Secondary News
Grade Point Averages on Term 3 Progress Reports
At the end of Term 3, all students in Year 7-12 received their Term 3 Progress Reports, via Compass, and ideally had the opportunity to discuss this further with teachers at Parent Teacher Conferences on the last Tuesday of the term.
Upon returning for Term 3, students and parents may have noticed that there is a new addition to these Progress Reports. A numerical value has now been assigned to the original word descriptors a student achieved for the three areas of academic progress, attitude to work and behaviour. The scale of these numerical values is as follows:
Outstanding – 4.0
Excellent – 3.2
Very Good – 2.4
Good – 1.6
Satisfactory – 0.8
Unsatisfactory – 0.0
A final Grade Point Average (GPA) has then been calculated and is a number between 0 and 4 that represents a student’s average achievement in each of these three areas across all of their classes. This can be found in the bottom right hand corner of the Progress Report.
A student’s GPA has become an important tool, alongside other tools, for teachers and students to understand, and therefore better monitor, each student's current upholding of the school values excellence and commitment.
Year Level Assemblies have been recently held to speak to students about the importance of reflecting on their current GPA and setting goals that will allow them to improve on this achievement. Students have been encouraged to embrace a growth mindset, and no matter how low or high their starting point, to make positive changes to move forward and growth, with the support of their teachers.
In Term 3, the following students should be acknowledged for an outstanding GPA.
Congratulations to the following students;
If you have any questions about the Progress Reports or the GPA, then I encourage you to contact your child’s Year Level Coordinator for further information.
Mrs Andrew.
Our Year 7 SEE students Seneja Alles and Melissa Ludwick have been rewarded for their hard work. With the help of their Science teacher, Mrs. Wright, they entered the annual Science Talent Search competition run by the Science Teachers’ Association of Victoria. Science Talent Search is an annual event and is open to all Primary and Secondary students up to Year 12, which attracts over 3,000 entries per year. It is a requirement for our SEE students, as they enhance and extend themselves toward success.
Their project, “The Future Moon” earned Seneja and Melissa a minor bursary in the Junior Secondary Scientific Posters section of the competition. They created a Scientific Poster, proposing an investigation into the modification of moon soil that would enable humans to farm on the moon one day! This is a vital step toward colonising the moon in the future.
Seneja and Melissa attended the Presentation Day on Monday 28th October, held at La Trobe University, Bundoora. Over 800 winning entries across the state, in 30 sections were on public display. The highlights of the day were receiving their bursary award, sponsored by the Humanist Society of Victoria, and seeing all of the amazing ideas and work from other STS winners.
Katherine Iving, Nilu Perera and Angelia Lee were also awarded Distinctions for their STS projects based on the moon, in recognition of the 60th anniversary of the first moon landing. The following students were recipients of certifications of merit: Thu Doan, Mohlomi Raswoko, Adnan Pojatic, Brayden Thompson, Cindy Lin, Brenden Luc, Ali Khan, Cristian Macciocca and Shreenita Mahesha. Congratulations everyone for your hard work and best efforts!
It was a great experience for all students, who are hoping to participate again next year!
Mr Antony - Year 7 Coordinator
The beginning of term 4 has been very exciting for the Year 8s.
They’ve started orienteering around the school in their own little groups, scattering themselves all over the school grounds searching for tags well-hidden by our very own Mr Luci and Miss Whitt. The Year 8s have also begun their second term of Caitlyn and Stuart’s very own “Inside N’ Out” program, where they discuss the different techniques and methods used to regulate emotions, as well as mental health and the importance of the connection between the mind and the brain.
This has been a fantastic way for the student teachers under Caitlyn’s aid to connect to the Year 8s. Prior to the end of Term 3, the Year 8s went on a fun and educational excursion to the Melbourne Museum, where they investigated the different types and properties of certain rocks. Towards the end of the excursion, the Year 8s managed to create 60-second long videos depicting the meaning of different types and examples of rocks.
Wyanet and Nikila – 8A Form Captains
History Week –Year 8 Medieval Day
What was life like for a peasant? Can I defeat a knight?
It is History Week and Year 8 students learned the answers to these questions and more on Medieval Day last Wednesday. They learned some medieval games and found out what happened if you broke the law. Some students ended up in the stocks! It was a great day and students had lots of fun.
Mrs Ryan - History Teacher
On Wednesday the 23rd of October the year 8 volleyball team played a practice match against Westall Secondary College. The team was made up of 9 girls; Naziya, Trinnay, Manea, Pave, Sharelle, Kymook, Nadine, Stella and myself.
The game took place at Westall Secondary College, in Clayton at 1.15pm. During the first set the girls were nervous at first, but they started to loosen up a bit which led to us winning the first, second and third set. It was a good game, the girls were working well as a team and were excited to play. They showed good sportsmanship, but overall it was a great experience for the team and we enjoyed the day.
We would like to thank Westall for inviting us to play. We would like to thank our volleyball coach Terry and Miss Witt.
Angie Baika - Year 8 Student
Welcome back to everyone after the term 3 break. Hopefully the Year 9 students are rested and ready for the last term of the school year. It is hard to believe term 4 is here already. Typically this is always a busy term as we work towards the end of this school year and plan for the new school year. This term promises to be a busy one as we consolidate and extend our student’s learning.
Coming up there are a number of excursions and incursions in which all students will be involved. Please check compass regularly to be informed when and where these activities are taking place.
On Tuesday the 25th of October, the Year 9 students travelled to the city to attended the Shrine of Remembrance. Students had the opportunity to participate in activities to further enhance their learning.
Congratulations to the following students who attended Monash University to participate in the Monash Champion presentation day - Sarah Dib, Norah Hoang, Kiyana Matin, Mackenzie Ho, Ramona Ghandour, Rory Johnstone, Ro Mon Lay and Jiaking Tu.
It has been noted that there are still a number of students coming to school in garments that are not school uniform. Parents, we need to stress that wearing the correct uniform is compulsory and if you require assistance with accessing uniform please contact me. Every student should be in the correct Carwatha College uniform every day.
Finally, every student is at a different point on their learning journey, every student can strive to be the best that they can. Success is not always measured by the number of ‘A’s on a report, but more by whether a student is progressing and moving ahead in their learning. This takes respect, excellence, teamwork and commitment – the values our school is based upon.
Mrs Rentzis -Year 9 Coordinator
On the 22nd of October, the Year 10s participated in the Mock Interviews. Over 20 volunteers from various industries came to give our Year 10s valuable experience in successfully completing a job interview.
The Careers team, Pam and Kylie, had collaborated with the students in the weeks leading up to the interviews, helping them to create a high-quality resume, CV and job application. "The Fashionista Sistas" also visited and gave a seminar on how to best dress and make a great first impression. Finally, in the lead up, the students had practised a range of sample questions.
When the morning came, the students were nervous but excited as they signed in and waited for their name to be called. After the interview, everyone was so excited and positive. The interviewers gave great positive feedback to help the students improve their performance in the future.
All in all, it was a great experience and a fantastic boost to their job seeking skills.
Thanks to Pam and Kylie of the Careers team for this fantastic opportunity.
Mr Quinn - Year Level Coordinator.
Just before the end of term 3, the year 11 students held their first formal. The night started with Mrs Bawa and Miss Hudson reminiscing our fun and memorable moments we had shared as a year level. We had our dances that were fun but could have been better if we had a little more co-ordination.
Our meals were served, and we sat and spoke among our friends. Once the dining was finished, the dancing started and we couldn’t stop; well the girls only stopped to take off their heels. The night was awesome and enjoyable.
We would like to extend a big thank you to all the teachers who helped us change our debutant event to a formal and to those who were able to make it as well as friends and family of the participants. All the ladies looked stunning and the gents looked handsome. Formal will always be a night to remember.
On the last day of term, the 1/2 Legal Studies class went out to the Supreme Court to find out what it looks like and participate in a mock trial in an empty court room. The excursion was very insightful and we even got to sit in on a case; the part we listened to was very boring but informative as it displayed what being a jury member entails and the process they go through.
We had a barrister come and talk to us during recess, who gave us some valuable information on the case we had attended and also provided us with an insight into careers in legal.
Angela Fourie - Year 11 Student
Year 11 VCE Discovery Day Photos
Congratulations to the Class of 2019! Swimming sports and the promise to focus on homework every night during Term 1 feels so long ago now...
We will miss a lot of things about you all - your group table tennis tournaments, your contributions in class (when you arrived on time) and your willingness to always cover for each other.
For our VCE students - exams are almost upon us. Put the work in so you can be proud of the results you achieve. Remember that, while an ATAR can be important, in the end it's just a number that will not completely define your future path.
For our VCAL students - get out there and secure those trainee ships and apprenticeships! You were a lovely group to work with and your teachers have enjoyed getting to know you all throughout the year.
Enjoy the last few weeks together before you head off on summer holidays and different paths. Congratulations class of 2019!
Ms Hudson - Year 12 Coordinator
SRC has had a great start to Term 4. We have reflected on the success of Multicultural Day and how much fun we had watching the amazing performers and participating in the activities during period 2. Now it’s on to our final event for the year; the Fun-Run!
Carwatha College SRC will be holding the School Fun-Run as our major fundraising event this year! The event will be held on Friday 29th November. This is a sponsorship-based fundraiser, and we’re looking to raise at least $10,000 for upgrading school facilities. The event will engender the school values of Respect, Commitment, Teamwork and Excellence. Family support is key to our fundraising success so we are encouraging everyone to get involved!
Keep your eyes peeled for the sponsorship forms which will be sent home with your child. Once you have the form, jump online at schoolfundraising.com.au and create a student profile page. Once you do this and raise at least $1 online, you will be entered into the $20,000 Ultimate Family Experience! If you would like help setting up the online account, the SRC Team can assist you! Please come to the Library on Thursdays from 3:15pm-4:15pm.
Students who raise $10 or more will receive a reward, and the more money you raise the better the reward, and the more you help the school!
The School Fun-Run is a healthy fundraiser that we hope you’ll get behind. The event sends a message to students about having fun while being healthy, all while helping the school raise funds.
We’re looking for all students to participate and we’re organising a great day for our community, so we’d love everyone to come down to support the kids. We will have a student-made obstacle course, a BBQ with vegetarian and halal options, music and as this is also a colour run, paint!
The easiest way to help your child raise money is through online fundraising, where students raise an average of $120. On top of raising more money, it’s also safer and easier than doorknocking and you don’t have to worry about handling money! To start fundraising online, go to your student profile page at schoolfundraising.com.au and share your online fundraising link. Donors will click on the link and make payment. We are going cashless for this event, so please make sure you have set up your online account, as we will not be accepting any cash at school.
If you have any questions about the Fun-Run please contact the School Fun-Run Office on 1800 FUN RUN.
Thanks for supporting the school! We hope to see you at the event!
Ms Wright - SRC Coordinator.
VCAL students attended an excursion to the Walker Street art gallery. Students viewed the "Home" exhibition, featuring artists from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. Students participated in a discussion about the artists and their motivations and created their own haiku poems which were featured on the gallery’s windows.
Spill The Tea Cafe
The Spill The Tea Cafe, which is run by VCAL students every Tuesday at lunch time, organised a special 'Milkshake day' for primary students last week. Primary students enjoyed their milkshakes asking when the next milk shake day would be!
VCAL Personal Development has focussed on raising awareness of the community issue of homelessness. Students have researched potential support or community organisations available to support those experiencing homelessness.
Students travelled to the city to attend a workshop run by the big Issue - an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and creating work opportunities for homeless, marginalised and disadvantaged people.
Student's experience:
Kiara - “The experience was very educational, and we learned a lot about this organisation and about someone’s personal journey.”
Emre - “I learnt that they are really struggling mentally and physically living on the streets of Melbourne and that people need to start treating them like humans."
Kylie – “It was very confronting, but it was a good experience.”
Then the next day at school Isaac Mead from the Salvation Army came and spoke to us. Isaac shared some confronting facts about homelessness and gave us hope by sharing what we can do to help.
Stay tuned to hear about how VCAL at Carwatha is trying to make a difference and how you can get involved.
