Senior school

How Will I Learn?

When you enrol at Aurora, you become a ‘dual citizen’ of two schools. By remaining in your local community, your education will benefit from the enhanced opportunities that come from belonging to two education communities.

During your timetabled Aurora lessons, you will work in a special area at your home school and will connect to your virtual classroom on a desktop computer with a webcam and a headset with microphone. On screen you will see and hear your teacher and classmates in a high quality audio and visual connection. For the balance of the curriculum, you will join your home school peers in regular lessons.

Aurora’s web conferencing software allows your teacher to share documents, presentations, videos and even his/her desktop. A range of features, including a chat pod, whiteboard, note pad, polling app and ‘breakout’ spaces will make your Aurora lesson a highly engaging experience.

Aurora College also provides you with a laptop device to complete classwork, take notes, or view digital textbooks and other resources in our digital school library. A range of cutting-edge platforms in use at Aurora will also enable you to work collaboratively in real time with your teachers and classmates.

During recess and lunch breaks, you might like to catch-up with your Aurora mates in our virtual playground. This amazing three-dimensional virtual environment also has a school hall and lecture theatre, where our masterclasses and mentoring sessions take place.

If at any time your technology is not working as it should, help is never far away. Aurora’s hardworking and highly skilled technology support team may be reached during school hours via telephone or email. Our ‘tech gurus’ will also work directly with technology staff in your home school to ensure you stay well-connected at all times.

In each school where we ‘share’ students, Aurora funds the release of a teacher to fulfil the role of Aurora College Coordinator (ACC). The role of ACC is similar to that of a Year Advisor. The role has an administrative component, but the main focus is to support you in your Aurora studies.

In your science lessons, you will engage with a range of applications to explore scientific principles and practices. In secondary schools, we also fund the release of a teacher to fulfil the role of Science Practical Teacher (SPT). One period each fortnight, your SPT will work with you in your school laboratory on a range of exciting practical tasks.

Residential Schools

Residential schools are an important part of your learning with Aurora College. The first residential school, held early in Term 1, is attended by all students in Years 6, 7, 8 9 and 10, and by senior Chemistry and Physics students. The second residential school is held early in Term 4, and is attended by all students in Years 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

Residential schools give you the opportunity to meet and work with your peers and teachers. This very popular program includes lessons, tutorials, master classes, mentoring sessions and programs with our many partners, including the Australian Business Community Network. In a fun-filled program, you will also have the chance to experience the host area through excursions, activities and events.

What Can I Study?

Years 11 and 12 (Stage 6)

The following courses are available to academically able students who can work in the virtual school environment. Any government school in rural and remote NSW can offer students the option of studying one or more of these courses through our school.

• English Advanced
• English Extension 1
• English Extension 2 (HSC course only)
• Mathematics Advanced
• Mathematics Extension 1
• Mathematics Extension 2 (HSC course only)
• Science Extension (HSC course only)
• Agriculture
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Earth and Environmental Science
• Software Design and Development
• Aboriginal Studies
• Economics
• Modern History
• Geography
• Legal Studies
• Italian Beginners
• Japanese Beginners

Mentoring Program

Mentoring is a key feature of the learning experiences available to students at Aurora College through our virtual learning environments.

The  Aurora  e-mentoring program is a flexible model aimed at supporting gifted and talented students in rural and remote communities to:

• Better understand their skills, values and interests;
• Explore a variety of academic and career options; and
• Further develop their social and emotional wellbeing.

Mentoring sessions take place during school hours under teacher supervision.

Students who wish to participate in the mentoring program require parental consent and need to be able to show that they can keep up with their school work.

Further information about our mentoring program is available in the Mentoring Handbook.

If students would like to participate in the mentoring program please complete the online student profile and return the permission note to the Aurora College coordinating office via email.

Mentoring Testimonials

“Mentoring is so good! I’ll admit I was a bit wary at the beginning but it’s actually been a really good experience for me. My mentor was really fun and we got along like a house on fire and it was always exciting to know I had a mentoring day coming up. Mentoring has taught to manage stress and my time, find motivation and also raising my awareness of new careers.”

(Year 9 Student, Parkes High School)

“Mentoring through Aurora has helped me considerably in ways I hadn’t quite expected. Being able to learn well is a hard thing to grasp, let alone master and being hard on yourself doesn’t help. I still have no idea what kind of learner I am, but I know that I am definitely a stress-head and I struggle balancing pressures with the almost unbearable weight that comes with senior studies. However, mentoring has helped me by teaching me important strategies to not only overcome stress but to use it to my advantage, something crucial in Year 11/12!”

(Year 11 student, Canowindra High School)

“Mentoring has been amazing this year! Speaking with a successful business women who has learnt all the tricks of the trade and how to survive in a male dominated industry was an awesome opportunity. She has shared her own experiences as well as tips on time management and self respect techniques that have helped me develop a better understanding of self and helped me with studying and school work.”

(Year 9 Student, Parkes High School)