DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - TEACHING & LEARNING REPORT 

Vision for Teaching and Learning at St Mary MacKillop College - a statement that drives the development of a high performance learning culture at SMMC

At St Mary MacKillop College we have high expectations of our students as we equip them with the knowledge, skills and dispositions for lifelong learning. We pursue excellence through a teaching and learning environment that is inclusive, engaging and encourages growth. We value collaboration, innovation and building strong relationships.

Peer Tutoring Program

At our assembly on Friday 3rd November, Mrs Alderuccio, our Learning Resources Centre Leader, promoted the Peer Tutoring Program which is running in the LRC every Monday and Tuesday afternoon for students in Years 7 and 8. The Peer Tutoring Program is being run by Year 10 volunteers and provides an opportunity for our junior students to complete homework, and prepare for end of year tests.

There are many articles available online that talk about the importance of homework. One research article from Science Daily says that ‘students who do more homework than their peers show positive changes in conscientiousness’. The full article can be accessed here.

The following are four steps to homework success:

1. Complete the homework set by the teacher.
2. Revise the work covered in class that day.
3. Start work on assessment tasks as soon as they are received, and work on the task a little each day. Make sure the task is completed by the due date.
4. Read ahead in the textbook. You might be able to start reading the next topic or do some independent reading related to the topic or unit being studied.

Year 11 Exams

As our students undertaking Units 3 and 4 subjects complete their final VCE exams, Year 11 students are finishing their current learning in preparation for their exam period. Subject teachers will provide students with different techniques and strategies to prepare effectively for the upcoming exams, but if you are interested in some more ideas to engage your child as they prepare for their exams, you may find the strategies outlined in this website here useful. A reminder that students need to wear the correct school uniform to each exam.

The following is some advice for what to do before the exam and at the start of the exam, as well as how to interpret questions during the exam.

Before the exam:

• Make sure you get plenty of rest and sleep the night before your exam.
• Ensure you eat something healthy before the exam. Depending on the time of the day your exam is held, this might be a healthy breakfast or lunch.
• Bring the required materials (e.g. pens, pencils, erasers). As you prepare for the exams with your teachers, they will inform you of the stationery you need to bring.

Reading time:

• Use the reading time productively and read the whole paper at least once. Make sure you know which is the last page of the exam booklet.
• Note in your mind (as you cannot write during reading time) the questions you feel most comfortable with and respond to these first when writing time commences.

Writing time:

• Read the question at least twice to ensure you have interpreted it correctly.
• There will be marks allocated for each question. Take note of the allocation of marks for each question as this usually indicates how many pieces of information you are required to provide.
• Ensure you answer all questions – never leave a question unanswered. This applies to questions that require an extended written response as well as multiple-choice questions.
• Decode the question and look at the cognitive verb used (e.g. analyse, compare, evaluate). This will help inform the way you approach answering the question and the information you provide.

Above all, be confident and approach each exam as an opportunity to showcase all your knowledge from this semester.

Exam Preparation – Study Skills Video Presentation

To assist students in preparing for their exams, I have put together a short study skills video here. I hope this is a useful resource for our students.

We wish our Year 11 students all the best as they prepare for their upcoming exams.

End of Year Arrangements for Year 11s

Year 11s will not be required at school on Monday 20th and 27th of November.

Academic Recognition Program

Recently teachers nominated students from their Year 7 and 8 classes for academic and endeavour recognition. The following students were nominated:

Year 7 Academic Recognition

Science: Ella Whateley, Lana Brooks, James Xi

Maths: Paige Russell, Jake O'Brien, Noah Pearson, Alexis McKnight

EAL: Laura Dinh

Health: Charlie Blake

Italian: Ella Whateley, Rory Davies, Callum Muir

Year 7 Endeavour Recognition

Science: Isla Graham, Arna Carroll, Paige Russell

Maths: Chloe Mazzarella, Chloe Nalder, Zoe Brooks, Knox Toomey

EAL: Laura Dinh

Health: Ella Whateley

Italian: Stella Elston, Miela Roberts, Zara Pollard

Year 8 Academic Recognition

English: Ryley Fogarty, Emily Pekin

EAL: John Bui

Maths: Billy Kentish, Julian Muir, Ryley Fogarty, Charlie Farrell

Science: Billy Kentish, Emily Pekin

Humanities: Reese Parsons, Reesha Khosa

PE: Lily Scott, Makenna McKenzie

Languages: Tye Saunders

Japanese: Marion Doherty, Charlie Graham

Italian: Lily Scott, Jordan Cimino

Religion: Luciana Senes, Emily Pekin

Food Technology: Reese Parsons, Nioka Nalder

Drama: Reesha Khosa

Year 8 Endeavour RecognitionEnglish: Catherine Morpeth, Tessa Fawcett

EAL: Laura Dinh

Maths: Chloe Meehan, Alahni Evans, Tessa Fawcett, Sabrina Valenzuela

Science: Rebekah McCann, Charlize Capone

Humanities: Macy Bray, John Bui

PE: Charlie Farrell, Tye Saunders

Languages: Jasmine Hooper

Japanese: Reesha Khosa, Marty Crooymans

Italian: Scarlett Benham, Milla McCann

Religion: Joe Lester, Tara Free

Food Technology: Max Caruso, Grace Ayars

Drama: Jasper Roda

Thank you to the Academic Committee for organising this initiative.