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.

We find ourselves almost at the end of Term 2. Our Year 11 students have had a wonderful time in Melbourne on their camp this 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 on a regular basis and to have conversations at home around 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 your 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 which 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

Tests for Year 7 to 10 / all exams / VCE assessment task results will be reported as a %.

Grade scale for assessment tasks (e.g. projects, assignments etc.) that use a rubric in Years 7 to 10

Excelling	90 - 100%	Evidence in a student's work for this task, typically demonstrates excellent knowledge and understanding of the content (facts, concepts, and procedures), and application of skills.
Accomplished	70 - 89%	Evidence in a student's work for this task, typically demonstrates a thorough knowledge and understanding of the content (facts, concepts, and procedures), and application of skills.
Consolidating	50 - 69%	Evidence in a student's work for this task, typically demonstrates a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the content (facts, concepts, and procedures) and applying skills.
Developing	40 - 49%	Evidence in a student's work for this task, typically demonstrates a growing knowledge and understanding of the content (facts, concepts and procedures), and application of skills.
Beginning	30 - 39%	Evidence in a student's work for this task, typically demonstrates that they have a basic knowledge and understanding of the content (facts, concepts and procedures), and application of skills.
Not Yet Evident	<30%
Late Submission		Late but Satisfactory
Absent		Absent for the 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

On our reports, learning habits are reported using the rubric below. 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.

The learning habits framework focuses on supporting and tracking the learning journey of all students at St Mary MacKillop College from Year 7 to Year 12.

Learning Habit	Not yet evident 0%	Rarely Approximately 10-39%	Sometimes Approximately 40-69%	Usually Approximately 70-89%	Consistently Approximately 90% or more
Attitude to learning	seeks feedback and responds to feedback takes on challenges in your learning
Application to tasks	completes tasks by the due date and to the best of your ability
Behaviour in class	shows respect to your peers and your teacher works in class is attentive in class discussions and activities
Organisation	attends class on time brings all necessary equipment to class

Guide to Assessment and Reporting

Please find in the link below a guide to help families understand assessment and reporting at St Mary MacKillop College.

https://heyzine.com/flip-book/3c0e1ae38f.html

If you have any feedback on this document, please email me at nlane@mackillopsh.vic.edu.au.

Learning Conversations at Home

As mentioned above, we encourage parents to engage their child 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 is available on PAM. Semester 2 provides the perfect opportunity for students to ‘begin again’, to reflect on their learning from Semester 1, to identify strengths and areas for improvement, and to 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 2027. 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 results for Year 9 and determine the students to invite to apply to accelerate into a VCE subject in 2027.

Once the final blocking of subjects to be offered in 2027 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

I sent our students a survey and asked them to reflect on their learning from Semester 1. Please find below a selection of the responses from our students.

What is your favourite subject and why?

Art Making and Exhibiting. This subject is my favourite as it allows me to explore different art mediums and principals for our final artworks in Unit 4 later in the year. It is also my favourite as it allowed me to broaden my career choices and has given me the pathway of wanting to study fine arts in university.
VET Equine studies because I get to learn about the things that I am interested in.
My favourite subject is Food Tech because I enjoy making food.
I most enjoy my Year 11 class of Health and Human Development because it gives me a challenge and I enjoy the content within the subject.
Metal Magic because I like to create things and it gives me skills for a possible future job.
English because I can express myself through writing and use my critical thinking skills and creativity to produce good writing.

Explain the highlight from your learning in Semester 1.

Getting to go the National Centre for Equine Education in Wangaratta to complete a practical day assignment.
A highlight was having lots of 'exceeding' results from the semester.
TAFE as I get to do things I enjoy with my mates and have fun while we work.
My favourite highlight from my learning in semester one was learning a variety of things through my electives.
My highlight was learning about rocks in Science.
Improving in Maths.

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

Getting 95% on my HHD SAC and Psychology test.
100% in Anatomy, 100% in Maths.
The result I am most proud of this semester is my Term 2 maths test in which I got 100%.
Getting all excelling in Art.
Making division in both school basketball and football.
I am happy with my Humanities result.

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

Be on time, hand things in when they are due, ask for extra help.
Studying and working harder as well as preparing myself before tests.
Getting better marks in Maths.
Achieve to the best of my abilities.
In semester two I hope to engage in studying at home more and to put more effort in paying attention in class.
Being more organised with my locker.

Nathan Lane

Deputy Principal Teaching & Learning