GEC College News

Senior School News

Senior School students are to be commended for their hard work in Semester 1. This diligence has certainly paid off for many, so a huge congratulations to all award recipients who received Academic Excellence and Endeavour awards. They have shown a commitment to their studies and as a result received very pleasing results in all of their studies. I encourage all students to aim high and make learning their focus. Here’s hoping we have even more students receiving awards at the end of this semester.

 

Congratulations and thank you to Erin Herr for her beautiful rendition of The Australian National Anthem, “Advance Australia Fair” and to the cast of Fame Jr for their performance of a scene from the upcoming school musical during our Celebration Assembly.

 

Senior School students have been busy making decisions about their future pathways, from Year 10 Work Experience to Year 12 students getting ready to put in preferences for University placements. The Work Experience program is designed to provide a glimpse into working life and possible career paths. I extend congratulations to all the students who completed this program and commend our Year 10 students on how professionally and responsibly they acted during this period.

 

We had some fascinating placements including Alice Sabouraud who worked at the CBD based office for Telstra, sitting in on meetings, attending the future ways of working workshops and participating in team building activities. Close by was Connor McCaskie at Vendor Panels, not only learning how this business produces its product but also learning about the ins and outs of how the business runs through the accounting and managing teams.

Year 10 students are currently going through the subject selections for Year 11 and beyond. I encourage all students to take the time to think carefully about these choices and choose subjects that appeal to them. 

 

Our VCE Information Session on Wednesday 19th July was very successful and I would like to thank all the students and parents of Year 9 and 10 who filled the PAC. I would also like to thank our staff who set up subject displays and were available on the night to answer the many questions you had. Information was provided on:

  • VCE and VET subject offerings
  • VCAA guidelines
  • Subject selection process
  • College regulations and procedures
  • Strategies to assist students to successfully complete their VCE

 

The PowerPoint used on the night was emailed to all parents of Year 9 and 10 students. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you had issues accessing this information. Relevant documentation for students is also available on the GEC Hub.

 

Important resources for students and parents to refer to include:

 

June was an incredibly busy month for the Year 12 students.  They completed practice exams, attended the VCE Careers Expo and the annual Year 12 Formal. It is important that learning continues to be their focus, enabling them to move into their preferred tertiary placement in 2018.  For any students who are feeling overwhelmed by the demands of Year 12, I do encourage them to seek the appropriate support, which includes myself, Mrs Loucaides, Ms Sanchez, Christalia, or any of their class teachers.

 

We would like to congratulate all students on their behaviour during the Year 12 Formal which was held on Thursday 22nd June at The International. We got to enjoy a wonderful night of great food, lots of laughter and dancing.  Thank you to the Executive Committee, in particular Talya Bahari, Cynthia Dunkley, Lucie Eysseric, Gal Gross, Amber Meadow, Charlotte Skinner, Shilo Yitzhaki and Mr Tori Mulligan, the DJ, for their hard work towards ensuring that the night was a success.

The Year 12 Executive committee is now working towards publishing the Year 12 Yearbook, with the intention that students will receive it on their Valedictory Night which is going to be held on 23rd November. Please save this date as the expectation is that all students attend this momentous occasion.

 

As mentioned in an email sent to all parents, in order to minimise disruptions during the end of year VCAA exams, we will be running these exams in the English Language Centre (ELC). Please note that building works will have ceased in the Gym and therefore there will be no noise interference. We hope that this will give students the best opportunity to successfully complete their exams.

 

All students will be given the opportunity to complete a SEAS (Special Entry Access Scheme) Application, which allows selection officers to grant special consideration to applicants whose education has been impacted by disadvantage. They will consider circumstances that may have affected a student's results or educational progress. More information about SEAS and VTAC applications will be provided at a VTAC Information session that will be held later this term.

 

Senior School Team:

Haroula Loucaides - Senior School Leader

Laura Brancatella - Year 12 Coordinator

Mary Maniatis- Year 11 Coordinator

Matthew Robson - Year 10 Coordinator