Learning and Teaching 

Welcome Back

The start of a new school year is a time of great hope and optimism. On the back of what has been a reasonably good summer, it has been wonderful to welcome students and staff back on site; a renewed sense of vigour and anticipation is most apparent. Much of this excitement comes from the simple fact that we are back in person, albeit with some minor restrictions (masks etc). It is hard to believe that we have not had a full term on site in Melbourne since Term 4 2019. It is pleasing, however, that at this stage there are some very positive signs for most of us in that- illness aside- this Term will be completed on site.

On the back of such a tumultuous number of years, it’s absolutely vital that students do all they can to establish themselves as learners, and that we as parents, carers and teachers do all we can to support that. The need for routine, both at home and at school, should serve us well in spite of any obstacles (such as being required to stay home) should they arise. As always, it is the school, the student and the family working together to reinforce this, enabling all students to achieve their personal best.

Teachers are ensuring that learning resources and materials are being posted on Google Classroom for all students; should there be an absence, learning will be in place for each day. Our expectations for all student are high; whilst illness or necessary isolation may be the reason for an absence, learning should still continue where possible. It is far better to view these situations from the proactive perspective of what can be done or achieved as opposed to a retrospective analysis as to why it wasn’t. Should there be any concerns in this regard, certainly contact the classroom teacher in the first instance.

We look forward to 2022 being a year of ‘COVID Normal’ and whatever that might entail. Whilst we may not be certain of the intricacies of what the year will present, we are as committed as ever to ensuring that the quality of education at St Bede’s is the best that it can be through supporting one another and establishing and maintaining high standards.

Classroom Habits

In light of the interruptions of the past two years, re-establishing and making clear expectations in the classroom have never been more pertinent. In support of that, St Bede’s College will be introducing clear guidelines for classroom learning behaviour that is made clear to students and reported on each term. 

Below is a rubric that teachers will use as a guide to provide feedback to students. In this regard, it serves as a measure regarding each and every student is giving themselves every opportunity to learn and, in turn, achieving their personal best. 

Acknowledging it is a new initiative for 2022, the descriptors within the rubric may need some fine-tuning in order for them to be better understood by students, their families and staff. This will be achieved through a mid-year review (after Semester 1 reporting) that endeavours to make the rubric as understood and accessible to all parties as possible. Further details for our parents and carers to be involved in this process will be made available later in the year. 

Year 9 Acceleration into VCE 2023

Once again, St Bede’s College will be offering our Year 9 students the opportunity to accelerate into Year 11 (Unit 1) VCE subjects as part of their Year 10 program. You may well be questioning why this is mentioned now when the students concerned have only just commenced Year 9. Put simply, judgments regarding a student’s suitability are made largely based upon student academic performance in Semester 1 Year 9. As it is an accelerated program, students are offered a place according to what they achieve in their subjects undertaken. Criteria include;

• An Overall English mark of 80% or above
• Overall mark of 80% or higher in two of Maths, Science and Geography/History (70% if a student has undertaken a higher level Maths subject)
• Two other subjects equal to or above 80% (from Religious Education, Physical Education and chosen Electives)

Should any student not meet all of the criteria, they may still be considered for acceleration based on their learning disposition, their reported habits or a teacher reference. It is of the utmost importance that the right students are offered places in these classes as it increases workload significantly and conceptually the subjects present a significant challenge.

More information will be provided on the process closer to subject selection in early Term 3, however it is important to note that there are advantages to VCE acceleration, including the addition of another subject when calculating student ATARs at the end of Year 12. All students are encouraged to aspire to meet the selection criteria as a result.

Brenden Mair

Deputy Principal

Teaching and Learning