VCE Insights
This edition of VCE Insights provides information to parents and carers of VCE students about upcoming academic and pastoral events. In addition, you will find information to assist with supporting your daughter through her final years of school.
- 14 August: Paul Dillon presentation to the Years 11 and 12 students.
- 21 August: VCE Parent Teacher Interviews.
Below is a list of subjects with SACs and Outcomes scheduled over the coming weeks. Please note that subject teachers will communicate with your daughter regarding the specific date their SAC or Outcome will run.
Term 3 Week 5
Year 12 SACs:
- Accounting
- Business Management
- Health and Human Development
- Maths Methods
- Physics.
Year 11 Outcomes:
- Accounting
- Business Management
- Economics
- Psychology
- 20th Century History
- Legal Studies.
Term 3 Week 6
Year 12 SACs:
- Accounting
- Philosophy
- Physical Education
- Theatre Studies
- Specialist Maths.
Year 11 Outcomes:
- Japanese
- Literature
- Visual Communication and Design.
Students in Years 11 and 12 are looking forward to Paul Dillon’s presentation on Wednesday 14 August. Paul is the founder of Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia. His annual drug and alcohol presentations at St Catherine’s provide the students with the latest research and advice.
During his career in drug education, Paul has served as project officer for the ‘SpeedWise SpeedSafe’ campaign; wrote the instruction manual for the NSW Police Services on alcohol and violence; and was also project officer for the ‘Stay in Control’ campaign, which targeted teenage binge drinking. He has been involved in the interviewing of key informants for the World Health Organisation Cocaine Study as well as the National Survey of Ecstasy and Other Party Drugs. In addition, Paul has been a consultant for the United Nations where he developed and trialled a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Global Youth Training Workshop preventing amphetamine type stimulants among young people.
Year 11 Presentation – Alcohol and cannabis: What if something goes wrong?
This presentation will review and build upon the practical strategies around ‘looking after your friends’ that were introduced in the Year 10 session. Potential cannabis-related harms will be discussed, with an emphasis on the drug’s impact on mental health. The impact of alcohol on the adolescent brain will also be discussed, highlighting the potential risks of drinking during the teen years.
Year 12 Presentation – Last year at school: What do I need to know about alcohol and other drugs?
To ensure that young drivers are as prepared as possible, information about drink driving and the process of random breath testing, as well as roadside or mobile drug testing will be provided. Some basic facts about ecstasy/MDMA will also be discussed, including the impact that being caught with an illicit substance can have on a young person’s life, as well as the importance of seeking help as quickly as possible should something go wrong.
Student feedback following Paul’s presentations is consistently favourable and we trust that the girls will glean invaluable insights, providing them with practical advice to stay healthy and safe.
