Year 10, 2012 Subject Selection - St Bernard's College

Year 10, 2012
Subject Selection
Parent Information Session
16th August 2011
17/08/11 St. Bernard's College 1

Program for tonight
! Welcome Mr Reedy
! Structure of Clairvaux curriculum Mr Reedy
! Pathways at SBC Ms Sheehan
! Agere
! VET
! Acceleration
! VCAL
! Comments on Religious Education & English Ms Sheehan
! Comments on Maths Mr Reedy
! Information gathering and the selection process Mr Reedy

Year 10, 2012
Subject Selection
Structure of the
Clairvaux curriculum

Units
• Subjects are broken up into semester
length units.
• 6 units per semester (12 in total)
• 9 periods every fortnight
• Some subjects are two unit blocks (for
example: English, Maths, Fitness
Studies)

Initial studies are broadly based
• Year 10 is set up so that students still
work on a broad variety of subjects
• Dont panic!
• Cant cut yourself off from VCE
subjects
• Exception: LOTE

Criteria to consider for
selection of subjects:!
• Identify subject areas that you do well at.
• Identify subjects which you enjoy doing.
• Think about what you might wish to study in
2013/2014.
• Keep in mind your future career and keep
your options open.

Work Experience 2012
• 25 June – 29 June 2012
• Great opportunity to learn outside of class
• Info booklet: Student Resources/Careers
• Mr David Rosel will speak with Year 9s
tomorrow at assembly
David Rosel Ph: 9289 1159
drosel@sbc.vic.edu.au

Laptops
• Year 10 students will have the care
and responsibility for a laptop through
to Year 12

documentation

Advice to parents
• documentation
• info nights
• IT presentations
! cybersafety
! supporting your sons
IT use

Year 10, 2012
Subject Selection
Pathways at SBC

Pathways at SBC
" VCAL!
" VET!
" Agere!
" Acceleration!

Agere (1)
• Parallel program for students.
• Entry usually at Yr 10
• Core curriculum comprising English,
Maths and R.E., and intensive career
investigation.
• Intensive and supportive course of study
• Tailored to meet needs - has a future
employment focus

Agere (2)
• Classrooms in Building 7
• Specific application
• Interview with parents
• Main contact : Mr Peter Wilson
• Information evening for interested
parents/students: Tuesday 23 August
in the Agere classrooms.

Vocational
VCE!
Education and
Training Courses
VET!

V.E.T. (1)
• VET courses are offered to Year 10
students starting Semester 2 (or Semester
1, Yr. 11)
• VET courses offered in conjunction with
Kangan-Batman TAFE or NMIT
• Attend courses one day per week.

V.E.T. (2)
" Usually on a Wednesday
" Will mean missing classes on Wed.
" Must complete Units 1, 2, 3 & 4 to
receive a TAFE certificate qualification
and VCE sequence

V.E.T. (3)
• Will incur some costs
• Will require a pre-selection interview.
• Mr Peter Wilson (Clairvaux staffroom)
and on 9289 1157.

Acceleration (1)
• Taking on a Unit 1/2 subject in Year 10.
• All subjects are available for acceleration
(except Maths) however entry is not
automatic.
• Generally requires an ‘above the expected
level’ rating for dimensions on relevant
semester one results.

Why Accelerate?
• Experience
• Extension
• Opportunity
• Possible 6 th subject (More info later)

Acceleration (2)
• Copy of acceleration policy is on school
website
• Application forms are available from
school website
• Attach copy of relevant report to
application

Acceleration (3)
• Except in exceptional circumstances students
will only be permitted to undertake one
accelerated subject sequence.
• Acceleration may require an interview to
ascertain that a student is capable and
motivated.
• Acceleration forms on school website - must
be completed by 3:30 pm on Wednesday 31 st
August.

VCE structure
• 6 subjects in Yr11, 5 in Yr 12
• Brief info on subjects on our website –
full Study designs on VCAA website
• VCAA rules in terms of assessment and
procedures

Study Scores
" For Unit 3-4 subjects, we complete
SACS and report a study score
" This is moderated against the end of
year exam
" A study score is obtained and an ATAR
(formerly ENTER) is then calculated

ATAR
" The ATAR is a rank based on an aggregate
of scaled marks in unit 3/4 subjects
comprising a student’s:
" Subject score in English (or English
Language, Literature or ESL);
" The next best three subject scores
permissible; and
" 10% of the fifth and sixth permissible ATAR
subject scores that are available

VCAL

What is VCAL?
• Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning
• Offered at Year 11/12 at SBC
• Provides practical work related
experiences
• Improves employability skills

Who is VCAL for?
• Students who best learn in a practical or
hand-on situation
• Students seeking a vocational pathway
on leaving school
• Students who find academic learning
difficult

VCAL curriculum strands
• Literacy and Numeracy skills = English
and Maths
• Industry specific skills = VET
• Personal development skills = R.E. and
other activities
• Work related skills = work placement

Pathways diagram

English
• Must do English
• High achievement in VCE requires a
strong result in English.
• Can do Yr 10 English and Literature 1/2
(an acceleration subject)

Religious Education
• Compulsory for one semester.
• School based course that prepares
students to do Religion and Society OR
Art/Religious Education in Y11 or…
• May be able to accelerate into Religion
and Society Unit 3/4 or Texts and
Traditions Unit 3/4

Year 10 Maths 2012
Options and Explanations

Three Levels
• Enhanced (Mainly Year 11 Mathematics
Methods)
• Pre – Methods Mathematics ( algebra
based)
• Pre – General Mathematics ( Statistics,
Graphing, Geometry, Algebra )

Enhanced Mathematics
• Entry from Advanced Mathematics in Year 9
2011 only.
• Top 28 students from entire year level based
on percentages from test and exam results up
to the end of August.
• Course content covered quickly.
• Leads to Maths Methods in year 11 and 12
• Entry by invitation only – letter sent

Pre – Methods Mathematics
• Heavily Algebra based course.
Considerable amount of content repeated
from Year 9 Advanced course.
• Can lead to Maths Methods in 2012 if
grades are high enough (70% or higher ).
• Selection based on Teacher
recommendation and results. ( 85% average
if coming from General Maths )

Pre – General Mathematics
• Open to all year 9 Mathematics students.
• Consolidates material covering in Year 9 in
preparation for…
• General Maths in Year 11and then on to….
• Further Maths in Year 12
• Mathematics is required for many tertiary
courses.

Agere Maths
• Same course as Pre – General Maths
• Extra periods (14 instead of 9)
• Extra teacher support

Mathematics Pathways

Ask
• You will be allocated to a Maths subject
based on your performance in Maths
from the start of the year until the end of
August
• The subject selection system will simply
note, at this stage, that you will be doing
Mathematics.
• Talk to your Maths teacher or to Mr
Hudson if you are not sure.

What do I do now?

The process of Subject
Selection for Year 10, 2012
…. (so far)
• Student information session yesterday
(15th August)
• Tonights Parent/student info session

The process of Subject
Selection for Year 10, 2012
• Subject Selection Information is available for
checking on College website: follow the
Subject Information link on the homepage
• Seek out people who may give you some information
about VCE; VET, Agere; Acceleration

The process of Subject
Selection for Year 10, 2012
• Read the Subject Selection material
thoroughly, especially the General
Information in Section 1
• Check up on information relating to specific
subjects of interest to you in Section 2"

Forms you may need to fill in
• You may need to fill in an Acceleration form
(available for download as a pdf via links from
website).
• Submit by 3:30 pm Wednesday, 31 st August.
• You may wish to apply to do the Agere
program (form available for download from
website)

Form you will need to fill in
• Download Record of Subject Selection (R.O.S.S.)
using the subject codes
• Keep this document for your own records (until you
receive official notification of your subjects)
• You will log in and enter your selections via the
College website.
• Input to be completed by 3:30 pm on Friday, 2 nd
September

Inputting your selections
on-line
Subject input!

Assistance
• Careers - Mr David Rosel
(will speak with groups re Maths concerns)
• Agere / VET - Mr Peter Wilson
• Course advice - Mr Mark Reedy
• Acceleration - Ms Caroline Sheehan

Important Dates
" Monday 15 August - Subject
Information available on website
" Friday 19 August - Data entry open
" Wednesday 31 August - Acceleration
applications closed

Most Important Date
Friday 2
September
Data entry closed