Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning

Moving Up Day

Year 11 students had a moving up to Year 12 day on Wednesday18 October. The day started with a liturgy where students received prayer cards from the Dominican Sisters and a Year 12 badge. Following this, each student met with their academic advisor to discuss their HSC pattern of study and set goals for the year ahead. The IB Diploma students have a one-on-one session scheduled in the coming weeks with Ms Harris, Dean of IB. The day concluded with a careers session with Ms Guiguis and a wellbeing session with their pastoral care teacher. The students have responded well to the feedback and the guidance as they plan for the next 12 months.

Year 10 exams

The Year 10 students are currently sitting their end-of-year examinations. Our students often sit assessments, in-class tests or end-of-topic quizzes throughout the year. These assessments are essential measurement tools for teachers to track learning. These are only some of the ways we track student progress. We need to get our students match fit for examinations at some stage as this is how students are currently assessed for the Higher School Certificate or IB Diploma. This year, we have introduced the end-of-year examination block to train our students to sit in a room under examination conditions and extended quiet study periods. They also need to prepare for multiple examinations in one day as the HSC and IB schedule is out of our control. For example, the IB examination started this week for our Year 12 students and some of our students have had two or, on a rare occasion, three exams within one day. 

Nerves going into assessments are OK. The Year 10 students had a study and examination preparation session with Tiffany from Elevate Education at the end of the last term. She taught the students to recognise the signs of anxiety and nerves, such as butterflies and sweaty palms, as communication tools. She also taught the students breathing techniques for when the body starts to tense before or during an examination.

Elevate Education also run free parent webinars for our families in Term 4:

How To Help Your Child Alleviate Stress – 8 November, 6:30pm 
How You Can Build Resilience in Your Child – 22 November, 6:30pm 
How You Can Set Your Child Up for Success – 6 December, 6:30pm

Year 9 Outdoor Education

Year 9 students leave for their Outdoor Education Experience next week. This is a time for practising resilience, learning new skills, logistics, relationships and experiencing new regions, landscapes and terrain. If we were to map this against learning outcomes, these would include subjects like Geography, PDHPE, Mathematics, Food and Agriculture Technology, History of the region and Science.

Year 8 subject choices for Stage 5 learning

Year 8 students have now been given their elective choices for stage 5. Students need to be aware this is a two-year program. We have now timetabled and staffed these courses and students will not be permitted to change subjects.

Jacqueline Pugh
Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning