Later Years
Attendance Requirements
Success in Year 10, VCE and VCAL starts with attending each day for learning. To ensure students get full access to the course and ample opportunity to demonstrate evidence of learning, including the teacher authenticating the learning, students are expected to attend 100% of classes, except for approved absences for school events such as sport and excursions, as well as genuine illness, COVID related reasons and bereavement.
Students who do not have an attendance of 90% for a class will be ‘at risk’ of receiving an N (Not Satisfactory) for a VCE/VCAL unit of study.
Written evidence is strongly encouraged to have absences approved for attendance requirements. Documentation to support an approved absence must be submitted to the General Office upon the student’s return to school. This is to ensure extended days off for genuine illness do not count and impact a student’s overall VCE/VCAL attendance percentage. It is important to clarify that, under VCAA guidelines, a note from a parent/guardian may not approve an absence.
Missed VCE SACs (School-assessed Coursework)
Students who are absent on the day of a VCE SAC must produce a medical certificate from a medical practitioner that shows they were unfit for school and must be submitted to the Later Years Administrator Assistant.
If students are absent on the day of a SAC for COVID related reasons, i.e. COVID related symptoms, testing positive or they are a close contact and must isolate, students must provide evidence such as:
· Communication from DHHS indicating the student’s positive result such as a text message, email or formal communication from DHHS.
· Self-report to the Department of Health via the COVID-19 Positive Rapid Antigen Test Self-Reporting Form
· Medical certificate from their GP.
· Parent approved absence for 5-day period, indicating they are a close contact
School Absences for COVID related reasons
If students are absent from school for COVID related reasons and they will not miss a VCE SAC (School-assessed Coursework), i.e. COVID related symptoms, testing positive or they are a close contact and must isolate, students must provide evidence to the General Office such as:
· Communication from DHHS indicating the student’s positive result such as a text message, email or formal communication from DHHS.
· Self-report to the Department of Health via the COVID-19 Positive Rapid Antigen Test Self-Reporting Form
· Medical certificate from their GP.
· Parent approved absence for 5-day period, indicating they are a close contact
· Parent phone call to the general office
This is to ensure extended days off for COVID related reasons do not impact a student’s overall attendance percentage.
Year 11 and 12 Study periods
Year 12 students and some Year 11 students have study periods when:
· the student does not have a scheduled timetabled class
· a VCE Units 3 and 4 (Year 12 subject) teacher is absent. Absent teachers will leave work on Compass or their Class Notebook for students to complete.
Year 11 students must be on-site at the college for the full school day. Year 11 students must attend the Senior Centre for their study period to undertake effective private study.
Year 12 students may undertake Period 1 and Period 4 study periods at home or at the college in the Senior Centre. If Year 12 students are attending Period 1 during their study period, they are required to sign in at the General Office. If students choose to remain at school for their Period 4 study period, they also must sign in at the General Office and sign out if leaving before the end of the day.
Year 12 students who arrive to school for Period 1 and find that their teacher is absent, must remain on-site for their study period and complete effective private study in the Senior Centre. All Year 12 students must be on-site at the college during Periods 2 and 3 and are NOT permitted to leave school grounds. If a student undertakes their Period 1 study period at home, they will arrive to school for Period 2. If a Year 12 student wishes to undertake their Period 4 study period at home, they will leave the college at lunchtime.
In the situation where a Year 12 student has 2 or more consecutive study periods, parents can contact the Later Years Office to authorise their child’s absence from school. The student is required to sign in when arriving later in the day or sign out if leaving before the end of the school day.
Importance of Home Study
Research has confirmed that secondary school students who regularly complete their homework have higher achievement than those who do not. Parents/carers have a crucial role in helping their child manage homework. This does not necessarily mean helping their child do the homework. It is important for parents/carers to set routines and provide encouragement for homework completion.
Later Years students are expected to complete home study to complete class tasks, revise work, prepare for assessments and exams, and extend their learning. The expectation at Years 11 and 12 are:
· Year 11 students – 2 hours per night
· Year 12 students – 3 hours per night
College Swimming Sports
Congratulations to the Later Years students on their efforts at the Swimming Sports held on Tuesday 22 February. Many Later Years students led a sense of fun and community by dressing up in costumes and house colours. Stand-out costumes this year included a team of cheer leaders, The Wiggles, a scuba diver and the Cookie Monster. It was great to see the swimming events full of eager participants all aiming to get a winner’s ribbon and, of course, those important house points!
Mr Black and Mr Stirling
Leaders of Later Years