With Years 8 - 11 embarking on subject selection for 2022, it has certainly been a busy week in the Secondary school!
Last Wednesday night, we were delighted with the number of parents and students who logged in to the two online presentations which presented the subjects on offer in 2022 for Years 9 - 10 and VCE Years 11 - 12. We were very pleased to livestream the presentations from our brand-new STEM Building, surrounded by Faculty displays.
With particular emphasis on Year 10 who have important choices to make, our VCE Coordinator Mrs Alexa Black informed the audience about the VCE process including expectations of students, the structure of the course and key terminology. Careers Counsellor, Mrs Rochelle Rosendale went on to explain how the ATAR scores are calculated, the steps that students need to take to prepare an informed and realistic tertiary pathway, and enlightened us with statistics on average ATAR scores for different tertiary institutions.
In addition, I gave advice on how to select subjects wisely for all year levels and shared on screen the sheer variety and number of subjects offered in each Faculty. During the evening, many in the audience took advantage of the online chat function, posing questions about accelerated studies, the structure of core subjects, career pathways and the timeline for application. Our Heads of Learning were present on campus and were able to respond to most questions as they came in.
If that were not enough … all students have been emailed comprehensive Curriculum Guides for 2022. Each Guide has been thoughtfully prepared over a period of time and is replete with information on core and elective subjects in each year level. The Guides are also available on the School website, under Secondary Years/Guides and Handbooks.
In the last few days, students have been able to visit the STEM Building during lunch and recess breaks to chat with teachers supervising the Faculty displays - a productive and lively experience for all involved. Year 10 students have also benefitted from individual subject counselling interviews with different members of staff.
Students have until Friday, 20 August to make their choices. A link to the films of the presentations plus a copy of the Q&A sheets will be sent to parents and students in case they missed the livestream event.
Thank you to everyone involved – especially our students whose questions keep us on our toes!
Jennifer Johnstone - Head of Curriculum - Secondary