The Year 7 Pastoral Team
- 7 Dharawal - Ms Shontelle Ferguson & Mr Joshua Agoo
- 7 Hildegard - Ms Anna Tait & Mr Dillon Reyes
- 7 Ingham - Mrs Tarnya Grana & Ms Patricia Hickman
- 7 MacKillop - Ms Alexandra Wojcik & Mr Jason Smith
- 7 Norcia - Mrs Christy Smith & Ms Ligia Learmonth
- 7 Polding - Ms Jane Kelleher & Mrs Jennifer Koryzma
The step from primary to secondary school for many students and their families can be daunting. Students are confronted with many new challenges, as they are now part of a much bigger school community.
From the very first day in Year 7 we focus on establishing positive learning behaviours such as time management, organisational skills and assessment planning. We endeavour to foster an environment of learning and growth through implementing several programs throughout the year and having one-on-one academic conversations with tutors on a weekly basis. During Academic Care time students learn valuable lifelong skills including the use of assessment calendars and time planners to manage the workload and minimise the stress associated with the increased expectations.
At St Benedict’s Catholic College we are very aware of the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students and believe that a proactive approach to all facets of schooling is beneficial. With this in mind we have several initiatives in place to improve the transition to high school including an orientation day, specialised transition programs, mac notebook boot camp, buckets full of generosity program and religious reflection day.
Orientation Day
Before the school year begins, an Orientation Day is held at the College. The orientation day provides a number of opportunities for students to meet their teachers, become familiar with the College facilities and begin to form friendships. By participating in our Orientation Day, students feel less overwhelmed about starting Year 7 and gain an understanding and sense of anticipation for what is ahead.
MacBook Notebook Boot Camp
The College operates a MacBook Notebook Program. Students are issued a MacBook computer as they commence Year 7. At the beginning of the year students participate in a MacBook Notebook Boot Camp, which is designed to help the students discover more about how to use their notebook as a learning tool. During the two day boot camp students will learn more about a range of important aspects involved in using their MacBook including:
- Laptop Etiquette and rules at St. Benedict’s Catholic College;
- MacBook Air layout, caring for the notebook and backing up work;
- Mac Basics - how to log into a notebook, personalise it and find documents;
- Mac Apps - using apps such as iBooks, Dictionary, MindNode and many others;
- iWork Suite - using Pages, Keynote and Numbers documents for the classroom;
- iLife Suite - using iTunes, iPhotos, iMovie and Garage Band in the classroom;
- Researching - using tools such as Google as part of overall research process;
- Collaborating - using email, Google Docs and Google Drive in the classroom.
Year 7 at St Benedict’s Catholic College is focused on supporting students in making a successful transition from primary school and introducing and reinforcing the schools values.