Learning & Teaching
Term 3 Learning Behaviours Reports
Towards the end of each term, teachers and students assess the learning behaviours that students demonstrated throughout the term.
These simple reports provide comparative data of how the teacher sees the learning behaviours of the students with how the student sees their own learning behaviour. They are presented as a graphic, allowing for comparisons between learning behaviours as the year progresses. This comparative data can be an effective conversation starter at home.
We encourage teachers to give feedback on overall progress throughout the term as a way to send a clear message about learning growth as demonstrated in their assessments.
Attendance Every Day Matters & Every Minute Counts
Going to school every day is an important part of your child’s education. Children and young people learn new things at school every day, connect with friends, have fun and develop good habits that help them to succeed. There is no good number of days for missing school.
Being away from school for one day a fortnight adds up to missing four whole weeks of school a year.
Where possible, you should avoid your child missing school, and you can ensure this by making appointments for your child outside of school hours and keeping family holidays to outside term time. Please do not encourage your child to take days off for birthdays or to get ready for social events or take 'wellbeing days'. These things undervalue the importance of learning.
Poor educational outcomes have costly lifelong impacts on young people and the wider community, given the relationship between education and employment, health, social connectedness and reliance on income support.
High absence rates contribute to poor outcomes. Research shows that school attendance impacts students’ academic achievement and other long-term outcomes.
Students learn more when they attend school,
Non-attendance is linked with poorer academic achievement and long-term student outcomes.
Students with chronic absenteeism are more likely to drop out of school and experience poorer long-term health and social outcomes.
Regular attendance in year 7 add 3 months of learning to NPALAN scores in year 9 compared with students who do not attend regularly
The below graph shows the effect of attendance behaviours in Year 7 on Year 9 NAPLAN reading scores (CESE 2017:6).
At the College we monitor student attendance closely, daily and weekly. We keep accurate records of absences and the reasons for absences. The sub school team engage with students with problematic attendance and work with families to improve attendance. In some circumstances absences are unavoidable and arrangements can be made to ensure students maintain their learning connection and success.
As a parent/carer, you are legally required to ensure your child attends school every day, and if your child is absent, you must provide an explanation.
Schools acknowledge and understand that parents and carers may be juggling various challenges to get their children to school every day. If your child must miss school for any reason, notify the school as soon as possible so you can work together to ensure your child is supported. Each school will have a preferred way to do this. It may be by phone, email or via an app.
Openly communicating with your child's school about all absences is important. If you’re having attendance challenges with your child or if your child needs to take an extended period of time off, please let their classroom teacher know as soon as possible. There are things you and the school can do together to ensure your child is supported to attend or can stay up to date with their learning and engagement while away.
Year 12 Final Days - Events & Exams
Year 12 Celebration Day
Friday 23 October
Preparations are in full swing. This special day includes a students and staff breakfast, drone shot on the oval, festival-like fun in Byrn House, and a final Year 12 assembly with speeches, in the Theatre. It is a whole-school celebratory event that includes a parent/grandparent morning tea and a whole-school final assembly and farewell in the Mooroop Center.
VCAA Exams
Here is the schedule for the Year 12 students preparing for the VCAA exams. The schedule excludes the performance exam dates. Each student has been given their schedule and a set of practice exams to work through over coming weeks.
Exam Prep (In case you missed it...)
Practice Exam Booklets - Every scored Year 12 VCE student has received a pack of VCE practice exams for their VCE subjects. This pack is a fantastic resource and is one of the best ways to improve exam scores. Students are encouraged to revise first and then sit these exams in the allotted time, mark them and learn from mistakes.
Knox Holiday Revision Lectures
Mon 21 - Wed 23 Sept
Sign up Knox Revision Lectures 2026. Book a spot and if students sign up and attend, they could win one of 3 prizes.
1st Prize - a Nintendo Switch 2
2nd Prize - Noise cancelling Airpods 4
3rd Prize - $150 Rebel Sports gift voucher
Unit 3 and 4 Practice Exam Program
Compass Events are now up, and students are expected to sit these exams. Consent is required before the end of the term. Please note that students will need to bring their own food to these exams and any personal items. Students will be required to remain onsite between the morning and afternoon sessions and Bryne House will be open for students study before and after the exams.
Natalie Manser
Assistant Principal
mar@wantirnacollege.vic.edu.au