Learning & Teaching

Upcoming Events

Year 9 - The Respect Project 

Wed 2 July

This is a compulsory, and very important, school-based Respectful Relationships program with interactive and practical workshops about the following topics:

1. Sexual Harassment - Your Rights and Responsibilities

2. Managing Conflict, and 

3. Maintaining Healthy Friendships/ Relationships, & Understanding Coercive Control 

Year 12 -  VCE English Exam Revision Program with VCAA Chief Examiners

Thu 3 July, 9:30am - 2:30pm

All students undertaking Year 12 English will attend this free and valuable excursion at Crossways Church, East Burwood. An alternative program will be organised for English Lit and English Language students on this date. 

The Importance of the Year 9 & 10 Elevate Program

Parents - we need your support!

Elevate is a highly relevant and interactive program specially developed for Wantirna College students. The curriculum covers real world content and skills that support your children to navigate the complex digital social and professional world, beyond the safety of school grounds. For example, students on City Experience, prepared for this 5-day activity in their Elevate classes. 

Other important core content includes:

• Understand sexual health, consent and sexual relationships

• Navigating important topics such as drugs, pornography, gender and sexuality

• Studying the Holocaust and experiences of Holocaust survivors

• Crafting powerful stories and listening to the powerful stories of others

• Exploring and understanding the historical and current experiences of indigenous Australians 

• Improving digital skills to sniff-out misinformation, deceptions and to stay informed.

Additionally, in the Elevate program, teachers assess all our students against the Victorian Curriculum standard in personal and social capabilities, digital capabilities, and critical and creative thinking skills. This feedback is given in the reports at the end of the year. Teachers will also give feedback in the term reports on learning behaviours in Elevate. 

Elevate is not an add-on program but core curriculum, mandated by the department of education and students are expected to attend. Please ensure your child attends every Wednesday during Period 4. 

Being at School and in class is Important to Learning

There is strong evidence about the link between student attendance and student achievement at school.

We are currently reviewing our Attendance processes and policies to ensure we maintain high expectations of our students' attendance, and support them to receive continuous and sustained high quality teaching. This is especially important in senior secondary years.

Past research findings from the Smith Family have reinforced what we already know about student attendance and outcomes at school. Here are the Key Messages:

- Australian children from low socio-economic backgrounds are at risk of poor educational outcomes from their first year of school. This risk increases as they move through school, with lower proportions of these young Australians completing Year 12 and moving into employment or further study, post-school, compared to their more advantaged peers. 

- Poor educational outcomes have costly life-long impacts on young people and the wider community, given the relationship between education and employment, health, social connectedness and reliance on income support. 

- Although gaps in educational outcomes are evident early in a child’s life, research shows young people who start school behind can subsequently meet key educational outcomes. 

- Students who start school developmentally on track can also fall behind over time. 

- Analysis of a large nationally unique dataset of disadvantaged students participating on The Smith Family’s Learning for Life scholarship program shows that:

• School attendance and school achievement in English or Maths are closely related. 

• Changes in student attendance and achievement are relatively common as students move through school. 

• Attendance and achievement are early indicators of students who are likely to have poor longer-term outcomes, as they help predict school completion and engagement post-school in work or further study. 

• Targeted and timely support to improve students’ low school attendance and below satisfactory achievement in English and Maths as they move through school is essential.

• Improvements in attendance and achievement are possible and increase the likelihood of students completing school and being in work or study post-school.

At Wantirna College, we monitor student attendance closely, daily and weekly. We keep accurate records of absences and the reasons for absences. The Sub-school Team engage with students that have problematic attendance and work with families to improve attendance. In some circumstances absences are unavoidable and arrangements can be made to ensure students maintain their learning connection and success. 

In the coming weeks, we will be communicating our expectations of student attendance, and the additional strategies that we will implement to support students with attendance issues to ensure they receive the highest quality and consistent learning and teaching program.

Natalie Manser 

Assistant Principal

mar@wantirnacollege.vic.gov.au