Principal's Report
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End of Term 3
This is the last edition of The Lighthouse for this term and, as we come to the end of a very challenging Term 3, I would like to offer my congratulations to our students for their perseverance and continued focus on their learning under difficult circumstances. I would also like to offer my heartfelt thanks to staff and parents/guardians for their efforts to continue to provide high quality learning opportunities and environments in which learning can flourish. We have been called to collectively respond with great resilience to a crisis, the likes of which we have never seen in our lifetimes, and I believe that we have done so admirably. The fact that most students continue to make good progress is testament to these collective efforts and I trust the recent Parent Teacher Interviews and Subject Selection Expo provided opportunities for feedback and some reassurance that we can look forward to next year with great optimism.
With colder and shorter days, Term 3 can be a term in which motivation wanes a little, even in a normal year, but it has been pleasing over recent weeks to see the initiative of our Student Leadership Council to promote House based competition to help build community spirit. I thank those who have participated, or maybe just taken an interest in the contributions of others and I hope that it has been a great reminder that you belong to a wonderful community. We all eagerly look forward to a return to onsite learning in Term 4, albeit somewhat belated, and I wish all students, staff and our families a safe and restful break over the upcoming holiday period.
Roadmap to return to onsite learning in Term 4
Week 1 - October 5- Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) students can only attend on site for essential assessments during this week, including the General Achievement Test (GAT) on Wednesday 7 October.
- On-site supervision for children of permitted workers and vulnerable students continues in line with existing guidelines.
- Year 11 and 12 students and Year 10 students enrolled in a VCE or VCAL program return to full-time on-site schooling.
- Remote and flexible learning continues for all students in Years 7 to 10, other than for children of permitted workers and vulnerable students (including St Mary鈥檚 students who choose to learn onsite).
- Potential staged return of students in Years 7 to 10.
- Oct 29 - last official day for Year 12
Year 12
Our Year 12 students are about to enter the final stretch of their busy year. Of course, this year has not been as we would have imagined, or hoped in many ways, for all of our students and most senior students especially. While onsite learning will recommence for Year 12 in Term 4 in the lead up to their exams which, for most VCE students, commence on November 10, we are planning in the knowledge that our normal Graduation and Valedictory events will not be possible in their traditional formats. A Final Assembly will occur on their last official school day, October 29, and planning has already commenced with the students to help to make this a memorable occasion. The Education Minister, Mr Merlino, has made it clear in a number of public announcements that there will be every effort made to help ensure that this year鈥檚 graduates are not disadvantaged when it comes to seeking tertiary entrance. We await further clarification as to the process that will be implemented to assist in this transition to the next stage.
Many of our VCAL students have completed the course requirements and are nearing the end of their secondary schooling. It was pleasing to hear that quite a number of the students have already secured an apprenticeship or traineeship while at Aquinas and are preparing to transition to the next stage of vocational learning and work. Once again we see the evidence that there are many pathways to successful completion of Year 12 at the College.