DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - TEACHING & LEARNING REPORT 

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 as 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.

Year 12 Graduation Mass and Dinner

Last Friday evening, staff, families and the graduating class of 2023 gathered for the final time to celebrate the completion of six years of secondary schooling at St Mary MacKillop College.

The evening commenced with a beautiful Mass and graduation ceremony, followed by a delicious dinner at the Swan Hill Jockey Club. The Graduation Dinner provided an opportunity for staff and parents to celebrate the collaborative partnership that has led to our students’ successful completion of their secondary school years. Many thanks to our families for the support they have given to their child throughout their education.

We wish the graduating class of 2023 all the very best in their future endeavours. We look forward to hearing about their journey beyond secondary school.

Year 10 and 11 Exams

Congratulations to our Year 11 students for completing their semester 2 exams this week. Our Year 10 students will complete exams for English, Maths and Science on Friday 1 December and Monday 4 December, before starting their orientation program for 2024 Year 11.

Exam Preparation – Study Skills Video Presentation

To assist students prepare for their exams, I have put together a short study skills video here. I hope this is a useful resource for our students.

We wish our Year 10 students all the best as they prepare for their upcoming exams.

2024 Subject Selection Process

Our senior students entering Year 11 and 12 in 2024 have recently attended interviews with staff to finalise their subject choices for next year. I always enjoy these conversations as I get to find out more about the unique pathways our students wish to pursue once they finish secondary school. Thank you to our amazing Pathways Team for organising these interviews. Thank you also to our parents and guardians who attended the interviews with their child and supported the subject selection process. I hope parents and guardians found the conversations beneficial as we talked about their child’s goals and plans for the future.

Year 9 and 10 students have completed the subject selection process for next year and it is an exciting time for these students as they get to explore new studies through our broad elective program.

2024 Year 11 and 12 Orientation Programs

Next week our orientation program begins for our 2024 Year 12 cohort. The following week we have our orientation program for students entering Year 11 in 2024. Our orientation programs give our students a solid start to the academic year ahead. They also provide an opportunity to set some goals for next year and to reset standards.

Academic Recognition Program

Recently teachers nominated students from their Year 9 and 11 classes for academic and endeavour recognition. The following students were nominated:

Year 9 Academic Recognition

English: Maggie Meney

History: Judd Toomey

Health: Keenan Dreyer

Science: Keenan Dreyer, Indi Grey, Willem Holmes

Metal Magic: William Olandezos

Maths: Andi Meney, Lisa Bail, Audrey Domaille, Ava O'Brien, Maggie Meney

Food for Entertaining: Indi Grey

Italian: Lisa Bail

Year 9 Endeavour Recognition

English: Tess Thomson

History: Zion Rodriguez

Health: Trinity Corbitt

Science: Zion Rodriguez, Lachlan Jones, Rory Bell

Metal Magic: Max Parsons

Maths: Bodhi Kelly, Sienna Brady, Fallon Smits, Jack Webb, Tess Thomson

Food for Entertaining: Myles Hawkins

Italian: Meena Mushtaq

Year 11 Academic Recognition

Psychology: Grace Doherty

English: Remi Alderuccio

Visual Communication: Sofie Mazzotta

RE: Lauren Cordingley, Emily Hall

VCE VM PDS: Mia Garner and Trinity Sutton

VET Building & Construction: Sebastian Papa

General Maths: Maeve Sheldrick

Biology: Tess Meney

Methods: William Gilchrist

VPC Literacy: Lucy McCann

Business Management: Jorja Plant

Year 11 Endeavour Recognition

Psychology: Remi Alderuccio 

English:  Sofie Mazzotta

Visual Communication: Emily Hall

RE: Bradley Greenham, Remi Alderuccio

VCE VM PDS: Sophie Fasham

VET Building & Construction: Harrison Kelly

General Maths: Brooke Pearson

Biology: Emily Hall

Methods: Parker Condely

VPC Literacy: Travis Greenham

Business Management: Christian Anderson

Thank you to the Academic Committee for organising this initiative.