Learning and Teaching

Once again, we return to Remote Learning and I want to thank everyone for the work they have done to facilitate this happening in such a short period, it is appreciated.

Please be assured that we are here to support you and your child through these unprecedented times. We, as a College, have learnt several things from the first round of remote learning and have put in place some changes  for this period of remote learning. We are looking to provide more depth in the learning tasks offered. You will see a reduction in the number of ‘assessment/class tasks’ with a focus upon providing the student the time to go deeper into the learning. 

Students will have a greater connection to their teachers. We will continue to provide the quality of support offered throughout RL 1.0 but it will now be integrated with Google Meets.  The focus is around connection with peers and their teacher. Students are reminded that they must abide by the Google Meet Protocols or they will be removed from the meetings. 

Google Meet Protocols

• Video meetings should take place in a communal area in the house, and students should be supervised by a parent or other trusted adult.
• Students should be wearing neat casual clothing.
• Start all Google Meet lessons with your MICROPHONE MUTED & CAMERA TURNED OFF (dressed in appropriate attire). Your teacher will determine if and when you can unmute or turn your camera on.
• When you have a question, type in the chat textbox and wait for your teacher to call on you.
• When you have something to contribute to what is being said, but it is not your turn, use the chat feature in the right-hand corner.
• Wait for your teacher to call on you to unmute yourself. Only one student should contribute/talk at a time.
• Students are NOT PERMITTED to record a Google Meet under any circumstances.

Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College thanks you for your support during this time. The partnership between parents, students, and teachers will be critical to the success of Remote Learning moving forward. In the coming weeks, we will seek feedback on what is going well and what can be improved. We are all learning together. 

To assist you in during RL 2.0 we have provided several key resources on the College website. We encourage you to communicate with us if you need any support with Remote Learning, we are here to ensure our students continue to learn and grow.

Subject Selection

What do I want to be when I grow up? Which subjects should I select? What are the pre-requisites for my course? Have I done my career profiling? 

It is challenging for our young students to already have their career mapped out before they begin their Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) pathway, however, these choices are very important as they will help to shape their learning journey ahead. This may shift and change over the next two to three years of their academic journey based on their experiences or change of mind in career, which is perfectly understandable, particularly given the jobs our young people will most likely enter into don’t exist yet. 

Therefore, the importance of seeking advice, asking the right questions and challenging their thinking surrounding the choices they make is more important now than ever! Please make sure, as parents and guardians of our future generation, that you are engaging in these types of conversations with your children and reassuring them there is guidance throughout the process. It is advised that they should choose subjects which suit their academic ability and interests, and most importantly, always strive to achieve their best.

Curriculum leaders are currently putting together short little videos on what their Curriculum area offers students at Years 10 and 11. In a few weeks time we will launch the videos on our school webpage. Students will also be able to access a pdf copy of the subject selection handbook on the website. Hard copies will also be posted home over the next few weeks. 

Students will make their subject selections via the Web Preferences website. We 

are all in this journey together and want to make the experience as enjoyable and seamless as possible.

Senior School Information

End of Year Dates for Year 12 Students

• GAT – The GAT is now scheduled to take place on Wednesday 7th October
• Practice Exams: Monday 12th October to Friday 16th October
• Final Day of Year 12 classes – Friday 30th October
• Year 12 Exams Start on Tuesday 10th November and conclude on Tuesday 1st December
• Year 12 results will be available to students on Wednesday 30th December

End of Year Dates for Year 11 Students

• GAT – The GAT is now scheduled to take place on Wednesday 7th October
• Year 11 Exams Start on Thursday 12th November and conclude on Thursday 19th November
• Friday 20th November – Student Free day for Year 11 students
• Monday 23rd November – Exam Feedback Day
• Term Zero starts Tuesday 24th November
• End of Year Mass and Presentations – Thursday 10th December

Jodie Connell

Deputy Principal – Learning and Teaching