Year 7 Transition
Welcoming the New Year 7 Cohort: Transitioning into Secondary School
As we welcomed a new cohort of Year 7 students to our college, a plethora of emotions filled the air. Excitement brimmed as they embarked on their journey into secondary school, eagerly anticipating new classes and the opportunity to forge lasting friendships. Yet, alongside this excitement, lingered feelings of anxiety and nervousness, natural reactions to the unknown terrain they were about to traverse.
To ensure a smooth transition into their new environment, we implemented a comprehensive Transition Program, designed by the Transition Leader, Year 7 Community Leader and Year 7 Wellbeing Team. A lot of thought and planning were dedicated to crafting a program that would not only welcome the students but also assist them in settling comfortably into their new academic setting.
As part of this program, we introduced a Laptop Induction for the first time, held prior to the commencement of classes. Students gathered homeroom by homeroom to collect their laptops, logging in and setting up their devices with the necessary programs. Additionally, they received guidance on laptop care, responsibility, and appropriate educational use, laying a foundation for their digital journey throughout the school year.
The first day of school was spent in homerooms with mentor teachers, where students organised their lockers, engaged in get-to-know-you activities, and familiarised themselves with their timetables. They were also introduced to SEQTA Learn, our learning platform, and guided through setting up their dashboards and organising Google folders to facilitate seamless learning.
Throughout the first week, one period each day was dedicated to familiarising students with the school environment, facilitating friendships, and fostering a sense of comfort. They learned about school services, counselling resources, and available clubs. They were also introduced to buddy groups comprising Year 7 and 8 students. The week culminated in the exhilarating Amazing Marian Race, where Year 7 students, accompanied by their buddies, raced around the school completing tasks and delving into the rich history of Marian.
To further extend a warm welcome, we hosted a Family Meet and Greet, a community event designed to bring together Year 7 families. Amidst a backdrop of laughter and conversation, families mingled and connected with one another. Refreshments were served and families spent time in homerooms, getting acquainted with their daughter’s mentor teacher, thus laying the groundwork for a supportive and collaborative school-home partnership.
As we embark on this journey together, we are committed to ensuring a seamless transition for our Year 7 students, laying a strong foundation for their academic and personal growth in the years to come. Together, as a community, we embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, fostering a culture of learning, support, and belonging at Marian College.
Transition and Community Leader
Shelley Smith
Year 7 Community Leader
Mandy Borg
Student reflections on their transition to Marian
Orientation Day
On the day I was very excited to learn about Marian College and what it would be like to come here. I was nervous and excited at the same time when I sat in the auditorium with everyone. When I found my homeroom I was happy because I had some of my friends from primary school. We did different activities that were fun in the homeroom. We went on a school tour and this was great as I found out where everything was and I knew I would get lost. I'm not the most social person so having different get to know you activities was good as it helped me talk to different students.Orientation was very useful especially coming into somewhere I have never been before.
Soleil Egan - 7 Brigid
Laptop Induction
Bitter Sweet, I was nervous and excited about coming to Marian. I didn’t get much sleep the night before because I was overthinking about what would take place. Once I entered the school grounds my anxiety relieved as things started to be familiar as I had participated in the Orientation Day. We got our laptops and I felt a bit clumsy as I did not know the system here but Mr Murphy showed us how to login and set everything up and this helped me feel more comfortable. Now I am feeling more at ease at Marian as I know how to use SEQTA, I’m not getting lost anymore and know my way around. I have a good group of friends, 10 people including me and this is because of all the activities we did in the Transition Week.
Mikayla Ismail - 7 Delany
First Day
On our first day of Year 7 we had homeroom all day just to adjust. We played fun icebreaker games to get to know our teacher and fellow classmates we didn't already know. It was a subtle and gentle way to start our first day. We got our time table and found out all the classes we were going to have, we colour coded them and this was exciting. We learnt about SEQTA and how to set up useful apps for our learning. We set up our dashboard to put in our homework and find out what things we need to do. We went to our first school assembly and we walked from homeroom by homeroom and everyone cheered for us and this was exciting. We also found out what the musical was going to be and it is going to be Matilda, which I like and knew I was going to audition for.
Maya Nelson - 7 Brigid
Marian Amazing Race
On Monday the 5th of February the Year 7’s and 8’s paired up in buddy groups and participated
in the Marian College Amazing Race. We walked around looking for answers that went with our clues to reach our final destination. This challenge was done to make new friendships and to learn more about the school. I believe that worked as I gained knowledge about the campus and made new friendships with my peers due to the amazing race.
Milla Thomson - 7 Tullow
Making Friends at Marian
Making new friends is the best way to start the school year! Marian College has helped me bond with new people. Coming from a primary school alone it was difficult to make friendships that I would actually enjoy. The College has a smart way of trying to encourage us to talk to peers instead of forcing us to talk. They decided to be creative and created icebreaker activities to get to know each other. I have already made a few good friends because of my homeroom and these activities thanks to the teachers.
Jasmyn Rakusz - 7 Tullow
Meet and Greet at Marian
I was excited about my family coming to Marian to get to know the school and meet my teachers. There was food and drinks and lots of people. I found my friends and introduced my Mum and Dad to them. They spoke to one of my friends' parents and it was nice.They met my mentor and were told different things about Marian. My parents enjoyed the night and so did I. I liked the Amazing Race because I got to know some girls that were not in my homeroom and we had fun doing that and exploring Marian. I made some friends through the activities we had in the first week of school. I feel settled and welcome at Marian.
Cecilia Koesasi - 7 Nagle