DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - TEACHING & LEARNING

MR NATHAN LANE - DEPUTY PRINCIPAL: TEACHING & LEARNING

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 so 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. As we head towards the end of the term, our students are busy completing final assessments, and our Year 8 to 11 students will soon complete exams.

Welcome back to Term 4! We hope the members of our College community had an enjoyable holiday break. School holidays provide an important opportunity to step away from the busyness of school life, spend time with family and friends, pursue interests and activities we may not have time for during the term, and recharge ready for the next term.

The start of a new term provides an important opportunity to pause and reflect on the previous term. What was the highlight of your learning in Term 3? Did you encounter any challenges, and if so, how did you overcome them? Did you achieve the goals you set for yourself? As we look ahead to Term 4, what goals will you set to continue growing and improving as a learner?

Our Year 12 students are now entering one of the busiest and most important periods of their secondary schooling. During the holidays, they completed practice examinations, and at the moment, they are finalising their Unit 4 studies, and preparing for their end of year examinations. I would also like to acknowledge the work of our Year 12 VCE VM students as they work towards successfully completing their studies. In addition, we recognise our Year 11 students who are undertaking a Year 12 subject this year and preparing for their end of year examination. We wish all of these students every success as they prepare for this important stage of their academic journey. We are proud of their commitment, perseverance, and dedication, and we look forward to celebrating their achievements in the weeks ahead.

Learner Profile Nominations

As part of our Teaching and Learning Framework, we have a Learner Profile. The Learner Profile outlines the dispositions we want our students to have as learners by the time they graduate.

Students who collaborate will…	be willing to participate by contributing. acknowledge each group member's opinions. work together effectively as a team. demonstrate active listening through giving and receiving feedback. finish a task.
Students who communicate will…	feel safe and confident to share their ideas. be able to communicate in a variety of ways (written, visual, verbal). be able to understand that it’s a two-way street - listening respectfully and actively and speaking respectfully, showing in both verbal and non-verbal behaviour. be willing to share their responses in class discussions. respect other people’s ideas and opinions.
Students who are critical thinkers will…	think creatively. be inquisitive, wonder and ask questions. take risks with their learning. have the courage to try and not always succeed or achieve the expected. come up with multiple solutions.
Students who are empathetic will…	be accepting of diversity. view issues from various perspectives. listen actively and reflect on what has been heard. not judge. work collaboratively.
Students who are problem solvers will…	work independently and collaboratively. consider wider perspectives. offer solutions. think analytically and creatively. be prepared to make mistakes and try again.
Students who are resilient will…	adopt a growth mindset. manage emotions and impulses. build relationships and connections. develop problem-solving strategies and implement them. develop effective communication skills - speaking and listening.

Congratulations to the following students who have been nominated by their teachers for exemplifying these dispositions throughout Term 3. We thank you for the positive example you set within our community.

Term 3 Learning Reflection

I recently sent a survey to our students asking them to reflect on their learning from Term 3. Here is a selection of the responses I received.

What is your favourite subject and why?

Work Related Skills because we get to go on excursions.
Art Making and Exhibiting, as it has really allowed me to study for what I want to do in my future as a curator and artist.
Hospitality, because I am learning to become a cook and I make a lot of different things.
PE because I get to be fit and I get to play games with my friends.
Japanese and Science because I love Japanese culture and I find Science fun.

Explain the highlight from your learning in Term 3.

Learning about muscles and bones in PE.
I had a quite busy Term 3 with a lot of SACs and assignments. Being able to take a break from learning and attend Reflection Day was really good, as well as competing in Regional Athletics.
Performing my chemical practical experiment and making diesel from vegetable oil.
Textiles because I really liked making my embroidery and it was very calming.
Slam poetry and the Clunes sheep show.

Explain the result you were most proud of achieving in Term 3.

100% in my Science poster.
Getting an 86% in Health and Human Development and an excelling result in Science.
Being awarded a certificate for excelling in my learning in front of the entire school.
My English result because I was a bit nervous about TEEL and body paragraphs, but I achieved a good result so I was happy.
When I got 98% on my History test and 94% on English essay.

Outline the goals you have set for your learning in Term 4.

Get high marks in my math tests.
Have fun on camp and go well in all of my tests.
I would like to achieve 85%+ on all tests and have an amazing last term.
Building my social skills.
Passing Year 11 and get a 40+ study score for Sport and Recreation.

PAT Testing

Our Year 7–10 students will be completing the Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) during the following weeks:

Week 3: Year 8 - Monday 19 to Friday 23 October
Week 4: Year 7, 9, 10 - Monday 26 to Friday 30 October

The PAT tests are online multiple-choice assessments in reading and maths. The tests have been developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and are used widely in schools across Australia. The results help teachers understand each student’s progress, what they already know, and where they may need extra support to continue improving. This testing will occur within the students' English and Maths classes, with catch-ups occurring in Week 5.

We wish our students all the best with their studies in Term 4.

Nathan Lane

Deputy Principal Teaching & Learning