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.

We find ourselves almost at the end of Term 2. I look forward to accompanying our Year 11 students on their camp to Melbourne next week. As Term 2 and Semester 1 concludes, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all students, staff and members of our community for their dedication and contribution to our wonderful school throughout the term. I wish all members of our community a safe and enjoyable holiday break.

Semester One Reports

At St Mary MacKillop College we recognise the importance of ongoing feedback to students about their academic progress. In light of this, we have the Parent Access Module (PAM) where grades for assessment tasks are published and feedback is provided to inform students of their achievements and areas for improvement. We encourage students and parents to access the portal regularly and to have conversations at home about their child’s academic progress. End of Semester reports will be available online at the end of next week via the Parent Access Module (PAM). I encourage parents and guardians to take the time to discuss these with their child.

To review detailed feedback on each assessment task, please refer to the individual subject Learning Area, accessible via PAM. Hardcopies of End of Semester reports will only be printed and posted home over the holidays if specifically requested.

If any parent is unable to access their child’s report online or does not receive their specifically requested hardcopy by the beginning of Term 3, please contact the Front Office.

All Victorian government and Catholic schools use the Victorian Curriculum F-10 for determining achievement levels for students in Years 7 to 10. Schools are required to report on the achievement of all students including those with disabilities ‘without exception’. The Victorian Curriculum achievement graphs contain some significant changes, with an explanation of new terms and codes under each graph. If you have any questions or concerns with the reporting of Victorian Curriculum levels for your child, please contact me in Term 3.

Please note: Some students who have a Personal Learning Program (PLP) may have an expected achievement level set that differs from their year level in some subjects. This will be explained in more detail at the parent’s next PSG meeting with Sally Op’t Hoog (Learning Diversity Leader).

Below is an explanation of the grading scale for assessment tasks:

Year 7 to 12

End of Semester Reports: Grading for Assessment Tasks

Assessments at Year 7 – 12 use the following grading criteria:

VH (Very High): All criteria addressed to a very high standard or 90 – 100%

H (High): Most criteria addressed to a high standard or 75 – 89%

M (Medium): Criteria addressed to a medium standard or 55 – 74%

L (Low): Criteria addressed to a low standard or 40 – 54%

VL (Very Low): Criteria addressed to a very low standard or 30 – 39%

NY (Not Yet): Student is not eligible for a result due to: Non-submission of work by the due date; lowest standard not met; copying or; plagiarism; or below 30%

LS (Late Submission): Late but Satisfactory

NA (Not Assessed): Task Not Assessed

AB (Absence): Absent for task

End of Semester Result for VCE units:

S – Satisfactory. Assessment tasks completed.

N – Not Satisfactory. Insufficient work completed, or work below standard.

Please note: the results for some assessment tasks for VCE subjects that have been completed at the end of this term will not appear on the End of Semester report. The result will appear on the report for semester two. Parents will see 'in progress' for the Learning Outcomes and a conditional 'S' unit result. This result may change if the student does not meet the key skills and knowledge required for the task, and parents will be notified.

Learning Habits Rubric

In our reports, learning habits are reported using the rubric here. The aim of reporting on learning habits is to provide feedback on the progress and growth of students as learners. Our focus is to provide students with the necessary skills they need to be self-regulated learners, empowered to maximise their opportunities to grow and learn.

Learning Conversations at Home

As mentioned above, we encourage parents to engage their children in conversations about their End of Semester report and learning progress. The report should be read in conjunction with the feedback for assessment tasks that are available on PAM. Semester 2 provides the perfect opportunity for students to ‘begin again’, reflect on their learning from Semester 1, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and set goals for the term.

What did you learn at school today? What are you enjoying most at school? What challenges are you facing with your learning? These open-ended questions will hopefully generate some interesting insights into your child’s experiences at school.

Subject Selection Process

All students from Years 8 to 11 have now completed their initial subject selections for 2025. We have used the online Web Preferences system for several years now and it seems to work very effectively, but if you have any feedback or concerns please contact the Pathways team. Many thanks to our wonderful Pathways Team, Mrs Sally Looney and Mrs Anna Steicke, for their work supporting our students in their subject selections and for all the administrative tasks involved in the process.

During the holidays I will review the applications from students who would like to accelerate into a VCE subject in 2025. Students who have not met the acceleration criteria will be contacted by me at the start of Term 3 and be asked to select an alternative subject.

Once the final blocking of subjects to be offered in 2025 is completed late next term, all students in Year 11 and Year 12 will have subject counselling interviews in November. Parents or guardians are strongly encouraged to attend these interviews.

Reflections on Learning from Semester 1

What is your favourite subject and why?

PE because it encourages me to be active and healthy.
Psychology, as I have an interest in the brain.
Equine because it helps me learn more about horses.
Biology because it enables me to learn more about the way our body works to fight diseases, as well as photosynthesis and cellular respiration in plants.
My favourite was Drama because it allowed us to just have fun and act.
My favourite subject is Food Tech because I get to learn how to do new things in the kitchen and bring home something yummy to eat.

Explain the highlight from your learning in Semester 1.

In History learning about the industrial revolution and child labour.
My highlight in my learning from Semester 1 was going to TAFE and Youth Inc. and learning new things I didn't know before.
Doing my Poetry Anthology Assessment for English.
My highlight from my learning in Semester 1 would be getting homework to help me improve when I go back to class.
My highlight is probably performing in Drama. This is because I had the lead role, Cinderella.
My highlight of Semester 1 was getting to know new people and settling into high school.

Explain the result you were most proud of achieving in Semester 1.

Japanese speaking assessment. I felt confident speaking and achieved a very high result.
100% in English and Math assessments.
I am most proud of the high result I got in PE, as I'm not a very sporty person.
The result I'm most proud of this semester was my 100% Maths score on our Pythagoras test.
Probably my Science Separation Techniques task because I got a score of 96%.
Receiving very good results in Agriculture and doing better than I expected in English.

Outline the goals you have set for your learning in Semester 2.

Make sure I get good marks and revise hard in Anatomy.
Study more, take breaks/rests, stay focused in class.
My goal is to understand Maths a little better and achieve better results in this subject.
The goal that I have set for next term is to keep working hard.
Handing my homework in as soon as I finish it, and not waiting until the last moment.
The goals I have set for next semester is to keep all of my books organised and make everything neat and tidy.

Academic Recognition Program

Congratulations to the following Year 9 and Year 10 students for being nominated by their teachers for academic excellence/class achievement and endeavour over the past fortnight.

Year 9

Academic Excellence/Class Achievement

Billy Kentish

Calyssa Baber

Charlie Graham

Charlotte Parkinson

Emily Pekin

Jordan Cimino

Lily Scott

Sarah Vrolijks

Sunny Barry

Student Endeavour

Blake Mazzarella

Charlie Farrell

Ella Renfrey

Isabella Colombo

Isabella Schlitz

Jackson Highet

Jie Ann Edullantes

Monique Pugliese

Patrick Eade

Scarlett Benham

Thyler Scholtens

Year 10

Academic Excellence/Class Achievement

Ava Crow

Grace Gibson

Judd Toomey

Maggie Meney

Vaughan O'Bree

Student Endeavour

Andi Meney

Charley Baskin

Philipa Gaston

Willow Conlan

Zion Rodriguez

Thank you to the Academic Committee for organising this initiative.

WHAT I LEARNT TODAY AT SMMC

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