From the Executive

Let’s Talk!

Term 3- The Term of the Interview

One of the commendations of the 2019 School Review Report was that ‘the College is well served by many highly committed and experienced staff’(p24). Such commitment is evidenced in the prioritisation of building relationships, gathering information, providing direction and seeking feedback for improvement.  One vehicle for this process is an interview, either formal or informal, with the ultimate goal of identifying the best outcomes for our students. Term 3 is renowned as the term of interviews, both formal and informal. These are in addition to the ongoing interviews across the College that serve a variety of purposes such as monitoring progress and planning learning.

Progress Interviews in the Senior School encourage students in Years 10 -12 to take greater responsibility for their learning.  To date, 174 interviews have been conducted by the College Deans, Principal, Deputy Principals, Year Level Coordinators and their Assistants. According to our Year 11 Coordinator, Ms Skourides, conversations between staff, students and parents ‘aim to implement focused study into homework routines’ and identify any other means of supporting student progress.

Similarly, the Parent-Teacher Interviews provide an opportunity to affirm successes and encourage improvement. Preparations are currently underway for over 7,000 online Parent-Teacher interviews next month. Student participation in these interviews drives self-regulated learners to excel and those seeking guidance a chance to re-set. Furthermore, relationships built with parents reinforce the notion that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’.

In addition to students, teachers are also required to undertake an Annual Review with a specified ‘teaching and learning’ member of the College Executive team. Much like their students, teachers are lifelong learners, constantly exploring techniques to improve their own teaching practice and subsequently impact learning outcomes for students. During the Annual Review Meeting, teachers discuss their achievements in relation to the Professional Learning Program implemented by the Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning. The exchange is collaborative, involving two-way conversation designed to highlight areas of excellence and affirm achievements.  A total of 109 interviews will be conducted over a four-week period.

An ever-changing workforce demands a comprehensive exploration of career options for students.  Year 10 marks the beginning of significant subject choices mapped to interest, university pre-requisites and career pathways. Subject Selection Counselling Interviews are conducted with students and their Year 10 Homeroom teachers or the Year level Co-ordinator, Mrs Hale and her Assistant Co-ordinator, Mr Miller.  To produce the best outcome, a vast array of resources have been prepared in advance by several stakeholders including our Careers Practioner, Deputy Principal Curriculum and Staffing, Dean of Senior School, VCE Vocational and VET Coordinator, and Year 10 Coordinator. According to our Careers Practitioner, Ms Seremetis, these interviews provide ‘a final check of the comprehensive career and subject plans made during the Morrisby interviews of Term 2 and the last opportunity for students to reconsider or re-evaluate some of the careers discussed’. Collectively, Mr Weegberg and Ms Seremitis conducted 223 career interviews, each 30 minutes duration. You are encouraged to ask your Year 10 son to discuss his proposed career options generated through this process.

Finally, with an eye on the future, we look forward to meeting our 2023 prospective Year 7 students and their families in August. These 400 interviews are conducted by members of the College Executive team and the Year Level Coordinators.  Most of you will remember your first interview at the College, marking the beginning of a lifetime connection to the De Mazenod family.

In conclusion, the 2019 School Review commends us for the fact that ‘parents and students speak of how the College strives for excellence and has high expectations of every student’s learning’ (p24). Our reputation has been forged on the relationships built with all members of the community, by the Oblates and by our committed and experienced staff.

Mrs Joanne Noone

Dean of Staff