Curriculum and Learning

Speech Night 2024

A reminder as per last week’s issue of the Especean, that the College’s Annual Speech Night will proceed this year at the Quaycentre, Sydney Olympic Park on Tuesday 3 December, commencing at 6:30 PM with an estimated finish time around 8:30 PM – 8:45 PM. Parking for the Quaycentre will be available in Sydney Olympic Park P3 on Sarah Durack Avenue.

Attendance is compulsory for all students from Years 5 to 11. All students from Years 5 to 10 are to be in attendance in full College summer uniform. All Year 11 students, all prize winners and some performers will be required to wear their blazers, and they will be reminded separately.

Entry doors to the venue’s Main Arena are scheduled to open at 5:30 PM, seated by 6:15 PM. Entry/exit details are as follows:

• Door 1: Year 6 students and their parents, carers and guests                             
• Door 2: Year 5 students and parents, carers and guests of Years 5, 7 to 11
• Door 5: Students of Years 7 to 11 and prize winners

Outside purchased food or drink are not allowed inside the venue. Students are not allowed to chew gum nor have water/drink bottles on the Main Arena floor.

All students are to report to their homeroom teacher on arrival in the Main Area to have their names marked off and they will be shown where to sit.

Please note that the upper concourse level kiosks will be trading for snacks and refreshments from 5:30 PM but will close at 8:00 PM. Parents/carers cannot deliver food nor drink to their sons on the Main Arena floor once inside the venue, that includes before, during or after official proceedings.

It is also important to note that full student attendance at the College is compulsory and expected on each school day up to the last day of term, i.e., up to 3:10 PM on Tuesday 3 December at school followed by Speech Night in the evening.

Reminder: Years 7 to 11 Optional Parent / Teacher Interviews

As per last week’s issue of the Especean and as per the College Calendar, optional parent/teacher interviews are scheduled for Wednesday 4 December in two sessions, 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM and then 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM. The Interviews shall take place in the College Gymnasium.

The interview booking facility in TASS will be open to parents/carers at 9:00 AM on Friday 22 November and will close at 12 noon on Monday 2 December. Thereafter, any parental request to change an interview time must be made by mutual agreement with the teacher via email. 

Parents/carers are reminded that they may book interview time slots themselves via the TASS Parent Lounge using the Interview Tab. The College will not be allocating interview times. Parents/carers need to ensure interviews are booked by no later than 12 noon, Monday 2 December.

Interviews are for five minutes only. There is a two-minute break between each interview to allow the interviews to run smoothly. Please note that parents/carers cannot double book a teacher for a longer interview. Should more interview time be required, parents/carers may arrange with the teacher another mutually suitable time.

For parents/carers encountering difficulties logging on to the TASS Parent Lounge, please contact the College’s IT Department via College Reception on 02 9763 1000.

If for any reason a parent/carer needs to cancel or change a booked interview time after the closing times stated above, then please contact the relevant teacher via email.

The interviews are an opportunity for parents/carers to discuss aspects of the Yearly Report with their sons’ teachers with the intention of making improvements for the new scholastic year ahead.

Please note that for parents of Years 8 and 10, the interviews will not be an appropriate forum to discuss prospective elective subject changes for next year with individual class teachers. As has been emphasised in appropriate forums this year, applications for elective subject changes will open in Week 4 of Term 1 next year and not before.

Michael Cutrupi 

Director of Curriculum

Higher School Certificate Disability Provisions 

Schools are responsible for decisions made at school level to offer adjustments to students with a disability in school-based tasks. This includes all school-based tasks from Year 5 through to, and including, Year 12. 

In the Diverse Learning Centre, we liaise collaboratively with students, parents/carers, teachers, and specialists to determine adjustments for students with a disability using NESA’s key messages to ensure that, where appropriate, adjustments are put in place that are consistent with disability provisions granted for the HSC.

For HSC Examinations, it is NESA who provide adjustments for students with a disability, NOT the school. Applications to NESA can only be made by the school on behalf of the student. 

These HSC disability provisions provide students with practical support to access HSC exams, so that all students can participate in the HSC on the same basis. 

It is important to understand that school-determined adjustments will not necessarily apply in the HSC exams as what is assessed in school-based assessments may be different to HSC exams. In addition, for HSC exams, each application is assessed to ensure consistency and equity across the entire HSC cohort. 

Provisions granted for school-based assessment may not be approved for NESA external exams. Each application submitted to NESA will be assessed to determine eligibility for provisions.

Key Messages for parents and students:

• Every student applying for HSC disability provisions is unique
   
• The provision of reasonable adjustments for a student with a disability is a legal requirement
   
• Students benefit from early and complete applications for provisions
   
• Provisions are not granted solely on the basis of a diagnosis
   
• Provisions are determined on the basis of functional evidence
   
• Provisions are intended to provide access to HSC exams, not to achieve potential
   
• HSC provisions are informed by planning and practice throughout high school
   
• The HSC remains a handwritten exam for now
   
• Approved provisions must not confer an advantage
   
• HSC provisions may differ from school-determined adjustments for tests, assessments, and classwork.

Click here for more comprehensive information from NESA on HSC Disability Provisions. 

In Diverse Learning, through this term and Term 1, 2025, we are consulting with students with a disability and their parents/carers to determine requirements for the HSC examinations and apply for disability provisions. Applications for the 2025 HSC exams open at the beginning of 2025, and close at the end of Term 1. 

If you have any concerns or questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact the Stage 6 Learning Support teacher, Ms. Maryanne Roberts, or me, Amanda Metua, Head of Diverse Learning. 

Exam Stress – When is it too much?

‘It’s normal for students to feel stressed when preparing for exams (especially big exams). A bit of stress aids success by increasing motivation, but at high levels it can reduce academic performance. Research suggests that around 1 in 5 senior school students will experience very high levels of stress during the exam period.’

As Year 12 2025 embark on their first round of HSC assessment tasks, it seems timely to reiterate some tips for managing exam pressure and positioning yourself to not only perform to the best of your ability but maintain good health in the process. It can be an anxious time, for some more than others, but it is important to maintain a positive, balanced perspective and take steps to ensure you establish and maintain good habits for ongoing health, and academic success. 

This sheets from NESA linked below are designed to offer support in preparing for exams by recognising when stress is too much— and if it is, how to reduce it.

• Managing exam stress - students
• Managing exam stress - parents

Amanda Metua 

Head of Diverse Learning

St Patrick's College to Transition from Harvard to APA 7 Referencing

At St Patrick's College, Strathfield, we currently use the Harvard referencing style; however, there are many variations of this style, which has led to inconsistencies across assignments and assessments. To address this, we are changing to APA 7 referencing, an established author-date style grounded in the "Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association" (7th edition, 2019). This move will bring multiple benefits to students and staff alike.

Why Change to APA 7?

1. Clarity and Consistency: APA 7 has a single, unified guide. This will eliminate guesswork and ensure every member of our school community follows the same format, greatly simplifying referencing.
    
2. Up-to-Date Guidelines: APA style is regularly reviewed and updated, reflecting the latest best practices for citing various sources, including the increasingly common digital resources and Artificial Intelligence.
    
3. More Learning Time: APA 7’s straightforward and clear rules make it easier for students to learn. This change will allow students and teachers to spend less time on technicalities and more time on critical thinking, source analysis, and writing.
    
4. Preparation for Further Study: Many Australian universities use APA 7, giving our students a head start on university-level research expectations.

We are confident that this transition to APA 7 will streamline academic work, build essential referencing skills, and better prepare students for future studies.

Jessica Lonard

Head of Library and Information Services