Director of Studies

Amy Byrnes

We are almost at the half way mark in Term 4 already. It is always a fast paced term and it is important that students are organised and ready for upcoming assessment. The College Assessment Calendar is a useful starting point for planning the remaining weeks of term.

Exam Block Timetable

Year 12 students will begin their final Exam Block on Monday, 4 November 2019 (Week 5). Following this, our Year 7 to 11 students will be involved in the exam block throughout Week 7. It is compulsory for all students in these year levels to attend these exams. The exam block will be emailed to all students and once published, and can also be found on the College website.

A reminder that students must attend all exams in their full Academic College uniform. Only Year 10, 11 and 12 students are permitted to complete individual study at home or in the Boarding School during exam block. If a Year 10, 11 and 12 student does not have exams during exam block or only one exam on a particular day, they are permitted to complete individual study at home, however, the parent/carer must advise the College by 9am on the day of these arrangements. Year 10, 11 and 12 boarding students will be permitted to return to the Boarding School for individual study,

Year 7, 8 and 9 students must complete study in the assigned classrooms. If students are absent for any exams they are reminded that they must request special provisions and if it is for medical purposes, provide a medical certificate.

If parents, carers or students have any further questions in relation to the Term 4 Exam Block Timetable, please contact me via email abyrnes@stpatscollege.qld.edu.au.

Helpful hints to prepare for Exam Block:

Start Early – don’t leave your study until the week before the Exam Block
Plan a Study Timetable – this will ensure a certain amount of time each day is allocated to study
Find a place that’s quiet and not distracting
Turn off social media, text messages and phone calls to avoid interruptions

Special provisions

If students are away on an assessment due date or have been away prior to the due date of an exam or assessment they may be entitled to special provisions. It is important that students are meeting all due dates, but at times, there are circumstances that prevent this from occurring and this is when special provisions are put in place. Students must make an appointment to see the Director of Studies if they have an application for special provisions. Further information relating to Special Provisions can be found in the College diary on page 115.

If a student is in Year 11 and is absent for an assessment they must contact the Director of Studies to ensure it meets the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments (AARA) requirements.

End of Year Report Card

Semester Two Report Cards will be distributed in the holidays via email to all parents/carers of students in Years 7 to 10. The Year 7 to 10 Semester Two Report will include an overview of academic achievement, behaviour and work ethic in each subject throughout Semester Two 2019.

The Year 11 Report will be a Unit Three Interim Report. As Year 11’s have just received a report card, the report card issued will indicate how your daughter is progressing behaviourally and in her work ethic across her subjects.

If your contact details have changed, please contact the College Office to update your details before the reports are distributed.