As we look forward to celebrating the Good News of Jesus’ birth over Christmas and enjoying the school holiday break, I wanted to pass on some more good news of God’s blessing in the lives of our 2022 Graduating Class.
Throughout this year, we have been incredibly thankful to conduct our learning together on-campus once again. For our Year 12 students, it has meant starting off the year on the right foot with our Year 12 camp, which allowed them to form a supportive bond they could lean on throughout the year. Then as the year progressed, they were able to experience their passions in real life through excursions to the Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory at Monash University, performing their Year 12 Drama Solo performances to an audience, meeting a County Court judge, or immersing themselves in their major Studio Arts and Design projects, two of which were shortlisted for Top Designs and Top Arts showcases. These experiences, along with engaging classroom teaching and additional focus on study habits and exam skills through our Elevate Program have combined to create a rich platform for our student’s success.
We are pleased to celebrate their success with you and let you know that our Year 12 VCE students had the highest average ATAR at Heathdale in the last decade! In doing so, they registered a College average ATAR that was substantially higher than the State average.
Join with us in taking a deeper look at this great outcome:
- Our Dux for 2022 achieved an ATAR of 96.95
- 2nd highest ATAR score was 96.75
- 3rd highest ATAR score was 95.65
- 24.19% of students achieved an ATAR of 90 or above.
- Our average student ATAR was 75.79
- Over two-thirds of our students achieved an ATAR of 70 or above, showing that it was not just a handful of students accounting for our high average ATAR, but was achieved through the collective efforts of the cohort.
This year we were also privileged to journey with our VCAL students, and VCE students who elected for a non-scored VCE. A non-scored VCE means they received their VCE certificate but did not require an ATAR score as they were always planning on a non-University pathway. We are really thrilled to say that each of these students have been able to secure a post-school pathway, including exciting avenues such as diploma courses, apprenticeships and other TAFE courses.
In our enthusiasm for these outcomes, we must not forget that our 2022 cohort of Year 12s have encountered considerable adversity over their upper Secondary years. Yet this group has managed to persevere and receive considerable reward for their application of effort throughout that period. I also want to acknowledge our staff, who have poured into these students’ educational, spiritual and emotional lives. For many, that has been since Kindergarten or Primary school, followed by our Secondary and VCE staff who have seen them through this final stretch of their learning with us.
We want to recognise that it is through God’s grace; the students’ hard work and determination; our staff’s teaching, stewardship and encouragement; and family and community support that have combined for this remarkable outcome.
We want to honour God for seeing all our students safely through this year and we look forward with great anticipation for what He has next for the lives of each of these young adults. Whether it’s a university or TAFE place, gap year, the workforce, ministry, apprenticeship, we will continue to pray that each student continues to explore the magnificent gifts and talents God has blessed each with and keep developing their heart to serve others with those gifts.
We look forward to sharing more stories of our 2022 Graduating Class with you over the coming months, but in the meantime please continue to pray for our students as they consider their future and decide on their next direction.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and happy New Year.