Curriculum Day Professional Learning

This term we engaged Dr Ryan Dunn from the University of Melbourne to facilitate our Curriculum Day Professional Learning.

The focus was on unpacking the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM) 2.0 and planning to support the needs of all learners.

Some of the key topics teachers explored were:

Explicit Teaching and Gradual Release of Responsibility
Worked Examples
Checking for understanding

The Victorian Department of Education has mandated the implementation of VTLM 2.0 to strengthen teaching practice and improve learning outcomes across all government schools. At our college, VTLM 2.0 forms a core component of our Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) for improving teaching and learning.

This means:

Teachers are engaging in ongoing professional learning aligned with VTLM 2.0
We are refining our instructional practices using the elements of learning and teaching through our Professional Learning Cycles (PLC)
Curriculum planning and assessment are being updated
Our wholes chool approach is becoming more consistent, structured, and research-aligned
More explicit explanations and modelling during lessons
Regular checks for understanding to support each child’s progress

By embedding VTLM 2.0 at our college, we are ensuring every student benefits from high quality, evidence-based instruction across all year levels.

Term One Progress Reports and Parent Teacher Interviews

Our Term One Progress Reports were published on Compass last week. From your child’s homepage, you will see a notification. You can also click on 'View Academic Reports' or navigate to your child’s 'Profile' and click the 'Reports' tab. Please remember to scroll down the page to view the Progress reports. You may need to access them on a desktop computer/laptop.

Parent Teacher Interviews will be held in Week One of Term Two, on Thursday 23rd of April. Bookings will be open shortly on Compass.

Over the holidays, we encourage all families to log onto Compass and ensure that your child is up to date with Learning tasks and ready to start Term 2. Remember also to review the feedback provided by teachers on Learning Tasks for all Common Assessment Tasks (CATs) and School Assessed Coursework (SACs).

We look forward to having discussions about academic progress and learning behaviours next term.

Literacy and Numeracy assessments

Year 7 to 9 students have undertaken Literacy and Numeracy assessments from the start of the term, including PAT, Renaissance Reading and Essential Assessment. PAT test results can be found in Compass in the Analytics tab.

Year 7 and 9 completed NAPLAN online testing last week. We are incredibly proud of our Year 7 students for the maturity and resilience they demonstrated during the first day of NAPLAN testing. Despite a major nationwide technical outage that interrupted their writing assessment, our students remained calm, patient, and focused throughout the disruption. They completed what they could on the day and returned the following day ready to finish the task, making excellent use of the additional 30 minutes provided. Their attitude and perseverance was outstanding—well done, Year 7!

Congratulations to both Year 7 and 9 students for completing the tests and attending any catch-up sessions due to absence.

Cultural Diversity Week

Greensborough College celebrated Cultural Diversity Week from the 21st to the 29th of March. The theme was ‘Culture connects us all’.

Harmony Day was on Saturday 21st of March and we celebrated it our college on Monday 23rd of March with staff and students invited to wear a touch of orange. There was badge making, Multicultural film festival videos and an Anti-racism pledge was made.

A range of lunchtime activities were attended by students: a Didgeridoo performance by our student Jamie Armistead, Japanese Language Session with Ms Selar and Irish Dance Session with Ms Dunne.

Fostering multicultural inclusion at our college is central to the implementation of the Preventing and Addressing Racism in Schools policy.

Year 12 VCE VM Banyule Nillumbik Tech School Workshop

Our Year 12 VCE Vocational Major students are taking part in engaging and highly productive workshops at the Banyule Nillumbik Tech School, working alongside students from Montmorency Secondary College as part of their joint Market Day project.

Students immerse in hands-on, industry aligned activities designed to strengthen the essential skills needed to plan, create, and operate a successful Market Day stall. Tech School staff and industry professionals guide students, offering insights into contemporary workplace expectations and innovative approaches to project development.

This experience directly supports key outcomes from Units 3 & 4 of the VCE VM curriculum. Students apply their learning to refine their project plans, work collaboratively in mixed school teams, and demonstrate safe and effective work practices in a practical environment. The excursion also provides an invaluable opportunity to trial ideas, receive feedback from industry mentors, and build confidence ahead of the upcoming Market Day event.

We look forward to seeing the creative and innovative stalls that will result from this collaborative experience!

VCE students

Year 12 students are now almost one-third of the way through their learning program, and it has been encouraging to see them making purposeful use of both Study Sessions and Focused Learning Time (FLT). Many students are using these opportunities to complete coursework, revise for upcoming SACs, and check in with teachers for targeted support.

Year 11 students are also building solid routines as they complete their first VCE SACs. Their effort and focus during FLT reflect a growing understanding of what is required at VCE level.

As we head into the holiday break, it is important that students maintain a healthy balance between rest and revision. While some time revising key content will help consolidate their learning, it is equally important that they recharge after a busy term.

Tips for Effective Holiday Revision

To help students make the most of their study time, here are some practical revision strategies:

Create a simple revision plan Break the holidays into manageable blocks and set clear goals for each subject.
Focus on the “tricky” areas first Revisiting topics students found challenging helps strengthen understanding before new content is introduced.
Use active study strategies Summaries, practice questions, flashcards, mindmaps, and teaching the content to someone else all support deeper learning.
Review past SACs or practice tasks Identify common errors and work on improving accuracy and clarity for future assessments.
Study in short, focused sessions 25–40 minute blocks with short breaks can improve concentration and reduce stress.
Seek clarification early If something still doesn’t make sense after revising, make a note to ask the teacher promptly in Week One.

We look forward to seeing all our students come back to Term Two refreshed, motivated, and ready to continue the positive habits they have begun to build.

School Calendar