Learning & Teaching News

Headstart

The 2022 academic year has come and gone and whilst we reflect and celebrate our first full year of face-to-face learning since the pandemic, we now shift our sights to 2023 as we look to build on all that was achieved this year. Learning never stops; it is a continuous journey that we all travel and while our students have different classes and new timetables, their learning continues and is sustained during the final weeks of the year through Headstart. Headstart provides the opportunity for students to settle into their new classes, meet their teachers and begin learning new knowledge and skills. It’s an exciting period of the year which can help energise and motivate students at a time where their focus shifts to the summer holidays and the enticement of ‘switching off’ is never stronger. Most importantly, Headstart allows students to return in the new school year having already experienced their subjects and get straight back into learning. It also provides our Year 12 students, who finish in the early weeks of Term 4, with three extra weeks to prepare for the culmination of their many years of schooling and take advantage of the time they have over the summer holidays to get ahead with their studies and establish good study habits.

Subject changes

A lot of time and effort goes into supporting students at St. Peter’s College with their subject choices and ensuring that they choose the subjects that align with their career aspirations or interests and passions. As our timetable and staffing is informed by the subject choices our students make, it is essential that students pick the right subjects. However, it is inevitable that some students find their career aspirations have changed since completing their subject selections and they now wish to change their subjects to align with their new aspirations. This needs to be done as quickly as possible as joining a class several weeks in, puts a student at a real disadvantage as they catch up on what they’ve missed. Therefore, any subject changes must be completed by Friday 25th November 2022. Students are reminded that seeking a subject change to be with their friends or to have a particular teacher are not valid reasons for a subject change.  Furthermore, some changes are not possible because of timetabling constraints and classes already being filled. This highlights the importance of students making carefully considered choices at subject selection time.

Any students considering a subject change will need to follow the process below:

• Speak with your House Leader
• If you have a valid reason for changing subjects, they will create an Operoo subject change form that gets sent for approval
• Your parents will also receive an Operoo form to sign.  Once they sign this, the office will process the change

Students must continue to attend their current class until the subject change has been approved. Once their new subject appears on their timetable, then, and only then, can they attend their new class. Parents should contact Learning Advisors or House Leaders if they have a concern over subjects. 

Daniel Green                                                          David Hansen

Acting Learning & Teaching                          Deputy Principal - Learning & Teaching

Pedagogical Coach

– Clyde North