Senior School Report

The Year in Reflection

2021 has been a challenging year once again; however, senior school students, parents / carers and staff have faced these challenges and we find ourselves at the end of the school year ready for a well-deserved break. We look forward to 2022 with high expectations.

Though we experienced periods of remote learning from home this year, the college has ensured that the senior school program continued with students continuing their studies and completing the required assessment tasks. Important programs such as the senior school exams and the Head Start program to prepare students for their 2022 studies were also conducted.

The Senior School team would like to thank all staff who supported the senior school students during 2021. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank the Senior School Coordinator’s Mr Santos (Year 10), Mr Barnett (Year 11) and Ms Manioudakis (Year 12)- for all their work this year. They have been a tremendous support to the students and myself.

Year 12 Residential 2022

The Year 12 Camp- the Residential, will be held at Ormond College, University of Melbourne from Monday, 7 February 2021 to Tuesday, 8 February 2022. This is an important camp for 2022 Year 12 students to attend.

The program for the Residential will contain workshops and activities for both the 2022 Year 12 VCE students and Year 12 VCAL students to prepare for and to manage their final year of secondary school. The students will participate in sessions to help boost their results, build understanding about their post-school options, develop the knowledge, skills and required mindset to help students to achieve their best, and provide strategies to support their wellbeing.

The Residential consent form and payment are now due, please check on Compass.

Year 12 VCAA Results

The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority released the VCE study scores, ATAR results and VCAL results this week.

Congratulations to our Year 12 students on the college’s 100% pass rate for VCE. Ms Haines, Careers and Pathways Coordinator, has been available to support the students with their post-school transition. Ms Haines will also be available to support students with tertiary institution offers in January. Ms Haines will be in contact with the Year 12 students with full details about her availability.

VCE Special Examination Arrangements

Special Examination Arrangements may be approved for VCE students with disabilities, illnesses or other circumstances that affect their ability to access a VCE external assessment. Special Examination Arrangements applications are made to the VCAA through the student’s school and must be endorsed by the principal. Such applications will be considered by the VCAA in accordance with its policies.

Disability and / or illness does not automatically entitle a student to Special Examination Arrangements. The prime consideration is the impact of a disability and/or illness on the student’s capacity to undertake their VCE external assessments and, if necessary, what reasonable adjustments can be made to enable the student to complete VCE external assessments on the same basis as students without a disability and/or illness.

The VCAA considers each application for Special Examination Arrangements on the basis of independent professional and/or educational and academic assessments, any school-based evidence and recommendations provided with the application, and the VCAA’s assessment. The professional, educational and academic assessments, along with school-based evidence, will be considered by the VCAA on a case-by-case basis. The VCAA will make a decision based on all evidence received with an application.

Students and parents/carers need to contact Mr Stirling if they wish to apply for special examination arrangements. More information is available at https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/administration/special-provision/Pages/SpecialExaminationArrangements.aspx

Return to School 2022

All senior school students must ensure that all set holiday homework is completed to a high standard and that they are ready for 2022 to learn and do their best. VCAL students are reminded of the importance of their VET courses and work placements; these are mandatory requirements for satisfactory completion of the VCAL. These must be fully organised with Ms Haines.

On behalf of the Senior School team, I wish all students and their families a restful and relaxing break and we look forward to working with our senior school students in 2022. We wish our departing VCE and VCAL Year 12 Class of 2021 all the very best for the future and we look forward to hearing about their achievements in the future.

Mr Tony Stirling

Head of Senior School