Teaching & Learning
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It’s wonderful to see our students returning with enthusiasm for the start of the school year, with students keen to start strongly and put their best efforts into their studies. This is a time of year when motivation to succeed is high and the school year is full of possibility. We encourage students to set their expectations high and students will be supported by their teachers to do their very best.
We must also remember that education is a marathon, not a sprint, and students run this at their own pace. It can be helpful to keep in mind that students are working toward improvement at their level and this is different for each individual. A focus on the student’s individual goals and developing a positive and resilient mindset can go a long way to maintaining that motivation and improvement throughout the year.
We encourage you to ask your child what their educational goals are for the year and have regular discussions about their progress. If they are not sure, we will be working with students throughout the year in a variety of ways to help them to achieve their best in all areas of school life.
One of the new programs designed to do this is our new Pastoral Care Program in 2023. Still named after our school motto, Learning for Life, this program will support our students with engaging with our new values, goal setting, study skills, leadership voice and agency in their learning.
Other changes to curriculum in 2023 include:
- Changes to the VCAL Program which is now the VCE VM and VPC, offering students a range of options in their senior pathways.
- An inquiry subject called “Foodlab Entrepreneurship” at Year 9, Partnering with Whittlesea Tech School, where students explore the relationship between global warming and meat production. Students will be working in teams to design, test and market vegetarian food products. This will include visits to Whittlesea tech where students will get to create the product and design packaging.
- New Arts subjects at Years 7&8 (in place of music, which we hope to have up and running again in 2024) which explore various art forms in Year 7 and introduces students to a range of art mediums in Year 8.
We are always seeking to engage our students in new and innovative ways and will be seeking their feedback throughout the year to find out what studies they are interested in, enjoy and connect to their future goals.
Epping Secondary College encourages students to stay curious and use their voices to tell us what matters to them and their world, what their goals and aspirations are and how we can help them to achieve to the best of their abilities.
We look forward to a strong and positive year for ESC students in their studies.