DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - TEACHING & LEARNING REPORT 

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 to the 2022 school year. It was wonderful to welcome our Year 7 and 12 students back to school on Monday and our Year 8 to 11 students on Tuesday. I also extend a very warm welcome to our community to our Year 7 students and new students across Years 8 to 12. There is no doubt mixed emotions for our Year 7 students starting secondary school and for our Year 12 students as they start their final year of secondary school. We want all our students to be reassured that our staff are here to support everyone throughout their learning journey.

The summer holiday break provided an opportunity to rest and relax after another busy year, but there is nothing as uplifting as seeing our students return to school, refreshed and eager to catch up with their friends and teachers and begin another exciting year of learning. Our students are the heartbeat of our school, and they contribute so much to our positive learning environment. I hope everyone in our community took the opportunity to rest and recharge over the summer holiday break, enjoyed time with family and friends and perhaps even took the opportunity to travel. I enjoyed travelling to South Australia in the break to see my family, which was not possible to do during 2021 when the state border was closed.

I hope our students took the time to review their reports over the school holidays and they approach this year with renewed enthusiasm for learning. Now is the time to set some learning goals for the year, which will be discussed in more detail during the TA interviews our students will have with their homeroom teacher throughout the year. As we start another school year, we ask God to bless us, our work and everyone in our College community. I wish everyone all the very best for 2022 and I look forward to working with all members of our community throughout the year.

Congratulations to the class of 2021

Congratulations to the class of 2021 students, who deservedly celebrated some outstanding VCE results when they were released in December last year. The class of 2021 approached last year with great commitment and endeavour and they were richly rewarded for their efforts when the VCE and VCAL results were released on Thursday 16 December.

We congratulate all of our VCE and VCAL students for the results they achieved. I hope you spent some time reflecting on the year that was and what you accomplished throughout the year. We are conscious that an ATAR score is just one aspect of a student’s education and the class of 2021 is well equipped for a bright future in whatever field they choose to pursue. This year begins a new and exciting chapter for you and we wish you all the very best in your future endeavours.

To the class of 2022

I wish you all the very best as you begin your final year of secondary education. To all our students across Years 11 and 12 studying a Unit 3 and 4 subject this year or VCAL program, I wish you great success in your studies. 

The Parents Website has some interesting articles to support senior secondary students. Two articles that may help parents support their child through their final year of secondary education are:

https://theparentswebsite.com.au/vce-parents-childs-cheerleader-tips/

https://theparentswebsite.com.au/atar-surprise-tips-and-advice-on-what-to-do/

International Day of Education – Monday 24 January

Monday 24 January was the International Day of Education. Education is a human right and it supports peace and global development. We are truly blessed to have amazing educators and support staff at the College who instil in our young learners a love of lifelong learning. As American author Parker J Palmer says, ‘Good teachers possess a capacity for connectedness. They are able to weave a complex web of connections among themselves, their subjects, and their students so that students can learn to weave a world for themselves’. I think this summarises the work our wonderful staff do each day to make a difference in the lives of our students. For further information on the International Day of Education, please go to: https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/educationday

Promethean Interactive Screens

At St Mary MacKillop College we ensure we are at the forefront in the use of digital technologies that support student learning. Over the holidays we installed Promethean interactive screens in 14 classrooms across the school. These are amazing screens, as they do so much more than simply project from our MacBooks. There is a whiteboard function where students are able to interact with the screens, as well as lots of apps installed on the devices for both students and teachers to use. Our staff engaged in professional learning in how to use the screens on Friday 28 January and we are excited to be able to use these with our classes. During the holidays, our classrooms continued to be upgraded with new furniture that reflects a 21st century learning environment. I am sure both the new technology and furniture in our classrooms will have a positive impact on student learning.

Home Study Guidelines

At St Mary MacKillop College it is believed 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. Throughout a student’s secondary education they must prepare for a very competitive educational climate.

At St Mary MacKillop College, the time and frequency of home study is different for each year level. In Years 7 -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.

Year 7 

Students should be completing an average of two hours of home study educational learning per week. 

Year 8

Students should be completing an average of two and a half hours of home study educational learning per week.

Year 9

Students should be completing 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 & 2 VCE, VET & VCAL

Students should be completing a minimum of two hours home study, per week, for each subject that they study.

Unit 3 & 4 VCE

Students should be completing a minimum of three hours home study, per week, for each subject that they study.

All Year 12 and some Year 11 students have study lessons in their timetable. Students should maximise the use of this time.