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

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

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 GroupSummary: LetterSummary: Missed Assessment Task ExpectationsTerm Schedules
7Year 7 letterIllness/Misadventure: Note from home to class teacherAbsence due to Holiday Leave: Variation of Assessment Form Section VA – Student formTerm 3 link Term 4 link
8Year 8 letterTerm 3 linkTerm 4 link
9Year 9 letterUnforeseen Absence 9-12 Illness/Misadventure: Medical Certificate covering complete absence
OR 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
10Year 10 letterTerm 3 link Term 4 link
11pptTerm 3 link

Year 7-10 Parent, Student Teacher Conferences

We look forward to discussing your daughter’s learning in Semester 1 with you this week, during our Parent, Student, Teacher Conferences.

Thursday 4 July – 3:30-7:45pm

Friday 5 July –  9:00am-1:00pm

These will be held in the Catherine Centre. 

A map has been emailed to you with the locations of the teachers.

Reports will be released on Wednesday 3 July. 

Newman Symposium

For students in the NEWMAN cluster classes, students will be starting our NEWMAN Symposium planning and production this term. This symposium will be held in Term 3 and all students involved are expected to attend this symposium. We ask that parents assist their daughter’s to clear the afternoon calendar for  Monday 14 August. We look forward to the many wonderful and creative projects that the girls will produce.

Mid-Year Check-Up

As we approach the second semester now is a good time to do a bit of a check-up to see if students can improve their approach to their learning. Parents you may like to go through these questions with your child and together set goals for Semester 2. 

Goal Setting, Motivation

  1. Have you set yourself goals to strive for during this year?
  2. Do you know what motivates you to learn and complete your work for school?
  3. Do you try to take a positive approach to school and your studies?
  4. Do you make the most of class time, listening and focusing and completing all work?
  5. Have you been asking for help if you don’t understand something?

Organisation and Planning

  1. Have you been writing all your home learning into your diary or online planner and getting it done?
  2. Have you been breaking down bigger tasks and scheduling the work in your diary/planner?
  3. Have you been keeping track of what you complete and rescheduling unfinished work?
  4. Have you organised your folders for papers and digital resources for school?
  5. Do you have folders or somewhere at home to file away all your work and notes for your topics?
  6. Have you been working on study notes each time you finish a topic for a subject?
  7. Do you have a term planner above your desk where you can easily see when work is due?

Study Environment

  1. Have you set up a good study environment at home, a place where you can focus and work?
  2. Do you remove all distractions etc. when you are focusing on your schoolwork at home?

Working out your Priorities

  1. Do you prioritise each afternoon what you will work on that night?
  2. Are you doing around an hour and a half of schoolwork most nights (2-3 hrs for seniors)?
  3. Have you thought realistically about whether you have too many outside school activities?
  4. Have you allocated set periods of time for school work (eg at least 3 x half hour blocks)?
  5. Have you set up some routines to try and create habits that will help you this year?

Setting Effective Study Patterns – more than reading your class notes

  1. When you make study notes, are you making them visual with mind maps, highlighting etc?
  2. When you study for a test, do you both ‘learn’ the content and ‘practise’ the skills?
  3. Do you try to do lots of the practise under examination conditions?
  4. Have you reviewed the different study techniques that you should use for your learning preferences?
  5. Are you doing more than ‘just reading’ when you study for an assessment?
  6. Have you thought about how you will overcome the obstacles you face in achieving your best?

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



Our Monday Afternoon Open Learning started last term. We had 60 students who attended one or more weeks. This will be held in the Library each Monday afternoon from 3pm until 4pm. 

This time will provide students with the opportunity to collaborate with fellow students, complete any group tasks or learning experiences or provide a quiet space for study and home learning. In addition teachers will be available to assist students with their learning. This includes:
* assistance with time management and planning
* tips and tricks to developing study tools such as mind maps, study notes, flash cards
* subject specialists who can help answer questions.

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 

ICAS Tests

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic College is pleased to invite students to participate in the ICAS AssessmentsTM in Term 3 this year.

ICAS is designed to target students’ higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Science and we have recently added Mathematics. Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition and development. Every student will receive a printed certificate and an online results report. Top performers will be eligible for medals and are invited to attend special award ceremonies to have their academic excellence publicly recognised. 

We encourage you to consider entering your daughter into ICAS this year. The opportunity to sit ICAS assessments at OLMC will continue to be optional, and students may sit one or all of the assessments on offer at OLMC. The assessments are suitable for students wishing to extend themselves academically and take up the personal challenge of competing in an international assessment that has been running for 40 years. Your daughter will be presented with high-quality, expert-developed questions, allowing them to apply their learning without the need for prior study or revision. 

2024 Participation – Parent payment system 

Our school has signed up for the ICAS Assessments parent payment system (PPS) for all assessments. Through this system parents can pay for ICAS directly online while tests will still be held at our school. Please use the following details to register and pay for your daughter no later than Friday, 26 July (Term 3 Week 1). 

Access details for parents

OLM parent page link is: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps

OLM school access code is: GFC685

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