The Net

School of Entrepreneurs

From the SOE Head of School

Greetings to the School of Entrepreneurs community,

 

I hope this correspondence finds everyone well. The term has been a busy one with many events occurring and a real focus being placed on subject selections for Year 10 into Year 11, Year 9 with managing their time during Facilitation Fridays and HSC resilience for Year 11 and 12 with the Trial HSC examinations coming up.

 

Year 10 Subject Selection Journey 

Choosing subjects for Year 11, 2025 is a pivotal moment in a student’s academic journey, laying the foundation for future educational and career opportunities. The transition from Year 10 to Year 11 marks a significant shift, where students are expected to take on more responsibility and make decisions that will impact their post-school pathways. Understanding the importance of these subject selections is crucial for students, parents and educators alike.

Year 11 subjects form the basis of Year 12 HSC courses, which are critical for university and other tertiary education applications and future career prospects. Selecting the right subjects can open doors to desired university courses and vocational training programs or otherwise. Conversely, poor choices can limit options, making it harder to pursue certain career paths or further education opportunities.

Students should consider their interests and strengths when selecting subjects. Passion for a subject often translates to better performance and greater enjoyment of the learning process. Conversely, choosing subjects that align with natural abilities can lead to higher achievement levels, boosting confidence and academic success.

It is crucial for students to not only choose the right subjects, but also to select the appropriate level of difficulty. Some HSC courses offer opportunities at different levels of complexity, such as standard and advanced courses. Students are encouraged to reflect on their capabilities and readiness to take on more challenging coursework. Choosing subjects at the right level ensures that students are neither overwhelmed nor under-challenged, promoting a balanced and effective learning experience which may translate into a more desired ATAR at the end of Year 12, HSC course completion or early entry for university.

To aid in the decision making process, St Luke’s have two compulsory upcoming events for Year 10 students and their parents. These sessions are designed to provide comprehensive information about the subjects available, their relevance to future studies and career and the expectations for Year 11 and the HSC. Attendance at these events is mandatory because they offer critical insights and guidance that can significantly impact students' subject choices. 

The upcoming events are:

  • Year 10 Subject Selection Information Evening - Week 8 Wednesday 19th June 4-6pm; 4-5.15pm subject showcase and 5.15-6pm presentation
  • Year 10 Pitch Presentations to a Senior Leader - dates have been allocated to each student either for Monday 24th June or Tuesday 25th June in the College Hub between 3.30-4.30pm and 5-6pm. Please secure your time with the allocated senior leader and date for your Pitch using the details emailed for the booking system. 

Study Centre 

Students and parents are reminded about the Year 7-12 Study Centre opportunity which will be run every Tuesday from 2.45-3.45pm in the College Hub. This is an informal opportunity for students to ask supervising teachers for assistance with homework, assessments and so on in a casual setting. Students must be collected promptly at the end of the session or make their own arrangements for transportation. Please encourage your son or daughter to engage in this worthwhile activity. 

 

 

 

Trial HSC Examinations 

Students studying an HSC course have been issued the Examination timetable for the Trial HSC examinations taking place from Term 3 Week 3 Monday 5th August until Week 5 Monday 19th August inclusive. Please encourage your son/daughter to undertake proactive preparation for these examinations to reinforce what they are hearing from their class teachers and SOE leaders. Year 12 students will only be expected to attend school during this period if they have a scheduled exam, outside of these times they are expected to be at home studying for their subsequent exam. For students in Year 10 or 11 studying an HSC course, they are expected to be in their regular classes with the exception of when an HSC exam is conducted in which they are studying the HSC course for. More details will be emailed to students regarding additional arrangements. All students in Year 12 will return to class on Tuesday 20th August 2024 8.30am. 

We look forward to strengthening our partnership with students and parents as we embark on the second half of the term.

 

Ms Jacqui Genovese - Head of School, School of Entrepreneurs 

 

 

A Message from the SOE Assistant Principal

 

Greetings from SOE, 

 

I would like to share with our SOE community two projects that we have been working on in the wellbeing space this term. Our SchoolTV resource and a good news story about the Year 11 Mental Health First Aid course which students completed in the early parts of term 2.

 

School TV

 

Recently, St Luke’s has engaged the services of ‘SchoolTV’ an online resource that supports our Wellbeing programs across the entire school. 

 

I would like to share a sample experience for families to see some of the support that we are employing at school and some of the research based strategies that we think would be helpful in our partnership with your children.

 

The first resource I would like to share is called ‘Positive Parenting’ which explores the ways of warmth and sensitivity in relationships with children.

 

Teen Mental Health First Aid

 

This term gave Year 11 the opportunity to engage with some specialist counsellors to complete a ‘Teen Mental Health First Aid’ course. This course was designed to provide students with skills to be able to identify challenging situations that they might experience personally or observe in their peers. 

 

‘It was in simple terms, and specific to our age bracket’ 

 

Students were able to discuss some of the issues that they experience and also practise having courageous conversations with their peers to improve their ability to support their friends during difficult times. 

 

‘It gave me clarity on how to help my friends when they go through mental health concerns’ 

 

We noticed that communication between Year 11 students opened up with increased confidence in talking about mental health concerns. Additionally, we noticed that students who started to recognise some of their own experiences, were able to access support from peers and our counselling team. 

 

We are very proud of how mature our Year 11 students have become and encourage all families to discuss this with their children moving forward. 

 

‘I feel more in control of how to look after myself in the future’

 

As we enter into the tail end of the semester, with assessments and holidays looming, I hope that each of our students feels the confidence to touch base with their friends, show care and respect for each other and reach out if they are in need. 

 

Many thanks

 

Mr Francis O’Callaghan - Assistant Principal, School of Entrepreneurs 

 

 

AROUND THE SOE GROUNDS 

 

Year 9 Science 

Year 9 is learning all about our dynamic Earth in their Plate Tectonics unit. To round out the end of the week, they created model volcanoes and watched the “lava” flow! 

 

Year 11 Biology

Something fishy was going on in the Science Labs this week! Year 11 Biology completed a dissection of fish- sand whiting and a large mullet, to investigate the body systems: circulatory, respiratory, reproductive and digestive as part of Module 2: Organisation of Living Things. They isolated the fish heart, intestine, eyes, swim bladder and gills!

 

HSIE

Year 9 Law, Business and Monday

On Tuesday 21 May Year 9 Law, Business and Money were delighted to have a guest speaker from Talk Money visit our school for the first of two workshops titled ‘Making Money Work’. This module explores ways to make money to help build financial independence and how to navigate the workplace including understanding their rights at work as well as managing superannuation and tax.

 

From our first workshop, students shared some key takeaways which included;

  • There is no ‘right job’ only the RIGHT job for YOU! 
  • The importance of understanding your goals when thinking about your career
  • The different types of work opportunities that exist
  • Knowing your rights in the workplace - especially as a casual worker whilst still at school
  • Learning how to undertake negotiations in a respectful manner

 

 

Technologies

 

VET Hospitality

 

Our class of students invited teachers to a special service period where we will be serving up homemade mini strawberry pancakes and fruit bowls paired with refreshing non-alcoholic beverages such as cappuccinos and hot chocolates. This hands-on learning experience allowed us as students to showcase our cooking and hospitality skills to the amazing teachers in our community. This was definitely a learning experience for all of us as we learned more about serving customers and how we can use these skills in a workplace environment. 

 

Written by Esha Menon Year 10 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Design

 

Year 10 students are currently working through their ‘Next Level Self’ unit which allows them to explore the possible subject combinations for Stage 6. There have been multiple opportunities to investigate the potential pathways to a variety of post school options including: attending the Western Sydney Careers Market, accessing the Pedagogy Coaches to ask specific questions for KLA’s and the courses offered within each subject area and 1:1 check in’s with Life Design teachers to ensure each student is considering a range of subjects that align with their SIM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VET Information Session

 

All of Year 10 were given information about VET courses run here at St Luke’s, through Cluster Classes provided from CSPD, possible EVET courses and other training providers. Students can access all the information regarding Stage 6 subjects to discuss with parents through the Next Level Self website.