Learning, Teaching and College Operations
Ms Jodie Connell - Deputy Principal
The 2022 academic year has come and gone and whilst we reflect and celebrate our first full year of face-to-face learning since the pandemic, we now shift our sights to 2023 as we look to build on all that was achieved this year.
Congratulations to all students who were recognised for their efforts in 2022 at the End of Year Awards yesterday.
Middle School Exams
Congratulations to the Year 9 and 10 students on the way they approached and conducted themselves during the exam period. Exams are an important part of Assessment in the senior years and can be stressful times for students. One of the reasons we have exams in Years 9 and 10 is to start the preparation for students early so that when their exams in year 12 do come around, the students have developed study techniques that work for them, and that they are familiar with exam processes as well as command words in exams.
Following the exams, the Year 10 students had an induction into the Senior School and had the opportunity to start their 2023 classes.
Subject changes 2023
A lot of time and effort goes into supporting students at Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College with their subject choices and ensuring that they choose the subjects that align with their career aspirations or interests and passions. As our timetable and staffing is informed by the subject choices our students make, it is essential that students pick the right subjects.
However, it is inevitable that some students find their career aspirations have changed since completing their subject selections and they now wish to change their subjects to align with their new aspirations. This needs to be done as quickly as possible as joining a class several weeks in, puts a student at a real disadvantage as they catch up on what they’ve missed. Therefore, any subject changes must be completed by Wednesday 8th February 2023.
Students are reminded that seeking a subject change to be with their friends or to have a particular teacher are not valid reasons for a subject change. Furthermore, some changes are not possible because of timetabling constraints and classes already being filled. This highlights the importance of students making carefully considered choices at subject selection time.
End-of-year reports
“The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live.” —Mortimer Adler
Our Progressive Online Reporting helps our students improve in all areas of learning by providing:
- Greater accountability of students’ work habits
- Students and parents the ability to see results and feedback online
- An opportunity to contribute to the review and reflection of the tasks
- Timely feedback – the feedback is issued when the task is completed and assessed
- The ability of the teacher and the parent to identify, intervene and improve
Parents are able to access results and feedback throughout the semester rather than waiting for the ‘End of Semester Report’ for indications on how their child is progressing.
Progressive Reporting will allow the parent and the student to see:
- What they have achieved
- What they need to improve and
- Suggested paths for improvement so action can be taken to allow this to happen in preparation for the upcoming task.
Semester 2 reports will be uploaded to SIMON (and accessed through PAM) and be available to download by Friday 16th December 2022.
This will provide judgments across a range of work habits, values for Victorian Curriculum levels (For Yr 7-10 classes), VCE Outcomes and Unit Results (For VCE classes) as well as summarising the grades for major assessment tasks completed during the semester.
These reports will not include class teacher comments as such information has already been provided with each assessment task. A step-by-step guide on accessing these reports is included below.
Accessing Reports
Step 1 – Log in to PAM
Step 2 – Click on any student
Step 3 – Click on Assessment Reports
Step 4 - Click on any of the available reports to download and view the report.
PAM (Parental Access Module) can be accessed via the following:
Or
www.pam.mackillopleongatha.catholic.edu.au
Or via the College website
Parents can choose to either download a copy of the report and save it to the home computer or print a copy. If accessing these reports causes some difficulties then please contact the school to discuss options.
If you have misplaced or have forgotten your PAM Code please email the Office info@mmcrc.catholic.edu.au.
What’s important in a report?
School reports can mean anxious times for children too. ‘Will my parents be disappointed or proud?’ is the main concern of most children. Kids of all ages take their cues from their parents, so your reaction to their school report can affect the way they see themselves as learners and as people. Focus your attention on these aspects to make sense of children’s reports:
Expectations
Expectations are tricky. If they are too high, then kids can be turned off learning. Too low and there is nothing to strive for. Pitch your expectations in line with a child’s abilities. A quick check of your child’s last report cards may give you a good yardstick.
Different rates of learning
Remember there are slow bloomers, late developers and steady-as-you-go kids in every classroom, so avoid comparing your child to siblings, your friends’ children and even yourself when you were young. Instead, look for individual progress.
Safeguard confidence
Self-confidence is a pre-requisite for learning, so be prepared to be as positive and encouraging as possible.
Please take the time to read your child’s report and discuss the report with your child talking about strengths first before looking at areas that need improvement. Ask your child how they performed and discuss their concerns. Be mindful that no matter how good, bad or indifferent your child’s report may be, he or she can wipe the slate clean and make a brand new start next year. And it’s amazing the difference a summer holiday can make.
Booklists and Stationery Lists
Booklists and Stationery lists for 2023 are now available on the College Website.
Stationary lists need to be ordered by Friday 9th December to avoid a late fee. Stationery will be home delivered for a flat rate of $9.95.
Booklists need to be completed online by Friday 2nd December to avoid additional fees.
If purchasing second-hand online, please be sure to check the current booklists to ensure that you are purchasing the correct editions.
Edrolo Textbooks
There are a number of VCE Science and Humanities subjects that are using Edrolo textbooks for 2023. Please note that the cost of these books includes a printed textbook as well as the complete digital textbook with access to video solutions to every question in the book, exemplar solutions, and hundreds of exam questions. Staff also have access to digital data on how students are tracking including their understanding of content (strengths and weaknesses) as well as completion of class work. Please note the cost of the subscription is subsidised by the College, there will be a subject levy invoiced to families at the end of Term One, 2023 for these subjects in lieu of a cost on the booklist.
Year 10 Work Experience 2023
If you are able to help by placing a student in the week of Monday 19th June to Friday 23rd June 2023, please let Jenny Damon know via email on jdamon@mmcrc.catholic.edu.au
I wish everyone a happy, safe and holy Christmas, and look forward to working with everyone in the New Year.