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 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.

Monday night was a wonderful celebration of the 2022 school year at our annual Presentation Night. For me it was the first time to experience our Presentation Night face-to-face. Congratulations to all award recipients. We are very proud of the achievements of our students throughout 2022. It was great to listen to our former student, Dr Jacob Jewson, talk about his life and career and be entertained by our choir singing the song Seasons of Love from the musical Rent.

As the 2022 school year comes to an end, I would like to recognise the dedicated efforts of our teaching staff throughout the year. Our staff go above and beyond in their work, and their unwavering dedication and commitment to our school and young learners is very much appreciated. Thank you to our students for engaging in your learning throughout the year. I would also like to extend a huge thank you to our community for your support throughout 2022. It is a great privilege to be part of leading this wonderful school, and I look forward to continuing our learning journey together in 2023.

I wish all members of our school community the very best of the Liturgical season we are entering. I love this time of the year and I am reminded to wait patiently and quietly for Christmas and to reflect on the humbling event which is the birth of our brother, Jesus. This time of the year is also a reminder of the depth of commitment to the world Mother Mary made. Over the next few weeks as we attend Church and share in Eucharistic celebrations, may we prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus.

May all members of our community have a holy and peace filled Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year. May it be a time of joy, connection and love for your family. I hope you take the opportunity to rest, recuperate and celebrate with your family and friends over these holidays. I look forward to another exciting year of teaching and learning in 2023.

Holiday reading

The holidays provide an opportunity to do some reading. We encourage our students to read the novels for their English classes in 2023. We also promote reading for leisure, and the Reading Australia website provides some tips for parents to support their child with their reading and literacy development (here). 

Semester Two 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 PAM on a regular basis and to have conversations at home around their child’s academic progress. End of Semester reports have almost been completed and will shortly be available online via PAM. I encourage parents and guardians to take the time to discuss the report 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. Please contact the Front Office prior to Friday 16th December if you need any assistance accessing reports or if you need your password reset.

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 1, 2023, please do not hesitate to contact the Front Office.

All Victorian Government and Catholic schools now must 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.

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. Sally Op’t Hoog, Learning Diversity Leader, has emailed families about this.

Victorian Curriculum Standards

The scoring range for the Victorian Curriculum for Foundation Level to Level 10 is structured in 0.5 increments which nominally equate to 6 monthly progress within an achievement standard.

Achievement means a teacher locating a student on a continuum of learning for a Learning Area and and/or Capability by making an on-balance, holistic, evidence-based and defensible judgement of assessment evidence gathered during a reporting period.

Progress means representing the growth in learning that has occurred by referencing the last time such achievement standards were reported against for that student in the school.

Typically by the end of the year students should have achieved the following levels for the Victorian Curriculum as outlined in the table below. When students are at these levels on the continuum they are considered as ‘at standard’.

Grading Scale for Year 7 to 11 Assessment Tasks

End of Semester Reports: Grading for Assessment Tasks 

Assessments at Year 7 – 11 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 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

Grading Scale for Year 9 Project Based Learning (PBL) in English, Maths, Religious Education and Science

• Exceeding
• Accomplished
• Consolidating
• Beginning
• Not Yet Evident
• Absent

End of Semester Result for VCE units:

S – Satisfactory. Assessment tasks completed.

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

Reflections on 2022

During our Christmas Liturgy on Friday 2 December, three students shared reflections on their school year.

Reflection on Year 8 by Ava Crow

Going into Year 8 I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, especially with the previous few years of COVID that came with so much uncertainty and changes. It was great to get back to somewhat normality and to participate in activities and extracurricular activities like we used to.

Travelling to Cape Bridgewater at the start of the year for camp was lots of fun and a great chance to interact and learn more about each other as a year level. We got lessons on how to surf and built a lot of resilience entering those freezing cold waters on the beach.

I loved getting to represent the school at summer and winter sports days, them definitely being a highlight of mine and many others year. These are without doubt something we look forward to next year.

The reflection days we participated in were beneficial in allowing us to reset, explore and develop ourselves as individuals and as peers.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Year 8 along with the laughs and fun that came with learning alongside friends and peers. I look forward to hopefully having an even better year in Year 9.

Reflection on Year 9 by Zoe White

For those of us in Year 9, 2022 is our first full year of high school with no interruptions. This year we have been able to experience what it is really like to be a student at MacKillop. We have completed our first official Athletics Carnival along with the Annual Swimming Carnival and our Year 9 Reflection Days. At the beginning of November, we went on our camp to Canberra where we saw many of our national landmarks. We visited Parliament House, The Australian War Memorial and the High Court just to name the favourites. 

For a selected few in Year 9, we were able to take part in the Victorian Student Leadership Conference. This program involved schools and teachers from all across the Asia-Pacific who we were able in to interact with through a virtual platform. We communicated via Zoom and were able to break off into smaller groups to discuss with those from around the world the topics assigned. We were also very fortunate to have many guest speakers, who were active growing young leaders themselves making an impact in their community. As Year 9 students we are all incredibly grateful for the opportunities we have experienced this year and we anticipate those ahead. Thank you.

Reflection on Year 10 by Otto Conlan

Some of my highlights of Year 10 was the CHARTSEC camp at Charlton, it was great fun learning to drive and spending time with my class. The Sport and Rec camp to Melbourne was also very enjoyable, my favourite part was going to the football at the MCG. It was great to get together as a group as this is something we have taken for granted in the past. Reflection Day, Swimming Sports and the Athletics Carnival were also great as we got to get together as a year level and as a school. A major highlight of my year was the AJASS Immersion trip to Tasmania. Through this awesome experience I learned so much about Mary MacKillop and Father Julian Tenison Woods. I learnt about the number of schools and missions Mary and Father Julian instigated and developed and how this benefitted the Catholic community. And now as the year is coming to a close my fellow Year 10s and I are beginning to get excited as we plan our pathways for next year and start to get prepared for 2023.

Student Voice – 2022 Learning Survey

I recently sent our students a survey to reflect on their learning throughout the year. I am incredibly impressed at the reflections the students provided about their achievements throughout the year and how they overcame any challenges in their learning. I have included below some of the responses from the survey questions.

Explain the highlight of your learning in 2022.

• Excelling in Maths.
• Participating in the Renewable Energy Futures Program.
• The many opportunities I was given. E.g. Renewable Energy Futures Project, Peer Tutoring, School Production.
• Project Based Learning
• The group media task in Science that I did with my friends

What were you most proud of this year in your learning?

• Getting 100% on a test.
• I am most proud of achieving VH and H in nearly most of the subjects.
• Making a bridge in Maths.
• Different art techniques.
• Improving in English.

Explain how you have grown as a learner throughout the year.

• I have grown as learner throughout the year by staying organised, asking questions and feedback, reading, and through setting high expectations.
• I have improved my confidence as a learner.
• Able to work in groups more.
• When I first started at MacKillop I didn't understand anything but now in Term 4 I feel like a pro.
• I have studied and achieved good marks in my work.

What is your favourite subject and why?

• Maths as I have an amazing and supportive teacher.
• My favourite subject is Maths because I love solving problems and working with numbers.
• PE because I like playing games with my friends.
• English because it’s interesting.
• Science, I like science and want a career in it.

Explain how you overcame any challenges in your learning.

• A challenge for me is Science, but I am overcoming this by revising each week what I have learnt.
• I overcame challenges in my learning by going through what I have learnt in the past and asking my teachers for help.
• I would always refer to my teacher first then to my parents. I made sure to understand the entire task before completing it.
• Talking to peers.
• I have overcome challenges in my learning by asking for help and practising.