DIRECTOR OF LEARNING & TEACHING
Welcome back for the 2026 school year. It has been great to see that students and staff have begun the year well in classes, and we are already starting to see a lot of academic progress being made. This month's newsletter article will focus on some of the key Learning and Teaching activities that have already taken place this term and preview others that are coming up soon.
YEAR 7 INDUCTION PROGRAM
The Year 7 Induction Program ran over the first two days of school for our new Year 7 students. This induction allows our newest students the opportunity to understand what it means to be a St Joseph’s College student and become accustomed to some of the differences that secondary school has to offer. Feedback from the Year 7 students about the induction program was positive:
'I loved how the induction program not only started a smooth transition to Year 7 but helped me get used to having a timetable. It was a really good to get an opportunity connecting with my core group and getting to know the teachers a little better.'
'I liked getting to know how the school works and getting to meet new people from both the students and the staff. I enjoyed having a computer to use as I have never had one before and it was a cool new experience. Learning about the school and the way that it functions has been an educational experience and I am really looking forward to learning more about it over the course of the next 5 to 6 years.'
The culmination of this induction program took place at the Year 7 Parent/Student/ Homeroom Teacher meetings on 26 February. At these meetings, students delivered a three-minute presentation with their parents and Homeroom teachers about what it means to be a St Joseph’s College student. Everyone looked forward to seeing what they had learnt.
NAPLAN
The annual NAPLAN period is fast approaching for our Year 7 and Year 9 students, with sessions to be run at St Joseph’s College between 11 and 13 March. Attached below is information for parents and carers about the intention of the NAPLAN and the processes involved. If you have any further queries about what is expected of students, please contact me for further information.
HOME STUDY
As we start to move further into the school year, the amount of home study that students will complete will start to increase. The college's general guidelines for home study are:
- Years 7 & 8 – 30 to 45 minutes per night (Please note that Year 7 students will not receive any Home Study for the first six weeks of the year.)
- Years 9 & 10 – 45 to 90 minutes per night
- VCE and VCE VM – 1 to 3 hours per night
Home study can take many different forms, including personal reading, completion of set work by a teacher, revision of content covered in class, or the completion of practice tasks.
By introducing students to the concept of home study in their early years, students will be accustomed to the higher expectations on them in the later years of secondary education. Organising home study around other commitments outside of school is also important, and these guidelines aim to allow students to develop this level of personal organisation throughout their secondary education.
YEAR LEVEL SEMESTER PLANS
During 2025, all teaching staff worked together to create a better plan for the teaching and learning that is taking place at the college. One of the results of this planning has been the creation of week-by-week Year Level plans for Years 7, 8 and 9. These plans are provided below and aim to provide students and parents with an outline of what topics they will cover during each semester.
Mr Marcus Parker
Director of Learning and Teaching