Middle Years Update

WELCOME BACK!!

After an entire term spent in remote learning, the Year 8s are finally back! It’s been so wonderful to see everyone’s faces – at least, the parts of them we can see – around the schoolyard and back into classes. It has been fantastic to reconnect with our students and to see the connections blossoming and growing amongst our cohort.

We have been so proud of the way that our Year 8 students have responded and adapted to the

challenges that they’ve faced this year. It has been a year like no other, and we are on the home stretch. Teachers are all prepared to support student learning, and will be making modifications to the Year 8 curriculum to ensure that everyone is able to show growth and be prepared for Year 9.

Year 8 students can also look forward to getting their 2021 subject allocations in the coming weeks.

We understand that students have mixed feelings about being back, and we encourage students and parents to contact classroom teachers if there are any concerns about a student’s learning.

Ben Karwan & Andrea Digby

Year 8 YLLs

What a wonderful day the 26th October was! 

Our Year 9 students were a sight we were so pleased to finally see. We were a little overwhelmed by the height of some of our students as it seemed that some had doubled in stature. Although their faces were covered by their masks, we could hear a pleasant buzz around the locker bays and loved the cheerful greeting and laughter back at Wantirna College. We spent a good 30 minutes in the locker bay area assisting students with forgotten lock combinations but eventually everyone found their way!

It has been a huge week for students, but they have shown great maturity in their transition back into school routine. After speaking with many of our classes we have heard of the tiredness of Monday night but this has been a gradual shift as alarm clocks have been hated but all students seem to be back in the swing of the full school day. We have spoken to students about the importance of their wellbeing and to ensure they look after their self in the next few weeks as this can be a difficult change to get the body and mind back into ‘school life’. 

In Mentor Group students are planning for their mock interviews. In week 7 they will have the opportunity to practice their skills in front of a VCAL panel. In preparation of this, students and practicing their skills in classes each week and drafting ideas. They are also beginning to draft resumes and cover letter to prepare them for part time job applications. 

Jacqui Franks and Jessica Ivankovic 

Year 9 Year Level Leaders

Great to see some active socialising 

Chrystin Gosios 9S

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to miss going to school? To not see your friends for a term? Well, I can say that that’s exactly how I felt, and I am so glad that year 8, 9 and 10 students are finally back to onsite learning. Waking up early on Monday morning for the first time in a while was a bit of the shock to the system but non-the-less I was super excited to be going to school for the first time this semester. 

While being in remote learning, certain things were not needed to be done in the mornings such as waking up early, making my lunch and wearing my school uniform.  This took some getting used to again over the last week. It has been great being able to see and talk to all of my friends again but at the same time, over the last week, I’ve had to grow accustomed to all the noise that being at school has. I am used to the quiet and noise of my family, so it was a bit of a shock the first few days. 

I am looking forward to finishing this term onsite at school and I know many other people are too. We all must change our behaviours, as the virus is still with us, so let’s all maintain our social distancing and stay safe so we can continue with onsite learning.