at the school. They catered for about 300 people after school hours outside the Performing Arts area. They worked as teams and produced some wonderful food for our school community to enjoy. All proceeds from the money raised go to a charity fund of their choice.

Some students also organised excursions to the Immigration Museum, the Melbourne Zoo and a restaurant. All this work is part of their Personal Development Skills (PDS).

On Tuesday 1st August, there were no formal classes for Year 11 students as they chose their Year 12 subjects. They attended school for an appointment with a course counselor.  Students choose their subjects carefully once they received their booklets as once they start in Year 12, it will almost be impossible to change a subject.

Year 11 VCAL classes have completed their Financial Literacy Certificate I which was supported by the Smith Family during their numeracy classes.

The Smith Family took selected activities from the MoneyMinded resource and developed our Financial Literacy Course consisting of five 2-hour sessions. Completing of all six elements of this course our students gained the qualification of FNS10110 Certificate I in Financial Services.

Students are also involved in  Personal Development Skills (PDS) projects throughout the term where they are also raising money for a charity of their choice.

Students are still involved with the ‘CHASE’ program. Various facilitators come to the classrooms and run workshops with the students.   Students have completed the Education Phase of their Chase program and will begin the next step with the action phase.  A showcase of projects will occur early in Term 4.

Again, we would like to thank parents who contact us when their child is absent for any reason. This is of great assistance to the Year Level Coordinators, as we call home regularly if there are any unexplained absences. The Case Management process continues to monitor closely the attendance, achievement and individual needs of all our students. Please contact us on 9366 2555 if you have any queries or concerns about your child.