Dean of Studies

Looking To The Future

The Education Council of Australia released a report in June, chaired by Professor Peter Shergold, Chancellor of Western Sydney University. The report was titled, “Looking To the Future. A Report Of The Review Of Senior Secondary Pathways Into Work, Further Education and Training.”

Whilst the report is over 168 pages in length, the opening statement in the Executive Summary (p.12) highlights the ongoing challenge for young people in our school.

“School leavers do not just need to be employable. They need to be adaptable, flexible and confident. Education must provide students with the essential attributes they require for lifelong learning in whatever fields of endeavour they may choose. The professional and applied skills they need will change significantly over their lives. The jobs they do will be transformed. Some, driven by entrepreneurial ambition, will want to set up their own businesses. Most will switch careers.”

For students at St Norbert College, academic effort is encouraged towards being, ‘prepared for all good works.’ Our College Values (Adaptability & Commitment) are carried towards all educational and/or career pathways both at school and beyond.

Many of us would be able to recall the subjects and courses at school that we enjoyed more than others, the ones we struggled with, and the ones that didn’t excite us, yet we knew that we had to persevere to the end. These same sentiments apply today. Students will typically perform better in subjects that have an appeal or interest. 

If the aim then is to provide students with, ‘the essential attributes they require for lifelong learning’ then a student’s effort and skills for perseverance through difficult or ‘uninteresting’ courses is fundamental to their work ethic. The ability to achieve in (further) education, in obtaining qualifications, or to gain and maintain a job, requires effort to turn up (and keep turning up), to be ready for work or study, and to see tasks and projects through to the end.

At this time of the year, this is especially true. Many students, particularly in Year Twelve, are close enough to see the finish, but not near enough to ease the workload. Other students may feel that they are past the halfway point, knowing that a change in weather is approaching, yet they know that they still have some distance to get to the end of the school year. The commitment to perform to your personal best at this time of the year, is essential to build a foundation for success, and develop lifelong professional and applied skills for this changing workplace and uncertain future.

Academic Achievement (Semester One)

The College is pleased to recognise the students that demonstrated outstanding effort in Semester One. Recently, these students were presented with their awards  for Academic Distinction and/or Ad Omnia Paratus. The point system was introduced in 2016 to calculate Academic Distinctions in Years 8 – 10, and takes into consideration the stream that a student is studying, and for Year Seven students achieving a majority of ‘A’ grades with no grades less than a ‘B’ (E.g. Minimum of ‘A’ and ‘B’ grades). The Ad Omnia Paratus Award is awarded to students achieving a minimum 85% of ‘Excellent’ in the working attributes for each subject. Congratulations to the following students on their achievement and effort: 

YEAR 12

Academic Distinction

Ellie Barbato; Jade Cooper; Isabella Ficko; Ruvimbo Gotore; Maria Interino; Mariah Marovac; Lilli McAuliffe; Grace White

Ad Omnia Paratus

Ellie Barbato; Jade Cooper; Maria Interino; Mariah Marovac; Lilli McAuliffe; Grace White

YEAR 11

Academic Distinction

Rachel Bruyns; Keisha Desmond; Ethan Glassborrow; Muskanpreet (Muskan) Kaur; Lily McDonald; Tegan Reder; Chloe Reilly; Alice Tkacz 

Ad Omnia Paratus

Rachel Bruyns; Keisha Desmond; Courtney Fitzgerald; Ethan Glassborrow; Muskanpreet (Muskan) Kaur; Lily McDonald; Tegan Reder; Chloe Reilly; Alice Tkacz 

YEAR 10

Academic Distinction

Ashleigh Bell; Siobhan Farquar; Audrey Lee; Ella Janelle Untalan; Robert Watson

YEAR 9

Academic Distinction

Mary Carter; Darcy Eyre; Sharie Fernandez; Sophie Griffiths; Judyth Nawa; Matthew Sanchez; Marcus Secades

Ad Omnia Paratus

Isabella Hulm; Anthony Paradiso

YEAR 8

Academic Distinction

Sarah Abood; Jia Ying Chen; Katie Seroney; Cadence Smythe

YEAR 7

Academic Distinction

Ella Anton; Elijah Dimalanta; Claire Espiritu; Caylee Fitzgerald; Alina Kelly; Sheryl Matchado; Edie McKnight; Ariana Mecham; Zoelene Ontiveros; Kirsten Chloe Perez; Franz Rapirap; Nadine Retallack; Gyanbi Shrestha; Blaise Stancil

Ad Omnia Paratus

Ella Anton; Sheryl Matchado; Ariana Mecham; Gyanbi Shrestha

OLNA Schedule (Year 9 -12)

All students in Year 9 have been provided with an additional opportunity in 2020 to achieve the required standard for literacy and numeracy. The Year 9 OLNA will take place in regular scheduled lessons at the following dates and times: 

For students in Year 10 – 12, OLNA Round 2 will take place on the following dates:

ATAR Revision Seminars - Parent Committee subsidy

On behalf of the St Norbert College Parent Committee, a subsidy is available to any Year Twelve ATAR Pathway student to attend a revision seminar. If you attended a seminar during the break, please pay and then return your receipt to the College and you will receive the $20 subsidy. Please note that the subsidy applies to workshops completed through Revise Online - https://www.reviseonline.com

Mr R Dowling (Dean of Studies)