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From the Deputy Principal

Published 30/04/2021 · Academic

Welcome back to Term Two and a welcome to all new families who have joined our community. A very busy term as always is ahead.

Thank you to all families who have embraced our introduction of SEQTA Engage in Term One; we were all on a learning curve but we are so pleased with the smooth roll out of this platform to staff, parents and students. The positive response has been fantastic. As the year progresses additional features will be able to accessible. At the end of Term One all parents should now be able to access:

• The Term One Report 2021
• Semester One and Two Reports 2020
• Your child(ren’s) timetable
• Progressive results as they are released for all subject areas – these are as per the published assessment outlines
• Teaching Programmes (Term Two will be available by the end of Week 3)
• Assessment Outlines

We held a very successful Parent Teacher Interview Day on the final day of term; our staff loved meeting families and discussing current and future progress. We also were pleased that many students also attended with their parents, as it is important that they are part of these conversations. Thank you for these conversations and please do not hesitate to make contact with teachers across the term. We encourage all students to make sure that they have read and discussed their Term One Report with the families, and to goal set together.

For our Primary and lower Secondary students NAPLAN testing commences in Week Four. Whilst this is an important tool to gain information on a child’s progress and potential (including meeting the literacy and numeracy benchmarks for WACE attainment), it is important to remember that tests like NAPLAN do not assess everything that makes each of students exceptional and unique. It does not measure everything that our students can do; whether they can sing, program a robot, be an amazing footballer or that a student cares for their siblings each day without asking. These are the things which cannot be tested. NAPLAN is a snapshot of one moment in their learning journey. It is important that especially in our younger years and for our Year Three students who will sit the assessment for the first time that we not build it to be more than it is – a tool to help gauge a child’s progress. Our teachers will prepare all students in the lead up to tests and all have already completed their ‘practice test’ and an ‘excursion to the computer labs’. Our students were marvellous! We know they will all give their best, we are proud of them.

In Week Four our Year Twelve General students sit their Externally Set Task in all general subjects, we wish them well and know that they will be preparing for these assessment pieces. During Weeks Eight and Nine our Year Ten to Twelve students will be sitting their first examinations for the year. We remind all students that preparation is key; take the support opportunities available to you, provided by teachers in the form of assistance at lunch times and after school, complete revision notes and tasks/sample papers, ask questions, be organised and take time for yourself (self-care is equally important in all examination preparation).

During Term Two, our Year Ten students will be beginning the exploration of options available for their senior secondary years and moving towards begin graduands in 2023. There are a variety of sessions planned for them, including attending the Careers Expo 2021 at the Convention Centre and the Subject Selection Evening at the College on the 30th June, 6 pm. Students in Year 10 will also sit placement tests to assist in recommendations for courses of study in Year Eleven (this will occur towards the end of the term). Further information will be distributed to families as the term progresses.

Our Library continues to be a hive of activity; if we do have any parents who are available to cover books at any stage please do not hesitate to contact us as we would love your help!

I wish everyone a fabulous and blessed term, and I look forward to seeing our children continue to grow.

Janine Walsh
Deputy Principal

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