Dear Marian Catholic College Community,

This term has commenced with Year 7-10 Parent/Student/Teacher meetings in the Marcellin Hall in Week 1. It was fantastic to see the turnout of parents and students who took the opportunity to have a conversation about learning in person with subject teachers. We advise those families who were unable to meet with a teacher, due to the teacher’s unavailability on the night, to contact/email the teachers concerned if you would like further feedback.

Transitions and Pathways: Year 11 Subject Selections for 2025

This Thursday August 1st, Year 10 students and their families attended Yr 11 Subject Selection 2025. For year 10, entering the senior years of secondary school, subject selection for Year 11 and 12 is both exciting and challenging. Up until this point, Year 10 students have had their curriculum and learning directed for them, other than choosing two electives for Stage 5.

Making these big choices for Year 11 and 12 courses is not always easy or straightforward. Curriculum and Learning leaders and teachers have put a lot of information together to assist parents and carers and Year 10 students to make wise choices. Thanks to Mr Seers, Ms Reynolds, Mrs Dickie, Mrs Lole and all the KLA area leaders and teachers for their work and support for both this evening and in planning further events over the next few weeks.

Transitions and Pathways

During the absence of Mrs Munro (Transitions and Pathways Teacher), we provided families and students with contact details for inquiries related to a number of opportunities, events and programs available for students from Year 10-12. To make contact with the school easier, we have created an email that will be monitored by a team who can respond to individual inquiries or direct them to the most appropriate staff member. This email is part of a ticketing system that is currently being tested and information when this system goes live will be provided to students in Years 10 and 11 shortly.

The email will be called MCC Transitions and Pathways (TAPS) and we will let you know as soon as it is available to families for use.

Please also see below for confirmation of the information sent to families earlier this year regarding Marian’s guidelines about SBATS (School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships) and Work Experience and Work placement.

TVET/EVET/SBATS for Year 11 fall within the scope and responsibility of the Leader of VET.
Year 10 SBATS are only recommended or available for students with additional learning needs who are accessing Individual Personalised Pathways or similar exceptional circumstances.
Work Placement oversight falls within the responsibility of the Leader of VET and the Teacher of the senior subject requiring the Work Placement. It is available for senior students only if this is part of their subject requirements.
Work Experience Marian Catholic College does not require Year 10 or senior students to do Mandatory Work Experience
1. The College will endeavour to support Year 10 students who may wish to undertake work experience if this aligns with their proposed pathway OR they are accessing this as part of an Personalised Learning Plan. This form of work experience to support an individualised plan may be accessed at any appropriate time during the year-with the exceptions of the first and final weeks of any school term.

Post Compulsory School and Attendance Requirements

This week the school has completed the annual August Census which is required of all schools in Australia. Parents will have been sent the Privacy and Confidentiality statement from the Australian Government that outlines information collected and shared regarding students and families. Please note that this information has also been published again in this newsletter for your information.

As schooling for all students from Year 7-10 with continued training required at least until the age of 17, attendance at school so that students can access a full education is very important.

School attendance really matters and plays a vital role in successful learning outcomes for all students whether they are in Year 7 through to Year 12. The school has protocols in place for how to contact the school to report if your child is ill or is attending an important appointment or event. Pastoral staff are also happy to support or provide advice around students who might be experiencing anxiety that impacts on their engagement with schooling.

Year 12 Trial exams

Year 12 trial exams commence next Monday August 5th with the last day for any exam ending Monday 19th of August. Year 12 students will attend school during their scheduled exams in school uniform, but otherwise will study at home during this period. We wish all of our students the best of luck over the coming two weeks and thank all of their teachers, staff and leaders involved in teaching and learning and organisation and set up of the trials. Exam presider Mrs Kate Norris will be overseeing the exams with her team.

Naidoc Assembly

“National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday in the first week of July). They are held to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Their life, their country, their story, their contribution.”

The letters of NAIDOC stand for National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee. We think of it and refer to it now as NAIDOC.

“It is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about our First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth”.

Because NAIDOC is celebrated at this time, when it falls outside of school term, many schools, including Marian, will hold ceremonies or celebrations at other times. It is important for us here- It is a very significant celebration for all of us and so this is why today Marian Catholic College welcomed Aunty Mary Atkinson, Jacinta Simpson and Scott Darlow as guest speakers to help celebrate and educate our students today, taking time to learn, to share and to journey together.

Aunty Mary Atkinson (Proud Wiradjuri Woman and Elder from Griffith and Catholic Education-Wagga Wagga), Jacinta Simpson (Proud Wiradjuri Woman, performer and past student of MCC) and Scott Darlow (Proud Yorta Yorta Man and singer, songwriter and performer) shared their stories and perspectives with staff and students. Later Scott worked with students in smaller groups across the day. Gemma Lynch provided an Acknowledgement of Country and acted as MC for the assembly.

Thank you to all of our special guests, and also to Mrs Lorelei Wray and Mr Gabriel Abdala, Mr Segrave and our talented student leaders and performers for their contribution. See photos of the event on our facebook page and in other pages of this newsletter.

Dr Penny Ludicke

Principal

NAIDOC ASSEMBLY