Curriculum

HSC Showcase 2023

Congratulations to Bailey Yeates of the Class of 2023 for his nomination in ENCORE 2023.

ENCORE is a selection of outstanding music performances and written compositions from HSC Music students and will be held at the Sydney Opera House in March 2024.

Congratulations are also in order for the following student for their nominations in Shape 2023:

Jullian Adoncello	Dominic La Greca
Simon Barzan	Tobias Lacey
Massimo Bilotta	Anthony Mawad
Lucas Carling	Samuel Pearson
Salvatore Ierardo	Angus Reen
George Kazzi	Owen Taylor
Karim Lattouf	Blake Wilson

Shape is an annual exhibition of exemplary Major Projects developed by HSC Design and Technology, Industrial Technology and Textiles and Design students and will be held at Walsh Bay Arts Precinct in March 2024.

Students selected for ENCORE and Shape will be announced later in the year.

Year 8 Academic Attainment Test

As per the College Calendar and Diary, the Academic Attainment Test (AAT) for Year 8 are scheduled for Wednesday 25 October.

Specifically, on Wednesday 24 October, Year 8 are required to assemble on the Scientia Plaza adjacent by no later than 8:35 AM and the first test will commence shortly afterwards supervised by external invigilators from Academic Assessment Services (AAS).

The purpose of the Year 8 AAT is to provide the College with externally determined independent assessment data that will help inform prospective Year 9 classes for next year as well as contributing to the tracking of student progress and attainment across a number of key academic areas from Year 5 to Year 12 such as general ability, reading, writing and mathematics.

The tests are prepared and administered by AAS, who are nationally renowned independent consultants specialising in the assessment and analysis of educational performance and progress.

Year 11 Final Preliminary Course Reports

By the end of this week, the Final Report on students of Year 11 will be available online to parents via the TASS Parent Lounge.

It is worth noting a few key features of the report include:

Co-curricular Involvement to date, as applicable
Attendance at the College’s Founder’s Day celebration and the Year 11 Leadership Day.
Attendance Record from Monday 22 May up to and including Friday 22 September.
The Homeroom Teacher’s Pastoral Profile which describes the student’s general school and homeroom practices associated with grooming and uniform, co-operation, manner, punctuality, responsibility, initiative and contribution to mission. These Profile elements are described as Consistently, Usually, Occasionally or Rarely.
A single page Course Report which includes:
- course description
- an Examination Mark out of 100, Examination Rank and Course Rank
- achievement in one or more Learning Areas or outcomes expressed by one of the following descriptors: Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Elementary or Limited. Each descriptor indicates level of performance complementary to the Common A to E Grade Scale
- achievement in a number of Learning Practices, such as application, conduct and commitment to study indicated as either Consistently, Usually, Occasionally or Rarely
- the issuing of the reports is an important time for parents to constructively assess their sons’ academic progress and make the necessary adjustments for the HSC year ahead, with the view of making realistic and progressive improvements over time.

2023 HSC Facts and Figures

With the HSC written examinations well underway, interested parents/carers may want to learn some facts and figures about this year’s HSC from NESA at:

http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/about-HSC/HSC-facts-figures

This website is intended to provide public information about the 2023 HSC. Previous years may also be sought in the NESA website.

It is an excellent resource for informed parents/carers. Some statistical data on this year’s HSC candidatures are provided by subject, gender and patterns of enrolment among other interesting facts.

The Record of School Achievement (RoSA) Credentials

Students in Years 10 and 11 who are leaving the College at the end of the year to enter full-time employment and/or a non-secondary school educational / training institution are eligible for a RoSA from the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). Students for whom this applies must notify the College Registrar’s Office by no later than Friday 17 November 2023.

The Authority’s website contains information about the RoSA at:

Continuing students who complete the HSC will have their Year 10 and Year 11 grades as part of the HSC Record of Achievement. Students who remain at school to complete their HSC will not receive a RoSA.

Information about the HSC credentials may be found at:

http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/results-certificates/results-documentation

Michael Cutrupi

Director of Curriculum

100 Year Anniversary of Strathfield Town Hall

Recently, I was fortunate enough to represent the College at the 100-year anniversary of Strathfield Council Town Hall. The event took place over dinner in the recently restored Town Hall and was attended by Strathfield Mayor Karen Pensabene, State Member of Parliament for Strathfield Jason Yat-Sen Li, and Federal Member of Parliament for Reid Sally Sitou.

The evening began with a symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony at the front of the hall, followed by an introduction and speech on the history of the Town Hall and the Strathfield area. Following that, I was invited on stage together with Mayor Pensabene, Mr Li, and Mrs Sitou, and another student from the Strathfield area, to engage in a panel discussion on the importance of being involved in local communities. It was an engaging discourse which explored what it means to be an active participant in one’s surrounding area as well as the benefits that this brings to both the participant and those around them. As a representative of Strathfield’s youth, I spoke about how this involvement extends in particular to young people; for example, I referenced my experience of taking part in the St Vincent De Paul’s Night Patrol as how connection to community can enrich a person’s life. After the discussion, a performance was held by the Strathfield Symphony Orchestra before the night reached its conclusion.

As a whole, I found the event to be very constructive. The discussion was interesting and thought-provoking and provided a fantastic opportunity for youth voices to be heard in local decision-making. It was also great to see how the community came together on the night to celebrate such an important milestone in the region’s history, with attendees including representatives from Suicide Prevention Australia and RSL Australia as well as the Sydney Consul-General of India, Japan, and the Philippines, and the Deputy Consul-General of China. The display of collaboration and unity was truly optimistic. I would like to thank Mrs. Fisicaro and Dr Lavorato for affording me this opportunity.

Jeremy Simonetto

Learning and Technology Prefect