Year 9/10

Year 10

This year I have had the privilege of working with the Year 10 cohort as Year Level Leader alongside Sam Yung and Laura Sculley earlier this year and then Amanda Finlay and Sienna Armstrong. I have watched this cohort mature and develop as the year has progressed as they have settled into the routines and expectations of Year 10 and risen to the challenge of being the best individual they can be. The cohort has performed well academically but they have also shown themselves to be supportive of each other, respectful and responsible, in other words, living the values of Cranbourne East Secondary College. 

Year 10 is the year where students need to make decisions about future pathways and while this may be a straightforward decision for some, for many students it can involve a lot of reflection and discussions with various staff ranging from Careers to Year Level Leaders. Year 10 is the year where students begin the transition from young students to young adults as they look towards what they envision for their future and plan the next steps on their learning journey to make their dreams a reality. We start the year by telling the students Year 10 is an important year as it is their ‘pathway’ year and by the end of the year each student has stepped into their Senior School pathway ready to embrace the next stage of their life. 

To achieve this transition, Year 10 students have spent time this year with members of our Careers team and setting goals for the future. The whole Cohort attended the Careers expo at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre in Melbourne in June, where they had opportunities to speak to representatives from various industries, TAFEs and universities and investigate study and career opportunities. Course counselling for Year 11 followed soon after with our students embracing the opportunities to have meaningful conversations with careers staff and course counsellors to plan their senior pathways.

To help our students successfully navigate Year 10 and plan for Year 11 and beyond, students are introduced to the rigors of Senior Secondary education by offering a boarder selection of elective subjects to align more closely with VCE General, VCE VM and VET options and appeal to the student’s interests. Students sit exams for all subjects at the middle of the year and the end of the year and have stepped up to the challenge and worked hard in preparation for these exams, with many achieving fantastic results.

We have encouraged Year 10 students to study and take responsibility for their learning by providing them with a Year 10 Study Hall that they have been able to access before school, recess, lunch time and after school. Students have used this space throughout the year to prepare for classes and revise their work, and it was especially busy leading up to exams! 

While we have had a strong focus on academic rigor and preparation for senior school, we also recognize the importance of students feeling connected and engaged at school. We started the year with a ‘Connections Day’ where all Year 10 students participated in various activities designed to break the ice and build connections with peers and teachers. There was a sausage sizzle at lunch time and although the day was extremely hot, it was a great success, culminating in students trading in the tickets they had earned throughout the day by participating in the activities, to choose prizes from a range of options.  

There have been a range of incursions and excursions this year aimed at broadening the experiences of our Year 10 students. These excursions, across a range of subjects, are aimed at giving students a practical and real life experience that compliments what is taught in the classroom. Students also participated in SECASA workshops learning about respectful relationships and engaged in gender specific workshops run by the REACH Foundation which focused on building students’ social and emotional skills and increasing their ability to develop meaningful connections with their peers.

We have also celebrated the successes of our Year 10 students throughout the year. Each term we have awarded students with 100% attendance, those with the most improved attendance, the highest GPA results and those who showed the most growth. We awarded students who were never late to class and those who had shown the most growth by reducing the number of lates to classes. There were subject awards for those students who demonstrated commitment in a particular subject and recognition of students who had outstanding achievements out of school. On the last day of Term 4, we organised ice cream vans on the oval and all students could order an ice cream of their choice and then participate in the activities provided on the oval. 

On behalf of the Year 10 team, I would like to sincerely thank the Year 10 students and families for a rewarding and positive year. I have worked with this cohort for two years and am immensely proud of their achievements and growth in maturity. The Year 10 Leadership team has enjoyed working with and supporting your students, and we wish them all the very best as they follow their passions into 2025 and beyond.

Teresa Hayes

Year 10 Leader