Senior Secondary News

From the Head of Senior Secondary 

As this busy fourth term unfolds I would like to inform you of key dates for the Examination and Assessment Panel arrangements for Years 10 and 11 Students, our 'Head Start' program (formerly Rollover) and last day of school for all Years 10 and 11 students.

Dates:

Tuesday 10 - Friday 13 November - Examinations and Assessment Panel

Monday 16 November - Exam catch-ups (mandatory as required) or pupil free day for Years 10/11 students

Tuesday 17 November - Head Start program commences for all Years 10 and 11 students

Monday 30 November - last day of Head Start, final assembly and last day of school for all Years 10 and 11 students

Examinations

Last week students and parents/carers were emailed the timetable detailing the Examination and Assessment Panel schedule for Years 10 and Year 11 students. 

On Monday 16 November any student who misses an exam will be required to attend a catch-up exam session. Unit 4 Psychology students sitting their exam on Thursday 12 November in the morning will not have to attend their Year 11 exams on Wednesday 11 or Thursday 12 in the afternoon. They will instead sit these exams during the Monday 16 November catch up sessions. 

Further correspondence will follow from Ms Katie Newton regarding any special provisions for Examinations and Assessment Panels.

Monday 30 November will be our final assembly where awards will be distributed. This will also be the last day of Head Start and last day of school for all Years 10 and 11 students. Should you have any queries regarding any of the above dates please do not hesitate to contact me: sharyn.hadlow@baysidecc.vic.edu.au.

Sharyn Hadlow 

Head Senior Secondary School

Bike Track Update

Year 10 VCAL students built two return track routes for the mountain bike course during their Industry Elective session. Dave Lomulder did an awesome job working with the students to achieve more work on the ever-growing bike track.

Ken Berry 

VCAL Teacher

VCE News

Consideration of Educational Disadvantage

Over the past months, the VCAA has made several major adjustments to the delivery of VCE and VCE VET studies to support schools and students to engage with learning and assessment, both within the classroom and remotely. These changes, which reduced the assessment demands on students, were crucial to enable a fair, valid and reliable assessment to be made for this year’s VCE students.

At the same time, we recognise that some students enrolled in VCE and VCE VET scored studies have experienced particularly difficult circumstances this year as a result of both coronavirus (COVID-19) and/or bushfires. This

includes health and well-being challenges, financial stress, extra home responsibilities and family stresses.

To ensure fairness for all students, Consideration of Educational Disadvantage (CED) will be considered for all students. In support of this new process, all students can submit a Student Statement. The Student Statement is a simple tick box exercise which will inform the process of CED. No supporting evidence is required. However, the school can ask for clarification if needed.

As part of the process, it is important to understand that the number of boxes ticked does not equate to a change in study score. This information will complement what the school already knows about students, for example previous assessment scores. The school will use documented evidence about the student’s achievement when undertaking the CED process, with the normal VCAA processes ensuring fairness within and between schools. The VCAA will consider the submitted information, including the student’s General Achievement Test results, so that each student’s final VCE and VCE VET study results are fair and reliable.

As in previous years, students can still apply for a Derived Examination Score (DES) if they are prevented from sitting one or more VCE examinations, for example because of illness. In addition, students applying for tertiary places in 2021 should submit a Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS) application to the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) if they have been severely impacted by factors including COVID or bushfires.

Reminder - Exam Navigator

The VCE Exams Navigator Booklet contains a lot of important information that students are expected to know and comply with. As well as the actual exam timetable, they will find what they need for each exam, what is expected of them, and what they can and cannot do.

Chris Alley

VCE Coordinator

Year 12 Thank You Assembly

The graduating class of Year 12 participated in a virtual Thank You Assembly that allowed families to join from across the globe:

Year 12 Last Day

Keeping with Bayside tradition, the Year 12 students enjoyed a day of fun to mark the end of their schooling journey:

Showcase with a Difference:

On Thursday 22 October, the Year 12 VCAL students undertook their biggest and best assessment this year - their red carpet event - Showcase Day. In a traditional year, this event would be catering for 80-100 family and friends, and would happen at night. With the restrictions in place regarding numbers and square meterage per person, the Year 12s pivoted their event to work in a COVID-safe manner. They planned, ran and reflected on a day that would have scaled brilliantly to cater for the 80-100, but instead they entertained 11 teachers and support staff over the course of the day. They fed us bruschetta and cheese platters for morning tea, and a delicious lasagne and salad for lunch. They honoured each other and their Industry Elective teachers, as well as working as a group to get stuff done!  A big congratulations to the 2020 cohort of Year 12 VCAL students on a very professionally-run day. You will be missed!

Head Start for 2021 Year 11 VCAL Students

Year 11 VCAL students will have a different looking school week to their Year 10 program, in that they only attend Bayside on Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays. On Wednesday and Friday they are engaged in their VET course and their work placement.

For Head Start (previously Rollover) students will be engaged in a ‘bridging’ timetable. Head Start commences on Tuesday 17 November, running until Monday 30 November. 2021 Year 11 students (current Year 10 students) will be required to attend all days including Wednesday 18 November for their First Aid certificate. Friday 20, Wednesday 25 and Friday 27 November will be student-free days. 

Some students are starting their VET courses already. All students are encouraged to pursue sourcing their work placements by visiting (if applicable) or phoning organisations that may be able to work with them in 2021.

Olivia Williams

VCAL Coordinator

Yr 10 VCE Pathway Maths

Since returning to the College for classes, Year 10 VCE Pathway Maths students have been working hard to finalise their learning for the year. Recognising that exams are coming up in less than two weeks, they are going over their year’s learning in order to revise for the exam. They are also having to balance their revision with having to finish off their last topics. 

Students heading towards General/Further Maths are focusing heavily on Statistics and calculator-based skills relating to Algebra. Students on the Methods pathway are needing to develop their calculator skills as well as working by hand with a larger focus on Algebra, while having to continue to work on all the other topics as well.

This year students (and teacher) have had a variety of instructional methods, with each having their unique strengths as well as obvious drawbacks. While in remote learning there are recordings of the teaching (due to being done through Zoom), which has meant that students can revisit concepts by pausing, rewinding and fast forwarding through teacher instruction. On returning to classroom instruction, students get the more comfortable method of seeing the work unfold as the teacher writes it on the board, with a more comfortable environment to ask questions and seek out teacher assistance.

Into the future it is hoped that some of the strengths of both practices can be brought together as we look forward to seeing how this “unprecedented” experience can improve our teaching practice.

Paul Mathews

Secondary Maths Teacher

Year 10 Science

Year 10 Science students have recently completed experiments as part of their Chemistry unit. The investigations included the ‘pop test’, which creates a mini explosion, and precipitation reactions, where a solid is formed from two solutions. Students also studied pH and how to neutralise an acid, and related this to testing the water in a swimming pool. It was exciting for students to be back in the Science room performing experiments again, as well as more hands-on activities.

Tanya Rogers

Secondary Science Teacher

"Into the Wild"

Year 11 VCAL students ran two full days of great activities for Years 5/6 students in the new North Campus day camp area. All of the VCAL students did a brilliant job encouraging and teaching the Years 5/6 students. I hope you enjoy a selection of photos from the campfire cooking activity, where students cooked s'mores and cheese toasties (see Primary News page). 

Ken Berry

Years 9/10 Visual Communication Design

Years 9/10 Visual Communication Design students have been looking at packing design. There are a number of purposes for packaging in our society including: to contain, to inform, to protect, transport and to display.

Our focus of packaging has been on a challenge that is based on a task that many students complete during their time at school… to protect an egg in an egg drop challenge.

We had some very unique design constraints, as students were limited to only using paper, and they were not to use any adhesives or tapes in their packaging design.

Many students also took on additional goals including designs that were small in size, targets of weight reduction, provisions for stackability and areas for graphics and branding.

Take a look at some of the designs students developed, many of which were inspired by origami (the Japanese paper folding art).

Joel Kong

Secondary Teacher

Years 11/12 VCAL

Years 11 and 12 VCAL students have completed their unit on learning about the Holocaust. During this time, students were able to reflect on the enormous challenges and tragedies faced by the Jewish people, as well as those who were courageous enough to rise up and step into situations to help when they could have remained silent observers. This unit challenged students to consider how we as Christians respond to others in need and the choices we have. Students also reflected on the importance of hope in Christ and the need to be grateful for the many blessings we have, and therefore opportunities to stand in the gap for others.

Creative response by Isaac P:

I’m standing ready to lose my mind 

But instead I use my mind

So I pray, remembering the days of my youth

As I prepare to meet my moment of truth

The fog of war clears, so does the fear

We have all experienced pain and from this we plan to gain

As hurt brings wisdom, wisdom brings understanding

We have coped with it all and we will have no more.

Lara Curtis-Morris

Secondary Teacher

"Things I Love About VCE English"

• Students learn to critically analyse the myriad of information thrown at them including from the TV, online and the people around them. They learn to be ‘discerners of truth’.
• We explore ideas presented by various authors, interpreting their messages and the different ways they are presented.
• Students continue to develop strong communication skills, expressing their opinions in a coherent and effective way.
• We have great discussions on a huge variety of topics, some important, some just for interest.

Despite being in lockdown for most of 2020, our Year 11 English students have further grown and developed their understanding and skills, and I’m immensely proud of their commitment.

Rachelle Cooper

Secondary Teacher

Tropical Garden

The narrow, north-facing garden bed between the potting shed and the TSC has such a hot microclimate that we have planted a sub-tropical fruit garden there. This bright position, sheltered from cool southerly winds, will allow tropical plants that struggle with our colder temperatures to thrive here. We have planted some bananas and babacos (a cooler climate pawpaw that fruits well on the Peninsula) along the path to the poultry area. The garden beds adjacent to the large decking area have Grumichama tree (tropical cherry), a mountain pawpaw, some tamarillos (tree tomatoes), babacos and bananas. We hope to pick a range of these in the near future for the hospitality program and students to try.

David Goschnick

Agriculture Teacher

Parent Webinar: Design Your Career Youth Summit (Online - 9-13 November)

How do we best prepare students for an uncertain future and equip them for jobs that don't yet even exist? Students and parents have a unique opportunity to register for this event for FREE to find out more. Please use this unique code when registering as it will enable those in the BCC community to have ongoing access to recordings after the event has passed: SBAYAU20

Check out the line-up of speakers and register.

Students in Years 10 and 11 with an interest in pursuing further study in Health, Education and/or Business are encouraged to register ASAP for this local Monash event, which will run via Zoom. 

More information and registration details 

Claire Dawson

Careers Coordinator