Senior School News

We have all been on a huge learning curve related to educating students remotely over the past few weeks. We understand that this is a difficult time for senior students as we have had our daily routines interrupted so much while teachers are asking you to develop new learning routines at home.

I would like to thank families for their support during this time. I would like to remind parents that we are not asking you to be a home school teacher while students are working from home. The teachers will run the lessons and present the content to be learnt. The students should be contacting teachers when they need help.

As parents we hope you can work with your child to help develop a routine where he/she will follow the timetable and check in with each teacher during the class time and log on to conference classes when they are offered. I am extremely impressed with the efforts the teaching staff have made to ensure that students are able to continue to learn the content.

Some Changes in Senior School for 2020

We will not be running exams at Year 10-12 during term 2 this year. This will give teachers and students an extra 2 weeks to cover the content required for their subjects. Depending on how the next few weeks pan out we may look at including something during term 3 to give students an exam experience as exam practice is vital for Year 12 preparation.

VCAA Changes

VCAA has already announced that the General Achievement Test (GAT) will be done in October/November this year.

Year 12 exams will be delayed until at least December.

Universities have been asked to delay the beginning of 2021 to cater for 2020 Year 12 students finishing later than normal.

We are still waiting on advice regarding reducing SACs for Year 12 students this year, most of this will effect Unit 4 classes as most schools have progressed at different rates through Unit 3. We are also waiting advice on any SACs that should be done at school rather than remotely. Please be aware that for any SAC that does take place remotely, the students will be required to sit a validation task when we return to school.

With these changes in place I am confident our students will get the preparation they need for final exams this year.

Jeff Micallef

Senior School Leader

Year 12 News

I am very pleased to report that generally the beginning of remote learning has been quite smooth for Year 12 students.  Feedback from teachers and parents has been positive, with students actively participating in online learning.  There have been and there will be times that students will feel overwhelmed with remote learning.  It is best to email me with your concerns so we can work together to see them through this difficult time. If need be, students are referred to the wellbeing staff for further support.  For students who access external support services, I strongly encourage this to continue. 

I wish all the Year 12 students all the very best for the rest of the term.  I do miss the hustle and bustle of the year level. 

Laura Brancatella

Year 12 Coordinator

Year 11 News

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge all the hard work that has been done by teachers, students and families that has made the transition to remote learning as smooth as can be expected. 

I would also like to acknowledge that students and families are experiencing a number of different challenges during this time that can make remote learning difficult. It is important for students to remain engaged in their and learning and to stay up to date with school work, but there also needs to be realistic expectations during this unusual circumstance. It is important to remember that everyone is being affected in different ways.  

Thank you to all the Year 11 students who have been checking in daily with teachers through google classroom and email. It is vital that you stay connected to the college for the time we are away from face to face teaching. As best you can, try to keep to your school timetable - this is when your teachers will be online and best available to assist you. Try and stick to a routine and try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day. Also, please make sure you are filling out the daily attendance and wellbeing survey, this allows us to keep track of how you are dealing with learning from home. 

Finally, as always, if you have any concerns, feel free to contact myself via xuno or gmail. 

Look forward to seeing you in person in the not too distant future!

Daniel Mulligan

Year 11 Coordinator