LEARNING AND TEACHING

MRS DONNA ELKINGTON, DEAN OF LEARNING AND TEACHING

PLANNING AHEAD FOR 2023

Each year, students in Years 8, 9 and 10 make plans and decisions during Term 3 about their elective subject choices and pathways for the following year. A great deal of planning and preparation occurs to support our students to make the best decisions.

Our Year 8s are always so excited to be given an initial opportunity to choose three elective subjects for Year 9. Up until this point, students are required to study subjects across all learning areas as prescribed by the Australian Curriculum. Elective subject offerings for Year 9 include subjects such as: Commerce, Music, Marine Science, Industrial Design and Technology, Drama, Design, Digital Technologies and many more. The College is excited to introduce STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) in 2023 and many of our Year 8s are keen to study this new subject. Year 9 students have had an opportunity to experience some of the electives and use this knowledge to help refine their choices for Year 10. Students are able to choose electives from a wide variety of subjects across all learning areas. These choices require some careful consideration regarding potential Senior pathway options. Our Year 10 subjects are designed to provide an age-appropriate preparation for Year 11 and 12. For instance, the Year 10 Physical Science subject provides foundational content and skills required for Senior Chemistry and Physics courses. This ensures that our students can make informed subject choices for their Senior years. Looking ahead to Senior years, our Year 10s have had multiple opportunities to determine the best pathway for their future. An important part of our Year 10 program is the completion of a student’s Senior Education and Training Plan (SET Plan). Two special Senior Pathways days were held to help students learn about the QCE, ATAR, the subjects available, and to complete their SET Plan.

Each Year 10 student and their parents met with a member of the Learning and Teaching team to discuss their SET Plan and determine their pathway and subject choices for Year 11, 2023. This ensures an individualised pathway for each student. This process would not be possible without our dedicated Learning and Teaching Team who conducted these meetings: Mrs Tania Cooper (Head of Pathways), Mrs Bianca Doyle (Careers Mentor), Ms Michelle Connors (Head of Learning and Teaching – Senior Years), Mr Peter Mondolo (Head of Learning and Teaching – Middle Years), and Mrs Rachael Mukauskas (Head of Diverse Learning). I thank them for their dedication to ensure our students receive the best possible preparation for their Senior years. While 2023 still feels like some time away, our planning here at Iona for the year ahead is truly underway.