Curriculum and Learning

Assessment Tasks for Semester 2

Welcome back to Term 3. The following is just a reminder to parents/carers and boys, that information covering assessment for Years 7 to 12 is readily available on the TASS Parent Lounge and on the respective CANVAS Year pages for students. In particular, the College’s Assessment Policy outlines clearly and explicitly well-established protocols governing assessment. I urge all parents and their sons to reacquaint themselves with the College’s Assessment Policy in preparation for assessment tasks in Semester 2.

Essentially, the College’s Assessment Policy is drawn up with the clear intention of being considerate and just to all and ensures a level playing field for all boys. It protects the great majority of boys who consistently do the right thing by:

• applying themselves with diligence to all set tasks
• thoroughly familiarising themselves with the academic expectations of the College
• following all examination rules
• submitting their own work by the specified due date to the specified teacher
• providing advanced notice, where possible, of absence for an assessment task
• providing appropriate medical documentation to the relevant teacher immediately on return to school when work is not submitted on the due date
• discussing the result of a task, with the relevant teacher, at the time the task is returned.

Boys who are absent on the day an assessment task is due, can expect to submit the task on the day of their return to school.

In addition, it is important for all parents/carers to note that the College Reception has never been and will never be a place to submit assessment tasks. Should parents/carers wish to submit tasks on behalf of their sons, for whatever reason, then a courtesy phone call to the relevant teacher or Head of Faculty is required and a mutually convenient appointment made.

Reception will not accept assessment tasks from either parents/carers or students. Parents/carers who just “drop in” and insist on leaving tasks at Reception will incur at the very least a 20% deduction for their sons and risk the tasks not being processed with absolutely no recourse for appeal.

Ignorance does not constitute a reasonable or valid excuse to breach any of the above-mentioned procedures. It is unfortunate when individuals, accepting of high academic expectations and standards, take exception to the application of these standards to them.  Fortunately, parents/carers and boys are very appreciative and supportive of the College’s high academic expectations and standards.

2025-26 Stage 5 and Stage 6 Subject Prospectuses and Information Sessions

This is just a reminder that the 2025-26 editions of the Stage 5 and Stage 6 subject prospectuses for Years 9 and 11 respectively are now available on the TASS Parent Lounge for parents/carers and the relevant CANVAS Year pages for the students.

A thorough and sequential subject selection process is in place and details of this process will be given at the appropriate times.

Subject information sessions were held for Year 10 students on the morning of Wednesday 26 June last term and an elective subject information morning for Year 8 students will be held this Thursday 25 July.

In addition, this evening Wednesday 24 July, a Year 11-2025 information evening will be held in the College Gymnasium for parents/carers and students of Year 10 commencing at 7:00 PM and concluding at 8:30 PM. Both students and at least one parent/carer are required to attend this Year 11-2025 information evening. Students are required to attend in College winter uniform.

The purpose of the information sessions is to complement and clarify the information provided in the subject prospectuses and to provide details of the subject selection process and other pertinent information.

Both Year 8 and Year 10 students must complete their subject selections online by Sunday 4 August. The instructions on how to complete subject selections online will be emailed and explained to students this week.

Michael Cutrupi 

Director of Curriculum

CSDA Debating Semi-finals 

Congratulations to our talented 10 B Debating team on their successful season thus far. The boys were victorious against St Patrick’s College, Campbelltown in the quarter finals at the end of Term 2 and now progress to the semi-finals. 

Congratulations as well to our Senior B debaters and our 10 As who also moved into the elimination rounds – both teams were excellent and unlucky to not progress further. 

This Friday evening, we are hosting the CSDA Semi-final competition. We welcome your support, especially for our Year 10 boys as they move into the pointy end of the competition. The proceedings, with coin toss, commence from 5:00 PM with debates starting from 6:00 PM. 

All debaters are expected to attend in supporting roles on the evening. Boys involved in the winter sleepout will move to the hall after debating. 

A win on Friday will see our Year 10 boys progress to the CSDA Grand Final to be held at ACU on Friday 2 August. 

Denise Lombardo

Director of Learning and Innovation

Year 8 Languages Day: A Celebration of Culture and Learning

On Friday, 21 June, the Year 8 cohort participated in Languages Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the value of other cultures and the importance of learning a language. Students engaged in a variety of activities designed to deepen their understanding of the target language and foster an appreciation for the Italian culture as well as cultures from around the world.

The day was filled with exciting events, including a round-robin of activities such as pasta making, calcio (soccer), and bocce (lawn bowls). Additionally, students attended sessions focusing on Italian gestures, learned the UEFA Champions song, and participated in an online quiz centered on Italian culture and heritage. For Recess, students enjoyed ‘zuccherati’ – custard-filled donuts, and for lunch, they were treated to delicious margherita pizza. The afternoon concluded with a gathering in the Robson Auditorium to watch an Italian film, further immersing students in the cultural experience.

In the following classroom lessons, students competed in a fun and educational competition where they guessed the teacher and matched them with their second language or mother tongue, adding another layer of cultural awareness and language learning.

The success of Languages Day was largely due to the enthusiasm and participation of the students. A heartfelt thanks goes out to all the Languages staff and our Year 10 leaders, whose dedication and hard work were instrumental in making the day run smoothly.

Overall, Languages Day was a tremendous success, leaving students with a greater appreciation for the richness of different cultures and the importance of language learning. Below are a few recounts from our Year 8 students.

Stephanie D'Arcangeli

Director of Languages