Learning and Teaching News

NAPLAN – Years 7 and 9 

This week students in Years 7 and 9 are completing the NAPLAN testing. Please see the schedule below.

• Monday 24 March has been allocated as an additional Catch-up testing day for NAPLAN 

A reminder that students will need to bring:

• A fully charged laptop 
• Charger (for IT support) 
• Wired headphones/earphones 
• A pen 
• A water bottle 

Device checks: 

Device checks were conducted on Thursday and Friday during Pastoral Group time. 

Catch-up exams: 

If a student misses a test during the official testing window (Monday 17 March – Thursday 20 March), they will be rescheduled for a session on either Friday 21 March or Monday 24 March.

If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact Mrs Leigh Jackson, Assistant Head of College – Learning and Teaching – Middle Years, at jacksonl@marash.qld.edu.au 

Exam Block Schedules – Change of Dates 

Due to the weather event, the College has decided to adjust the exam block schedule and other due dates that have been impacted. The revised exam block schedule was emailed to parents last week, and the Parent Portal and Orbit app will progressively be updated. It is important, therefore, to check the emailed schedule for exam times. Subject teachers have communicated any necessary extensions to assignment tasks.

For any further extensions to tasks needed outside of adjusted timelines, the normal college extension processes will apply. Contact a member of the Academic Care Team if you have any concerns. Please note that this will not apply to every assessment task. 

Exam block schedules will now be as following: 

• Year 5, 6 and 7 – Formative and summative assessments will take place in normal timetabled classes (except for Year 7 History/Geography).
• Year 8 and 9 – Summative exam block will run from Wednesday 26 – Tuesday 1 April.
• Year 10 - Summative exam block will run from Wednesday 26 – Wednesday 2 April.
• Year 12 – Summative exam block will run from Thursday 27 March – Friday 4 April.
• Year 10 will remain at school during the exam block and are not on exam block privileges.
• Year 11 students will remain in normal classes as they continue work on Unit 1. The end-of-unit exam block will be held in Week 5, Term 2.

Students in Years 5-11 will all remain at school throughout the assessment period. The only cohort who are granted study leave (to study at home and only come to campus for scheduled assessments) is Year 12. Any Year 12 student not up to date with all required assessment items will not be granted study leave and will be required to remain at school. This includes modules for Certificate and Diploma courses.

A reminder that if students are absent for an exam, a medical certificate is to be submitted for all year levels. Students must be prepared to sit their exams as soon as they return to school, and exams may be scheduled later in the exam block. Year 11 and 12 medical certificates must list the specific illness and not just state “medical condition”. Please do not arrange holidays during this time. 

All schedules will be updated in the Orbit app and Student Café on the portal once finalised. Your son is encouraged to download this schedule and change assessment dates to his College Diary and any home planners. Please note that the Parent Orbit app will eventually become the primary source of this information, as the College will be moving to this platform in future terms. 

Parent-Teacher Interviews – Term 2 

Parent-teacher conferences will be held on Tuesday 22 April (start of term) for face-to-face, and Wednesday 30 April for online/Teams interviews. Students are encouraged to attend with parents/carers and are required to wear full winter uniform (including blazer). Information regarding bookings will be communicated before the end of term.

Tutoring – Marist Subject Support: Days and Timings. Starting Tuesday 18 March

Marist Subject Support starts this week for the boys in Years 7 to 12. Marist Subject Support (Tutoring) will be offered in the senior school library. Tutors will be roaming around the library at these times assisting boys.

Sessions will have tutors with expertise in the following areas. Boys are encouraged to attend and access support if they require assistance.

2025 Next Step Year 12 Completers Survey 

All Year 12 students from last year (2024) will soon receive an invitation to participate in the Next Step survey. This is their chance to help our school to understand the different pathways of the 2024 Year 12 students and to improve our senior programs and supports for future students. The survey only takes five minutes and asks graduates about their study and work activities since finishing school.

As a thank you for participating, Year 12 completers who complete the survey will be entered into a draw to win a MacBook Air. 

For more information about Next Step, including previous results, visit http://www.qld.gov.au/nextstep. 

Year 12 Study Session

On Wednesdays 5:00pm – 8:00pm, Year 12 students are able to access the Library for their own private study. This is a privilege for Year 12 students in preparation for their senior assessment and a recommended study habit. In the past, students have used this time to work on their external exam study nights, prepare their drafts, or even create small study groups. Students will need to sign in and out. They can arrive and leave at any time between 5:00pm – 8:00pm; but they are not able to keep coming and leaving during the night.

Mathspace Parent and Carer Webinar

For interested parents who would like to support their students at home to maximise the use of Mathspace they are hosting a webinar for parents and carers on Wednesday 26th March (next week):

• Wednesday 26 March 5:00pm 
• Wednesday 26 March 8:00pm 

Study Tip