Gifted and Talented Report

Reports

Consistent with our commitment to promote excellence for all students, we acknowledge those students whose learning needs reflect particular gifts or talents and an ability to achieve beyond stage syllabus outcomes. As such, these students require differentiated learning activities and assessment which enables them to be challenged to achieve their potential. 

Therefore, students who are a part of the Newman classes 1and 2 complete extension assessment tasks for both formative and summative assessment.  

How does a student achieve ‘Above Level’ on their reports? 

Students who are working above the core achievement levels are provided with opportunities to demonstrate mastery of extension outcomes. An indication of achieved extension on outcomes is included on a student’s report as ‘Above Level’. This is available for students and is not part of the Overall Grade (A-E).

Students who achieve ‘Above Level’ have received an E1 or E2 for a task- an outstanding result. Essentially, an ‘Above Level’ result indicates a higher level of sophistication and application of knowledge that extends beyond an ‘A’ range. The results on the report demonstrate that the students have demonstrated a higher complexity of thinking and produced authentic ideas.

It is important for students to understand that their identity is not attached to a grade. The feedback is the focus and should guide students in allowing them to see where they are at and what they need to do in the future. Easier said than done!

You might recognise these behaviours:

• It’s ‘all or nothing’- if it’s not a perfect result then it’s a failure.
• Self-worth and identity are attached to a grade – ‘I am an A student’; not getting an ‘A’ means I’m not smart enough.
• A focus on what hasn’t been done and not savouring successes.

The link between giftedness and perfectionism is not unusual and I have written about this in previous reports. Perfectionism can be exhibited in different ways such as underachievement and emotional turmoil. A student will not submit a task because it is not deemed perfect and the emotional stress – anxiety, depression, feelings of unworthiness and imposter syndrome – are evident as students feel they can’t live up to their own high expectations.

Parents and teachers can help by:

• Working with students to understand that the grades in assessments reflect the evaluation of the work and the marking criteria – it is not an evaluation of their character.
• Guiding students to match the time invested in an assignment to the value. Spending an excessive amount of time for a task with minimal value does not make sense – put the time into the tasks that count the most. This is a way of preventing students from spending an unrealistic amount of time on tasks that do not require such attention.
• Set goals and focus on improvement – small achievable goals and improvements are to be celebrated.
• Study the lives of successful people and take inspiration in those who have overcome adversity to reach their goals.

Source: https://www.davidsongifted.org/gifted-blog/helping-gifted-students-cope-with-perfectionism/

If you believe perfectionism is becoming unhealthy, a psychologist who specialises in G & T students can be of value. We also have our College Counsellors here on site and House Coordinators can easily make referrals.

Debating

Congratulations to the 11A Team (Natalie Broom, Charlotte O’Brien and Zara Chand)  who continue to shine and have successfully won three Elimination Finals to get through to the Quarter Finals in Term 3, Week 1. Their last topic was a real challenge and yet they pulled it apart and built a very strong case, all the while demolishing the opposing team with rebuttal after rebuttal. How would you debate the following topic?

‘That factual bias’ and social divisions are an unfortunate result of access to the internet.’

Keep going! We are with you!

This article on College life meets The Archbishop’s Charter for Catholic Schools – Charter #2, #6 & #8