Well, we are almost half-way through Term 2. The term has been a productive one, offering our students many opportunities, both curricular and extracurricular.
I would like to acknowledge the amazing work of our teachers who have arranged both incursions, and excursions for our senior students. Over the past couple of weeks our students have had the opportunity to; gather primary data for Economics, learn about the impacts of gambling for Health and Human Development, develop personal development skills in VCE VM by attending a ‘Party Ready’ day, explore the NGV and State Library for History, go Mountain Biking for Outdoor and Environmental Studies, and complete their White Card training to name a few.
Last Friday, May 16 we also celebrated our incredible Educational Support (ES) staff. Without the support of our ES staff many things around the college would not be possible. I would like to say a big thank you to Mrs Linda Smith, Ms Susan Stratford and Ms Vanessa Chong for their work with our International Student Program, Ms Cheryl Mace and Ms Julianna Sung for the support they provide the Senior Subschool team, and Mrs Narda McLennan for her work with organising the upcoming Central Australia and New Zealand trips.
Northern Hemisphere Timetable (NHT) Exams
Congratulations to our Year 12 students who sat their Northern Hemisphere Timetable (NHT) exams this week for Biology and Accounting. It was clear the students had worked hard to prepare themselves. They are now one step closer toward achieving their Senior Secondary Certificate. Thank you to our NHT teachers for all the support they have provided our students during this time. Please note that from 2026 The VCAA will no longer be offering NHT subjects.
Professional Learning Week
This week our staff have had the opportunity to attend professional learning sessions centered around the theme of Inclusive Classrooms. The sessions provide our staff with the opportunity to further develop their knowledge and skills in an area of their practice to support all learners in their classrooms. It was fantastic to see our Learning Specialists, Head of Pedagogy, and Mental Health Practitioner in their element sharing their expertise with our staff.
Subject Changes for Year 11 Students
Year 11 students have the opportunity to submit a subject change form. Subject change requests must be completed on the hard copy form available at the Senior School, and will close on May 30th. Our Head of Senior School, Ms Sarah Chase will work through the requests and communicate with students as to the outcome. Any student considering a subject is encouraged to talk to a teacher of that subject to assist with their decision making.
Exams
Students in Years 9, 10 and 11 will sit mid-year exams. For our Year 11 students these exams are an opportunity to test their understanding and knowledge of the skills and content covered in Semester One. Exam practice is an important experience for our students to assist them in preparing for Year 12 exams next year. I would like to encourage our students to use the exam advice provided to them by their teachers, seek out their teachers for assistance, and ensure they follow a study timetable to help them manage their time. An Exam Schedule has been shared with parents so that they can help support our students during this time.
The General Achievement Test (GAT)
The GAT is a test sat by all students studying a Unit 3 and 4 subject and will take place on June 17. The GAT is structured into two sections, with a range of question difficulties. Section A is a literacy and numeracy assessment consisting of multiple choice questions relating to reading and numeracy, and a writing task. Section B assesses general knowledge and skills and consists of multiple choice questions relating to maths, science, technology, arts and humanities and an extended writing task. The GAT plays a role in the quality assurance of all VCE assessments and it is important that all students try their absolute best on this assessment. Students will be receiving information relating to the GAT in their mentoring classes and year level assemblies.
Ms Lauren Kelly
Campus Principal – Senior School