Year 10

Welcome back to Term 4. I hope that your daughter has had a refreshing and relaxing break and is looking forward to what promises to be another fruitful term. This is an exciting term with the New Zealand Immersion fast approaching and the follow up activities when Year 10 return. Next Thursday and Friday (Week 2) are the Build Up Days, presented by World Challenge. Students will be working with the World Challenge leaders and their travel teachers on the logistics for the trip and the project they will complete on their return. If you have any concerns or further questions, please contact Sarah Jauncey (Acting Director of Experiential Pedagogy) or me.

We are very fortunate to welcome 11 new students into the MLC School Year 10 community. The girls have been settling in and finding their way around with the help of their buddies and we wish them all the best for the term.

Specific information that is relevant for Year 10 parents and students is on the Parent Portal in the My MLC School website.

Learning and Assessment

Term 4 affords our students the opportunity for the consolidation of learning in building from feedback from teachers across areas of strengths and areas for growth. Students are encouraged to work independently and with their luminaries in developing their academic goals for the term ahead to ensure they capitalise on the feedback they have received from last term’s assessments and learning. Final academic reports for Year 10 will be issued and opportunities are available to communicate with teachers about your daughter’s progress and preparation for Year 11 in Week 5.

Pastoral Care/Luminary Period

This term, our Luminary period remains key to providing support and care for students and an opportunity to strengthen connections with their Luminaries and peers. To support student wellbeing, this term we will be exploring the school value of Compassion. By compassion we mean compassion for oneself and the importance of self-care, as well as compassion for others – in our year group, school and community. Our students will engage in a range of wellbeing sessions designed to support the development of students’ VALUE skills, attitudes, and competencies in their social and emotional learning.  As always, our hope is that our cohort will continue to grow in strength together, developing a richer understanding of the School Values. Each term, in our Pastoral Care sessions, we will focus on developing our understanding of a different School value. We encourage you to continue the conversation at home, as your daughters navigate the joys and challenges that they will continue to face this year.

Your daughter’s luminary remains the key contact for day-to-day questions. Please see below for a list of Luminaries:

Key School Policies

We request that families read and are familiar with the Parent Handbook and, most particularly, those school policies and procedures regarding ICT use, mobile phones, uniform, leave and attendance. Thank you for your continued support in guiding your daughter in her adherence to the school protocols for these areas.

• Uniform: Summer uniform is to be worn for Term 4. 

Attendance

A reminder that students are to sign in and out of Senior Studies office if they arrive on campus after 8.15am or are required to leave prior to 3.15pm. I appreciate your support in ensuring your daughter arrives at school prior to 8.15am.

If your daughter is unexpectedly absent, or you are aware that they will arrive late or be required to leave early, please inform the Studies Office.

Absences should be notified before the start of the school day. There are 3 ways to make such a notification:

1. By SMS: 0480 003 030
2. By Email: Studies Office 
3. By the MLC School app

Leave

If your daughter requires leave outside of holiday time, please complete the Application for Leave form, to seek permission from the Principal as required by the NSW Education Act.

In the event of illness or injury during school hours, your daughter should visit the Health Centre. If required, Health Centre staff will contact parents or carers.

Mobile Phones

Students in Year 10 to Year 12 are encouraged to leave their mobile phones in their lockers during the day. Students are permitted to carry their phones but these should be used for educational purposes when at school. Phones are confiscated for the day if a student uses a phone during class time.

Please refrain from contacting your daughter when she is at school. If you need to contact your daughter for an urgent matter, please contact Senior Reception on 9747 1266 and the message will be conveyed.

As always, there are a number of key dates to be aware of this term.  Please see below:

• Thursday 19 and Friday 20 October 2023 – Build Up Days with World Challenge – NZ Immersion Prep Days
• Sunday 22 to Saturday 28 October 2023 – New Zealand Immersion
• Tuesday 31 October 2023 – Year 10 return to school
• Tuesday 31 October to Friday 3 November 2023 – New Zealand on-site Immersion and follow up activities
• Thursday 16 November and Thursday 23 November 2023 – Excursion for all of Year 10, University visits
• Thursday 7 December 2023 – Final Day of Term 4

I look forward to continuing to work with you and support your daughter throughout this term. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me via email at sconnolly1@mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au or on 02 8741 9736 if you have any queries, concerns or simply wish to touch base.

– Sharon Connolly
Head of Year 10