Leader of Learning – Integrated Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment – Lisa Romberg

NEWMAN Symposium

Annually, a Newman Symposium is held at all participating schools to offer a snapshot of the learning. It is our unique way of celebrating Newman learning at OLMC. 

Students have been encouraged to go beyond a class activity, to extend themselves, showing a depth of thinking (critical and creative) and to make connections across their subjects and with their passions.  This year we challenged students to base their projects on a theme and context. 

THEME: Utopia

We welcome any member of the OLMC community to attend.

The details are as follows:

Date: Monday 12th August

Venue: Catherine Building, Our Lady of Mercy College Burraneer

Time: 3:15 until 4:30 pm

Stage 5 Subject Selection 

This week Subject Selection Information sessions were held for students in Year 8 and 9 as well as for parents of students in Year 8. A reminder that the Subject Selection Handbook can be found on the School Website or via this link.

Students have been asked to carefully consider which electives that they would like to study in 2025. Subject choices close on Friday 16 August.

Semester 1 Awards

During Week 4 Assembly students will be awarded Semester 1 Awards for Commitment to Learning and Principal’s Awards. Congratulations to all students who have applied themselves diligently to their learning and to those who will receive awards for their application next week.

Assessments

Thank you for your ongoing support of our assessment policy. For students in Years 9 and 10 who missed more than one assessment task, these have been noted on the front page of the Semester 1 report. Where independent evidence has been provided this has been noted.

Exceptions were those tasks that fell on days where other school events were held.

For Semester 2 reports, a reminder to all students and parents that missed Assessment Tasks in Year 9 to 11 require a Medical certificate from a Doctor of Pharmacist for in-class tasks that are missed due to illness. For hand-in tasks it is expected that all students submit these tasks on-time for electronic submissions, whether they are present or not. If unable to submit on time, a medical certificate is required.

This procedure promotes fairness and equity to all students for RoSA (Record of School Achievement) Grades which are submitted to NESA for students in Years 9 to 11. This College procedure is one followed by schools to ensure that students know and follow expectations which is particularly essential in Year 12. 

Year Group	Summary: Letter	Summary: Missed Assessment Task Expectations	Term Schedules
7	Year 7 letter	Illness/Misadventure: Note from home to class teacher Absence due to Holiday Leave: Variation of Assessment Form Section VA – Student form	Term 3 link	Term 4 link
8	Year 8 letter		Term 3 link	Term 4 link
9	Year 9 letter	Unforeseen Absence 9-12Illness/Misadventure: Medical Certificate covering complete absenceOR Independent Evidence Independent Evidence of Illness or Misadventure Advice AND College Illness Misadventure Section A – Student form Known Absence 9-12  Due to Leave, Sports representation, Specialist Appointments other…. Application for Leave to the PrincipalVariation of Assessment Form Section VA – Student form	Term 3 link	Term 4 link
10	Year 10 letter		Term 3 link	Term 4 link
11	ppt		Term 3 link

PROOFING YOUR ASSESSMENTS

As you gear up for your next assessment, mastering the art of proofreading is key to ensuring your hard work shines through. In this month’s edition, we dive into the essential steps to proof your assessments effectively and elevate your academic performance.

1st Proof:

To begin, consider relocating to a fresh setting for a focused proofreading session. Find a place that is not your usual study space where you can concentrate on refining your work. Bring along the assessment criteria and question prompts to guide your review. Your initial proof should encompass the following key factors:

 WORD COUNT: Confirm that your assessment aligns with the specified word limit. Identify any excess words that may need trimming to meet requirements.

 SPELLING / GRAMMAR: While spell check can be helpful, don’t rely solely on it. Look out for common errors like ‘form’ instead of ‘from’ that may slip through automated checks.

 SOURCES: Verify that all sources for visuals, examples, and quotes are properly cited and listed to support your arguments.

 CRITERIA / QUESTION ANSWERED? Review the assessment criteria and ensure that your responses directly address the requirements. Tick off each criterion as you confirm its coverage in your work.

 REPETITION: It’s easy to repeat points, double check you haven’t done this.

 USEFUL INFORMATION: It’s not uncommon to write unnecessary information. Do you have points that don’t really answer the question? Have you written clearly? Is there any information you could leave out? Is there any information that you realise needs to be added?

 REINFORCE: This is where you need to finalise which words you will bold, highlight, underline etc. so your assignment clearly identifies the main points. Bolding can let the teacher see clearly that you have covered all the parts of the question, that there is a sequence of ideas and you have organised the information well.

2nd Proof:

The next day repeat the above steps, but this time – READ YOUR ASSIGNMENT OUT LOUD! If you didn’t print your assignment to proof the first time, now could be the time. Reading and hearing the words spoken in different mediums can sometimes give a new perspective to your writing. Note down any changes you need to make.

3rd Proof:

It’s always a good idea to ask someone to proof your assignment after you have proofed it first. It is common for the writer not to pick up typos or silly mistakes because they know what they meant and see the words they intended to write, and not the errors. So recruit a proof reader (parent, relatives, older sibling or friend etc.) to gain fresh insights.

Remember, meticulous proofreading is a valuable skill that can elevate the quality of your work and set you on the path to academic success.

You can learn more about being more effective and efficient in your schoolwork at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au by logging in with these details:

School username: OLMBurraneer

School password: Mercy

Monday Afternoon Open Learning

If your daughter is interested in participating in Monday Afternoon Open Learning please give permission on COMPASS Event : Monday Afternoon Open Learning OR complete the permission note in the letter and return to the College library.

Miss Lisa Romberg, Leader of Learning: Integrated Curriculum, Pedagogy, Assessment.