MacKillop Catholic College is deeply committed to supporting the learning and achievement of all students. We strive to develop the potential of each student holistically: spiritual, moral, social, emotional, physical, and intellectual, across every domain of learning. The Mparntwe Declaration (2019) emphasises the transformative power of education, which supports young people to realise their potential by providing skills they need to participate in the economy and in society and contributing to every aspect of their wellbeing.
It is with this in mind, we are very excited to provide an opportunity for students seeking extension and enrichment in Years 7 for the remainder of 2023, and throughout Year 8 in 2024. The MacKillop Academy for Creativity and Excellence (ACE) promotes and supports students of high potential to achieve their personal best. Underpinned by research on giftedness, talent and high potential, ACE provides ability grouped and tailored learning experiences for students in the subjects of English, Mathematics, Humanities and Science. These courses are delivered by curriculum experts who have experience in teaching high potential learners, with the intent of providing students with a range of opportunities and experiences in their learning. The aim of ACE is to identify students with potential, develop their talent and transform this potential into performance.
Academy of Creativity and Excellence (ACE) students are challenged through a rigorous and differentiated curriculum. There are no limits on student learning experiences and achievement. Students access a variety of cross-curricular learning and enrichment experiences including a range of competitions and events run by universities and professional organisations. MacKillop Catholic College accepts Françoys Gagné’s definitions of giftedness and talent established in the Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent DMGT 2.0 (2009). Gagné suggests that potential exists along a continuum, where given optimal conditions, high potential can lead to high performance and achievement. He outlines that students may exhibit potential in one or more domains including intellectual, creative, social-emotional, and physical.
High potential and gifted students are found across diverse family, socio-economic, language, cultural backgrounds, and different geographic locations.
The Academy offers high achieving students in Years 8 (2024) and 9 (2025) dedicated classes that support them as they pursue greater depth and breadth in their key learning areas and aspire to excellence. This supports these students in developing skills and knowledge suited to specialised senior secondary pathways across the curriculum from Year 10. Academy classes offer a faster pace of study to enable students to focus on extending, refining, and using knowledge meaningfully through the development of higher-order thinking skills.
While all students require challenges, students in the Academy work with like-minded peers and access extension activities that unpack the Australian Curriculum at a more sophisticated level.
Within the classroom context, students are encouraged in their creative and divergent thinking and take part in complex individual and collaborative problem-solving.
The Academy of Creativity and Excellence acknowledges the need for differentiated curriculum and learning opportunities for high-achieving students, and provides a positive, challenging, and supportive classroom environment to achieve this.
Criteria for Academy applicants are as follows:
- B minimum in core subjects in: English and Humanities disciplines; Mathematics and Science disciplines; Both.
- Consistently high attendance;
- Consistently demonstrates positive behaviour;
- Participation in an ability test to take place in August;
- In Year 9 are required to take extension STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and/or extension PHIL (Philosophy, History, Inquiry and Literature) as one of their specialist courses. These programs run for a semester each;
- In Year 9 study of a Language or Arts subject is encouraged;
- Participation in co-curricular activities in Sport, the Performance Arts, and Curriculum.
Should you wish to apply, please submit the ACE Application Form to the College by June 10, 2023.
For further information about the program, please contact Deputy Principal – Secondary, Sarah Coleman (scoleman@cns.catholic.edu.au).
