Learning and Teaching
Jane Goddard
Assistant to the Principal - Learning and Teaching
Year 12 Results 2020
Congratulations to our Dux, Dahlia Cremona and Dux Proximus, Noor Besisou for their outstanding results. Furthermore, we congratulate the whole 2020 VCE Cohort on their very strong ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank) outcomes. 100% of our Year 12 VCE students successfully achieved their Victorian Certificate of Education (check with AD).
The VCE is primarily for those students focused on tertiary entry and the ATAR is the ranking used for this purpose. Marian College students. 60% of our achieved an ATAR of over 60, placing them in the top 40% of the state. 82 % of our students were placed in the upper 50%, achieving an ATAR above 50. This has enabled our students to pursue a wide range of tertiary pathways, of their choice, with over 83% of students gaining a place in their first, second or third preference courses through VTAC.
Dahlia and our other high achievers were recognised at a High Achievers Assembly. Dahlia provided some insightful advice for our current students. She is a fine example of an assessment-capable learner. An assessment-capable learner is one who knows where they are in their learning, where they want to get to and, most importantly, how they are going to get there. As Dahlia emphasised in her speech, it was not about being the smartest but about persevering and working unrelentingly to achieve your goals.
We would also like to acknowledge Dahlia, for achieving the “perfect study score” of 50 in Physical Education. It was wonderful to hear about the success of all of these inspirational young women who have gained entry into a wide range of tertiary courses.
While the focus is on Year 12 students, we also congratulate our 2020 Year 11 students who successfully undertook a Unit 3 and 4 Study, with five of these students, now in Year 12, being named dux of their 2020 Unit 3/4 study. These students, and many more of our 2020 Year 11s, now have an excellent foundation to build upon as they move into Year 12 in 2021.
We were pleased to recognise our VCAL High Achievers too who are also proceeding to a range of tertiary courses and employment opportunities this year.
Academic Awards Years 7 - 10
It is essential to note that the skills of assessment-capability, that enable VCE success, are developed through application and effort over the years at Marian from Year 7. Academic Excellence Awards for students from Years 7 to 11 in 2020 are currently being presented at Year Level Assemblies. These awards recognise all-round academic achievement. Our Marian Learner Awards recognize those who have demonstrated exemplary learning behaviours, as displayed on our Marian ‘Love of Learning’ Poster. Congratulations to all of these students for their achievements and for developing the skills to maximise their progress.
The progress or growth of each student over the year is the real measure of success. Every student should achieve at least a year’s worth of progress for a year of schooling. To enable this to happen, we are focused on ensuring students develop their assessment-capability and a love of learning. Parent engagement is another essential ingredient for maximising student progress.
Parent Engagement in Learning
The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY, based on years of research, states, “parent and family engagement is one of the most powerful predictors of children’s development and educational attainment.” Parental engagement means being positively involved and active in your child’s learning. At Marian College, we are always looking to implement strategies to increase parent engagement.
It was wonderful to see so many families at our Online Parent Information and Meet-the-Teacher Evenings. The recordings of each of the year level presentations are now available on the SEQTA Engage and Learn Welcome Pages. We are also looking forward to working with families at our forthcoming series of SEQTA Engage Parent Workshops. The dates are listed below. Please indicate your attendance via Try booking: https://www.trybooking.com/BOSJK
- Tuesday 16 Feb at 6.00 pm
- Friday 19 Feb 9.00 am
Further dates can be added based on demand.
We would like to highlight the value of the parent portal, SEQTA Engage, as a tool facilitating greater levels of engagement. SEQTA Engage provides access to coursework, student goals, assessment results and feedback, enabling parents to be more informed. This should assist you to talk constructively with your daughter about her learning and progress. We suggest that parents discuss learning goals and that you have high yet achievable expectations. Also, discuss assessment tasks and the teacher feedback provided. Most importantly, talk about your daughter’s reflection and her feedback in relation to her achievement and progress. Can your daughter then explain her next learning steps or strategies that she will implement to improve in the future?
These are examples of ways that parents can engage in their daughter’s education Parents should work together with teachers and the school to ensure we achieve our target of developing assessment capability and at least a year’s progress for every year at school for all of our students.
Thank you for your support. We are looking forward to an exciting and successful year of learning ahead!