Secondary News

It has been wonderful to return to Term 3! The secondary staff are feeling energised after our national conference, and we are looking forward to another term of growth and opportunity for our students. This term, we have some fantastic activities planned, including camps, excursions and incursions that will complement the learning that is happening in the classrooms.

Parent Teacher Interviews are a great opportunity to connect with your student’s teachers. If you cannot find a time that suits you on the allocated days, please call the office to arrange an alternative time.

Year 10s are continuing to prepare for senior secondary study. We have commenced our ATAR entry examinations and will soon be reviewing and discussing the results with students. We have run these assessments for a couple of years now and we use them in combination with their Semester One exam results, teacher observations and other evidence to better inform students about their strengths in relation to their chosen pathways. We want to ensure that our Year 11s begin with the best possible opportunity to do well. VET applications will also be finalised in the coming weeks.

Year 10 Essentials for Life students have begun their cooking program. This term, they will learn to prepare a variety of simple meals, from pasta to egg based meals. Next term, the Year 10s will prepare a meal for our Year 12 students to honour them before their graduation.

Year 12s have commenced their final complete term of secondary school. They are busily planning for their graduation and they are thinking carefully about the legacy that they would like to leave behind. In Week 3, the University of Western Australia will be talking to them about opportunities for further study. In Week 4, they will hear about the government’s new Gap Year initiative, where students can apply to work and gain new skills and experience in a government agency, such as the City of Albany. We are looking forward to hosting these visiting speakers.

Planning for the second Pedal Prix camp for 2023 is well underway. The team will be competing in Busselton in the Human Powered Vehicle Super Series, racing against teams from schools across WA. Our team excelled in the Perth competition and we are excited to see how they go in this next competition.

Book Week is always a special time at ACC. This year, we will be celebrating literacy, imagination and stories in Week 5, with our parade on Monday 21st August. We are looking forward to seeing some fun costumes and focusing on the wonder of storytelling. An important part of Book Week this year will be our Year 7 production of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. The Year 7s have been working hard to learn their lines and we can’t wait to see their performance on Thursday 24th August.

In Week 6, we will be sending a team of athletes to the Associated Catholic Colleges Interschool Carnival at Perth Stadium. This is always a very positive experience, as students compete against many schools in top quality facilities.

Year 9 students will be heading to Busselton in Week 7 to enjoy the Year 9 Discovery camp. They will have four days to explore the southwest region, including visiting the caves and the jetty. This year, our campers will be partnering with Cru-West, who will be running activities and Christian Discovery sessions. More information will be sent to parents shortly.

In Week 8, Outdoor Education and Cadets students will be embarking upon their Year 11 and 12 Outdoor Education Expedition and the Year 10 Adventurous Journey. Students will head to Walpole for these two camps, where teams will hike, canoe and camp in the Walpole wilderness.

Our Year 7 Canberra and Sydney camp is happening in Week 9. We have some very excited Year 7s who have asked lots of questions about travelling on aeroplanes, Parliament House and Bondi Beach. We will have a parent information session closer to the date… stay tuned for more information.