VCE Coordinator
Ms. Simone McLaughlin
VCE
2026 Assessment Week, Headstart and Booklist information
Hello Everyone,
It’s hard to believe but we are already at the end of our Year 12 journey for 2026 and very quickly moving towards our end of year assessment and HeadStart programs for the current Yr 10 and 11 students, both of which begin in November.
Following the final days of their school year, our 2026 Year 12’s celebrated with a beautiful Mass and Graduation ceremony on Monday 19th October.
They then went into SWOTVAC (study week) before beginning this week (Tuesday 27th October) with the English exam. The exams will run for the next two weeks across the many subjects we have offered through the year and are held in the Parish Hall. We appreciate everyone’s support and understanding, as we have had to close some access points over near the Church to ensure it is a quiet area at all times.
Families of students who will be completing Year 11 and 12 in 2027 please read on for information regarding the Assessment period, VCE booklists and HeadStart Program.
Assessment Week
Year 11 students (and any Year 10 student currently accelerating in Unit 1&2 General Maths) will complete exams and assessments in Assessment Week, beginning Friday 6th – Friday 13th November.
A letter outlining the schedule and expectations for all students in Year 11 has gone home with the students this week. Please note, as in Semester One, classes for Year 11 VCE students will not run during this time and students will be able to leave following an assessment or remain at home to study if they do not have anything scheduled that day. VM classes will follow their normal timetable most days during that week but again this is outlined in the letter that should have come home this week.
HeadStart:
The HeadStart program allows students to move into their VCE subjects and begin the course content before finishing for the end of the year. It is an expectation that students will attend all timetabled classes, wearing the correct uniform and embrace all that is offered to them in the way of activities, curriculum and complete Holiday Homework.
Students should also use the time to ensure the subjects they have selected are those they want to continue studying next year. If any student wishes to make a change to their program or list of subjects, they are still able to do this until the end of the HeadStart program but must put their request in writing and email myself (the VCE Coordinator) as soon as possible.
Students completing Year 12 programs in 2027 will have two weeks of HeadStart beginning Monday 16th November and all students, VCE and VM, are expected to attend. Any Year 11 students (2027) who are enrolled in Unit 3 courses are also expected to attend these classes over the two week period. The VM HeadStart program will run on Monday, Tuesday and Fridays, reflecting next year’s timetable where students are expected to be at Tafe or Work Placement on Wednesday and Thursday every week next year.
Students completing Year 11 programs in 2027 will have one week of HeadStart beginning Monday 23rd November and again all students are expected to attend. This will follow the completion of their assessment week from Monday 16th November – Friday 23rd November. VM will run as above for Yr 11’s too.
Please note - Students in (current) Yr 10 or Yr 11 who are finishing at St Mary’s this year do not need to attend HeadStart.
The final day of classes for VCE students completing HeadStart will be Friday 27th November, 2026.
Please note: teachers will provide all resources during this period, so there is no rush to finalise booklist purchases before this time!
Booklists:
The booklist will come with a complete list of texts and subjects students will need to purchase before the start of school next year. Students will receive a hard copy of the list to take home, while parents will also receive a second, electronic version via email. Please note, families are free to purchase their stationery items anywhere, the list from Campion can simply be used to guide your purchases. However, it is vital that the textbooks listed are purchased prior to the beginning of Term One, 2027. Some current Year 11 texts may be able to be purchased second hand, while others need to be taken through to Year 12, so please check the list carefully before organising any second hand sales.
A reminder that families are responsible for the payments to Edrolo for their child’s subscription. An accompanying letter from Edrolo, our online resource provider, will also be sent to families. This will outline how to access and pay for your child’s online resources, as required by subjects we are delivering next year. It is important to please note that Edrolo collects the payments from families (not the College) and also sets out the dates by which payments are required.
If you have any questions or concerns about this, please reach out to discuss these with either myself or members of the College leadership team at any time.
Year 11 & 12 students have specific subjects which require an Edrolo subscription, all of which are listed at the end of the booklist. While in Year 12, all VCE subjects, require an individual subscription. No VM subjects require an Edrolo subscription.
Finally, I would like to thank our wonderful VCE teachers and support staff for all of their hard work and support with the Year 11 and 12 students this year. It has been wonderful to accompany our Yr 12’s to the end of their schooling and we are all looking forward to our final event, the Formal Graduation Dinner at Flowerdale Estate on Thursday 19th November!
Ms. Simone McLaughlin
VCE Coordinator