Teaching and Learning

This week the Booklists for Year 7- 12 open online. You can access this via the online PAM Portal on SIMON. A summary of the key information can be found below.

Connecting the Dots

Independent learners are able to make connections between the what – the content of what is being taught in class, the how – the skills that are required for application, and the why – why the curriculum or learning matters. Our team of excellent staff are working hard to make this explicit for our students. The learning objective of each class is made clear at the beginning of the lesson. The ways in which the new knowledge and skills build upon and extend prior learning is articulated. And the practice of new knowledge and skills is monitored by teachers and timely feedback given.

Sometimes students do not connect the dots. They go through the motions of the lessons, the tasks and even the assessment in some instances without the confidence and the certainty of the learning objective. As your son or daughter approaches the exam period and engages with revision, I would urge you to help them ‘connect the dots’. In English for example, each sentence re-written, each new paragraph reworked, or language skills task completed all contribute to knowing how to write coherent and fluent work. By reviewing class work via the Class OneNote or Team and the workbook, students will discover the small ‘dots’ or learning objectives that help to guide learning and skill acquisition. Each dot matters. Each learning moment contributes to the big picture.

Please work through the attached document with your son or daughter. Understanding the expectations for conduct during the exam period is an important way to prepare and build confidence.

Mrs Susan Bradbeer

Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning

Ordering Booklists

VCE Step Up & Emerge - Years 10, 11 & 12 (2021)

Dates – Thursday 3rd December to Tuesday 8th December.

The purpose of the Step-Up Programme is to lay a solid foundation for students as they transition from one academic year to the next.  The programme begins once the Year 9 to 11 exams have taken place. This is not an optional programme, but rather the official start of the VCE Emerge Programme for Years 10, 11 and 12 for 2021. Students will meet their class peers and their new teachers. Teachers will spend time outlining class expectations, course outlines and introduce several key skills or knowledge that will kickstart their learning in each subject. Step Up will provide opportunities for subject teachers to build relationships with their students in preparation for a busy 2021. Meeting their classmates and gaining an insight into the expectations of each subject, reduces feelings of anxiety at the start of the school year and ensures a smooth start to their studies. 

The Step-Up Timetable consists of 4 periods of class time per subject. This allocated time provides teachers with the opportunity to introduce students to the requirements of the VCAA Study Design prescribed for each subject and provide students with appropriate introductory learning tasks that they can follow up independently during the holiday break. It is expected that all students will receive work to be completed in preparation for the start of the 2021 academic year.

During Mentor time on Thursday 3rd December, students will receive their Step-Up Timetable and other essential documents. A Teams welcome message will be delivered during this Mentor Time for all new Year 10, 11 and 12s.

Mrs Rebekah Bonnett

Head of VCE and Head of Science