The Girton eLink

From the Head of Senior School

Post exam reflection

Last week saw the culmination of the Semester One exams for students in Years 7 -11. For our Year 7 students, this was their first experience sitting an extended assessment in a formal setting. Exams are part of many assessment tools used to determine what your child actually knows and pinpoint weaknesses in what they do not know. Regardless of whether your child pursues a pathway to University, TAFE or another further education provider, at some point, they will be required to be assessed on how well they have understood their learning. This week your child will have received their mark and grade; in most cases, their teacher will review the exam with them. All students should therefore spend time reflecting on their results by considering the following questions:

  • Which exams do you think you did well (or at least OK)?
  • Why do you think you did well in these examinations?
  • In which exams do you think you did poorly?
  • For these exams, rank the reasons below as to which ones are most applicable to you:

___ I did not do enough study

___ I had exam nerves on the day

___ I had missed some of the work and did not catch up

___ I did not study effectively

___ My exam technique was not very good

___ I spent too long on some questions and not enough on others

___ I studied the wrong things

___ I should have done more actual practice, not just reading it

___ I ran out of time in my study time

___ Other?

  • What three things do you want to remember to do (or not) in your subsequent major examinations?
  • Give yourself a percentage mark for the following : (e.g. 60%, 25%, 80%)

___ The amount of effort I have put into classwork so far this year

___ The amount of effort I have put into homework so far this year

___ The amount of effort I have put into assignments so far this year

___ The amount of effort I have put into tests so far this year

___ The amount of effort I have put into school so far this year

___ The amount of effort I have put into studying for these exams

  • What percentage of effort would you need to achieve the marks you want?

Exam week concluded with several activities for all Year 7 to 9 students. These included STEM activities, including a visit to La Trobe University, Fitness Testing, a French incursion, an Indigenous workshop, letter-writing, and team-building activities. In addition, workshops for all Year 7, 8 and 9 students on cyber safety relating to respectful behaviours when online, maintaining and creating a positive brand during online interactions on social media, and the internet and the law in light of new and upcoming changes were also presented.

 

Absentees

The conclusion of exam week and study leave is a timely reminder about the School’s procedures and policy on absences. At Girton, we prioritise the safety and wellbeing of our students. Our duty of care requires that the School is informed when a student is away from School so we can promptly address any concerns that may arise. To ensure the effective management of absences, we kindly request that the School is notified by 8.45am on the day of absence. 

 

There are three options to report the short-term absence of a Senior School student. Please note that in order to improve the efficiency of our absence reporting process, the Absence phone line is no longer an option for reporting daily absences.

 

Short-term absence

 

OPTION 1 - Email the School: Send an email to absentees@girton.vic.edu.au with the student's name, year level, House and reason for absence. This will help the School maintain accurate records and assist us in understanding the reason your child is away.

 

OPTION 2 – Girton Grammar App: Use the Girton app to register your child's absence via your phone. The app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play Store. Once installed, follow the instructions to set up your account and register your child's absence using the provided options. 

 

OPTION 3 - Astra online: The School Absentee form is available on the Astra homepage for parents, or for direct access to the form, click here.

 

Late arrivals

  1. Students arriving late to School between 8:40 am and 8:55 am MUST go straight to House Tutor immediately to have their names marked on the roll. Their house teacher will then permit them to go to their locker to organise their books and equipment for Periods 1 and 2. 
  2. Students who arrive at 8:55 am or later MUST sign in at Reception, which will return to the Morey Building in Term 3. If a student is marked absent from the House Tutor period and no notification has been received by 10 am, the School will contact the parent or carer.

Extended absence

 

For any planned leave of absence, a request must be provided in writing to the Head of Senior School via email at dawndavis@girton.vic.edu.au at least seven days before the intended leave date.

 

If your child is experiencing an extended absence due to illness or any other reason, please communicate with us regularly so we can work together to ensure the best possible educational experience for your child.

 

 

Finally, I would like to extend my heartfelt wishes to the Girton Community in wishing you a safe and restful Term 2 break.

 

Ms Dawn Davis

Head of Senior School