The Learning Page

Academic Competitions

Term 3 each year is certainly a highlight of the year for academic opportunities and competitions. Over the last two weeks, we have completed:

ICAS Writing - Participating students in Years 3 to 6 worked hard to write their best response to a provided prompt. A highlight was the way in which students were able to generate ideas for their writing so quickly. This meant they got straight into their writing. Results usually take about 5 weeks.

ICAS English - Participating students in Years 2 to 6 gathered en masse to complete the English competition. A highlight was the eagerness of the participants, many of whom have set their eyes on scoring a High Distinction. Results usually take about 2 weeks.

Prime Minister's Spelling Bee - Close to 40 selected students in Years 3 to 6 typed their hearts out in the Prime Minister's Spelling Bee. A highlight was seeing how excited students were to hear of the ultimate prize (meeting the Prime Minister). That said, many were equally excited about accommodation being provided. There were many questions about which hotel they would be staying in! 

Results for this competition were available immediately and ranged from 17 out of 30 up to 27 out of 30. The next step is to wait to see how these results compare to the rest of Victoria. Students progressing to the state finals will be shared on August 21st. Due to the number of students involved, only those who make it through to the state finals will be informed. No news = not through to the state finals this year (but keep trying for next year!).

Victorian High-Ability Program - This program is run termly for students in Year 5 and 6. The invitations for Term 4 in both English and Maths have been released by the Department of Education. This includes some students who have been invited for a second time (e.g., completing the maths course after doing English already) and others who are first timers. Families of the students selected will be informed this week.

Coming Up: ICAS Maths

A reminder that ICAS Maths is running on Tuesday 29th August. Registrations have closed. 

We had 2 families enquire about taking ICAS at another time as their children missed the competition day. Unfortunately this is not possible. Please refer to the message below that was shared alongside the ICAS sign up information in our initial article: 

Please think before paying and check that the dates above work for you. Due to the staffing and logistics required to offer these tests during the school day, we will not be able to offer alternate testing times for absent students.