Note From Head of Senior School
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
We have certainly hit the ground running this year. In the past two weeks we have held five events in the Senior School with our Year 12 Ball, Year 9-11 and Year 12 Parent Information Evenings, New Student Orientation and our Year 12 Retreat days.
We have had a number of parents, in the last few weeks, ask us to share the following information from the evening. In the Senior School our mission is to have our parents as partners with all our learning and wellbeing initiatives. The research tells us that when we work together, your child has better outcomes. The following sessions were run:
Study Skills – Elevate Education.
Senior School families often ask how they can support their children with motivation, goal setting and study skills. This is the second year we have partnered with Elevate Education who will be running seminars with our students through Years 9 to 12 and will be hosting fortnightly webinars for parents. The next webinar focuses on time management, followed by webinars on technology & focus and memory. I really encourage you to register for these session on this link
They have also provided us with the attached ebook that outlines strategies parents/caregivers can use to support their child.
Supporting Your Child’s Learning Through SEQTA
Ms. Kelly Curran, Head of Digital Learning, facilitated SEQTA sessions on the evening. Her notes are here and are a reminder of how to access information on SEQTA. You can now access all course outlines and assessment schedules for Senior School students. As you know all feedback and grades can be accessed on this platform and discussing feedback with your child is a powerful way of getting them to reflect on their learning with you.
Applying for Special Considerations
Mrs Rebecca Rourke, Head of Learning Diversity, conducted an information session on special considerations for exams and what we need to do to apply for these in Year 12. She can be contacted on rrourke@stmarks.wa.edu.au if you have any queries.
Passport To The Futures
Mrs. Ella Pearce, Head of Futures, discussed Senior School pathways and how we support all students to reach their goals. We use the metaphor of a ‘passport’ for our students when we talk about the future. Each has an individual ‘Passport to the Future’ which is made up of the myriad of skills gained throughout their journey through the Senior School. This is then the gateway to further study at TAFE or University or the world of work. As each of our student’s have their own strengths and dreams, we co-design bespoke programs with them to ensure that they achieve their post school dreams. Mrs. Pearce’s slides are attached here.
Supporting Our Students Wellbeing
Mrs. Goldberg, School Psychologist, discussed supporting our Senior School students’ mental health. Her slides are attached here. In this session Mrs. Berghann and myself also shared our partnership with the Resilience Project for a second year. We are proud to partner with them to assist our students in their wellbeing journey. I will be sharing more information with all Senior School families in the future.
Our Heads of Year are a tremendous support to students and their families. Please see below the Term One letters from each Head of Year outlining key information and events for their cohorts.
Year 9 – Letter
Year 10 – Letter
Year 11 – Letter
Year 12 – Letter and Minister of Education
As students settle into the new school year, some have opted to make changes to pathways and also courses. Please make note that we will accept subject or pathway changes until Monday 12 February. If your child would like to make a change they need to submit a completed form to Senior School Reception. The form can be found here.
