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.

We have completed our first three weeks of classes and Term 1 is in full swing. Walking around the school I can see our students are engaged in their learning. On Monday I was fortunate to visit two Year 9 Science classes who had organised a Science Fair. The students were working in small groups and explaining their learning to our Year 7 students. Lots of conversations and activities led by our students made for a great learning experience! This week we have also had the opportunity to come together as a school community for our Swimming Carnival and to celebrate the opening of the new school year at Mass.

Goal Setting for 2023

At last week’s assembly I took the opportunity to welcome our students back to the 2023 school year. I mentioned that the start of the new school year is the perfect opportunity to set some personal learning and wellbeing goals to work towards achieving throughout the year. I encouraged our students to review their Semester 2 report from last year to help frame some of the goals they will set this year. The feedback in the end-of-semester report provides an opportunity for discussion on areas of strength and areas for improvement. For our new Year 7 students, I encourage them to think of the goals they will set at the beginning of the year. Could the goal be related to personal organisation and developing a weekly study plan? Perhaps you could think of a subject you struggled a little with in primary school and set a goal to improve in that area this year. When setting your goals, think of the SMART acronym: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. Throughout each term our students have the opportunity to meet with their Homeroom teacher and talk about their goals and the progress they are making in their learning, as well as any support they might require.

In previous newsletters I have written about growth mindset. Dr Carol Dweck is the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. I am particularly interested in her research in the area of growth mindset and how goal setting can be seen through a growth mindset lens. 

Dr Dweck’s research shows we can have either a fixed or growth mindset when it comes to the beliefs about our intelligence and the way we learn. Advances in research has also showed that our brains are much more malleable than we ever knew. This means that through good learning strategies and habits, practice and by asking questions, we can change from having a fixed mindset to a growth mindset, and take on the challenges we face in our learning.

With this in mind, my desire for students at the College throughout 2023 is to approach your studies with a growth mindset. I encourage you to:

• Strive for personal excellence in all that you do and remember that personal excellence looks different to everyone
• Approach challenges in your studies with a growth mindset
• See a challenge as something positive
• Carefully read the feedback teachers provide you for your assessment tasks 
• Seek assistance from your teachers when you do not understand something
• Celebrate your personal successes and achievement of your goals

Learning Habits Rubric

In 2023, learning habits will continue to be 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.

Year 7, 8 and 9 Timed Assessment Task for English, Maths and Science

Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 will complete at least one timed assessment per semester in 2023 for English, Maths and Science. Students will be explicitly taught the skills of how to revise in preparation for the timed assessment.

Parent Access Module (PAM)

Have you seen your child’s timetable, Learning Area tasks and assessments, attendance data and other key information by logging on to our Parent Access Module (PAM) via the College website?

Our teachers have been busy updating and uploading to PAM the subject course outlines (snapshots of learning), assessment tasks and approximate due dates for these tasks in Semester One. Some students will be asked to upload their work to the Learning Areas on Simon, our Learning Management System, or to upload to Google Classroom. Google Classroom has become a popular platform for teachers to upload work for their classes, and for students to upload their assessments once completed. 

One of the many advantages of Simon, our Learning Management System, is the ability for continuous online reporting. As soon as a piece of work is corrected, teachers upload the feedback and result for this task to Simon, which can then be accessed by students and parents in real time. Thus, there is no need to wait until the end of the term to access results on the semester report. As feedback on your child’s progress in subjects is continually being updated, we encourage you to check for updates and upcoming assessment tasks regularly.

Our Teacher Advisor (TA) program will commence next week. This program is an important part of our commitment to supporting students throughout their learning journey. Students will complete a TA interview with their homeroom teacher throughout the term. This is an opportunity to touch base with the homeroom teacher and to discuss progress in subjects and any support that might be required, as well as set some goals for learning. Parents of Year 7 students are invited to attend the first TA interview with their child and homeroom teacher on Monday 6 March. This is an opportunity to meet your child’s homeroom teacher and to understand how the TA interview process works. Further information on the Year 7 TA interview has been included in this newsletter.

VCE/VCE VM/VPC and VCAL Parent Support guide

Curriculum Leaders have updated the VCE/VCE VM/VPC and VCAL Parent Support Guide which contains useful strategies for parents to support their child through the VCE/VCE VM/VPC and VCAL years. The updated document for 2023 has been uploaded to the Parent Access Module (PAM).

2023 NAPLAN

In 2023, the NAPLAN tests will be held in March over three days. The testing schedule is will commence in March. For further information on NAPLAN, please click here.