Student and Community Learning and Wellbeing

Math Olympiad team 2023

On Friday the 28th of April, our Math Olympiad team of 31 students worked with 25 students from Heathmont College and their Math teachers. We were proud of our students and how they shared their thinking, collaborated with each other and explained their reasoning using evidence. Some students shared what they thought of the session. 

Charlotte - I liked working with the Heathmont College students because they were friendly and we all helped each other solve the problems. 

Alex - I love Math Olympiads. It was super fun. I want to do that again. 

Patrick - Some was easy and some was harder. It was challenging but we worked together which made it easier.

Tutoring program in Term 2 

Our TLI (Tutor Learning Initiative) has begun in Term 2 with Level 1 and 2 students. The program has carefully selected students based on individual learning needs using a variety of assessment results, teacher judgement and growth data. We cater to all students point of need and look at where students have been previously with academic and social learning, where they currently are and where their learning needs to go next. Individual classroom teachers regularly communicate with our tutoring teachers both Mrs. Kim Holmes and Mrs. Lexi Boomsma around which students 

growth would benefit from either the TLI program or the EAL (English as an Additional needs program.) Students who come to the tutoring program are not always students who are behind academically, we select students based on their growth. Students are grouped together with others of a similar need. At times, students stay on the program for an entire term, sometimes they are on for a few weeks. We constantly asses students growth and provide a boost to learning when and where needed. This is just one of the many ways that we provide and support all our learners at HEPS.  

Melbourne Writers Festival 

On Wednesday the 3rd of May, 20 Level 5 and 6 students, Mrs. Latu and Mrs. Henwood travelled to the State Library and engaged in the Melbourne Writers Festival for schools. Students learned alongside other schools from around the state and with the following 4 authors: 

-Bestselling author of the Magicians trilogy Lev Grossman and Zana Fraillon, The Raven's Song.

-The dynamic duo behind The Glow, award-winning author Sofie Laguna and illustrator Marc McBride, took students behind the scenes of their creative process; how they come up with ideas, what inspires them and the secret to working well together as a team (all while Marc airbrushed an illustration live!).

-Brenton McKenna takes students on a rollicking ride through his new black-and-white graphic novel, Hairy Holes as well as his other titles: the Ubby’s Underdogs series and ‘Ole Champ’ cartoon strips. Students reported that it was a terrific day and that they really enjoyed it. 

Student Attitude to School Survey (AtoSS) 

Level 4, 5 and 6 students are invited to participate in the AtoSS between Monday May the 15th and Friday May the 26th. This annual survey offered by the Department of Education will be administered in individual classrooms and is anonymous . At HEPS, we value student voice as a means to improving student engagement, wellbeing and quality instruction. We use the information collected in the survey to find out what our students thinks of school, their learning, peer relationships, resilience, health and wellbeing and physical activity. 

More information is available through Compass. If you wish to find out more please email the Department at  school.surveys@education.vic.gov.au.

If you wish for your child to opt out of this survey please email Kim Holmes at kimberley.holmes@heathmonteastps.vic.edu.au  by Wednesday the 10th of May.

ICAS Parents information and payment system for 2023. 

We are delighted to inform you that  Heathmont East will be participating again in the world-renowned ICAS competition in 2023. ICAS stands for International Competition and Assessment for Schools. This year, Mathematics, English and Digital Technology assessments are available at a cost of $19.25 each. This is directly payable to ICAS. All students in level 3,4,5 and 6 at HEPS are welcome to participate. ICAS is not compulsory and is offered as an additional form of assessment that you as parents can view online. It is completely your choice as a parent if you would like your child to participate in the ICAS assessments. They are not compulsory and are not used as a teacher assessment tool at HEPS. Some students require them for select entry secondary schools or scholarship applications.     

If you do not wish for your child to participate they will continue to learn in the classroom while ICAS assessments are administered for participating students under test conditions in a separate classroom. The Parent payment system has been set up and instructions on how to register and pay are included below. The final date for registration and payment is Friday the 28th of July and we will communicate with you when HEPS students will sit this exam at a later date. If you have any questions about whether you would like your child to sit for the ICAS test please speak with your child’s classroom teacher or our High Ability Practice Leader Kim Holmes on kimberley.holmes@heathmonteastps.vic.edu.au

What is ICAS?  

ICAS is an online academic competition that is designed to assess students’ higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in a variety of subject areas.   

Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition and development. Every student who participates will receive a printed certificate and an online results report. Top performers will be eligible for medals.  If you would like to enter your child into ICAS this year you can copy these links into your browser to access. 

Learn more about ICAS here. (https://www.icasassessments.com/products-icas)  

How to participate in ICAS  

If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please:  

1. Read about ICAS subjects and prices here: (icasassessments.com/products-icas)  
2. Read the terms and conditions here: (icasassessments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2023-ICAS-Assessments-Parents-PPS-TsCs_final.pdf) 
3. Go to Parent Portal to purchase tests here: shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps  enter our school’s access code – VSN735
4. Enter your child’s details, select the tests you would like to purchase, then proceed to payment.  

After payment is made via the Parent Payment System, you will receive an order confirmation email, please keep this for your records.  

If you would like to purchase past papers to revise at home please visit this site https://www.icasassessments.com/icas-past-papers/