Especean

Curriculum and Learning

Holiday Study for Years 11 and 12

With Year 12 Parent/Teacher interviews scheduled this week following the Year 12 Assessment Block and the upcoming Year 11 Assessment Block in Week 3 of next term, I strongly encourage all Years 11 and 12 students to use their time wisely over the term break and not let the time pass without having done substantial preparation for the second term assessments and the year ahead.

 

The term break represents a very strategic time for Year 12 students to constructively assess their progress thus far and to make the necessary adjustments and effort in preparation for a very demanding HSC year ahead. Perhaps time not only to get on top of the work but also to get ahead.

 

For Year 11, the term break represents a very important time to consolidate their first term’s study and prepare for the Year 11 Assessment Block.

Year 11 Assessment Block

The Year 11 Assessment Block will commence on Thursday 16 May and will conclude on Thursday 23 May with the following day reserved for catching up on missed assessments. The assessments are quite varied in type, structure and format and include but are not limited to written responses to pre-published stimulus materials, oral presentations, and practical examinations.

 

It is the College’s expectation that all senior students conduct themselves in an exemplary and serious manner during the Assessment Block. Year 11 students are reminded to consult the document Assessment/Examination Block Rules for Senior Students on the Year 11 CANVAS page as any breach of the rules may incur a zero mark being awarded for the associated assessment.

 

The Assessment Block timetable will be issued to Year 11 students by the end of this week and students are reminded to become familiar with and abide by the Assessment/Examination Block Rules for Senior Students available on the Year 11 CANVAS page.

 

Parents/carers and students of Year 11 are reminded, that in the event of absenteeism due to illness or misadventure during the Assessment Block, a telephone call to the Year Coordinator, Ms Fisicaro, must be made on the morning of the assessment. Where possible, the missed assessment or a substitute will be arranged within the Assessment Block period. Immediately, on the student’s return to school, a completed illness/misadventure form, with the related medical certificate or other official supporting evidence attached, must be personally given to Ms Fisicaro and the relevant Head of Faculty.

 

If illness or misadventure prevents a student from attending or submitting an assessment or affects their performance in an assessment, it is the student’s responsibility to complete and submit an illness/misadventure application, not a parent/carer or relative, unless the student is physically unable to do so.

 

It is important to note that illness/misadventure applications are for cases where an illness or misadventure:

  • occurred immediately before or during an assessment
  • was unexpected
  • was beyond the student’s control and prevented them from attending or diminished their performance in the assessment.

The College will not consider illness or misadventure applications for:

  • difficulty preparing or lost preparation time
  • alleged deficiencies in teaching
  • misreading the Assessment Block timetable
  • misreading assessment instructions
  • attempting the wrong assessment
  • long-term illness (e.g., glandular fever, asthma, or epilepsy), unless the student has suffered a flare-up of the condition during the assessment
  • conditions for which the student has been granted disability provisions, unless they have further unexpected difficulties
  • conditions for which a student should have applied for disability provisions
  • other commitments such as participation in work, sporting event, holiday, or attendance at tests conducted by other organisations.

Illness/misadventure applications must include advice or evidence from a relevant independent expert, not a parent/carer or relative, on the same day, either immediately before or after each assessment for the student. The medical certificate must be written by a practising medical doctor who is not a parent/carer or relative. A certificate from a dentist to cover an appointment will not be accepted unless sudden urgent or emergency treatment was required.

 

The student must provide documentation that is current, specific to the date and time of the assessment, and submitted with the illness/misadventure form. A medical certificate that merely states “illness” and/or “unfit for work/study” is unacceptable and the College will not consider an illness/misadventure application without sufficient evidence supporting a genuine reason.

Year 10 Academic Attainment Test

As per the College Calendar and Diary, the Academic Attainment Test for Year 10 (10AAT) is scheduled for Tuesday 14 May.

 

The purpose of the 10AAT is to provide the College with externally determined independent assessment data that will inform prospective Year 11 students and their parents/carers making appropriate subject selection choices for the senior years of secondary schooling.

 

The 10AAT is administered by Academic Assessment Services (AAS), who are nationally renowned independent consultants specialising in the assessment and analysis of educational performance and progress.

 

It is important to note that the data from the 10AAT will contribute significantly to subject selection recommendations for Year 11 in 2025 along with the results from the Year 9 examinations conducted in fourth term of last year, Year 10 assessments undertaken and the NESA HSC Minimum Standards Tests which will be conducted on Monday 13 May.

 

Michael Cutrupi 

Director of Curriculum

Holiday Reads

All students are encouraged to borrow in the lead up to our term break. There is a wide variety of books in the Westcourt and McGlade Libraries. 

 

Senior students also have access to reading lists through their CANVAS Library Services page. They can click on “Books and Reading,” and it will take them to a page with several features:

  • curated booklists for Years 7-10
  • What Should I Read Next? database which can assist students in finding what to read next. 
  • eBooks and audiobooks. 

Students can also search the catalogue and reserve books or put through requests for a book purchase. 

 

Jessica Lonard

Head of Library and Information Services