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.

Many thanks to our community for supporting our Open Day and Subject Expo on Wednesday 26 May. It was wonderful to see so many students and parents in attendance, and to see the Jubilee Centre transformed into a celebration of teaching and learning. Thank you very much to our amazing staff who spent much time organising their displays. There were great displays of student work and the Expo provided an opportunity to discuss face to face with subject teachers, what various subjects we have to offer as we begin the 2022 subject selection process. This year we initiated a Subject Expo treasure hunt to further engage students and their parents at each display. SuniTAFE representatives were also in attendance, providing information on possible career pathways for our students to consider.

For the first time the subject selection information sessions were live streamed for those who could not attend in person. These information sessions provided our students and parents with important information on the subject selection process and an opportunity to discuss future pathways.

During the information sessions two videos were shown that showcased the voices of our students. Please find below the link to these videos.

Video for Year 7 2022 students and parents here

Video for Years 9, 10, 11 and 12 students and parents here

2022 Subject Selection for Current Year 8 – 11 students – Online Process using Web Preferences 

• All students have received a planning sheet and had the process explained to them in their Pathways classes or in special meetings for Year 8 students.
• They will all have received an email containing a student access code and password.
• Students have been encouraged to discuss their planning with parents and their teachers.
• Once preferences have been completed online, students must print a preference receipt for their parents to co-sign and return to the Pathways Office.
• All students need to complete their Web Preferences and return their preference receipt to the Pathways Office by Tuesday 1 June.

Any families without internet access or who need further assistance with completing the online Web Preferences subject selection process, please contact the Pathways Team to make an appointment.

The online entry of 2022 subject choices is part of the first stage in our subject selection process where students indicate their preferences, to determine final subjects for 2022.

Year 8 and 9 students need to plan their completion of the Year 9 and 10 Vertical Curriculum carefully, ensuring they complete the required minimum units in a range of subjects whilst also choosing electives that suit their particular interests and learning needs. 

Year 10 and 11 students have been encouraged to seek further advice from their parents, teachers and Pathways Coordinators on their career and tertiary education pathways. Students should consider the numerous options within VCE or VCAL, including the opportunity to complete School Based Apprenticeships and VET subjects for those more focussed on preparing for the workforce, or the need to research prerequisite subjects and ATAR scores required for university courses. 

Once the final blocking of subjects to be offered in 2022 is completed, all students in Year 11 and Year 12 will have subject counselling interviews in November. Parents or guardians are required to attend these interviews and booking times will be available online using PAM. 

Subject selection assistance is also available from students’ Teacher Advisor or subject teachers as well as more specific planning advice from Ms Looney or Ms Brady in the Pathways/Careers Office each lunchtime for the remainder of Term 2 and Term 3.

Subject Selection Website

To support students and parents as they navigate their way through the subject selection process for 2022, a website has been provided containing useful resources for students entering Year 9, 10, 11 and 12 in 2022. Please find here the link to the website. We hope this will be a useful resource for students and parents. If you have any feedback on the website, please email nlane@mackillopsh.vic.edu.au.

National Careers Week

Our Subject Expo was held in the week after National Careers Week. This week is a great opportunity to bring attention to the importance of career exploration.

National Careers Week is an initiative of the Career Industry Council of Australia and aims to celebrate careers, career development, career development services, and career development practitioners and to promote the economic, social and personal benefits of career development. (Source: https://careersweek.com.au/)

For senior school students wondering what are jobs of the future, the Job Outlook website highlights where there is likely to be demand in industries in which employment has grown strongly in recent years. This includes:

• Health Care and Social Assistance
• Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
• Education and Training
• Construction

We encourage our students to keep exploring the many future pathway opportunities available to them.

2022 Curriculum Book Cover

Thank you to Angelica Watson of Year 10 for designing the front cover for the 2022 Curriculum Book.

General Achievement Test (GAT)

All students enrolled in one or more Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) Unit 3−4 sequences or VCE VET scored Unit 3−4 sequences, including Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) students, are expected to sit the General Achievement Test (GAT). The GAT will be held from 10.00am to 1.15pm on Wednesday 9 June 2021. The GAT is a test of general knowledge and skills in these broad areas:

• written communication
• Mathematics, Science and Technology
• Humanities, the Arts and Social Sciences

For further information on the GAT, including the 2021 GAT brochure, please go to: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/assessment/vce-assessment/general-achievement-test/Pages/Index.aspx

Purpose of Examinations in Year 8 – 11 

External examinations in Year 12 VCE studies are a major component of the overall assessment and the study score achieved. Exams in junior levels can add to the anxiety of some students, yet they also have the potential to build resilience and promote effective revision strategies. 

At St Mary MacKillop College, the main purpose of exams in Year 8 – 11 is:

1. To develop student confidence and experience in examination settings.
2. To develop subject specific revision and examination skills.
3. To instil a culture of regular revision and home study preparation.
4. To reinforce an academic learning culture at St Mary Mackillop College amongst students, parents and the wider community.
5. To support the school’s aim in providing a range of both formative and summative assessment tasks for improved student learning.

In Year 8 classes, students will be explicitly taught how to approach and revise for each subject specific exam. The exam will be conducted in exam conditions and be set a duration of 70 minutes, including 10 minutes of teacher instruction time. 

In Year 9 and 10 classes, the revision strategies specific to that subject will also be explicitly taught and the examination paper will be structured in a way that promotes scaffolding towards the style of examinations held in senior years for that subject. 

In Year 11 VCE classes, students are given practice exams during the revision period and all exams assess the key knowledge and skills as per the current VCAA study design. 

The outcome of all examinations will be reported in semester reports with a grade-only scale. As the final summative assessment for the semester, no feedback comments are provided. 

We have endeavoured to spread exams so that students have no more than two exams per day. Please contact Mr Lane should you have any questions or concerns.

Year 11 Exam Timetable here

Year 9/10 Exam Timetable here

Year 8 Exam Timetable here

Thank you to Ms Rogers for putting together the Semester 1 Exam Timetables.