From the Senior Years
In the past fortnight a number of Year 11 students have put themselves forward and been endorsed by peers and school leaders as prospective 20I26 College Prefects. These students have attended a Leadership Training Program facilitated by Ms Siobhan Bloomfield and Ms Emma Turner. Finally, the nominees spoke to the College to put forward their candidacy for a range of positions. The feedback from College staff was highly complimentary to all the nominees.
Leadership is an important aspect of a Senior student in VCE. Students are role models for others in the school community, particularly younger students. Student leaders embody and live out the College values and have a key impact on school culture. In short, vibrant, inclusive, courageous and welcoming school communities have Senior students that live out these qualities.
For Year 12 students, Term 3 is a key phase of their year. Consistency with their learning, seeking feedback and continuing to use exam questions as practice. I commend the VCE students who are using Academic Consolidation for Everyone (ACE) from 3:30 – 4:30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the DTIC library. These are a great way to set up times with teachers to check in and seek targeted support and clarification.
Additionally, it has been great to see the impact of the Mathematics trial exam sessions held on Thursday after school. In the past two weeks where 17 and 19 students from both the General Mathematics and Mathematical Methods classes have attended to complete trial exam papers under timed conditions. At these sessions, students have also used the sample answer guides to review their work and understand the way in which examiners approach the marking process.
Association of Co-educational Schools (ACS) Public speaking competition: Senior student success
Year 11 student Fadzai Bako continues her amazing run of public speaking results with another strong performance in the ACS Public Speaking Competition held at Aitken College on Monday 4 August. Fadzai finished in second place in the formal prepared speech category. Moving through to the finals and the challenge of the impromptu speech, she won the Senior division. Congratulations to Fadzai on her winning streak and to the support from English staff, including Mr Adam Valladares and her teachers over the years.
Consent Labs: Wellbeing incursion
On Monday 4 August, Consent Labs spoke with Senior students in Year 11 and 12 to enrich and support their learning as part of the Respectful Relationships curriculum that underpins the College Wellbeing program. Consent Labs are a not-for-profit organization who deliver presentation to school communities around Australia on topics surrounding consent, respectful relationships and gender-based violence.
On Monday the 4th of August, majority of the the year 11 and 12 cohort got the opportunity to experience an incursion about consent. We had Isabel and Liam come in from Consent Labs and teach us about consent in depth and how to work through uncomfortable situations. We started with some icebreakers, moved on to the definitions of specific words and were taught how consent works both ways which was demonstrated through class discussions. We then got to apply it to examples provided in small groups. Overall, it was extremely informative and a good takeaway of knowledge.
Jacqui P, Year 11
On Monday, Consent Lab visited our school to lead a discussion on the crucial topic of consent and respectful relationships. They delivered this impactful program that was engaging, relatable and informative for students. The facilitators used a balanced approach that was both serious and fun to create a comfortable space for students to ask questions and discuss complex topics, addressing topics like setting boundaries, recognizing coercing, and understanding how to navigate respectful relations. The use of everyday scenarios to illustrate their points, making the topics feel less intimidating and more applicable to students’ lives. They discussed how to set and respect personal boundaries and the role of communication in ensuring everyone feels safe and respected.
Jasmine F, Year 12
Tom Crowle
Senior Years Leader