Learning & Teaching News
Teaching During Remote Schooling
As we face a little uncertainly about how long lockdown and remote schooling will last, our teachers are being reminded of the following checklist.
Essential Onsite Assessment
We have received important advice this week from the VCAA (Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority) and our governing body DOSCEL that essential onsite assessment is beginning this week for some VCE and VCE VET Unit 3 & 4 subjects. This will affect subjects that have a significant practical assessment. The performing arts subjects are being targeted early because their exam are the first ones. We can expect to hear which subjects are next, and suspect it will include Creative Arts, Technology and some Science subjects with Extended Practical Investigations.
If you receive an Operoo from the school asking you to grant permission for your child to attend an assessment on campus, please grant this permission promptly. There is often a short turnaround and students are required to get a COVID test if they are attending. As you can see, there are strict safety measures in place, including limiting the number of students to only 10 per session.
Consideration of Educational Disadvantage
If your child is doing a Unit 3 & 4 subject, then they have been sent a Consideration of Educational Disadvantage Google Form. They are asked 9 key questions in which they estimate the level of disadvantage that they have experienced. It is important that all students fill this form out, even if they do not believe that the effects of the pandemic, lockdown and remote schooling have affected them significantly. Each student’s assessment will be used, along with other information from key staff in the College, by teachers in determining the expected study scores and grades for their units of study. No student will be worse off under this system, however, it will support students who have been significantly impacted by this years events. Please encourage your child to fill this out as we currently have 55 students from Cranbourne and 41 students from Clyde North who have not responded.
Student Learning Conferences
This week we ran the Student Learning Conferences, which are always a great opportunity to meet parents and discuss how your child is progressing in their learning. The change in name of these meetings highlights the importance of the student being at the centre of the conference and learning is the principal focus.
After the conferences at the beginning of Term 2, we surveyed parents (and staff) to find out how we can improve the process for you. It concerns me that during this remote schooling period, when so many students are struggling to engage online, we appear to have less parents accessing these interviews.
We have attempted to simplify the instructions on how to access the Learning Behaviour Reports on SPACE and the instructions on how to book interviews. We have opened online bookings two weeks prior to the interviews to give people plenty of time to respond. The Operoo that was sent out to parents asked for a response so that we could be assured that our communication to parents was getting through. We had 61% of Cranbourne parents and 65% of Clyde North parents indicate that they received this Operoo telling them that Learning Behaviour Reports were available and booking for Student Learning Conferences were open. I am unsure if those who did not respond did not receive the Operoo form. If you are not receiving clear communication from the school, please contact Administration Staff so that we can assist you. It is important to us to have parents involved in their child’s education.
NAPLAN Results
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. These results have now arrived at the school and will be sent out over the next week to parents and guardians of students in Years 7 & 9.
The media have reported that COVID-19 has had no significant impact on students’ literacy and numeracy achievement for Victorian schools according to summary information. It is important to remember that NAPLAN is a snapshot of your child’s understanding and skills and various factors, including the effects of the pandemic, will result in different responses amongst our students. No matter what your child’s results are in NAPLAN, it is important that we are supportive and gentle with our young people at the present time and celebrate success and support them when they do not achieve the goals that they themselves have set.
David Hansen
Deputy Principal – Learning & Teaching