Vision for Teaching and Learning at St Mary MacKillop College - a statement that drives the development of a high performance learning culture at SMMC

At St Mary MacKillop College we have high expectations of our students as we equip them with the knowledge, skills and dispositions for lifelong learning. We pursue excellence through a teaching and learning environment that is inclusive, engaging and encourages growth. We value collaboration, innovation and building strong relationships.

A very warm welcome back to Term 3. I hope all members of our community had a relaxing holiday break. Over the holidays, I hope our students took some time to recharge from the demands and challenges of Semester 1 and spent some time with family and friends, or engaging in a hobby.

We commenced the new term with renewed optimism. Over the holidays when I was in Melbourne, I saw a glimpse of life returning to normal. There were more people in the city, restaurants were busy, the theatre was open again and people were travelling outside of Victoria. However, as we know all too well, the situation changes all the time and we found ourselves back in remote learning at the end of last week. Many thanks to our amazing staff who ensure continuity of learning during our lockdown periods. Thanks also to our students for the positive way they manage their learning throughout these challenging times.

We certainly look forward to another exciting term of teaching and learning. Over the holidays, I spent some time reviewing the student reports across Year 7 to 12. I congratulate our students for their efforts in Semester 1 and I wish everyone all the very best for this semester.

Semester 2 is an exciting time for students to consolidate their learning from the first half of the year, and the chance to engage with new concepts, skills and knowledge. With access to their results from Semester 1, I encourage students to reflect on what they have achieved and to set new goals for their learning in Semester 2. During TA interviews throughout the semester, students will have an opportunity to discuss the progress they are making towards achieving their goals.

One question for students to think about is how they will overcome any challenges they experienced in their learning from last semester. We know throughout our learning journey, we are going to come across some challenges. During the holidays, I came across an interesting infographic that outlined some questions for students to reflect on when they do come across challenges in their learning.

What are you struggling with?
Why is this one difficult?
What have you already tried?
Have you done anything like this before?
What did you do last time?
Is there anything you’ve not tried?
Is there anyone else who could help?

Our amazing teachers will support your child throughout their learning journey. We encourage students to speak to their teachers when they need support with their learning.

Home Study

It is timely at the start of a new semester to remind students of the expectations regarding home study. At St Mary MacKillop College we believe in developing and maintaining effective work habits from Year 7. Students from Years 7 to 12 will be given home study to complete.

We believe that home study provides the opportunity for students to be responsible for their own learning. Home study complements and reinforces classroom learning; it fosters life-long learning, self-discipline, concentration and effective study habits and routines. Home study should require a reasonable commitment, but it should not be too onerous. Students should plan their home study to take into account their family, sporting and work commitments. Students should remember that home study does not only involve completing work from that day’s lesson, but is also an opportunity for revision. In Years 7 to 9, home study may include regular English and Mathematics homework tasks, revising for assessment tasks, reading of newspapers, watching the news, physical skills training or assignment and project completion. Home study also includes completion of formal reflection activities such as mind maps and a summary of the day’s learning. In Years 10 – 12 home study is determined more by the specific subject requirements. When students have not been assigned home study for a particular subject, they should still be revising and going over the content that has been presented to them during class. The time and frequency of home study is different for each year level. As a guide the following table outlines the suggested length of time for home study from Year 7 to 12.

Year 7	an average of two hours of home study educational learning per week
Year 8	an average of two and a half hours of home study educational learning per week
Year 9	an average of three hours of home study educational learning per week
Year 10	Monday – Thursday night, students should be completing a minimum of 45 minutes of home study.
Unit 1 and 2 VCE, VET & VCAL	a minimum of two hours home study, per week, for each subject that they study.
Unit 3 and 4 VCE	a minimum of three hours home study, per week, for each subject that they study.

A reminder that parents are advised to regularly log in to the Parent Access Module (PAM) and read the feedback provided on your child’s progress. Please be aware that at the start of the new semester there will not be much information uploaded within the first few weeks, as teachers are currently in the process of organising and uploading content. Our staff use a variety of digital technologies to support the delivery of the curriculum. Students may be asked to access work or upload assessments to Google Classroom, the Learning Areas on Simon and so on. You may like to ask your son or daughter to show you the work they are doing in these learning platforms.

Senior Secondary Certificate Reform

Victoria is transforming the delivery of senior secondary education with the introduction of a single senior secondary certificate that will offer greater access to quality vocational and applied learning pathways for all students. The senior secondary education reforms aim to provide access to education and training that is relevant, engaging and that delivers in-demand skills for the future world of work, ensuring that students can access education that leads to employment.

Next year students will still be able to enrol in either the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) or the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). The following year, in 2023, VCAL students will be enrolled in the new VCE Vocational Specialisation or the new foundation pathways certificate which will be introduced to replace Foundation VCAL.

The VCE Vocational Specialisation will be recognised internationally, be valued by employers and will build on the strengths of VCAL, including providing:

flexible timetables that allow students to study at school, TAFE and work.
opportunities to experience real-life workplaces.
subjects that will build students skills and prepare them for life after school.
greater access to high quality VET learning, either in school, a neighbouring school or a local TAFE.

The new certificates are part of a suite of 38 reforms recommended in the Review into Vocational and Applied Learning Pathways in Senior Secondary Schooling (the Firth Review) to lift the quality and perception of vocational education and help more students access high-quality applied learning programs.

Course Selection 2022

We are supporting all students in their course selections for 2022 and are providing the following advice and information to students considering a VCAL pathway.

If students are studying VCAL in 2022 they will transfer into the VCE Vocational Specialisation with credit for completed VCAL subjects in 2023. In 2023, students will continue to study Senior VCAL subjects in the new certificate as part of the implementation process. At the end of 2023, these students will be awarded the VCE Vocational Specialisation if they meet the requirements.

Students who are studying Foundation VCAL over multiple years, including in 2022, will transfer into a new foundation pathways certificate in 2023 with credit for completed subjects. These students will study the new foundation subjects and graduate with the foundation pathways certificate.

This approach provides assurance and clarity to current Year 10 students, some of whom will be among the first cohort to receive a VCE Vocational Specialisation certificate in 2023.

The following diagram sets out the senior secondary pathways for students commencing the VCE or VCAL in 2022.

For further information please go to: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/victorianseniorsecondarycertificatereform/Pages/Index.aspx

STAYING POSITIVE IN LOCKDOWN