Strategic Development & Organisation  

It is hard to believe we have just about completed 11 weeks of schooling as term two draws to a close. However, when we reflect on all that has been achieved, we can see how every minute of the eleven weeks was indeed needed and productively used.

I wish to acknowledge the enormous amount of work our staff have put in during semester one. The professionalism and work ethic displayed has been amazing. It is not only the teachers who ensure all our students are successful learners, but the many educational support staff, and school administration staff who help in the background and go about completing their work with pride and generosity to ensure the students have the opportunities that they do. 

Over the last few weeks, our Year 10 and 11 students have been undertaking their examinations. This provided them with an opportunity to put into practice all their hard work and test their own skills under strict examination conditions. By all reports, the students took the process seriously and their behaviour was excellent. Practice examinations offer a personal point of reflection for our students. While practice examinations are important milestones in a student's academic journey, it is the ongoing reflection and continuous improvement within the classroom that can lead to better examination results in the future.

End of Semester Reports

Reports for all students are now available. 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your child’s Homeroom Teacher or Classroom Teacher via email. 

Accessing Reports 

Step 1 – Log in to PAM 

Step 2 – Click on any student 

Step 3 – Click on any of the available reports to download and view the report. 

PAM (Parental Access Module) can be accessed via the following: 

https://pam.mmcrc.catholic.edu.au/

Parents can choose to either download a copy of the report and save it to the home computer or print a copy. If accessing these reports causes some difficulties then please contact the school to discuss options. 

If you have misplaced or have forgotten your PAM Code please email the Office info@mmcrc.catholic.edu.au 

Formative Assessment

Providing Formative Assessment is one of the best ways for us to help students learn. It is a process in which both teachers and students collect information from the assessment and use it collaboratively to plan for future academic success. It looks at what students have learned, and haven’t learned, and gives us an idea of ‘where to from here’. 

Researchers have found that good use of formative assessment strategies in class can add an extra 6 months of growth in learning during a year of teaching. Therefore, it is an exceptionally powerful tool in promoting student achievement. However, Formative Assessment is only successful if students understand the outcome they’re looking to achieve, the standard against which the work is assessed, and how they can improve (Jarvis, 2020). 

Formative Assessment can happen both formally and informally (sometimes just via a classroom conversation!). This is why we refer to Formative Assessment as an assessment for learning. Comparatively, Summative Assessment (assessment of learning) is how we measure outcomes against a set of criteria at the end of a learning period. On the learning continuum, both Formative and Summative have their place as measures to understand the growth of each student.

As parents, there are several things you can do to help promote a Formative Assessment mindset at home. 

1. Go to PAM regularly to see what assessment your child has undertaken.

2. Look at the feedback provided on PAM together with your child - what can your child make/say/write/do. What are they ready to learn next? What do they need to do to improve their work?

3. Refer to the assessment instructions - have all components been completed?

4. Reach out to your child’s teacher - communication between home and school is crucial in helping your child understand that you are a team.

5. Check-in with your child whilst they are working and ask clarifying questions like ‘what are you working on?’ or ‘tell me how you’re going to find out the answer to this one!’

6. Encourage your child to engage with self-assessment.

Subject Selection 2025 – Save The Date – Monday 29th July

We will be running a Subject expo for students currently in Years 9 and 10 to explore what is on offer for their studies in Years 10 and 11 in 2025. Students will have time allocated throughout the day on Monday 29th July to visit the stands and ask questions of the relevant key staff. The displays will remain open for parents to visit after school and parents will also have the opportunity to speak with staff about the curriculum offerings and pathways available for students in 2025. 

I wish all students a restful and rejuvenating break over the winter holidays and hope that you can enjoy some quality family time together.  Term 3 will begin on Tuesday, 16 July.