Director of Student Engagement Update

Dear Families, Students and Community Members,

In terms of student engagement, 2019 has been a busy and exciting year thus far. We have continued to offer an array of engagement opportunities for our students and we have made some significant changes to our programs.

Student Led Conferences

In response to feedback, we have changed the structure and delivery of Student Led Conferences in 2019. Parent Teacher Interviews for all year levels will now occur in Week 7 of this term, replacing the traditional Term 3 Student Led Conferences. Bookings are now open. Please book your appointments via Compass.

In the Senior School, there will be no scheduled evening for Student Led Conferences. In lieu of this, students in Years 10-12 will participate in an ‘On Track’ meeting with their Mentor teacher. This will occur during Mentor lessons over a number of weeks, without parent attendance. The aim of on track meetings is to facilitate meaningful discussions between students and their Mentor teachers in regards to their short and long-term goals, achievements thus far and future actions students should implement to assist in achieving their goals. Student preparedness and participation in on track meetings will be reported on as a Learning Task.

In the Middle School, Student Led Conferences will occur in Week 6 of Term 4, which is the final week of the 2019 academic year. Students will have dedicated preparation time and will attend a 10-minute conference with their Home Group Teacher or another significant teacher. Parents are welcome to attend, but students can complete their conference without a parent in attendance. Their conference will provide students the opportunity to celebrate their achievements in 2019, reflect on their progress and consider their goals for 2020. All students are required to complete a conference and their participation will be reported on as a Learning Task on Compass.

MEX 2.0

The Mordialloc Experience program is comprised of four units- ‘Looking Within’, ‘Looking Out’, ‘Looking Around’ and ‘Looking Beyond.’ Each unit has a specific area of focus. This year, we have continued with a number of our traditional programs, including community placements and the City Experience, which is a highlight for many students. In addition, we have made some significant changes to the ‘Looking Within’ unit; by partnering with various local organisations we have provided students with the opportunity to participate in practical activities such as functional training and yoga, guided meditation, and have arranged for guest speakers present to our students about various topics related to positive wellbeing. We are also looking forward to this term's ‘Looking Beyond’ project, where students will design, make and sell their own ethical and/ or sustainable product in the final week of Term 3. This will provide students with the opportunity to practise the enterprise skills they have been learning in class.

Within the MEX program, we have also developed a strong partnership with the Mordialloc Neighbourhood House. Each term, a number of our students have contributed to various special projects, including sewing activities and creating bags of books and blankets to distribute to children in need.

House System

This year we have an extremely dedicated team of House Captains. As well as promoting major school events such as swimming and athletics, we meet on a regular basis to develop lunch- time house activities. Our team has worked closely with the College’s Youth Worker and Kingston Youth Services to develop activities that coincide with key community events. A highlight this year has been our Environment Day. Students were able to assist us in cleaning up rubbish around the school, and participated in a competition to guess the amount of plastic (in tonnes) in our oceans. This term we will be celebrating Book Week, RSPCA Cupcake Day and AFL finals with an array of lunchtime activities.

Parent Engagement

A key area of focus for Semester 2 will be on parent engagement opportunities. If you would like to provide any feedback regarding current opportunities for parent involvement or make any suggestions, please contact me via e-mail, mitchell.sally.s@edumail.vic.gov.au

Sally Mitchell

Director of Student Engagement