Winter Uniform

A reminder for all students and parents that students are to arrive impeccably presented in Winter Uniform for the commencement of Term 2 on Thursday, 28 April. This means polished shoes and clean uniforms, including blazers in excellent condition. Students who have general and specialised Physical Education classes are permitted to wear their full tracksuits to school. PE shorts may be worn under tracksuit pants. Hairstyles should be conservative, neat, tidy, of natural colour and collar length hair should be tied up. Each year at this time, we ask our girls to ensure their winter skirt length is on the knee given that they may have grown over the summer and for boys to ensure they have not outgrown their shirts and can still do their top button up under their ties. I ask for parental support to ensure that your son or daughter tries on their uniform with plenty of time to get any issues rectified or purchase new items if necessary prior to the commencement of term.

The College Uniform Shop will be open on Wednesday, 27 April 8:30am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 6:00pm as well as on the first day of school from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. If you have any queries, please email uniform.shop@norbert.wa.edu.au.

May I also take this opportunity to once again remind parents to label all uniform items with their child’s first name and surname. At the end of each term we have a number of articles of clothing, bags, caps, sport bags and shoes in Lost Property not labelled and not claimed.

ANZAC Day Service

On Sunday 25 April, the Canning Districts RSL Sub-Branch will hold the annual ANZAC Day Memorial Services at the new War Memorial situated behind the City of Canning offices, Albany Highway, Cannington. The ceremony will commence at 8.00am. Year 11 student Isabelle Cayoun will be representing the College by participating in the march and laying a wreath. The College community is encouraged to attend.

Early Leave Notification

A number of students and parents/carers are not notifying the College when a student needs to leave during the day. A reminder that the following process is required for students needing to leave the College early:

Bring a signed note form a parent explaining the reason for the early leave (eg dental appointment).
The note must be handed to the Homeroom teacher or Student Services at the start of the day for recording into SEQTA.
A pink slip is to be collected from Student Services at the time of departure.

Please continue to use the email absentee@norbert.wa.edu.au to inform the College of absences.

Family Calendar-Term 2

This will be uploaded onto SEQTA by Friday, 22 April. Dates and events are still being finalised subject to Covid restrictions.

Ms S Rainford

Deputy Principal (Year 9 & 12)

NAPLAN Online – Term 2

NAPLAN is made up of two assessment areas: Literacy and Numeracy.

The reading tests are designed to assess a wide range of abilities. For the online test, students read a range of text types on a computer or device and answer questions about the texts on screen in a variety of online item formats.

All students in Years 7 and 9 are required to complete a writing task, using a prompt or stimulus topic. The genre of the task is not be disclosed prior to the test period. The writing test requires students to respond to either a persuasive or narrative writing prompt.

The Conventions of Language test comprises spelling, grammar and punctuation. For the online test, students spell words in an audio dictation task, identify and correct spelling errors, and answer grammar and punctuation questions in a range of online item formats.

The numeracy assessment area includes:

Number and Algebra
Measurement and Geometry
Statistics and Probability.

The test for students in Years 7 and 9 has two sections. In the first section, calculators are not allowed. In the second section, students can access an online calculator, ruler and protractor. Students in all year groups can turn on an audio player to hear the questions read aloud, if they wish. The schedule of tests will be as follows:

Writing: Tuesday, 10 May
Reading: Thursday, 12 May
Conventions of Language: Friday, 13 May
Numeracy: Monday, 16 May

Further information for Parents/Carers including frequently asked questions can be accessed via the following link:

https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/592818/Web_FAQ-Individual-student-report-2021.PDF

Mr R Dowling

Deputy Principal (Years 7 & 10)

Interim Reports

Interim Reports are now available to families through the ‘Reports’ tab in SEQTA Engage. The Interim Report provides students and parents with an opportunity to reflect upon student progress throughout Term 1 and to consider what adjustments can be made to improve performance next term. The Interim Reports are used to indicate student progress and so do not include any marks or grades – these will come with the publishing of the Semester One Report at the end of Term 2. For Year 7 students and parents, the rotational elective program does not appear on the Interim Report but will instead appear on the Semester One Report. Year 7 students will commence Term Two in a new rotation of electives with a new set of teachers to guide them. Due to extended staff or student absences, there are some situations where a valid Interim Report cannot be awarded. The families of those classes impacted have already been informed of these report adjustments in a separate communication.

Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews - via Teams

The first Parent-Student-Teacher Interviews for the year will take place on Wednesday, 27 April between 12.00pm and 7.00pm. This year, the College has deemed it appropriate to conduct online interviews through Microsoft Teams due to the complexities and interruptions caused by COVID-19. Additionally, given the disruptions of Term One and the current health guidelines, these online interviews will be accessible to Year 11 and Year 12 families only.

This day remains a Home Study Day for all students (Years 7-12) as teachers will spend the day either conducting online interviews for senior students or making phone, email or Direqt Message contact with the parents of those students across Years 7-10 where there are significant academic or behavioural concerns. Parents of Year 11 & Year 12 students will be sent an email today instructing them how to access Edval Interviews. This email will also provide parents with a unique log-in code as well as a link to the online booking system. Bookings close at 12.00pm on Friday, 22 April. Parents and students will also receive instructions soon on how to conduct a Parent/Student/Teacher meeting through Microsoft Teams.

While the decision to run online interviews for senior students only may cause some disappointment, College staff do appreciate the ongoing support from parents as we continue to navigate the complexity and impact of COVID-19.

Drop-off and pick-up areas

The times immediately before the commencement of the school day and at the end of the school day are often very busy with large numbers of students entering and leaving the College by a variety of means. The main driveway that allows parents to access the St Joseph’s Priory or the Main Administration block is NOT a drop-off or pick-up area for parents. Parents should instead use the bays on Treasure Road or the area around the Xanten Performing Arts Centre. While there are a small number of families who, for mobility reasons, have been granted permission to use this area for drop off/pick up, the majority of parents should not be accessing this carpark at the start or end of the school day. The increased traffic causes congestion and presents a danger to both student and parents who are accessing this area.

Parent Committee

The Parent Committee is a group that supports the College in the development of our school community. The next Parent Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, 10 May at 6.00pm and the Committee is looking for new members who can support the great work they do for our school. If you are interested in learning more about the Parent Committee, please contact me at the start of the new term.

Mr P Hawke

Deputy Principal (Years 8 & 11)

PRAYER

Prayer