Learning and Teaching
Subject Selection 2024 Update
Our Year 8, 9, 10 and 11 students have completed their subject selections for 2025.
Students who applied for VCE or VCE VET acceleration studies should have received their notification as to whether their application has been approved. Please note that not all
applications have been approved; however, students may request that their application be
reconsidered after Semester 2 assessments are completed.
All students should have had a mentoring interview with an assigned mentor teacher. These conversations have been highly productive and we would like to thank the students for their preparation and the thoughtful way that they have approached the mentoring processes this term. Students will be notified of their 2025 subjects in Term 4.
Marian Trial Examinations and VCE Holiday Classes
Our Unit 3/4 Scored Students complete their Marian College Trial Examinations in all Unit 3/4 VCE and Scored VCE VET Subjects in the forthcoming holidays, from Monday 30 September to Friday 4 October. All Scored VCE students are required to attend.
These trial exams are an important part of student preparation for their final VCAA exams as they simulate authentic examination conditions. They provide an excellent opportunity for both students and their teachers to identify gaps in understanding and skills. Teachers will provide targeted feedback that students can use to reflect and identify their next steps to ensure they can maximize their final results.
The Trial Examination Timetable is available on the SEQTA Senior Certificates Student Portal Page.
Before the Trial Examinations, in the first week of the holidays, there will be VCE holiday classes offered in a range of subjects. The aim of these classes will be to provide students with extra support in preparing for their Unit 3 and 4 Examinations. Classes will be held from Monday 23 September to Thursday 26 September. Details will be sent via Operoo and the schedule will be published on the SEQTA Senior Certificates Student Information Portal Page.
Although classes will not be compulsory, it is strongly recommended that students attend classes in their subjects. With final examinations fast approaching, all students are encouraged to take advantage of available revision and exam preparation opportunities.
ALT Students - Coding at Mantel Group
Our Accelerated Learning Track (ALT) students have had, so far, a year of hope. They have attended several incursions and excursions to build their skills across various domains including literacy, and Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Maths (STEAM). From a public speaking and debating activity held at the State Library of Victoria, to an excursion the The University of Melbourne’s science-based displays, students were able to extend and challenge themselves individually and as members of groups. Most recently, on Wednesday 21 August, 17 of the ALT students spent the day with Mantel Group, a prominent IT company located on Flinders Street in the heart of Melbourne. Mantel Group is an Australian based IT Consulting company comprised of nine brands with a focus on Cloud. Digital, Design and Data. They have been recognised in the AFR’s 2020 fastest growing new companies, LinkedIn’s Top Australian Startups and recently won back to back for #1 best place to work in 2021 and 2022 in the Great Place to Work Survey.
The students arrived at 10:00am after departing Marian College an hour earlier. We were met by Katie Wilson, Mantel Group’s Talent Experience - Learning and Development & Early Careers Specialist. Students were then seated in the foyer and introduced to the day, which included a range of activities to help then authentically engage with coding and the broader IT field. This included working closely with six assigned Mentors, who are enthusiastic and gifted Mantel Group employees with a wealth of experience in coding. Groups then worked on challenges that involved collaboratively building robots and navigating them, using code, to maneuver through a maze. Some of the groups then showcased their efforts to the whole group. It was wonderful to see the students engaged and actively problem-solve before using their computer codes to execute movements in their robots. Mantel Group kindly presented each member of the winning team with $50 JB Hi-Fi vouchers.
Lunch then followed, which was also catered by the Mantel Group team. Students were able to share lunch in groups and explore the MANTEL Group space.
Following lunch, students were treated to a panel of four women who work at Mantel Group as successful coders, designers and experts in their field. They shared a variety of narratives to the ALT students, including a sharing of their journeys into the IT field and previous occupations. The four panel members had the students deeply engaged and helped demystify some of the misconceptions the students held about IT and the types of work that coders do. Once the panelists finished, students were able to ask questions. This session ran for nearly 20 minutes, with the ALT students keen to hear more from the guests. Questions included queries about championing women in the coding and IT industry, and what were the biggest successes and challenges the panelists faced in their current work. With only minutes left before the bus was to arrive, and students still keen to have their questions answered, Mantel Group was thanked and students were on their way.
Marian College would like to extend its warmest thanks to Katie Wilson of Mantel Group for providing the students with the chance to meaningfully engage with coding throughout the day. Their efforts are the byproduct of months of hard work and preparation since Vito Milana made contact earlier in the year. Their generosity with their time and resources is much appreciated. We hope that Marian College can continue a partnership with Mantel Group and 2024 and beyond.
