Secondary Education West - February 2021

Issue 63 • Februar y 2021 • Est 1999

North • West • North West • North East

secondary

education

Photo is provided with the compliments of Victoria University Secondary College For further information refer to pages 2, 3, 64 & 65 Secondary Education

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St Monica’s College, Epping ST MONICA’S College, Epping was established in 1964 as a girls’ school. This served a specific purpose at that time. In the 1970’s the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, local clergy and parishioners saw a real need for boys’ Catholic Education thus in 1978 St Monica’s College, Epping proudly became coeducational. Our school has flourished ever since.

In all of our local Primary schools (Government and Catholic) coeducation is offered. In all tertiary institutions (universities and TAFES etc.) coeducation is the only way education is provided. I argue that all education is delivered at its best through coeducation.

Why? There are many reasons why I contend that the coeducation choice Monican parents have made for their children is the right one. Being together throughout the day, feelings of comradeship and friendships develop in a natural way between girls and boys. This mutual feeling and uplifting experiences are inherently valuable to the fully rounded person. These friendships emerge through shared experiences in classrooms, from participating in shared activities outside the formal curriculum, and through shared membership in clubs and teams.

Coeducation assists significantly in breaking down sexist attitudes in both genders. Boys and girls learn in a natural classroom environment, not sheltered away from each other, and in this normal way appropriate respect ought to develop between the genders. In the coeducational classroom, both female and male perspectives are explored, thus greater understanding between the sexes, more consideration of points of view, and increased development of individuals both intellectually and socially.

Truly, coeducation reflects 100% the diversity of society. Coeducation, in other words, IS the real world. Accordingly, students are better prepared to enter the workforce, more capable of coping in post-secondary educational institutions, and more confident to involve themselves in discussions and activities with the opposite sex. Of course they are because they have mixed and grown up with the opposite sex from kindergarten years.

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Coeducation at its Best” I believe that girls are more confident to express their views on all manner of things in their daily life in a coeducational College and exactly the same applies to boys. Students feel comfortable in whom they are and the chances are many to develop healthy and positive attitudes and self-image. Let us hope that this in turn reduces harassment and bullying.

Coeducation is popular throughout the world and a chief reason for this is that it allows for greater socialisation, wider diversity of experiences and fewer gender stereotypes for young people. This can only be healthy, good, and most desirable. It could be stated that collaboration between the sexes, not separation, fosters equality. In a coeducational setting, students are exposed to both male and female role models, students learn to lead the opposite sex in all types of situations, and finding a group of friends to match up with is easier.

There are myths associated with coeducation just as there are with single sex education. These should all be dispelled as we come down to the one, most critical reality – humans live in a coeducational world and consequently enjoying the coeducation experience in school years should form a holistic person, confident and wise.

Brian E. Hanley, B.A., Dip. Ed., Grad. Dip. Ed. Admin., M. Ed., MACE, FACEL College Principal

Coeducation at its Best

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Enrol Now For Year 7, 2023 And 2024 Limited Places Available For Year 7 - 12 2022.

St Monica’s College, Epping www.stmonicas-epping.com T: 9409 8800 Junior Campus Year 7 - 9 400 Dalton Road, Epping VIC 3076

Senior Campus Year 10 - 12 16 Davisson Street, Epping VIC 3076

Morning Tea With The Principal Tours of the junior campus are held regularly throughout the year during school time.

This is an excellent opportunity to see our College at work.

Bookings are essential.

For tour dates, bookings and further information about enrolment, please contact the College Registrar on 9409 8800 or email registrar@stmonicas-epping.com.

You may also book a tour online at www.stmonicas-epping.com/mtwtp

PRIDE IN ACHIEVEMENT Ƈ Ƈ Ƈ Ƈ Ƈ Ƈ Ƈ Ƈ Ƈ

Strong academic reputation Excellent VCE results including VET & VCAL High Achievers’ Program Instrumental Music Program Strong discipline and student support Year 7-12 EAL Program Compulsory uniform Extensive Sports/Camps Program 6((. Advanced classes

YEAR 7 SCHOLARSHIPS Scholarships are presented in the 4 areas of: ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT MUSIC / PERFORMING ARTS / CREATIVE ARTS LEADERSHIP SPORT

ADVANCED PROGRAM - SEEK

(Select Entry for Enrichment and Knowledge) YEAR 7 SEEK CLASS - 2022 Applications close early Term 2, 2021 ACER administered test

VCE SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarships are awarded for Academic Excellence to students entering Year 11

2022 COLLEGE TOURS AND TWILIGHT EXPO

Please go to our website: www.braybrooksc.vic.edu.au for changes to dates and processes of these events due to COVID19 guidelines for schools.

Address: Phone: FAX: Email: Web:

352 Ballarat Road, BRAYBROOK 3019 9312 2900 9311 7668 braybrook.sc@edumail.vic.gov.au www.braybrooksc.vic.edu.au

ENROLMENT ENQUIRIES WELCOME 12459714-CG45-20

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BRAYBROOK COLLEGE

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Victoria School Guides Highly ranked on Google a useful resource tool for parents.

Whether you are seeking information about a particular school in your area or are looking for a school for your child, then this site is for you.

Governm e n t Sch hoollss Gu ide id Several frequently asked questions Se Sec have been answered and if you on dar y have a question that hasn’t been addressed then send it to our team for their input.

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Check out the many interesting stories on students and their achievements, while many other educational issues have also been featured.

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All of our hard copy guides are available digitally on the website

www.victoriaschoolguides.starcommunity.com.au

For further information regarding our range of education guides and to provide us with your questions please contact: Katrina Mihai on katrina.mihai@starnewsgroup.com.au or 03 5945 0693

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The Road Less Travelled AFTER adopting the innovative Take Control model in 2017 and the Big Picture Education model 2020, Bundoora Secondary College continues its student empowerment journey...

Jack’s eyes grow wide and a huge grin breaks out across his face.

‘You mean - that might be a good idea?

I thought for sure you were gonna say I couldn’t do it.’

Jack has been tentatively explaining the idea for his ‘passion project’ to me: in a nutshell, it is to provide a friendly and fun community space in semi-rural areas for young adults, in order to support their mental health and wellbeing. He eventually wants to buy a house to serve this purpose and is ready to write up a business plan, including a proposal for funding and sponsorship.

‘Yes is the default!’ I reply, referring to our school philosophy which ensures students have minimal restrictions on their choices and pathways. Providing these are not harmful or excessively costly, students are encouraged to instigate, follow and direct their learning through their passions. As Jack and I start to unpack and elaborate his ideas more fully, it becomes quite clear that he could well be one of the next generation of young social entrepreneurs. He starts to spend some time researching what this means, what other social entrepreneurs are doing and the kinds of people who may be good mentors to him on this kind of a pathway.

I shake my head in awe at how powerful this kind of personalised learning is: Jack is completely engaged in some challenging and – dare I say it – dry and technical documentation.

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone jump at doing a business plan before, but here he is, eagerly and carefully constructing one because it matters to him. All around the room I am witnessing a similar transformation in student learning.

Skye is writing and illustrating in charcoal a fantasy story for children; it’s looking like becoming a novella in size and we are brainstorming how to get it published. When she has writer’s block, she is reflecting on this and coming up with strategies to overcome it.

Thirteen year old Caleb is emailing aviation authorities about whether someone can mentor him in his dream to become a pilot; alongside this he is 3D printing a model plane on foam board,

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having painstakingly interpreted the technical specifications from an old PDF. Once printed, he will turn it into a working model with parts he has sourced and ordered himself. Maddy and Jess are collaborating on expanding the school’s animal program with some rabbits. They are searching out regulations, drawing up specifications for a hutch, sourcing materials, checking out breeders and their credentials, inquiring about ongoing care and maintenance and thinking big about having a petting zoo for primary school children to come on site and learn from. They have written and submitted a proposal to school council for a small student loan for supplies and detailed how and when they will pay it back.

I wish I had more time and space to detail all of the exciting and innovative projects being completed by every student in this class.

My role in this “Deep Learning elective” classroom is a far cry from traditional teaching practice; it is my duty in this personalized classroom - which focuses on transferable skills such as critical and creative thinking – to hand the steering wheel over to each student and instead be a ‘guide on the ride’. I activate students to set their own learning goals, self-monitor, reflect and self-evaluate their progress on a regular basis. When there’s a roadblock, I ask questions to stimulate their problem-solving processes; I coach them not to give up and to search out multiple options; I help them match their knowledge and skills to curriculum standards and map out a pathway for growth; most importantly, I am a learner alongside them, inquiring with them, exploring new avenues, taking some risks, failing at times... Having never known anything other than a traditional ‘teacher as the font of all knowledge’ approach before, I have to admit, I was initially sceptical about personalized learning and student-directed learning. Most of us could identify with projects, either our own, our children’s or our students which – let’s face it – have been the cringe worthy products of low expectations, disinterest and lack of rigour. The kind handed in on a scrap piece of paper with Vegemite toast still smeared over the corners. Mention ‘passion or project-based learning’ and that kind of experience is what many find difficult to get past.

It has been thoroughly revolutionising to witness

and participate in a system which allows students to take control and alongside that, demands academic rigour, the development of personal and social capabilities and the building of vital dispositions such as resilience, persistence and curiosity. The Deep learning electives are one category of subject students can choose from at BSC, but the kind of student-directed learning it promotes is what we are endeavouring to cultivate across every learning area. There is a wide range of choice and negotiation for students, not only in what learning will look like, but also in how they will demonstrate new knowledge, skills and conceptual understandings. The Victorian Curriculum, VCE, VET and VCAL are still offered, but in new ways which are putting students in the driver’s seat and increasingly giving them control over their journey and destination. Student voice, agency and empowerment is being recognised as the way of the future in education. With 25% of students not completing Year 12 in Australia, you would have to say that at present, disengagement is a national problem that urgently needs to be addressed. Our young people deserve so much more than education being done to them, and in a manner that is unchanged.

At Bundoora Secondary College, we changed to the ‘Take Control’ empowerment education

model because we are resolved to be a school which offers the kind of learning environment you would wish for your children. Anecdotally, there is so much evidence of positive change from the perspective of students, parents and staff.

Although data is always slower to signify changes, even at this early stage of the model, it testifies to increased engagement, greater development of 21st century skills and the growing agency in our learners. Like 21st century society, the Take Control model and Big Picture Education model at BSC is a work in progress; continually improving, being refined, learning as we go. As pioneers, we are treading relatively new and unfamiliar territory, but we press on with this keen understanding: that what is behind us is no longer fit to inhabit and what is in front of us is a portal into the future. Like the roads in Robert Frost’s famous poem, there is now a clear choice in education of how we get to our destination. The traditional path may feel safe for being so welltrodden but is increasingly irrelevant in preparing students for an uncertain future. With the poet, we’ve taken ‘the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.’ We invite you to join us on this remarkable journey.

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Educating the next generation of females THE pros and cons of single-sex and mixed educational settings are constantly being debated. Caroline Chisholm Catholic College offers a practical solution by focussing on a concentrated single-sex education from Years 7 to 9 for our young girls and boys at separate campuses, and a co-educational experience from Years 10 to 12. This allows for students to experience and take advantage of the best of both settings.

Caroline Chisholm Catholic College is seeing a rise in the number of girls taking Physics, Chemistry, Specialist Mathematics and Maths Methods in their senior years, as well as Design and Technologies and Performing and Visual Arts.

The preparatory years for girls are fundamental in setting study habits and academic skills. The single-sex setting encourages girls to challenge a national trend indicating they are less likely to take Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) and Vocational Education Training (VET) subjects at an early age. Our female students are encouraged to develop strong skills in theory and practical subjects throughout their early years of secondary education.

The College’s all-girls Christ the King Campus offers a safe space for girls that prepares them for the coeducational setting in Year 10 and beyond.

Starting off at an all-girls school creates a focused environment for girls to learn, but never feeling alienated from the College’s junior boys who learn on a separate all-boys campus.

The College promotes student voice and agency, where students standing up for themselves and a sisterhood that unites all the girls around important movements such as Black Lives Matters and Action Against Bullying. The College promotes strong female without labels.

Christ the King is a unique community built around educational choices, empowerment and identity.

The College collaborates with students to deliver a pastoral program that addresses the immediate issues at hand. The aim of the wellbeing program is to empower our young women with the skills and the attitudes needed to be their best, to overcome the obstacles and challenges society places before them, and to embrace their inner power.

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In addition to our programs, our all-girls campus has undergone a major refurbishment with a new performing arts centre and upgrades to science and technology spaces due to open later in the year.

Our students say it best about what makes Caroline Chisholm Catholic College, and our allgirls Christ the King Campus such a unique learning environment in those formative years and beyond. “The reason why this is such an amazing school is because it makes you feel so powerful and intelligent, it makes you feel as if you could be your own superhero. The school widens your capabilities and shows you how much potential you have.”

Explore our all-girls Christ the King campus or any of our other sites by contacting College for a personalised tour.

Chisholm Court

New Science Wing (opening Dec 2020)

Performing Arts Centre

6-Lane Indoor Pool

Year 7 - 9 Girls | Year 7 - 9 Boys | Year 10 - 12 Seniors 65 & 204 Churchill Avenue, Braybrook VIC 3019 cccc.vic.edu.au | +61 3 9296 5311

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Craigieburn Secondary College AT CRAIGIEBURN Secondary College we have high expectations of our students, teachers, parents, curriculum programs and the broader community. Students and staff strive to “be their best” in all aspects of College life. Our focus is to ensure every student engages with their learning and is challenged to achieve beyond their potential.

Our teaching code of practice is underpinned by a rigorous instructional framework that ensures that there is consistency in the delivery of high level educational programs. We believe when there is an environment of excellence in every classroom then students will achieve their full potential.

Our programs at Craigieburn Secondary College are stimulating, rewarding and forward looking; they encourage the highest standard of achievement in every activity undertaken by our students. Academic studies and work preparedness are enhanced by personal development, cultural skills, social growth and self-fulfilment. At Craigieburn Secondary College we are committed to the development of our students into well educated, confident young adults, well prepared for a fulfilling and successful future.

The wellbeing and engagement of every new student is an important priority for all Craigieburn teaching and support staff. Our Year 7 students thrive within the supportive environment of the College’s small team approach. Students commence each day under the care of their Personal Learning Time Teacher as their first level of support. Personal Learning Time Programs and a Year 7 Orientation Program quickly promotes confidence and a sense of belonging in our young students to ensure a seamless transition into College life.

The College is organised into sub-schools with a strong emphasis on support for all students’ transition into school and throughout their educational journey. Programs are specifically tailored to build relationships between teachers and students and to meet the individual learning needs of students as they progress through the year levels.

Strong Foundation Our Year 7 and 8 programs provide a solid foundation for future success by embedding literacy, numeracy and the use of Information and Communication Technologies across all subjects in the curriculum.

Students’ curiosity is heightened through the building of thinking skills and enquiry learning.

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Junior school students enjoy access to a broad and engaging curriculum and are supported by tailored learning programs in English and Maths which meet their individual learning needs.

Good study habits, regular homework and pride in achievement are expected, encouraged and rewarded.

Initiative, personal responsibility for learning and a strong sense of commitment is central to life in Years 11 and 12. A highly disciplined and collaborative work ethic among staff and students support each student’s quest for VCE success and successful career pathways. Students have the opportunity to start VCE subjects in Year 10 in order to enhance their ATAR score upon completion of Year 12. Our vocational programs also provide credit toward the VCE and TAFE courses. Craigieburn Secondary College is proud of its senior students, many of whom achieve outstanding results. They graduate as self-directed, confident young adults, well prepared for the postsecondary world of tertiary study, vocational training or direct employment.

All students are encouraged to undertake enhancement, extension and acceleration programs. Consolidation programs support individual needs. Students are strongly encouraged to make a commitment to community service with student leaders making valuable contributions to school life. College Captains, Sub-school Captains, House Captains and SRC representatives take an active role in decision making within the college.

Innovative teaching programs, staff commitment to ongoing professional development and outstanding physical resources enable the College to deliver a fulfilling educational experience.

CRAIGIEBURN SECONDARY COLLEGE

CRAIGIEBURN SECONDARY COLLEGE INFORMATION EVENING

WHEN Thursday 27th April Please contact the2017 School Tours 5:30-6:00pm FROOHJH IRU FRQÀUPHG Information Session 6:00-7:00pm

GDWHV DQG WLPHV WHERE

Ironbark Performing Arts Centre Craigieburn Secondary College

ADDITIONAL SCHOOL TOURS18th April — ADDITIONAL SCHOOL TOURS Tuesday 10:00am Monday 24th April — am TBA WĂƌĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ƵŶĂďůĞ ƚŽ ĂƩĞŶĚ ŽƵƌ ƐĐŚĞĚƵůĞĚ ƚŽƵƌƐ ĂƌĞ WĂƌĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ƵŶĂďůĞ ƚŽ ĂƩĞŶĚ ŽƵƌ ƐĐŚĞĚƵůĞĚ ƚŽƵƌƐ ǁĂƌŵůLJ ŝŶǀŝƚĞĚ ƚŽ ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ ƚŚĞ ŽĸĐĞ ŽŶ ϵϯϬϴ ϭϭϰϰ ƚŽ ĂƌƌĂŶŐĞ Ă ĂƌĞ ǁĂƌŵůLJ ŝŶǀŝƚĞĚ ƚŽ ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ ƚŚĞ ŽĸĐĞ ŽŶ ϵϯϬϴ ϭϭϰϰ ƚŽ ĂƌͲ ƐƵŝƚĂďůĞ ĂůƚĞƌŶĂƟǀĞ ƟŵĞ ĂŶĚ ĚĂLJ ƚŽ ƚŽƵƌ ƚŚĞ ŽůůĞŐĞ ǁŝƚŚ ŽƵƌ ƌĂŶŐĞ Ă ƐƵŝƚĂďůĞ ĂůƚĞƌŶĂƟǀĞ ƟŵĞ ĂŶĚ ĚĂLJ ƚŽ ƚŽƵƌ ƚŚĞ ŽůůĞŐĞ ƐƐŝƐƚĂŶƚ WƌŝŶĐŝƉĂů :ĂŵĞƐ DĐ'ĂǀŝƐŬ

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At Craigieburn Secondary At Craigieburn Secondary College we have high exCollege we have high ƉĞĐƚĂƟŽŶƐ ŽĨ ŽƵƌ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ͕ ĞdžƉĞĐƚĂƟŽŶƐ ŽĨ ŽƵƌ ƚĞĂĐŚĞƌƐ͕ ƉĂƌĞŶƚƐ͕ ĐƵƌƌŝĐƵͲ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ͕ ƚĞĂĐŚĞƌƐ͕ ůƵŵ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ƉĂƌĞŶƚƐ͕ ĐƵƌƌŝĐƵůƵŵ broader community. StuƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ĚĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƐƚĂī ƐƚƌŝǀĞ ƚŽ ͞be ďƌŽĂĚĞƌ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ͘ ƚŚĞŝƌ ďĞƐƚ͟ ŝŶ Ăůů ĂƐƉĞĐƚƐ ŽĨ ^ƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƐƚĂī ƐƚƌŝǀĞ ŽůůĞŐĞ ůŝĨĞ͘ ƚŽ ͞ďĞ ƚŚĞŝƌ ďĞƐƚ͟ ŝŶ Ăůů ĂƐƉĞĐƚƐ ŽĨ ŽůůĞŐĞ ůŝĨĞ͘ KƵƌ ĨŽĐƵƐ ŝƐ ƚŽ ĞŶƐƵƌĞ ƚŚĂƚ KƵƌ ĨŽĐƵƐ ŝƐ ƚŽ ĞŶƐƵƌĞ ĞǀĞƌLJ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚ ĞŶŐĂŐĞƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĂƚ ĞǀĞƌLJ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŝƐ ĐŚĂůͲ ĞŶŐĂŐĞƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞŝƌ lenged to achieve beyond ůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŝƐ ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞĚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů͘ to achieve beyond their ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů͘ KƵƌ ƚĞĂĐŚŝŶŐ ĐŽĚĞ ŽĨ ƉƌĂĐͲ KƵƌ ƚĞĂĐŚŝŶŐ ĐŽĚĞ ŽĨ ƟĐĞ ŝƐ ƵŶĚĞƌƉŝŶŶĞĚ ďLJ Ă ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞ ŝƐ ƵŶĚĞƌƉŝŶŶĞĚ ƌŝŐŽƌŽƵƐ ŝŶƐƚƌƵĐƟŽŶĂů ďLJ Ă ƌŝŐŽƌŽƵƐ ĨƌĂŵĞǁŽƌŬ ƚŚĂƚ ĞŶƐƵƌĞƐ ŝŶƐƚƌƵĐƟŽŶĂů ĨƌĂŵĞǁŽƌŬ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞƌĞ ŝƐ ĐŽŶƐŝƐƚĞŶĐLJ ŝŶ ƚŚĂƚ ĞŶƐƵƌĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞƌĞ ƚŚĞ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌLJ ŽĨ ŚŝŐŚ ůĞǀĞů ŝƐ ĐŽŶƐŝƐƚĞŶĐLJ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶĂů ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ͘ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌLJ ŽĨ ŚŝŐŚ ůĞǀĞů ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶĂů ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ͘ We We believe believethat thatwhen when ƚŚĞƌĞ ŝƐ ĂŶ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞƌĞ ŝƐ ĂŶ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ ĞdžĐĞůůĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ĞǀĞƌLJ ĐůĂƐƐͲ ŽĨ ĞdžĐĞůůĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ĞǀĞƌLJ ƌŽŽŵ ƚŚĞŶ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ǁŝůů ĐůĂƐƐƌŽŽŵ ƚŚĞŶ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ĂĐŚŝĞǀĞ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĨƵůů ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů͘ ǁŝůů ĂĐŚŝĞǀĞ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĨƵůů ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů͘

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Coburg High School WELCOME to Coburg High School, a school with a distinctive culture of students learning together and supporting and encouraging each other to do their best in keeping with our four school values: Excellence, Curiosity, Integrity, Community.

At our school, staff work collaboratively to develop a comprehensive and cohesive online curriculum, closely monitor and support the health and wellbeing of students, and challenge students to reach their potential.

Students are at the centre of our approach to teaching and learning and our decision-making and we hold high expectations of student learning, leadership, participation and behaviour.

We are committed to academic excellence and we are proud of the high results and impressive achievements of our students. We endeavour to develop the whole person and we are proud to cultivate the diverse talents of our students. We offer a range of well-established co-curricular programs and clubs and an expanding range of opportunities for students to contribute their own ideas for initiatives, activities and events.

Students are also offered an extensive range of excursions, camps, overseas tours and interstate tours. There is a wide range of enrichment opportunities to develop leadership capacity, participate in debating and public speaking programs, perform in concerts, productions and musicals, exhibit original artwork in galleries, compete in interschool sporting teams, develop fluency in Chinese (Mandarin) or Spanish,

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Students are at the centre of our approach to teaching and learning and our decision-making...

explore a wide range of humanities subjects, develop scientific curiosity through excursions, events and our own digital technologies and STEAM programs.

Coburg High School is a vibrant place of learning and personal growth. We expect students to invest significant effort into their learning and to take up opportunities that enable them to showcase their talents, explore their interests, and continually develop new knowledge and skills.

Coburg High School is a purpose-built, contemporary and state-of-the-art learning environment with ubiquitous access to technology through a Bring Your Own Mac program, flexible learning spaces, classrooms and specialist science laboratories, art rooms, dance and performance spaces, theatrette, and a new recording studio and library. The school is set within wonderful, expansive and well-kept grounds with a gymnasium, oval, multiple new outdoor courts, and nearby access to a range of fantastic local facilities.

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Discovery Night 2021 Thursday 25th March from 4pm Come see why Copperfield College is one of the top 3 VCE schools in Brimbank

There is more to Copperfield College than you know As one of the top three VCE schools in Brimbank, this invaluable evening will inform prospective parents and students about why Copperfield also has the highest number of Year 12 VCE, VET & VCAL students enrolled.

Learn about our:ʅ Exceptional VCE Study scores in Maths; English (EAL); IT; Economics; and Engineering Dedicated Numeracy and Literacy programs Safe and orderly learning environment Outstanding Performing Arts program, and comprehensive academic and vocational pathways ʅTo secure a place we recommend parents and students approaching Year 7

For more information and to register your attendance scan the QR code or visit https://copperfieldcollege.vic.edu.au/discoverynight 18

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attend.

EMPOWERING EVERY STUDENT TO ASPIRE AND ACHIEVE Copperfield College provides multiple pathways so every students finds success.ʅ We empower students to maximise the range of opportunities available to them and ensure our teachers and staff are applying the most up to date educational research. Our two junior campuses at Kings Park and Sydenham for Years 7 and 10 students and a VCE/VCAL campus for Years 11 and 12 students provide age appropriate learning environments. In Years 7 and 8 and then 9 and 10, small teams of teachers work collaboratively to understand and support the learning needs of each student, thus promoting positive relationships with students and their families and carers.

I invite you to come to our Discovery Night and see why there is more to Copperfield College than you know.

Pip Griffiths - College Principal

DISCOVERY NIGHT THURSDAY 25TH MARCH from 4pm

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Catholic Regional College St Albans CHOOSING a school for your child is an exciting but challenging time, especially for families who are preparing their first child for secondary school. There are many options and it can be difficult to know where to begin. However, parents know their child, and the process of looking at different schools will help clarify which is the best fit for their child and family.

Families often ask us what makes our school different. The first things that come to mind is that we are a strong faith community where learning, wellbeing and family all matter. We celebrate and embrace the rich cultural diversity of our local community and endeavour to live as a community without borders.

We offer a broad learning program that engages both girls and boys and challenges them to be the best that they can be. Our students are encouraged to explore their faith, to care for others, to become active global citizens and to do their personal best in all things.

Secondly, I think that our school is just the right size for young people as they navigate adolescence to become young adults. With 125 students at each year level, we are small enough to ensure that students are known, have a strong sense of belonging and feel safe. At the same time, we are big enough to offer a broad and engaging learning program. I would describe the College as a small school with big opportunities.

Lastly, our dedicated staff, strong relationships

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We offer a broad learning program that engages both girls and boys and challenges them to be the best that they can be. with families, primary to secondary transition program and our links with parishes and the local community are all strengths of our school.

Co-curricular activities are an important part of the secondary education experience and prospective students and their families are often keen to know more about these. Activities range from the community garden, various clubs and sporting activities, to the school production, choir, homework club and cultural nights. The cocurricular program changes over time, depending on the interests of students and staff.

Further details and a virtual tour are on the College website.

I hope this brief insight into our school will help you in making a decision about secondary education and I welcome your interest in the College. If you have further questions, we are happy to chat by phone or set up a meeting.

Christina Utri, Principal www.crcstalbans.catholic.edu.au

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Essendon Keilor College WITH the current levels of uncertainty it is more important than ever to have a strong focus on the future in educating our students.

We deliver an outstanding, personalised education at our Junior School campuses (Years 7-9) in East Keilor and Niddrie, and our Senior campus (Years 10-12) in Essendon.

Purpose, passion, positivity, and principles drive learning at our college because we are preparing students for tomorrow’s world. It’s a world that requires specific new knowledge, skills, capabilities and qualities – the ones we’re helping students develop with the support of expert teachers in safe, stimulating environments.

With strong leadership across the College, supported by outstanding teaching and support staff, we provide students with a range of unique educational opportunities that our three specialist campuses provide. Our culture of high expectations with a focus on growth means that all students are supported to reach their maximum potential. Teachers and students work in an environment that is conducive to high achievement. New facilities on all campuses support innovative teaching practices that are focussed around preparing students for the challenges that they will face in the future.

STEM is a strong focus for the school because

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New facilities on all campuses support innovative teaching practices that are focussed around preparing students for the challenges that they will face in the future. it not only teaches technical skills and knowledge, but also the vitally important collaboration, communication and problem solving skills that are going to be vital for our students in the future.

Along with our breadth of offerings in the Arts, Languages, Sport and Humanities every student is challenged to succeed in their chosen field.

Essendon Keilor College is a Year 7 to 12 school, based on three campuses. Our vision is to develop accomplished citizens who contribute, live meaningfully and succeed. For over 110 years we have been fulfilling that vision and will continue to do so for many years to come in partnership with parents and the whole school community.

Bringing the Technology of the Future into our classrooms

ESSENDON KEILOR COLLEGE Leading the way in STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)

For further information or to book a tour East Keilor Campus Years 7-9 Quinn Grove, East Keilor Phone: 8331 0109

Essendon Campus Years 10-12 286 Buckley Street, Essendon Phone: 9319 1300

12459748-JW45-20

Niddrie Campus Years 7-9 Peters Street, Airport West Phone: 9375 8400

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Grossek’s View Grossek’s view Fly or flounder?

HOW well prepared for secondary school will be the Year 6 graduates of 2020? I’ve been asked this question a number of times recently, mostly by parents, themselves largely over the remote learning program in which they and their children have been immersed these recent months. It’s a fair question. Quite straightforward really.

Frustratingly, the answer is anything but simple – hopeful at best.

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown conventional preparation for Year 6 students to transition to secondary school out the window.

Indeed, schooling as we have known it preCOVID-19, simply doesn’t exist in that state this year. Precisely what next year will look like in our schools is anybody’s guess. It depends very heavily, but not entirely, on a number of variables; these being, in the first instance, the degree to which we can keep daily new COVID-19 numbers very low. Secondly, and let’s be very hopeful here, the timing of when an effective vaccine is discovered and made universally available.

In moving forward into 2021 for our Year 7 students, several things are very clear and form the basis for a hopeful prediction. Bizarrely, the past six months and possibly the next three months will have provided schools, both primary and secondary schools with valuable experience and insights into both provision of remote learning programs and their impact on students.

This can only be of great value to both sectors as they grapple with the challenge of firstly preparing students for their transition and then, for secondary schools to take up the cudgels, so to speak, of providing all year 7 students next year with the most appropriate learning experience that they can.

On another positive note, it’s fair to assume that we have never had another time in our lives when parents per se, of Year 6 students, have been so engaged in their children’s learning program.

Some may well, and with justification, argue that the experience, for all its potential upside has at times been little short of a nightmare experience.

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Of course, even nightmares, may have a valuable lesson or two from which one can learn. In short, it is entirely possible that the remote learning experience, as unwelcome as it has been as an option, has given parents greater insights in to their children’s learning than they would otherwise have had. That could, and indeed should, provide a stronger base on which families as a whole can prepare for the challenges secondary schooling will present for the primary school graduates of 2020.

Then there’s the students themselves. It’s a fairly safe bet that most will make a relatively good fist of the transition. Despite all the chatter to the contrary, led mostly by adults, many well past their teenage years, as a cohort, the young are more resilient than for which we give them credit. They will survive and mostly thrive as have generation after generation of youth before them.

Let’s not, however, forget those children that spend too much time in the shadows of our collective actions. Those for whom the school is their best, if not only positive daily experience.

One can only imagine the level of impact that the social starvation of real time interaction with their peers has had.

Those too, whose homes and schools alike despite their best intentions and efforts, have been simply been unable to come within cooee of providing the essential technological and/or wellbeing support that others, more fortunate, have provided in these remote learning times. For those students transition to secondary schooling is of greatest concern.

At a practical school level, the student progress information flow from primary schools to secondary schools this year presents serious challenges. The depth and volume of student achievement data for 2020 will be significantly less than in previous years. This data is important to secondary schools in tailoring their teaching programs to meet the individual needs of all students from day one. Also, what orientation programs for Year 6 graduates will look like this year is anybody’s guess at this stage. Whilst only of limited duration, they are important for social and psychological reasons. The unknown has an uncanny knack for messing with our minds.

I recall my own transition to secondary school many decades ago when orientation programs were nothing more than the figment of imagination, if that. The loudest voices of my older peers had the most impact, and not all were positive.

Nonetheless, let’s not undersell both the commitment and expertise of our teachers. They are all acutely aware, already, of these challenges and more that face the transition of Year 6 children to secondary schooling in 2021. I have no doubt that they will do their utmost to ensure the best possible transition for all students. That is heartening.

My brief for this article was to undertake an exercise in crystal ball gazing – that is the likely impact the coronavirus pandemic-inspired remote learning program would have on the transition of students from primary to secondary schools in 2021. Crystal ball gazing is a fascinating exercise for many reasons. Curiosity about the unknown ranks very highly. How the unknown might affect us personally, even higher. Little wonder then that from soothsayers of bygone eras to astrologists of today, humans are prepared to turn to any advice in the hope of securing greater certainty in their minds at least for however a fleeting moment, if not their lives.

Then of course there’s science and, as an educator, I’d say our science is our best hope and that germinates in our schools. Importantly, science takes emotions out of the equation and right now there’s more than enough emotion surrounding all manner of debates regarding this pandemic and by extension its impact on the lives of our children’s futures. Fear, more than any other emotion has been shown to have the greatest impact on our behaviour, and how we handle fear determines to a large extent the outcome. In this instance, there’s the personal and the collective response to fear and both will intersect in a myriad of ways. The outcomes will similarly be diverse.

I once wrote a quote for my school newsletter – ‘An optimist is someone who believes a pessimist can be changed.’

A most pessimistic view of the immediate educational impact of the remote learning program on Year 6 students as they transition to secondary

school is that it will be lasting and damaging.

On the other hand, a most optimistic view would hold that the impact will be transitional with the students ultimately benefitting from the experience – this demonstrated in their beliefs and actions as adults in years to come.

My view? Being neither an optimist nor a pessimist, but rather a sceptic, I’m not sure. For some, the lucky few who have thrived in the remote learning environment it will be a personal boon. But will that translate into a collective empathy? I yearn to believe so. Then there’s the mass of students comprising the greater part of the Bell Curve – they’ll be largely okay and hopefully the harbingers of a better world. I’ve mentioned earlier those outlier students for whom the shadows are their dwelling place. Some will be inspired and in beating the odds and will become the torchbearers of hopeful societal change. Sadly, however, the story for all of those outlier children does not end there.

Henry Grossek, Principal, Berwick Lodge Primary School

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Hoppers Crossing Secondary College HOPPERS Crossing Secondary College is a dynamic school, where students are presented with boundless opportunities throughout their schooling journey. We place great emphasis on developing innovative and challenging educational programs for students of all abilities and we are totally committed to continuing to improve the life and education of each student enrolled at Hoppers Crossing Secondary College. Our goal is to see each student become a happy, self-confident, and knowledgeable lifelong learner who can demonstrate independence and a sense of career direction. Ultimately we want to see each growing as a worthy, contributing member of our community.

At the College we develop students who are competing at the highest levels possible in the state across a range of areas. We offer a breadth of subjects from Pre-Med , Robotics and Applied Computing to Advanced Biology, Chemistry and Forensic Science. We offer a range of programs catering to students looking to excel academically and foster a growth mindset focused on continuous improvement. We are proud to acknowledge our Year 12 graduates who consistently achieve study scores of 40+ and ATAR scores over 90, giving them access to a range of career pathways and tertiary education options. In addition to this, each year, the College has a number of students who choose to access a University course whilst completing their Year 12 studies.

Outside the classroom, students are offered a range of opportunities including, but not limited to, performing arts where our students have been nationally praised for their skill and professionalism.

Winning Story of the Year in 2019, as well as

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countess more awards at the Wakakirri Performing Arts event, is testament to the dedication and talent of our staff and students. Groups of students annually represent our school and country with three oversees learning experiences to China, Italy and California, engaging in cultural exchange and leadership opportunities.

Leadership qualities, evident in Hoppers Crossing Secondary College students, are cultivated with successful contributions to many events from local youth forums and public speaking programs to interschool debating and State Youth Parliament events. The vibrant sporting program offers the chance for students to compete in a wide range of sports, with indiviuals and teams representing the College and achieving success at regional and state levels.

In November 2020, we received confirmation from Sarah Connolly, our State Member for Tarneit, that the school would be receiving $10 million in funding in the State Budget to assist with the remodernisation of the school. This is a mouthwatering prospect for our school community and we are so excited with the opportunities this will provide to further enhance the school experience for our students. This wonderful news is recognition of the great work that has been achieved at the College over the last few years and we are so pleased that our students will benefit from this injection of funding.

To find out more about our College, I invite you to watch our Open Day Video and take a Virtual Tour, both of which are available on our Website.

Keith Halge, Principal

2021 Open Days & Information Sessions Tuesday, 2nd March

Tours: 9:30am & 6:00pm, Information Session: 7:00pm

Sunday, 2nd May

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A dual campus independent P-12 coeducational school

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Hume Central Secondary College HUME Central Secondary College, located in the City of Hume, serves the Broadmeadows area with a total student enrolment of approximately 1,200 students which has continued to grow in recent years.

At Hume Central Secondary College we are a positive and creative learning community that prepares students for a successful life. We pride ourselves on having a saafe, calm and orderly environment and we are dedicated to educating the whole person. We work in partnership with parents to develop young men and women who are globally aware, open to growth and committed to making a positive contribution to their local community.

The College has three state of the art Campuses, two Year 7-9 Junior Campuses and a Year 10-12 Senior Campus. Our Blair Street Junior Campus also includes the Hume Central English Language Centre, a Year 7-10 facility providing for the language learning needs of newly arrived students to Australia.

Select Entry Accelerated Learning (SEAL) Program Hume Central Secondary College’s Select Entry Accelerated Learning (SEAL) program operates at Years 7, 8 and 9 at both junior campuses.

The SEAL program has been especially developed to cater for the needs of high-achieving students by providing them with challenge and enrichment within a motivated and academically high-achieving peer group.

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Senior Pathways The emphasis in senior years is on working with students to help them to develop and practice the skills they will require for success in tertiary education and the workforce such as the ability to make decisions, accept responsibility and manage their time. In the senior years, students work with teachers to create a learning pathway that ensures they leave as young adults with the skills they need for a successful transition to life beyond secondary school. We believe that every learning pathway is valid and must be nurtured, and hence the college provides a diverse range of VCE subjects, a full VCAL program as well as a number of VET subjects.

We strongly believe that the key to a happy and successful education is the quality of the relationships that are formed between all members of the school community. We aim to ensure that every student feels safe and connected at all times. The dignity and respect for every person within our community underpins all that we do as a community, working collaboratively to assist each member of the community to achieve their hopes, dreams and aspirations.

We welcome your enquiries at any of our campuses and encourage you to visit our website for more information. www.humecentralsc.vic.edu.au Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ humecentralsecondarycollege/

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Why John Fawkner College?

Welcome to John Fawkner College, which is a school committed to developing every child, helping them grow into successful, goal orientated and independent thinking young adults. At John Fawkner College we assist students to recognise the talents they themselves may not have recognised. We deepen their desire for education and set them on pathways not previously imagined. Educationally, socially, physically, artistically: by any degree John Fawkner College is a great school. A school that is committed to assisting students reach their potential. John Fawkner College is a successful learning community built on the strengths of high academic achievement and a strong community focus, and as a result we are continuing a period of sustained improvement at our College.

Our opportunities for students include: • Literacy and numeracy support across the curriculum • Multiple pathway opportunities • Whole school pastoral care • Positive learning environment • Extension Programs of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in Curriculum • Arts and Performing Arts Programs • Study Skills and Exam Preparation for Middle School/Senior School • Student Leadership • Access to the College’s Melbourne City College of Football Program (MCCF) • Online communication with parents enabling them to access learning tasks and monitor academic progress

51 Jukes Road, Fawkner Telephone: (03) 9359 1166 www.jfc.vic.edu.au 12421297-SN16-20 32 Secondary Education

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www.jfc.vic.edu.au 51 Jukes Road, Fawkner Telephone: (03) 9359 1166 www.jfc.vic.edu.au Secondary Education

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MacKillop College lives by the vision Celebrating all life, Challenging all people, Dreaming the new day as we look to embrace opportunities and make positive contributions to society on a local and global scale.

This begins in the classroom through our rich, well-balanced curriculum, which attends to the unique needs, goals and abilities of students, and extends through to the diverse extra-curricular activities ơ Ǥ arts, musical theatre, ensembles, bands and an orchestra, to a wide variety of sports, art opportunities, photography, chess and a ‘Zoo Crew’, MacKillop College encourages each student to explore their individual talents and interests.

As these interests grow, students can join groups to focus on supporting causes about which they feel passionate, helping to raise 34

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awareness through student run initiatives.

Some of these groups include HarMack (a group focused on harmony despite societal ơ Ȍ ȋ Ȍǡ of which participate in community service and fundraising for charities.

These pursuits are enriched by our multi-complex facilities, which provide a contemporary and safe environment, assisting students in their learning experience.

The College’s main campus is also home to a beautifully maintained grounds and state-of-the-art rooms, chapel, gymnasium, ǡ Ƥ ǡ ǡ Ƥ ǡ ǡ attached to breakout rooms and collaborative learning spaces. The College also has a dedicated campus for Year 9 students, which works to integrate real world projects

and experiences into the learning process and curriculum. It is our aim to provide students with the resources and facilities to nurture their spiritual, psychological and physical wellbeing and growth. Whether it be to undertake accelerated learning, a ǡ ƪ ǡ ǯ and learning spaces remain attentive to the times and the needs of our students. ơ broaden their learning experiences though

ǡ students a deeper understanding of ǡ ǡ Ǥ trips focused on language immersion, to others on art or history, our international programs complement in-class learning and enrich the educational experience.

As a Catholic, coeducational secondary College that aims to educate the whole person, our core values provide students with an appreciation of justice, diversity, sustainability and faith. Our students graduate with an awareness and an understanding that renders them ready to contribute to the wider world.

Visit our website to take a virtual tour www.mackillop.vic.edu.au 03 8734 5200 Russell St Werribee VIC 3030

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Marian College MARIAN College seeks to provide young women with the opportunity to be educated within an environment that allows and encourages each person to develop fully as an individual, and as a community member. We educate 850 girls in a safe and secure environment; each girl knowing she will be cared for and supported, through our strong pastoral wellbeing structures.

We believe that learning and development should occur within a framework that values and engenders the principles of inclusiveness, justice, love and forgiveness.

We offer educational programs that are relevant, innovative and challenging. Curriculum is constantly renewed so that courses of study reflect the needs of our students. A wide range of options are available for students in the senior years, including VCE, VET and VCAL programs.

Strong academic results reflect the high expectations the College holds for students in their learning.

Our co-curricular program is designed to provide opportunities for students in spiritual, sporting, cultural and academic areas. Many exciting and wonderful experiences are offered through groups such as Book Club, Science Club, Bike Club, the Educating for Justice team, the Marian Leo’s, and the St Vincent de Paul Group.

We value, encourage and recognise the

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diversity of many cultures and religions within the school, as both a reflection of the wider community and as a means of understanding the broader world.

Entering secondary school is an exciting stage of life and this transition is a period of adjustment for the individual student and their family. At Marian, we have a team of teachers working to ensure that each family experiences a deep sense of belonging.

This year, the College has a special focus on one of our Core Values, “Wonder.” We will continue to reaffirm our commitment to giving witness to building an inclusive community where all people are welcomed, valued and belong as well as fulfilling their dreams.

We welcome you to join us for a TALK & TOUR whether that be online or in person.

The Talk & Tour introduces you to Marian College, provides you with information about our tradition, programs, facilities, and our enrolment process. Tours are led by our Principal or a member of our School Leadership Team. There will be opportunity for questions and answers at the end of the Talk & Tour.

For more information regarding our Talk & Tours and to request a Prospectus visit www.mariansw.catholic.edu.au

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APPLICATIONS FOR YEAR 7 2023 ARE NOW OPEN

JOIN US FOR A TALK & TOUR OF OUR COLLEGE

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 20 AUGUST 2021 Limited places available for Year 8 - 12 2022

For information and bookings visit:

www.mariansw.catholic.edu.au Marian College Sunshine West bѴ7-u; 7 1-ঞom bmbv|ub;v -|_oѴb1 v1_ooѴ =ou ]buѴv bm |_; ub]b7bm; |u-7bঞom 196 Glengala Road Sunshine West VIC 3020 | 03 9363 1711 Secondary Education

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Team Work

ATAR not the only path to a bright future EXPERTS on post-school pathways agree: a good ATAR score may be handy, but it is just one of many viable pathways to rewarding work and study Professor Jim Tognolini, University of Sydney – “While most people see the ATAR as the end of the journey, this couldn’t be further from the truth” Professor Jim Tognolini is a leading expert on assessment and educational measurement, and has a hand in scaling students’ scores. He said ATAR scores need to be kept in perspective.

“While most people see the ATAR as the end of the journey, this couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said. “When the ATAR arrives ‘it is what it is’. If it is high enough to gain access to the program of your choice, then that is great. If it isn’’t, this is where the fun begins.

“The ATAR (whatever its value) is the starting point for the next stage of life’s journey where you can start to plot and plan to explore the myriad of alternative pathways that will lead you to your ultimate goal. The journey might be different, but the ultimate satisfaction of achieving your goals is just as empowering.”

For more information or an interview, please contact Professor Jim Tognolini at jim. tognolini@sydney.edu.au Dr Katrina Barker, Western Sydney University – “I want young people to know that ATAR scores are just one of many viable pathways to their goals” Dr Katrina Barker is a Senior Researcher in the Centre for Educational Research with the School of Education, Western Sydney University. She conducts research into students’ engagement, retention and post-school study.

“The release of HSC marks and ATARs can be an anxious time for young people and their families,” said Dr Barker. “For some, results will come as a relief. Others may experience jubilation or, perhaps, disappointment, numbness or even despair.

“A young person’s response depends partly on whether they think their goals depend on their ATAR. I want young people to know that ATAR scores are just one of many viable pathways to their goals.

“When an ATAR provides entry to university but not the desired course, there are ways to transition into the course of choice. Start university and use the entry course as a stepping stone. Doing well in the first year can open up the opportunity to transition into the course the young person initially wanted.

“Even if you don’t have the ATAR to start a degree, you can enrol in university foundational studies or do a diploma. Most universities have colleges which give their graduates guaranteed entry into a degree and some even provide academic credit.

“University may not suit everyone’s needs.

Recent research estimates that about one in five young people commencing a bachelor’s degree will leave university before getting it.

It’s common for students to focus on their desired job and on the prestige of studying at university. But it’s important to know about the journey. Go to university open days, ask questions about the course, and talk with people in the profession: these will all help you make better choices.

For more information, please contact Dr Katrina Barker at k.barker@westernsydney. edu.au Dr Suzanne MacQueen, University of Newcastle – “Universities want you to study, and provide lots of ways you can get there” Dr Suzanne MacQueen is a senior lecturer in the University of Newscastle’s School of Education. She has undertaken research on nontraditional student experience in higher education. She too emphasises the many paths available to school leavers.

“It’s been a crazy year,” said Dr MacQueen.

“Students leaving high school are no doubt less certain than their 2019 counterparts of what their results from 13 years of study will be, and where they will be able to go from here.

“Luckily, there are many pathways. Universities want you to study, and provide lots of ways you can get there, including enabling pathways for those whose school results weren’t great. TAFE studies can lead to university too.

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Marymede Catholic College MARYMEDE Catholic College is a young and vibrant school community. We aspire, in the way of Mary, to give students a passion for life, a love of learning and a determination to be of service to others.

Our school is a Catholic, co-educational college located in the northern suburb of South Morang.

Through our mission and values, we are committed to recognising and developing the unique potential of every student, from Prep through to Year 12. As a result, our curriculum nurtures the individual to achieve fullness of life through a balanced emphasis on academic, spiritual, social, emotional and physical wellbeing.

We have the highest expectations for the personal behavior and academic effort of our students. We support them in their quest to aspire towards excellence in everything they do.

Our students grow and develop in a learning environment that promotes diversity and choice.

Teachers and facilities provide students with every opportunity to develop their own interests and skills. An education at Marymede incorporates the latest technology, delivered by educators who deeply care about student outcomes, within an environment that stimulates and encourages excellence.

Our new Materials and Technology Centre supports and strengthens our range of educational experiences in design and technologies, spanning

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both primary and secondary levels. This new building expands our already extensive specialist facilities for wood-working, textiles, digital technologies, CAD and 3D printing as well as new curriculum opportunities.

During 2021 we will be extending our Performing Arts facility with a $5 million performing arts centre. The new building will provide four specialised drama and dance spaces.

This building will provide a dedicated facility to showcase the talents of Marymede students. The centre is expected to be open for the start of the 2022 school year.

A complete education goes beyond the classroom. We offer diverse co-curricular programs that enhance student learning and provide opportunities to discover new talents, foster passions and aspire towards excellence.

Discovery and participation in a range of sports is encouraged through our extensive facilities and programs. Vast opportunities exist to compete in inter-school sport competitions against other schools and at state and national levels.

At Marymede, we are committed to providing your child with a complete education. An education, which encompasses our catholic faith, extensive opportunities, technology rich learning experiences and builds competent and creative learners.

A PATHWAY FOR EVERY STUDENT A Complete Education from Prep to Year 12

VISIT US IN 2021 OPEN DAY Sunday 14 March 2021 REGULAR TOURS Visit our website for dates

PREP 2022 applications close 21 May 2021

YEAR 7 2023 Applications Close 20 August 2021

*Limited vacancies other years.

For further information visit our website www.marymede.vic.edu.au or contact our Registrar on registrar@marymede.vic.edu.au 60 Williamsons Road South Morang VIC 3752 Phone: 9407 9000 | Web: www.marymede.vic.edu.au 12461445-DL06-21

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Continued from page 39 “There’s also the school of life – travel (local at the moment) and work, and other experiences, with the option to enter university at a later time.

Students attending university after a few years of life experience are usually very successful.

“There’s no such thing as the ‘right’ time to start university studies – it’s really up to the individual.”

For more information or an interview, please contact Dr Suzanne MacQueen at suzanne. macqueen@newcastle.edu.au Dr Kathryn Bartimote – “Stay connected to family and friends, affirm your values, explore your interests, and enjoy yourself!”

Dr Kathryn Bartimote is a researcher with the University of Sydney’s School of Education and Social Work and works in the Deputy ViceChancellor (Education) portfolio as the Head of Quality and Analytics. She has undertaken research on student transitions to university and on the academic progression of first years. She draws on these to point to the many paths available to students, and to the steps they can take to get a good start at university.

“The ATAR is a gateway to a range of study opportunities,” said Dr Bartimote. “It’s not the only door open now, and you can be sure more portals will appear over time.

“Once you’re at university, successfully

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completing your subjects will generate more openings – to extra curricula opportunities, changing degrees, moving unis, or even doing a postgraduate degree later on.

“So choose subjects that suit you, figure out before semester starts what’s expected of you (questions are good!), have a realistic weekly work plan and tweak it, be brave and stay engaged when things get challenging, get help when you’re not sure about something (good students do this!), don’t hand in your first draft, and soak up everything the library has to offer.

“Take stock early and skill up if you need to – in writing, in maths, or in managing time and tasks.

Stay connected to family and friends, affirm your values, explore your interests, and enjoy yourself!”

For more information, please contact Dr Kathryn Bartimote at the University of Sydney at kathryn.bartimote@sydney.edu.au MCERA, an independent, not-for-profit organisation, provides a conduit through which education research and researchers are made more accessible to the media to help improve public understanding of key education-related issues. We provide journalists with expert, independent and accessible insights from education researchers and practitioners. Any views expressed by the experts we consult are not necessarily those of MCERA or its staff.

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Transition from school to the workplace HOW can schools and teachers combat student anxiety regarding the transition from school to the workplace?

When young people around Australia start to consider their next move into further education, training or employment it is a period of transition which can significantly affect a young person’s mental health and wellbeing, and anxiety is often heightened, even for individuals who are normally on top of life’s challenges.

Young people are suddenly faced with finding and maintaining a job, and too often they fall into areas of profession that hold no personal interest for them. They have limited job-seeking or industry-specific skills, so work-related confidence can easily lead them to an all-time low after the relative safety net of school life.

The prospect of entering the workforce presents multiple challenges beyond the most obvious objective of finding a job. Let’s not forget the plethora of life-admin requirements that come with working life, such as bank accounts, superannuation, transportation, taxes etc. All necessary evils which can be resolved relatively easily as long as you know how, but to a typical teenager they can present instant stress. Parental expectations also often change when young people start earning their own money, and unexpected considerations regarding housing, rent, household expenses and domestic chores start to come into play.

However the biggest potential disruptor to a young person’s mental wellbeing is the pressure to formulate a new social identity as a newlyfledged working professional. They suddenly find themselves thrust into the world with different societal expectations, diminished support systems and adult responsibilities.

Transparency is key. Schools need to highlight these many and varied challenges to a young person’s comfortable status quo early on in Year 12 so that students have time to mentally prepare for what lies ahead by the time exams are over.

Post-exam celebrations will have less of a hangover if the foundations for the next stage have been laid in advance.

The overarching message to students should be that early and ongoing two-way communication is essential. Teachers should encourage students to

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ask endless questions about what changes will occur in their lives and how they can manage them accordingly. Engage parents/guardians in the process, providing current information about the changing world of work, the new notion of portfolio careers and what job searching looks like today.

As a basic priority, schools should be clarifying the recruitment process, honing job seeking skills, providing tips for writing resumes, conducting interviews, team work, problem solving, critical thinking and financial literacy, plus setting expectations regarding typical timelines for securing a job and all other aspects of the transition. It is also essential to develop work-ready skills before employment commences.

Schools can also play a vital role in demystifying work culture, employee-employer relations, salary expectations, dress codes, acceptable workplace behaviour, work hours, health and safety best practice, all before a young person has even walked onto the job. Practical solutions include linkages with a variety of local businesses from different industries at school-based seminars or during a “careers day”, or encouraging students to seek out part-time work or voluntary work to gain exposure to the work environment early on.

Employment providers and government services tend to predominantly focus on placing people in employment, rather than providing tailored strategies which play to an individual’s unique strengths or personal interests. At the start of their careers, young people should have their boundaries pushed and confidence built, rather than following a one-size-fits-all bureaucratic boxticking exercise. Too many young Australians enter a job based on the need to earn money, rather than following their heart or aligning their skills to the best fitting trade or industry. In addition to the more logistical guidelines, teachers can promote several tips to a maintaining healthy headspace throughout the process of finding a job: obvious points such as eating and sleeping well, which are crucial to maintaining positive mental wellbeing during times of stress. Regular exercise is one of the best ways to reduce daily anxiety levels as well as breathing exercises or simple mindfulness activities like drawing or listening to music.

Continued on page 54

Applications of Enrolment are now being taken for Year 7 entry in 2022.

Being a student at Penola Catholic College is about being the very best version of yourself, shaped by the image of God and the example of St Mary of the Cross Mackillop.

It is evident in the amazing learning experiences available to students, whether they be in any of the College’s 21st century learning areas or immersed in the cultures e of Italy or Japan as part of Penola’s extensive extra-curricular opportunities.

For further information call, 03 9301 2777 or visit our website for the latest information regarding Principal Tours. www.penola.vic.edu.au

At Penola Catholic College our curriculum reflects an understanding of our students at the various stages of their development and learning. Offering a rich and engaging ive curriculum through the provision of extensive ng subject offerings, outstanding music, sporting gent and artistic programs and the use of emergent technologies students are able to find and develop their real self and to celebrate the very best person they can be!

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STEP 2022 A SELECTIVE TALENT ENRICHMENT PROGRAM

A STEP TOWARD SUCCESS APPLICATION FORMS DUE THURSDAY 6TH MAY TESTING THURSDAY 20TH MAY At Rosehill Secondary College, the Science Department is equipped with state-of-the-art technology.

This allows teachers to provide a unique experience in STEM education. STEM education is an interdisciplinary approach to learning that removes the traditional barriers separating the four disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. When these fields are brought together, more meaningful learning can take place. STEM integrates these subjects into real world learning experiences. One such example involved our Environmental Science students who collected and analysed data from our local creek system, Steele Creek. The data that was used by the EPA to assess the health of the creek, after an environmental spill contaminated the water. Our data was used as a reference point by the EPA. To further enhance our outstanding work in STEM, 2021 will see the opening of our 4.5 million architecturally designed state of the art STEM centre.

Students have and will continue to participate in the following STEM experiences: • Engineers without Borders Conferences – Where students have designed solutions to current global humanitarian problems.

• Robogals - An international non-profit that inspires and encourages female students to consider Engineering.

• In2Science – Science and Maths peer mentoring in the classroom by current University Science Students.

• Robotics Program – High tech coding and programming digital technologies with the use of robotic spheres.

• Use of multiple 3D printers- incorporating fusion 360 CAD software to design and develop real products.

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Our students are also provided with opportunities to extend their knowledge and inspire their curiosity of STEM by attending various programs outside of the school. These programs include: • Endeavor Engineering – Students have the opportunity to meet with Melbourne University students presenting their final year projects.

• Meeting with Scientific experts – Students have meet with esteemed individuals such as: - Elizabeth Blackburn (Nobel Prize Winner for her work with chromosomes) - James Watson (Nobel Prize winner for his discovery of the structure of DNA) and, - David Suzuki (International-renounced Geneticist and Environmentalist).

• Specialist Science days - Offered by Melbourne University, GTAC, Victoria University ‘Be a Chemist for a day’ and • Regular use of specialist scientific centers – At facilities such as Ecolinc, GTAC, VSSEC and La Trobe University.

STEM students from Rosehill Secondary College will have the opportunity to embark on the ultimate STEM educational experience of their lives visiting the National Astronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Centre in Orlando, Florida, USA. Students will: • Participate in a simulated Space Shuttle Mission and space-related STEM activities.

• Learn hands-on about the science of space travel.

• Tour the Kennedy Space Centre.

• Hear real-life stories from a shuttle astronaut.

• Experience the new home of Space Shuttle Atlantis.

• Possibly attend a real life launch In addition to the program at Kennedy Space Centre students attending the camp will also: • Investigate the physics and design process of rides at Universal Studios.

• Use iFLY’s unique vertical wind tunnel facility to indoor skydive and carry out a scientific investigation.

• Experience an Airboat Discovery Tour through the unaltered wilderness of the Central Florida Everglades.

• Attend a NBA basketball game in Orlando

Sapphire Street, Niddrie 3042 Ph: 9337 2488 www.rosehillsc.vic.edu.au/step Secondary Education

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Our Story Teaching Girls Santa Maria College is a progressive Catholic secondary school for girls. For over one hundred years Santa DĂƌŝĂ ŽůůĞŐĞ ŚĂƐ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞĚ ŐŝƌůƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ŬŶŽǁůĞĚŐĞ͕ ƐŬŝůůƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŶĮĚĞŶĐĞ ƚŽ ďƵŝůĚ ůŝǀĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĞƐƚĂďůŝƐŚ ĐĂƌĞĞƌƐ ŽĨ ƐŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶĐĞ͘ tŚĞŶ ƚŚĞ 'ŽŽĚ ^ĂŵĂƌŝƚĂŶ ^ŝƐƚĞƌƐ ĮƌƐƚ ĐĂŵĞ ƚŽ EŽƌƚŚĐŽƚĞ ŝŶ ϭϵϬϰ ƚŚĞLJ ďƌŽƵŐŚƚ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞŵ Ă ƉŝŽŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ ƉĞƌƐƉĞĐƟǀĞ͘ DŽĚĞůůŝŶŐ ŝŶĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶĐĞ͕ ƚŚĞ ƉƵƌƐƵŝƚ ŽĨ ŬŶŽǁůĞĚŐĞ ĂŶĚ Ă ĐŽŵŵŝƚŵĞŶƚ ƚŽ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ͕ ƚŚĞ ^ŝƐƚĞƌƐ ŝŶƐƉŝƌĞĚ ŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶƐ ŽĨ ^ĂŶƚĂ ŐŝƌůƐ ƚŽ ƉƵƐŚ ďŽƵŶĚĂƌŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŽ ĂĐŚŝĞǀĞ ďĞLJŽŶĚ ƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů ĞdžƉĞĐƚĂƟŽŶƐ͘ dŚĞ ǀŝƐŝŽŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ^ŝƐƚĞƌƐ ŝƐ ĞŵďŽĚŝĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĐŽůůĞŐĞ ŵŽƩŽ͕ Dare to do as much as you are able. dŚŝƐ ĐƵůƚƵƌĞ ŽĨ ŬŶŽǁŝŶŐ ŐŝƌůƐ͕ ŽĨ ďĞůŝĞǀŝŶŐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů͕ ŽĨ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƟŶŐ ƚŚĞŵ ƚŽ ĂĐŚŝĞǀĞ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĚƌĞĂŵƐ ĂŶĚ ŵĂŬĞ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƵŶŝƋƵĞ ĐŽŶƚƌŝďƵƟŽŶ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚ ŝƐ ƚŚĞ ďĞĚƌŽĐŬ ŽĨ ŽƵƌ ĐŽůůĞŐĞ͘ ĚƵĐĂƟŶŐ 'ŝƌůƐ dŽĚĂLJ dŽĚĂLJ ƚŚŝƐ ƚĂŬĞƐ ƚŚĞ ĨŽƌŵ ŽĨ Ă ŵŽĚĞƌŶ͕ ďĞĂƵƟĨƵůůLJ ĂƉƉŽŝŶƚĞĚ ĐŽůůĞŐĞ͕ ƚŚĂƚ ŚĂƐ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂů ĐĂƌĞ ŽĨ ĞĂĐŚ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚ Ăƚ ŝƚƐ ŚĞĂƌƚ͘ /ƚ ƚĂŬĞƐ ƚŚĞ ĨŽƌŵ ŽĨ ĂŶ ŝŶŶŽǀĂƟǀĞ ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶĂů ĂƉƉƌŽĂĐŚ ƚŚĂƚ ƉƌĞƉĂƌĞƐ ŐŝƌůƐ ĨŽƌ Ă ĨĂƐƚͲƉĂĐĞĚ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵƉůĞdž ǁŽƌůĚ͘ /ƚ ŝƐ ĞŵďŽĚŝĞĚ ŝŶ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĨŽƐƚĞƌ ƚŚĞ ƉŚLJƐŝĐĂů͕ ĞŵŽƟŽŶĂů ĂŶĚ ƐƉŝƌŝƚƵĂů ǁĞůůďĞŝŶŐ ŽĨ ĞǀĞƌLJ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚ͘ /ƚ ŝƐ ĐŽŶĮƌŵĞĚ ŝŶ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĂƌƟĐƵůĂƚĞƐ ǁŚĂƚ ƐĐŚŽŽůƐ ůŝŬĞ ^ĂŶƚĂ DĂƌŝĂ ŚĂǀĞ ůŽŶŐ ŬŶŽǁŶ͖ ƚŚĂƚ ŐŝƌůƐ͛ ƐĐŚŽŽůƐ ĂƌĞ ĞƐƉĞĐŝĂůůLJ ďĞŶĞĮĐŝĂů ĨŽƌ ŐŝƌůƐ͘ /ƚ ŝƐ ĞŵďĞĚĚĞĚ ŝŶ the fact that at Santa Maria “every aspect of teaching and learning is tailored to girls, every program for ǁĞůůďĞŝŶŐ͕ ŚĞĂůƚŚLJ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ͕ ůĞĂĚĞƌƐŚŝƉ ĂŶĚ ůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ĐĂƚĞƌƐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŶĞĞĚƐ ŽĨ ŐŝƌůƐ͘͟ /ƚ ƌĞƐƵůƚƐ ŝŶ ŐŝƌůƐ ďĞŝŶŐ ĐŽŶĮĚĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ ĞŵƉŽǁĞƌĞĚ ƚŽ ͞ƉƵƌƐƵĞ ĂŶLJ ĚŝƌĞĐƟŽŶ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƚĂůĞŶƚƐ ůĞĂĚ ƚŚĞŵ͘͟ ;>ŽƌĞŶ ƌŝĚŐĞ͕ ŚƩƉƐ͗ͬ​ͬǁǁǁ͘ĂŐƐĂ͘ŽƌŐ͘ĂƵͬŶĞǁƐͬǁŚLJͲLJŽƵͲƐŚŽƵůĚͲĐŚŽŽƐĞͲĂͲƐŝŶŐůĞͲƐĞdžͲƐĐŚŽŽůͲƉĂƌƟĐƵůĂƌůLJͲĨŽƌͲŐŝƌůƐͬͿ

^ĂŶƚĂ DĂƌŝĂ͛Ɛ ĚĞĞƉ ŬŶŽǁůĞĚŐĞ ŽĨ ŐŝƌůƐ͛ ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ ĮŶĚƐ ƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞĚ ĞdžƉƌĞƐƐŝŽŶ ŝŶ ƚŚƌĞĞ ŽƵƚƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐ ŝŶŶŽǀĂƟŽŶƐ͗ • Our One Community, Three Villages Model ͻ dŚĞ /ŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů ĂĐĐĂůĂƵƌĞĂƚĞ DŝĚĚůĞ zĞĂƌƐ WƌŽŐƌĂŵŵĞ ŝŶ zĞĂƌƐ ϳͲϭϬ ͻ dŚĞ ƵŬĞ ŽĨ ĚŝŶďƵƌŐŚ ƌŽŶnjĞ͕ ^ŝůǀĞƌ ĂŶĚ 'ŽůĚ ǁĂƌĚƐ 12470290-JW10-21

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Girls need to belong: The Village Model When girls form strong bonds with one another and ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƚĞĂĐŚĞƌƐ ƚŚĞLJ ŐƌŽǁ ŝŶ ĐŽŶĮĚĞŶĐĞ͕ ƐŚĂƌĞ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƐƚŽƌŝĞƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ůĞĂƌŶ ŝŶ ǁĂLJƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĞŶŐĂŐĞ ƚŚĞ ŵŝŶĚ͕ ŚĞĂƌƚ and spirit. This is why we have created the model of One Community, Three Villages. ƐƚĂďůŝƐŚĞĚ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϲ͕ dŚĞ sŝůůĂŐĞ DŽĚĞů ĞŶĂďůĞƐ ŽƵƌ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ Ăƚ zĞĂƌƐ ϳͲϴ͕ ϵͲϭϬ ĂŶĚ ϭϭͲϭϮ͕ ƚŽ ĨĞĞů Ăƚ ŚŽŵĞ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ ƚŚĞŝƌ ŽǁŶ developmental age group and to access programs ĚĞƐŝŐŶĞĚ ƐƉĞĐŝĮĐĂůůLJ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞŵ͘ 'ŝƌůƐ ĞdžƉůŽƌĞ ĂŶĚ ĞŶŐĂŐĞ͗ dŚĞ /ŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Girls in Years 7-10 are curious about the world. They are ŝŶƋƵŝƐŝƟǀĞ ĂŶĚ ŝŵĂŐŝŶĂƟǀĞ͘ dŚĞLJ ůŽǀĞ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ŝŶ ƚĞĂŵƐ͘ dŚĞLJ ǀĂůƵĞ ƟŵĞ ĂůŽŶĞ͘ ǀĞƌLJƚŚŝŶŐ ŝƐ ƉĞƌƐŽŶĂů ďƵƚ ƚŚĞLJ ůŽǀĞ ƐĞĞŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ďŝŐŐĞƌ ƉŝĐƚƵƌĞ ƚŽŽ͘ dŚĞ /ŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme is a globally ƌĞĐŽŐŶŝƐĞĚ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ ďƵŝůƚ ŽŶ ŝŶƋƵŝƌLJ ĂŶĚ ĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƟŽŶ͘ It ŝƐ ƚŚĞ ůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ĨƌĂŵĞǁŽƌŬ ĨŽƌ ŽƵƌ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ŝŶ zĞĂƌƐ ϳͲϭϬ͘ dŚĞ DzW ŚĂƐ ϰ ĨŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶĂů ĞůĞŵĞŶƚƐ͗ ͻ 'ůŽďĂů ŽŶƚĞdžƚƐ͗ ƌĞĂů ǁŽƌůĚ ůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ůŝŶŬĞĚ ƚŽ students’ lives ͻ ŽŶĐĞƉƚƐ͗ ͚ďŝŐ ŝĚĞĂƐ͛ ƚŚĂƚ ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞ ƵƐ Ăƚ Ă ůŽĐĂů͕ ŶĂƟŽŶĂů ĂŶĚ ŝŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů ůĞǀĞů • Approaches to Learning: guidance in ‘learning how to learn’ ͻ ĐƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ͗ ůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ĞdžƉƌĞƐƐĞĚ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ community engagement The MYP incorporates all elements of the Victorian Curriculum but situates this within a global context. dŚĞ DzW ĂůŝŐŶƐ ǁŽŶĚĞƌĨƵůůLJ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ĞƚŚŽƐ ŽĨ 'ŽŽĚ ^ĂŵĂƌŝƚĂŶ ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ǀĂůƵĞƐ ĂŶĚ ǀŝƐŝŽŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ^ĂŶƚĂ DĂƌŝĂ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ͘ /ƚ ĐƌĞĂƚĞƐ Ă ƉůĂƞŽƌŵ ĨƌŽŵ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŽƵƌ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ĐŽŶĮĚĞŶƚůLJ ůĂƵŶĐŚ ŝŶƚŽ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƐĞŶŝŽƌ LJĞĂƌƐ ŽĨ ƐĐŚŽŽůŝŶŐ͘ dŚĞLJ ĂƌĞ ĨƵƚƵƌĞ ƌĞĂĚLJ ĂŶĚ ǁŽƌŬ ƌĞĂĚLJ͘ Girls are strong: The Duke of Edinburgh Award ‘I took a deep breath, absorbed the encouragement and support of my peers … and took a step over the edge’. Holly, Duke of Ed graduate. ŵŽƟŽŶĂů ƌĞƐŝůŝĞŶĐĞ͘ WŚLJƐŝĐĂů ĂŶĚ ŵĞŶƚĂů ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚ͘ ĞĂůŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞƐ ĂŶĚ ŽǀĞƌĐŽŵŝŶŐ ĨĞĂƌƐ͘ 'ŝƌůƐ ĚŝƐĐŽǀĞƌ ĂŶĚ ŐƌŽǁ ƚŚĞƐĞ ƋƵĂůŝƟĞƐ ĂƐ ƉĂƌƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƵŬĞ ŽĨ ĚŝŶďƵƌŐŚ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ͘ dŚĂƚ͛Ɛ ǁŚLJ ^ĂŶƚĂ DĂƌŝĂ has the strongest and most successful program in the state of Victoria. dŚĞ ƵŬĞ ŽĨ ĚŝŶďƵƌŐŚ ƌŽŶnjĞ ǁĂƌĚ ŝƐ ĨƵůůLJ ŝŶƚĞŐƌĂƚĞĚ ŝŶƚŽ ƚŚĞ zĞĂƌ ϵ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ͘ dŚĞ ^ŝůǀĞƌ ĂŶĚ 'ŽůĚ Awards are part of the extra-curricular program at Years 10 and 11.

At Santa Maria College, girls are listened to, respected, and celebrated. Their emerging sense of self is ŶƵƌƚƵƌĞĚ͘ dŚĞLJ ĂƌĞ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚĞĚ ƚŽ ĞŶŐĂŐĞ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚ ĐŽŶĮĚĞŶƚůLJ͕ ƚŽ ĞŵďƌĂĐĞ ƚŚĞ ƌŝĐŚŶĞƐƐ ŽĨ ǁŚŽ ƚŚĞLJ are, and to imagine who they may become.

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Continued from page 46 Putting these useful daily tips aside, the most important thing schools can do is to openly acknowledge to students that the transition is an inevitable milestone of emotional upheaval and any related anxiety is by no means strange, uncommon or shameful.

Once this is accepted, it will be easier for teachers to then go on to promote the upsides to working life. Research has shown that working can actually help reduce mental health symptoms and improve an individual’s wellbeing and sense of purpose. It provides structure and routine, not to mention a platform for more varied socialisation, financial independence, technical skills and broadened life experience.

Transitioning from school into the workforce is one of the most eventful periods in a person’s entire life and should not be under-estimated or over-simplified as a routine join-the-dots journey.

Schools should acknowledge the challenges, outline the processes and embrace the prospects.

By establishing structured, formalised approaches to workplace transitioning that will arm students with the best possible tools and mindsets,

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Australia’s workforce can look forward to future generations of confident, enthusiastic, inquisitive and challenging employees.

Headspace, National Youth Mental Health Foundation Work and Study Programs support 15 to 25 year olds to plan a career, find employment or work towards further education in a highly accessible, confidential and youth-friendly environment. From one-on-one support with a careers specialist to linking in with industryspecific mentors, our work and study programs provide free, expert and tailored support. The service exists to support young people whose work and study activities have been impacted by mental health, especially for those young people who are not eligible for traditional employment services or are not receiving the level of support they need from these services. And they are delivered online or over the phone to ensure that all young people, wherever they live, can take part. Please go to www.headspace.org.au/ourservices/digital-work-and-study-service/ for more information.

2022

Department of Education

SEAL PROGRAM SELECT ENTRY ACCELERATED LEARNING ENTRY AT YEAR 7 IN 2022 If your child is a high achiever, gifted learner or talented academic, the St Albans Secondary College SEAL Program will maximise their learning potential across all curriculum areas from Year 7 through to Year 12.

The SEAL Program recognises outstanding students by providing them with opportunities to: • Accelerate and enrich their academic studies • To develop their leadership skills and creative talents To register your application for the SEAL Program, contact the Program Coordinator, Ms Amy Lee at amy.lee@education.vic.gov.au or visit our College website at www.stalbanssc.vic.edu.au Telephone (+613) 9366 2555 www.stalbanssc.vic.edu.au

HIGH EXPECTATIONS - OUTSTANDING RESULTS 12461356-SN06-21

St Helena Secondary College ST Helena Secondary College is a vibrant school community located in Eltham North. The College is committed to fostering the growth of the whole child. We have a proud history of excellence in education and our vision is to develop wellrounded global citizens, who are equipped to thrive and contribute positively in the digital age.

Our College values of Respect, Responsibility and Personal Best create a strong sense of connectedness in what is a safe, supportive and stimulating personalised learning environment.

St Helena Secondary College is a high-demand school and the school of choice for many families.

We know the transition from Primary School to Secondary School can be as daunting as it is exciting, especially in the current climate we are in.

Our highly experienced Transition team partner with families, students and Primary Schools to facilitate a smooth transition to our stand-alone Year 7 Junior School, quickly establishing new students as an integral part of our community.

All students engage in our ‘Strive’ program which is central to our vision of ‘growing the whole child’. The Strive program consists of three streams – Learning Skills, Positivity and Pathways.

Students explore age-appropriate curriculum aimed at developing their academic ability, social and emotional skills, and connectedness to an individualised pathway.

Our Year 7 and 8 students are involved in a cluster-based learning model in English and Mathematics, which supports learning and intervention at every students’ point of need. This involves pre-testing students at the commencement of each topic, forming groupings based on skill proficiency - at, below, or above expected level and teaching, intervening and assessing at students’ zone of proximal development in order to advance the entire cohort across all ability levels.

Our ACE program caters for the educational needs of gifted and talented students. It ensures these students are engaged, challenged and supported to achieve their full potential. ACE students remain together in the first three years of secondary school, accelerating through an enhanced curriculum. In Year 10, ACE students can commence their VCE by completing one or two VCE subjects, and may be able to study a university subject via our HEVS program in their final year.

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Our ACE program caters for the educational needs of gifted and talented students.

Our award-winning instrumental music program consists of over 220 students (and growing) who regularly compete (and consistently win awards) in the Victorian School Music Festivals and Generations of Jazz Festival. We have a proud tradition of performance including musicals, plays, drama ensemble performances and music concerts. Our dedicated Performing Arts team have been recognised for their excellence in being nominated for and winning several Victorian Music Theatre Guild Awards and Lyrebird Theatre Awards.

Aspiring athletes are able to hone their skills and maximise their potential in our Sports Academy program (Basketball and Netball) and the Athlete Development Program. These programs focus on enhancing student learning in the areas of Technical Skill Development; Tactical and Strategic Development; Strength and Conditioning; Injury Prevention; Match Preparation; and Recovery.

Students are offered an extensive range of camps and international tours, including (but not limited to): the Year 8 Rock and Water Camp, where students develop self-awareness, selfrespect and self-confidence to prepare them for young adulthood; an immersive cultural experience to Italy; an opportunity to support economic and social development in a Third World country on the World Challenge; a visit to NASA as part of the Space Camp; or an opportunity to see the bright lights of Hollywood and Broadway on our Performing Arts tour.

Owing to our significant size and resourcing, students at St Helena Secondary College are fortunate to be able to select from one of the largest ranges of VCE and VET subjects of any school in Victoria. Each year we are able to offer approximately 40 VCE and VET subjects in the senior years, ensuring any and all pathway interest is catered for.

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Sunbury Downs College SUNBURY Downs College is a Year 7 to 12 co-educational Secondary College situated in the regional town of Sunbury. We are a growing College with a student enrolment of approximately 700. The College offers the very best in teaching and learning with highly capable and professional teachers and education support staff working alongside students to help them reach their potential.

Students at the College belong to one of two mini schools: Middle Years (Year 7-9) and Later Years (Year 10-12). Within each Mini School, Year Level coordinators work with home group teachers and classroom teachers to ensure that their school experience is positive.

Supporting the Mini Schools is our Student Wellbeing team, which consists of a fulltime Youth Worker, a College Chaplain (pastoral care), a team leader and an Adolescent Health School Nurse (2 days per week). A Mental Health Practitioner was recently appointed in a part time capacity. The Learning Support team and Inclusion Coordinator also advocate and support identified students at the College. This broad group of staff work in collaboration with the Mini School staff to provide a learning environment which embraces and supports the individual needs of students.

Our College values of Respect, Resilience, Ambition and Community underpin our day-to-day interactions with each other and guide the interactions of all key stakeholders of the College – students, parents/carers and staff.

We have consistently achieved outstanding VCE results at or above the State mean. Sunbury Downs College was the recipient of The Age VCE Excellence in Education Award for the Northern Region in 2018.

The College is making it a priority to improve our buildings and facilities, which further enhance the teaching and learning program for students. We have recently completed two major capital works building programs, which have upgraded and modernised the Science, Physical Education and Student Hub areas of the College. The brand new state of the art Dulap Wilim Hub (shared community facility) encompasses two commercial teaching kitchens for use by Sunbury Downs College students.

Our curriculum program has a strong emphasis on each of the eight domain areas: English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities, Arts (Visual and Performing), Technology, Physical Education/ Health and Languages (Italian). We offer a wide

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range of VCE subjects including Vocational Education and Training (VET), a structured and rigorous Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning program (VCAL) and have introduced the Headstart Program. This program is for secondary students commencing at Year 10 and combines school-based education with an apprenticeship or traineeship.

Students can choose to complete their VCE or VCAL over three years alongside paid on-the-job training that leads to an accredited industry specific qualification.

The College is the only secondary school in the area that offers an Accelerated Curriculum and Enrichment (ACE) program for academically able students; extending students through a challenging curriculum including early commencement of VCE. Sunbury Downs College offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities and an inter-school sporting program for students to participate in.

There are year level and specialised camps and excursions, including an overseas Italian Study Tour every second year.

The College has a well-established student leadership program and a house system with whole school carnivals for athletics and swimming.

Students are allocated to one of the four Houses (Aitken, Evans, Jackson, Mitchell) when they enroll at the College and remain aligned to their house until the end of Year 12.

Sunbury Downs College offers instrumental music tuition and presents a highly acclaimed Musical Production, enabling students to excel in the Performing Arts in an environment that fosters participation, responsibility and teamwork outside the classroom.

Our College is proud to be in partnership with its community and organisations so as to offer and provide the very best for our students. Our feeder schools, local businesses and community agencies are important stakeholders in our College community. We acknowledge that it is the links with the outside world that extends the offerings for our students and community.

I welcome all members of our local community to take the time to have a “fresh look” at our great school and encourage you to join me on a tour to see firsthand the College at work. I recommend that you contact the school to obtain further information and I look forward to you joining our community – the Sunbury Downs Community.

Warwick Beynon, Principal

Sunbury Downs College ‘Confidence to Achieve’ • VCE results consistently at or above state average • A safe, inclusive and secure learning environment • Supporting student’s wellbeing by understanding the needs of each child • Recently modernised & upgraded facilities • Accelerated Curriculum & Enrichment (ACE) program • Students are known and cared for as individuals • Broad extra curricular program

Our work is underpinned by our College values;

Respect | Resilience | Ambition | Community A co-educational school with dedicated teachers who implement innovative ideas to stimulate learning

Contact 9744 0500 or sunbury.downs.sc@education.vic.gov.au 148-174 Mitchells Lane Sunbury VIC 3429 Secondary Education

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Education after Covid-19 COVID-19 has profoundly disrupted education.

Instead of merely reacting to this disruption and attempting to create an illusion of normality, it is important to reflect carefully on how educators and policymakers can respond effectively, learn from the pandemic, and improve the education system in lasting ways.

To this end, we invite experts to provide their insights on the things that can and should change for the better in education both during the pandemic and after.

The rise of AI; a school year disrupted by the pandemic; adjustments to year 12 grades; controversy in the UK over predictive marking; continued debates over the equity and usefulness of HSC and ATAR – all have converged to give new urgency to an old question: how should students’ learning be assessed, and what role should this play in their postschool options? We’ve gathered experts from a range of fields to provide their insights.

Professor Peter Twining, University of Newcastle – “Assessment that focuses on academic knowledge but ignores 21st century skills is not fit for purpose” Professor Peter Twining researches automation, assessment, and how schools can be redesigned to adapt to the challenges of the 21st century. He says new methods are needed to assess students’ skills and learning.

“End of Year 12 assessments give a distorted view of the students’ learning because there’s vitally important things they can’t measure – like creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and resilience,” says Professor Twining.

“Using them to evaluate schools incentivises teachers to cheat, game the system, and focus on what is being assessed rather than what is important for students to learn.

“COVID-19 required alternative forms of assessment, but the UK situation in which algorithms were used to adjust teacher judgements highlights a problem of techno cratic solutions – the algorithms had built in biases that penalised students from low socio-economic groups.

“We need assessments that capture evidence of the things we say matter, such as ‘21st century skills’.

For example, Point of Learning uses an app to note when someone sees a learner demonstrating that they have met a target.

“Over time this builds up a compelling evidence base of multiple people on multiple occasions

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COVID-19 has profoundly disrupted education. logging what that learner has achieved. This mirrors the use of endorsements and recommendations in LinkedIn, which complement traditional qualifications.

“Assessment that focuses on academic knowledge but ignores 21st century skills is not fit for purpose.

COVID-19 has opened the door for new forms of assessment. Let’s not squander that opportunity.”

Dr Ilana Finefter-Rosenbluh, Monash University – “Our ethical obligation as a society is to provide students with the resources that enable them to take assessment tasks and succeed, not to scrap our checks and balances” Dr Ilana Finefter-Rosenbluh is a Lecturer in Educational Assessment and Ethics at Monash University. She argues that we shouldn’t jump into scrapping benchmarks like ATAR, but we need to do more to ensure students get the chance to perform to the best of their ability. This also means taking account of individual circumstances, including through adapting exam arrangements to meet students’ needs.

“COVID-19 has exposed the best and worst of education policies”, says Dr Finefter-Rosenbluh. “In particular, it has underlined how difficult it is to ethically assess students’ work while considering all the individual factors that may impact their performance.

“In Australia, this riddle has brought back the oldtime debate over the use of the ATAR ranking system: should it stay or should it go? Many have gone so far as to suggest a fail/pass assessment approach should be adopted once and for all.

“But when reimagining our assessment systems, it is worth going back to the reasons societies have been using grades and marks in the first place. While they may be ethically questionable, grades are essential to the logic and functioning of schools and universities.

“Like it or not, grades play many important roles, including signalling student performance, knowledge and skills, helping motivate students, and enabling employers to make hiring decisions.

“Like it or not, grades play many important roles, including signalling student performance, knowledge and skills, helping motivate students, and enabling employers to make hiring decisions.

“With the pandemic exacerbating social and educational inequalities, our ethical obligation as a society is to provide students with the resources that enable them to take assessment tasks and succeed, not to scrap our checks and balances.

“We can, and should, work to create pandemicresilient schools that are equipped to help students perform to their best.”

Professor John Fischetti, University of Newcastle – “We should take the debilitating pressure off our amazing teens” John Fischetti is Pro Vice Chancellor of the Faculty of Education and Arts of the University of Newcastle, and past President of the NSW Council of Deans of Education. He is an expert on equity in education. He and his colleagues recently made headlines with a study suggesting it was possible to accurately predict students’ HSC grades using such factors as their Year 12 subject choices, Year 9 NAPLAN scores, and Year 11 attendance.

Professor Fischetti believes this research provides a solution to the unfair impact of COVID-19 on students finishing Year 12 this year.

“One of the biggest disruptions to ‘normal’ this year has been the pandemic’s impact on our amazing year 12 students’ preparation for the HSC,” says Professor Fischetti. “Learning from home and the extra mental strains of our societywide focus on our COVID-19 response has led many to worry about disadvantaging our graduating class in their post-secondary pathways.”

“Our recent research at the University of Newcastle shows that we are over-thinking this disruption. We already know with quite amazing accuracy what year 12 students’ HSC scores will be after year 11. We can arrive at this by looking at data on their learning and progress through the previous 12 years of schooling.

According to Professor Fischetti, the pressure of HSC exams isn’t necessary for four reasons: 1. We can pretty much predict their scores 2. There are already multiple pathways to TAFE and University that leave every goal a student has still on the table 3. 20% of our students don’t complete the HSC anyway

4. 40% of Australia’s poorest 19 year olds don’t finish Year 12, compared with about 10% of the wealthiest.

“We should take the debilitating pressure off our amazing teens,” he says. “And we should use this time to redesign the senior years to prepare students to be life-ready rather than test-ready.”

Dr Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos, UniSA – “The challenge isn’t algorithms as such, but what happens when they usurp the teacher” Fernando researches human-artificial cognition, drawing on experimental work and cognitive psychology. He says that AI technologies’ increasing use across society streamlines decisions and enables individuals to cope with large amounts of data. But there’s a big problem when they are used to replace, rather than assist, human decisionmaking.

“AI isn’t foreign to the education sector. Virtual learning environments, intelligent tutor systems, and adaptive feedback are already being used. In those cases, AI supports human use of technology rather than acting as a decision maker. People are more comfortable when AI is used to support decision making by a human (i.e., the teacher).

“For instance, students’ assessment has traditionally been done by teachers, whose knowledge of students is reflected in the final grade. Automating this process can be calamitous, as indicated by the 2020 year 12 UK assessment.

“The algorithm used recently in the UK aimed at standardising grades using a statistical equation.

That is, the algorithm produced estimations of the grades students were likely to receive based on their school background and the like, and students’ grades were altered to fit those estimations.

“The result was negative for many students, resulting in a loss of university placements. The challenge isn’t algorithms as such, but what happens when they usurp the teacher. What we need is a collaboration between the algorithmic suggestion and the judgement of a human to make the final decision.”

To find out more about the MCERA organisation (Media Centre for Education Research), contact info@mcera.org.au Secondary Education

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Creating futures West Campus 25A Lachlan Road, Sunshine West

North Campus Northumberland Road, Sunshine North

Sunshine College is proud of its reputation for producing positive and resilient students, well prepared with the breadth of outlook and the essential learning skills they will need to become successful citizens in a rapidly changing global community.

Everything that encompasses Sunshine College’s educational experience is guided by our vision, values and culture.

Vision: As a school community we take pride in Creating Futures through a caring environment that enhances academic learning, personal growth and wellbeing for all students and staff.

Culture: Our culture is collaborative, inclusive and aspirational.

Teachers, students and parents work together to ensure every student achieves their full potential and creates a meaningful future.

Our values of Growth, Learning, Wellbeing and Relationships form the bedrock for what happens inside the classroom and drives the expectations of every Sunshine College student.

GROWTH

LEARNING

Make good choices Do your best work Get a little better every day

Collaborate with others Mistakes help learning Be prepared to learn Help everyone to learn

RELATIONSHIPS

WELLBEING

Allowing everyone to feel safe Completing tasks on time Making good choices for you

Respect other students Respect teachers Listen Be kind

12461493-JW45-20

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sunshine.vic.edu.au (03) 8311 8500 sunshine.co@education.vic.gov.au

12461491-JW45-20

We’re proud to share the work of our brilliant students.

Stay updated on Sunshine College news, see our student work, watch Ms B’s live cooking classes and more by following our social media pages: facebook.com/sunshinecollegevic or scan QR code @sunniefoods on Instagram @sunnie_creatives on Instagram Secondary Education

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Victoria University Secondary College VICTORIA University Secondary College is a coeducational state Year 7-12 college with three campuses. Our vision inspires students to ‘Create the Future’ and our college values ‘Aspire to Achieve’, ‘Strengthen the Community’ and ‘Respect Ourselves and Others’ support and guide all we do at VUSC. I am proud to lead Victoria University Secondary College - a tight knit school community where all staff learn together and continuously improve, and where students are guided to discover their talents and strengths, enjoy their educational journey and develop goals for their future.

At VUSC we believe all students can succeed with effort and persistence. Our evidence based teaching practices and strategies establish safe, purposeful and inclusive classroom environments while providing the individual behaviour and learning supports needed to achieve academic and social success for all students. We focus on each student’s individual interests and abilities, and help them to achieve their pathway of choice.

Over 30 Victorian schools and Department of Education staff have visited our college to observe our exemplary classroom practices and teaching strategies.

Our focus on Literacy and Numeracy has seen student outcomes increase significantly over the last few years. Support is provided at all levels and high achieving students are challenged and extended. Parent opinion of the college is overwhelmingly positive and student attitude surveys have shown progressive increases in their satisfaction with the school. Students comment that they feel safe, are motivated to learn and that teachers help them learn to the best of their ability.

It is pleasing that on average 99% of our students receive an offer at either university or TAFE. Our graduating students pursue careers in Engineering, Law, Accounting, Building, Education, Finance/Commerce, Information Technology, Media/Music, Nursing/Medical, Science and Youth Work as well as others.

However our focus begins in Year 7. From day one, we will teach your child how to aspire and succeed.

Our Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) teaching and learning strategies support students with independent

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We invite you to come along to our OPEN HOUSE on Monday 15 March 2021 to see our classes in action and meet our staff. We look forward to welcoming you to our exciting community at Victoria University Secondary College. study and organisational skills. Our partnerships with Beacon, Victoria University and the Australian Business and Community Network offer many opportunities for students including access to scholarships and business mentors.

Our Chinese program and sister school relationship have enabled students to become part of a global learning community. Students have travelled to China each year since 2014 as part of the Victorian Young Leaders to China program. Our Music and Performing Arts program, Sports Academy, Debating and School Leadership programs add to the many opportunities available at VUSC. Our newly revised Year 9 curriculum allows students to access more electives, an inquiry learning subject and a greater focus on real world engagement.

Our interschool sports program is comprehensive and our Rugby League Academy has seen enormous success in Victoria. We are one of only two schools in Victoria to compete in the Tier 1 Schoolboys Australia-wide competition.

Construction of our new 7-12 school at Cairnlea is now underway. This is an exciting time and well deserved for our school community, and we look forward to having the most modern state of the art facilities in our municipality in the near future.

We invite you to come along to our OPEN HOUSE on Monday 15 March 2021 to see our classes in action and meet our staff. We look forward to welcoming you to our exciting community at Victoria University Secondary College.

Elaine Hazim, College Principal

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A FOCUS ON THE FUTURE

SELECT ENTRY LEARNING PROGRAM

Werribee Secondary College, has a strong academic focus and a history of outstanding achievements. We believe that every student can achieve success and our teachers work very hard to adapt their teaching and learning strategies to ensure excellent student outcomes.

dŚĞ tĞƌƌŝďĞĞ ^ĞĐŽŶĚĂƌLJ ŽůůĞŐĞ ƐĞůĞĐƟǀĞ ĞŶƚƌLJ program has been developed to address the special learning needs of students who demonstrate high levels of task commitment and achievement.

The College͛s year 7 to 10 programs prepare students with the skills and knowledge to succeed in senior school years and beyond.

Senior students select a program of VCE, VET or the IBDP which best suits their individual interĞƐƚƐ͕ ĂƐƉŝƌĂƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ƐƚLJůĞ͘ Students are fully supported at all stages of their journey with assistance planning for ĨƵƚƵƌĞ ƚĞƌƟĂƌLJ ƐƚƵĚŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĐĂƌĞĞƌƐ͘

dŚƌŽƵŐŚ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵďŝŶĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ Ă ƐƉĞĐŝĂůůLJ ĚĞƐŝŐŶĞĚ Curriculum, well-ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞĚ ƚĞĂĐŚŝŶŐ ĞdžƉĞƌƟƐĞ͕ ĂŶĚ Ă ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ ĐƵůƚƵƌĞ ŽĨ ŚŝŐŚ ĞdžƉĞĐƚĂƟŽŶƐ͕ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ĂƌĞ ƐƟŵƵůĂƚĞĚ͕ ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞĚ ĂŶĚ ŵŽƟǀĂƚĞĚ ƚŽǁĂƌĚƐ ĞǀĞŶ ŚŝŐŚĞƌ ůĞǀĞůƐ ŽĨ achievement.

The program features:

9 A challenging academic curriculum 9 Full parƟcipaƟon in arts, sports and technology 9 A wide range of co-curricular acƟviƟes

9 An advanced instrumental program Proudly accredited with the Council of 9 Group of supporƟve & highly moƟvated peers /ŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů ^ĐŚŽŽůƐ ; /^Ϳ͕ tĞƌƌŝďĞĞ A history of outstanding VCE results Secondary College celebrates diversity and 9 interculturalism. Our core value of respect underpins our behaviours on a daily basis. The College ŝƐ ĨƵůůLJ ĐŽŵŵŝƩĞĚ ƚŽ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŝŶŐ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ƐŽĐŝĂů͕ ĞŵŽƟŽŶĂů ĂŶĚ ƉŚLJƐŝĐĂů ǁĞůůďĞͲ ing, alongside their academic performance, so that every students journey to adulthood is a happy, healthy and resilient one.

For further informaƟon on the Select Entry Program please visit our website at werribeesc.vic.edu.au or phone the College on ;+61 3Ϳ 9741 1822.

The culture of challenge and hard work which ƚŚĞ ^ >W ĐƵůƟǀĂƚĞƐ ĞŶĂďůĞƐ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ƚŽ ŵĂŬĞ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĐĂƉĂďŝůŝƟĞƐ͘ KƵƌ ŽůůĞŐĞ ŚĂƐ ƚŚĞ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ͕ ƚŚĞ ĞdžƉĞƌƟƐĞ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ĐƵƌƌŝĐƵͲ lum structure to help your child achieve their ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů͘

WYNDHAM͛S INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL 66 Secondary Education 12473788-DL06-21

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE DIPLOMA PROGRAM (IBDP) tĞƌƌŝďĞĞ ^ĞĐŽŶĚĂƌLJ ŽůůĞŐĞ ŝƐ Ă ƉƌŽƵĚ ŝŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů ƐĐŚŽŽů͕ ĂƵƚŚŽƌŝƐĞĚ ƚŽ ŽīĞƌ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚǁŝĚĞ ƌĞĐŽŐŶŝnjĞĚ / W͕ ĂŶ ĂůƚĞƌŶĂƟǀĞ ƚŽ s ͘ dŚĞ / ĨŽĐƵƐĞƐ ŽŶ ĐƌĞĂƟŶŐ ŐůŽďĂů ƚŚŝŶŬŝŶŐ͕ ŝŶƋƵŝƐŝƟǀĞ ĐŝƟnjĞŶƐ͘ ĞŐŝŶŶŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ƐƉĞĐŝĂůŝƐĞĚ zĞĂƌ ϭϬ / >ŝŶŬ WƌŽŐƌĂŵ͕ ƉƌŽŐƌĞƐƐŝŶŐ ŝŶƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŝƉůŽŵĂ WƌŽŐƌĂŵ Ăƚ LJĞĂƌƐ ϭϭ Θ ϭϮ͕ ƚŚĞ / ĞŶĂďůĞƐ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ƚŽ ůĞĂƌŶ Ă ĚŝǀĞƌƐĞ ƌĂŶŐĞ ŽĨ ƉƌĞƚĞƌƟĂƌLJ ƐƚƵĚLJ ƐŬŝůůƐ͕ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚĂů ŬŶŽǁůĞĚŐĞ͕ ůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞ ĂŶĚ ƚŽůĞƌĂŶĐĞ͘ /ƚ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞƐ ƚŚƌĞĞ ĐŽƌĞ ĞůĞŵĞŶƚƐ ƚŚĂƚ ďƌŽĂĚĞŶ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶĂů ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞ ƚŚĞŵ ƚŽ ĂƉƉůLJ ƚŚĞŝƌ ŬŶŽǁůĞĚŐĞ ĂŶĚ ƐŬŝůůƐ͕ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ Ɛŝdž ĂĐĂĚĞŵŝĐ ƐƵďũĞĐƚƐ͘ dŚĞ / ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ ƐĞƚƐ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ŽŶ ƚƌĂĐŬ ĨŽƌ ĨƵƌƚŚĞƌ ƐƚƵĚŝĞƐ ŶĞĂƌ Žƌ ĂďƌŽĂĚ ǁŝƚŚ ĂŶ ŝŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂůůLJ ƌĞĐŽŐŶŝƐĞĚ ƋƵĂůŝĮĐĂƟŽŶ͘ ^ƵďũĞĐƚ ĐŚŽŝĐĞ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚƐ ĞŶƐƵƌĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ ƐĐŝĞŶĐĞ ŽƌŝĞŶƚĂƚĞĚ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚ ŝƐ ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞĚ ƚŽ ůĞĂƌŶ Ă ĨŽƌĞŝŐŶ ůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ŶĂƚƵƌĂů ůŝŶŐƵŝƐƚ ďĞĐŽŵĞƐ ĨĂŵŝůŝĂƌ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ƐĐŝĞŶƟĮĐ ƉƌŽĐĞƐƐĞƐ͘ tŚŝůĞ ďĂůĂŶĐĞ ŝƐ ŵĂŝŶƚĂŝŶĞĚ͕ ŇĞdžŝďŝůŝƚLJ ŝƐ ĐĂƚĞƌĞĚ ĨŽƌ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚ ĐŚŽŽƐŝŶŐ ƚŚĞŝƌ ,ŝŐŚĞƌ >ĞǀĞů ƐƵďũĞĐƚƐ ƚŽ ƉƵƌƐƵĞ ĂƌĞĂƐ ŽĨ ƉĞƌƐŽŶĂů /ŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ĂŶĚ ƚŽ ŵĞĞƚ ƐƉĞĐŝĂů ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚƐ ĨŽƌ ƵŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ ĞŶƚƌĂŶĐĞ͘ Why Our Students Recoŵŵend The IBDP: &ƌĞĞĚŽŵ ƚŽ ĐŚŽŽƐĞ Θ ĞdžƉůŽƌĞ ƚŽƉŝĐƐ ŝŶ ƐƵďũĞĐƚ ĂƌĞĂƐ >ĞĂƌŶ ĨƌŽŵ ŵŝƐƚĂŬĞƐ ǁŝƚŚŽƵƚ ŝŵƉĂĐƟŶŐ ĮŶĂů ƌĞƐƵůƚƐ ůĂƐƐĞƐ ĂƌĞ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƟǀĞ ĂŶĚ ƚĞĂŵ ŽƌŝĞŶƚĞĚ ZĞŵŽǀĞƐ ĐŽŵƉĞƟƟŽŶ ďĞƚǁĞĞŶ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ ĂƐ LJŽƵƌ ƌĞƐƵůƚ ŝƐ ďĂƐĞĚ ŽŶ LJŽƵƌ ǁŽƌŬ͕ ŶŽƚ Ă ƉĞĞƌ ƌĂŶŬŝŶŐ ĞǀĞůŽƉƐ ƐŬŝůůƐ ĨŽƌ ĨƵƚƵƌĞ ƚĞƌƟĂƌLJ ƐƚƵĚŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ůĞĐƚƵƌĞƐ >ĞĂƌŶ ŵĂŶLJ ŶĞǁ ƐŬŝůůƐ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ Ă ůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞ ŶĐŽƵƌĂŐĞĚ ƚŽ ďĞ ĂŶ ĂĐƟǀĞ ƉĂƌƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ It͛Ɛ Ă ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐŝŶŐ LJĞƚ ĂĐŚŝĞǀĂďůĞ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ

͞ ŽŵƉůĞƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ / ŝƉůŽŵĂ ŝŶ zĞĂƌ ϭϮ ŝƐ Ă ƐƚƌŽŶŐ ƉƌĞĚŝĐƚŽƌ ŽĨ ƐƵĐĐĞƐƐ Ăƚ ƵŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ͟

Werribee Secondary College ;нϲϭ ϯͿ ϵϳϰϭ ϭϴϮϮ ǁĞƌƌŝďĞĞ͘ƐĐΛĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ͘ǀŝĐ͘ŐŽǀ͘ĂƵ ϰϱ ƵŶĐĂŶƐ ZŽĂĚ͕ tĞƌƌŝďĞĞ s/ ϯϬϯϬ

s/^/d h^ KE>/E W WERRIBEESC͘sIC͘EDU͘AU 12472600-DL06-21

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The next Rembrandt?

Creativity across Art & STEM A RECENT study has investigated students’ attitudes and abilities when it comes to creativity, comparing the results of art students with those who study STEM. Although students from different fields had different ideas about what it meant to be creative, there was a strong overlap in the personal skills needed to show creativity.

The study found that openness, creative selfefficacy, and divergent thinking were likely prerequisites to creativity, regardless of the field of study.

Openness refers to a willingness to entertain new ideas and tolerate ambiguity; creative selfefficacy is a student’s belief in their creative abilities; and divergent thinking is the ability to come up with novel ideas and solutions.

Kim van Broekhoven of Maastricht University, Professor David Cropley of UniSA, and Dr Philipp Seegers of the University of Cologne performed the study, which involved a total of 2,277 undergraduate and graduate students aged between 17 and 37 at German universities. One-hundred and thirty participants were enrolled in an Art degree, while 2147 participants were enrolled in STEM. “This finding then adds weight to the importance of broad educational support for these ‘person’ factors of creativity, from kindergarten to university,” wrote the authors. “Openness and creative self-efficacy support creativity for the artist as much as they do for the scientist.”

Unlike openness, creative self-efficacy and divergent thinking, which were important regardless of discipline, the characteristics of a creative product did show more clear disciplinary differences. Each discipline – art, science, engineering – values different aspects of creativity.

“Both art and science students strongly associated originality (novelty) with creativity,” say the authors. “This strong association was greater among art students compared to science students.

Both art and science students moderately associated effectiveness with creativity.”

The researchers hypothesised that art students would focus on originality in their ideas of creativity, whereas STEM students would see feasibility and effectiveness as areas for creative activity. However, very few students from either field associated feasibility with creativity.

“There is little practical difference in the way art

and science students perceive product creativity or associate key product qualities with creativity.

Both, it can be said, see originality as central to defining the creativity of a product, with effectiveness also moderately important.”

The researchers assumed that since people in STEM fields often make decisions based on practicality and effectiveness, rather than on beauty or originality, they would see such pursuits as creative. The results, however, point to a general idea of creativity shared by students across the disciplines that creativity is foremost a matter of originality.

Creativity is recognised as a 21st century competency that will only become more relevant as industries develop. The researchers urge educational institutions to help foster creative skills, but point out that they must be understood first.

“Without a clear, evidence-based understanding of the nature of creativity across the four elements of creativity, it is hard to formulate strategies for nurturing specific creative competencies through high school and into universities. Any individual, to be creative, benefits from high openness, high creative self-efficacy, and a strong ability to think divergently. Education at all levels must respond accordingly, providing broad support for these elements of creativity.”

Kim van Broekhoven, David Cropley, & Philipp Seegers. (2020). ‘Differences in creativity across art and STEM students: we are more alike than unalike’, Thinking Skills and Creativity. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100707 For more information, please contact David Cropley at UniSA - David.Cropley@unisa.edu.au.

MCERA, an independent, not-for-profit organisation, provides a conduit through which education research and researchers are made more accessible to the media to help improve public understanding of key education-related issues. We provide journalists with expert, independent and accessible insights from education researchers and practitioners. Any views expressed by the experts we consult are not necessarily those of MCERA or its staff.

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Whittlesea Secondary College Vision: “ To empower students to become successful, confident and responsible contributors in a 21st century community” Set amongst 30 acres with exceptional modern facilities, Whittlesea Secondary College delivers exciting, diverse and innovative curriculum.

At Whittlesea Secondary College we value student empowerment and choice, fostering strong student leadership. Students are encouraged to use their knowledge to build personalised pathways for their future and embrace a collective understanding of the world we live. Our purpose is to empower students so that they ‘take control’ of their learning and their lives. We work together to help them find and use their voice, discover and enhance their passions and foster the growth and development of the whole person. We believe each student can thrive and contribute in the rapidly changing 21st century world.

Our philosophy is that students learn best and are better prepared for the challenges of life when they take ownership of their choices. They take control of their decision making, learning pathways and learning methods.

Education is not ‘done to them’, we are active partners in learning.

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Whittlesea SECONDARY COLLEGE Senior students have opportunities to pursue diverse pathways in VCE/VET/VCAL and School Based Apprenticeships, leading to further education in University/ TAFE and vocational pathways.

With a dedicated VCE centre and outstanding Trade Training Centre on site to deliver Automotive, Engineering, Building and Construction VET courses, our young people have multiple options for success.

Book a tour to find out more. www.whittleseasc.vic.edu.au 12459762-NG45-20

Information evening, Tuesday 27th April 6:30pm

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Wyndham Central College THE first nationally recognized AVID Site of Distinction (2019).

Wyndham Central College is proudly preparing the leaders of tomorrow to be agile, innovative and creative problem solvers, through a range of excellent education programs and learning opportunities and teaching strategies.

AVID Wyndham Central College is the first secondary school in Australia to attain “Site of Distinction” AVID Certification.

AVID is a schoolwide program that uses research-based, best teaching and learning strategies to actively engage the student in their learning. While all students at Wyndham Central College are AVID students, it is also offered as an elective from Year 9 - Year 12.

AVID helps all students to believe that they can achieve. It provides students with the tools, skills and knowledge to be successful students, to be university, work and career ready and to be active global citizens.

STEM Wyndham Central College has a STEM Academy.

The STEM Academy’s curriculum has been designed by a team of highly qualified teachers and industry experts.

Students entering the STEM Academy will participate in cutting edge specialist programs that include: Robotics and Coding - Electronics 3D Printing - Engineering - 3D Modelling and Gaming. Students work with Industry and the Wyndham Tech School at Victoria University to gather and process data to solve real life problems and potential issues in the community and beyond.

Enrichment At Wyndham Central College, our Enrichment Program provides an optimal learning environment to address the unique social, emotional, and academic needs of students that display a talent in a particular area.

The program extends enrichment opportunities for students both within and beyond the classroom. All students in the Enrichment Program develop a Project over the course of each year. The project centres on developing an authentic product or performance, and allows students to build excellence in a real-world

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context. Enrichment experiences are interwoven into the students’ existing program with extracurricular activities playing an important role in supporting students’ talent development.

The Enrichment experience is extended to students at the College through their participation in the Victorian High Ability Program for those who have been selected to this program by the Department of Education. The Enrichment Series is offered for other students who show high ability in learning areas including English, Science, Math, The Arts, Sport and Health, Humanities, Technology and Languages.

Spanish Immersion Program (SIP) The Spanish Immersion bilingual program (SIP) at Wyndham Central Secondary College is a wellresearched approach for promoting bi-literacy, bilingualism, and biculturalism for students. The underlying goal is to prepare students to be global citizens with abilities to listen, speak, read, and write in Spanish.

Our students develop an appreciation for Spanish which is among the most used language in the world and their cultures. Students participate in a rigorous academic program that extends students’ language skills and vocabulary whilst completing a percentage of their core subjects including mathematics, science and humanities in Spanish.

Wyndham Central College’s mission is to develop achievement opportunities and prepare all students for post-secondary education, skills development and work readiness so they can participate in a global community as productive citizens.

Shaws Road, Werribee VIC 3030 Phone: 03 9741 4911

AVID’s Mission is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for University readiness and success in a global society.

AVID Site of Distinction First Se condary School in Australia www.w yndhamcentralsc.vic.edu.au

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Children who read books daily...

BOOKS MATTER - UK STUDY HAS LESSONS FOR AUSTRALIA A study of 43,000 students in the United Kingdom released recently has demonstrated that it not only matters that kids read: it maatters what they read.

The significant study showed that students who engaged in reading high-quality books daily scored much higher in tests than those who chose to read items such as magazines. .

Griffith University’s Beryl Exley, Professor of English Curriculum & Literacies Education in the School of Education and Professional Studies, explains why it is important to encourage the reading of books - and why other reading materials are still important: “Comics, newspapers and magazines don’t escalate children’s cognitive skills as much because they usually present everyday concepts with everyday vocabulary in a practical way.

“Story books and information books usually present academic concepts with a more technical vocabulary in an abstract way. This is what grows cognitive capacity.

“That’s not to say that comics, newspapers and magazine don’t ever focus on academic concepts, but it’s less likely that will happen.

Children still should be encouraged to read comics, newspapers and magazines for pleasure, to add to their general knowledge and to be politically aware. Breadth of reading opportunities is the goal.”

For more information, please contact Professor Beryl Exley, Deputy Head of School - Learning & Teaching in the School of Education and Professional Studies at Griffith University at b. exley@griffith.edu.au Associate Professor Michael Nagel from the University of the Sunshine Coast says,”This study resonates with a growing corpus of literature suggesting that reading paper based books offers a distinct advantage for achieving excellent standards of literacy and higher academic achievement.

“Aside from a range of issues associated with reading on screens, and an oft held sacred cow suggesting that children should be offered anything to read just as long as they are reading, this study links with others that have identified

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that children prefer to read books on paper rather than screens and that academic success is linked to developing a rich understanding of complex text through books over the school years.

“This is not to say that children should be discouraged from other types of reading but that books should be at the forefront of such endeavour. Reading, and reading comprehension, are not general skills and both are nurtured through incrementally complex text in age appropriate books over the course of a child’s life and educational journey.”

For more information, please contact Associate Professor Michael Nagel in Child Development and Learning at the University of the Sunshine Coast at mnagel@usc.edu.au Children who read books daily score higher in school tests, vast new study states What children choose to read outside school directly influences their academic performance according to a major new study by the University of Malaga and UCL, and published in the peerreviewed journal Oxford Review of Education.

Using longitudinal census data to look at more than 43,000 students, aged 10 to 11 and then again when they were 13 to 14, the research provides substantial evidence that pupils who enjoy reading high-quality books daily score higher in tests.

The average marks of pupils who read books rose by 0.22 points overall, which is the equivalent of 3 months’ worth of additional secondary school academic growth.

The study demonstrated no similar advantage for children’s reading daily newspapers, comics or magazines, and only marginal benefits from short stories.

The findings have important implications for parents, teachers and policymakers, and the international research team is recommending that young people devote their reading time solely to books.

“Although three months’ worth of progress may sound comparatively small to some people, it equates to more than 10% of the three academic secondary school years measured – from when these young people are aged 11 years old to 14, which we know is a hugely developmental period,” explains co-author Professor John Jerrim, from the UCL Institute of Education.

“In an increasingly digital world, it’s important that young people are encouraged to find time to read a good book.”

Professor Oscar Marcenaro-Gutierrez, from the University of Malaga, added: “Other less complex and less engaging forms of reading are unlikely to bring the same benefits for their cognitive development, and shouldn’t be counted as part of their reading time.

“This is particularly important for lowachievers, where any association is likely to be strongest.”

Co-author Dr Luis Alejandro Lopez-Agudo, from the University of Malaga, says: “Reading is a fundamental skill that plays a key part in all our lives.

“Our results provide further evidence that it’s not only whether young people read or not that matters – but also what they read.”

The amount of time children spend reading is already understood to help develop their literacy skills. This ability increases through practice and by trying longer and more challenging texts.

Few studies though have focused on whether the type of material children choose influences their achievements at school.

This study, looking at pupils in Spain, attempted to establish whether a link exists between literacy and mathematics scores and the type of material children look at in their spare time, as well as how long they spend doing this.

Comics, short stories, books, newspapers and magazines were the texts included in the research.

The researchers used data from a census carried out by the Andalusian Agency of

Education Assessment.

This included questionnaire responses completed during 2008 to 2009 by 10 to 11-year-olds, and from those aged 13 to 14 during 2011 and 2012.

Children’s attitudes towards school were considered along with prior achievement levels.

Parents were also asked about their own reading habits and how involved they were in their child’s education.

The results showed the more frequently children read books, the better they performed in school tests as teenagers. The same effect was not observed with comics, newspapers and magazines. Specifically, researchers found: ■ 13 to 14-year-olds who read books every or almost every day scored 0.22 standard deviations higher (the equivalent of three months) on the literacy test than those who read books almost never.

■ There is evidence of positive spill-overs into other subjects, with a difference of around 0.20 standard deviations in mathematics.

■ There was some benefit from short stories for children who enjoyed them at least once a month. The researchers concluded though that increasing the frequency of this to weekly or daily was unlikely to bring any further benefits.

The study also highlighted the reading patterns across different groups of children. It showed: ■ Girls seem to read short stories, books and newspapers more frequently than boys, and comics and magazines less frequently.

■ Young people from advantaged backgrounds read all the text types more frequently than those from disadvantaged homes.

■ High-achieving students (according to their 5th grade test scores) were more likely to read tales/short novels and books compared to lowachieving students, though with little difference in terms of reading comics, newspapers and magazines.

The findings of this study should be interpreted in the context of some limitations and the need for further research. These include the research being carried out in one particular region within Spain, and the focus upon academic progress made during the early teenage years. At this point, reading skills are already quite welldeveloped – there is no data for younger children.

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Contents ATAR not the only path ......................................... 39 & 44 Braybrook College ......................................................... 6 & 7 Bundoora Secondary College ........................ 9, 10 & 11 Caroline Chisholm Catholic College ............. 12 & 13 Children reading daily score higher .............. 76 & 77 Coburg High School ................................................ 16 & 17 Copperfield College ................................................. 18 & 19 Craigieburn Secondary College ....................... 14 & 15 CRC St Albans ............................................................. 20 & 21 Creativity across Art & STEM ...................................... 69 Education after Covid ............................................ 60 & 61 Essendon-Keilor College ...................................... 22 & 23 Grossek’s View .............................................................. 4 & 25 Hoppers Crossing Secondary College ........ 26 & 27 Hume Anglican Grammar .................................. 28 & 29 Hume Central Secondary College ................. 30 & 31 John Fawkner College ............................................ 32 & 33 Mackillop College ......................... 34, 35 & back cover Marian College ........................................................... 36 & 37 Marymede Catholic College .............................. 40 & 41

Melton Christian College .................................... 42 & 43 Mill Park Secondary College ........................................ 45 Noone Imagewear ................................................................79 Penola Catholic College ................................................. 47 Rosehill Secondary College ........................ 49, 50 & 51 Santa Maria College ................................................ 52 & 53 St Albans Secondary College ....................................... 55 St Helena Secondary College ............................. 56 & 57 St Monica’s, Epping ...................................................... 4 & 5 Sunbury Downs Secondary College .............. 58 & 59 Sunshine College ..................................................... 62 & 63 Transition from school to workplace ............ 46 & 54 Victoria Schools Guide website .................................... 8 Victoria University Secondary College ........................ ........................................................ Front cover, 2, 3, 64 & 65 Werribee Secondary College ............................. 66 & 67 Whittlesea Secondary College .......................... 70 & 71 William Ruthven Secondary College ............ 72 & 73 Wyndham Central College .................................. 74 & 75

Next edition: November 2021 For bookings please contact: Themes Media on 5945 0666 or Email: katrina.mihai@starnewsgroup.com.au Published by Star News Group Pty Ltd ACN 005 848 108. Publisher/Managing Director, Paul Thomas. All material is copyright to Star News Group Pty Ltd. For our terms and conditions please visit www.starcommunity.com.au

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