CURRICULUM
“The oak fought the wind and was broken; the willow bent when it must and survived.”
– Robert Jordan
Thank you to all students, staff, and parents for making the first half of the year such a positive and energetic time. We have seen so many events made available to the students to extend their breadth of learning. The dedication of all involved continues to make VCASS an inspiring and integral part of the community.
The quote from Robert Jordan exemplifies the increased adaptation to the challenging changes in students' lives. Not only have they dealt with their adolescence, which is challenging enough, they have utilised coping and resilience strategies to move forward. An example of this tenacious work was seen by Cecilia in Year 8 History through the inquiry question of ‘What is a Renaissance Man?’ You can see her published website here: https://renaissance-period-cecilia8.my.canva.site/
From Week 8, students will have noticed the change to some of their subjects such as History swapping to Geography, or electives swapping around such as Drama and Art. This is an exciting change to explore different areas of the curriculum, exposing new areas of interest.
The Year 9 Kerrupon students have been working hard to hold their annual Kerrupon Exhibition at the end of Term 2. Through the lens of ‘Social and Cultural Diversity’, students consider how they can promote inclusion and cohesion in the many communities that surround them. Each individual student’s exhibit showcases a particular area of interest. An example which was sure to spark curiosity was the excursion to the Melbourne Zoo, exploring the practical ethics of animals in captivity.
In Term 3, the Year 9 students will complete their Morrisby Profile Test to entertain a variety of work pathways and interview with a qualified careers councillor. Furthermore, they will volunteer at the Port Phillip Specialist School in small groups to spend time with students with diverse needs.
The Debate Club saw the Junior team take victory in Round 4 of the competitive season. In a secret topic revealed on the night, the teams were asked to debate the merits of funding space travel over the needs of saving the planet. Congratulations to the Junior team.
In Term 3, the Tutor Support Program will support identified students to aid in literacy and numeracy achievement. Identification of these students has occurred and communication with these students and families will occur early in Term 3.
The Year 10 and 11 Semester Exams gave a valuable opportunity for students to reflect on their study habits and preparation for formal assessment. For some students, it was their very first exam under such strict conditions. I hope the exercise provided a memorable experience which emulated the VCE Year 12 external conditions.
The Annual Student Attitudes to School Survey (ATOSS) was conducted at each year level to provide a range of data for the wider community and is an opportunity to capture and respond to student reflections about their learning. In combination with NAPLAN and Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT), teachers will analyse the data to plan and implement positive change at a holistic level.
During the holidays, the release of the Semester 1 reports is a timely reminder for students to reflect on their academic performance, and to utilise feedback for increased engagement and academic improvement. Students are urged to discuss their learning progress with their families. Through the ongoing reporting of learning tasks, students will be able to see their progress over time as a method of witnessing personal growth and development.
Have a safe and well deserved break over the holiday period.
This term, Year 8 have been learning about'Les Passe-temps et Les Loisirs' (pastimes and leisure activities). For their second Learning Task, students wrote a short conversation where they role played meeting a new student who is just starting at VCASS. To make the new student feel welcome, they shared information about themselves - name, age, pastimes and specialist subject and also asked the other student a little about themselves. In the video below you will see Will and Milla (new to VCASS this year and also a new student of French!) present their conversation to the class. Bravo Will et Milla! C'est magnifique!
To watch the video below, use the password French
Berthe Mouchette 2022
Recently all Year 7, 8 and 9 students participated in the annual Berthe Mouchette poetry competition run by the Alliance française de Melbourne. Each student was required to learn a French poem by heart and recite it in class. Next term finalists will be chosen and, if selected, the students will again recite their poem for a French examiner from the Alliance.
The theme for this year's poems was Freedom! - Liberté! and we had some truly beautiful recitations, a sample of which you can see and hear below from Year 9 students Lucas and Sharon and Year 8 students Lazarus and Sophie.
Félicitations à tous les élèves pour votre travail assidu!
To watch the video below, use the passwordPoems