The Lantern 

Director of Pedagogy and Innovation

We have had a busy first half of the term with Presentation Week, the Senior Subject Expo and student progress interviews.  The subject selection process for 2020 has started for our senior students.  This is an exciting time as they start to fine tune their choice of subjects that will lead them into their pathway beyond secondary school.

Homework Reminders

At PCW we believe in developing and maintaining effective work habits from Year 7.  Students from Years 7 to 12 will be given homework to complete each night.  Students also need to remember that homework does not only involve completing work from that day’s lesson, but also an opportunity for revision.  When students do not have homework for a particular subject they should still be revising and going over the content that has been presented to them during class.  Teachers use a variety of digital technologies in their classes and students may be asked to access homework or upload assessments to Google Classroom, Edmodo, the College portal and so on.  We do not want to limit the digital technologies used in the classroom, but rather introduce our students to a variety of digital tools.

Term 3 Homework Club

Homework Club is still available for students after school each Tuesday in the library.

Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) Program

A reminder of the expectation that students are required to bring their own devices to school charged and ready for use throughout the school day when required.

Senior Subject Expo

On Tuesday, 16th July, the Senior Subject Expo was held in the hall.  For the second year in a row the PCW Senior Subject Expo coincided with the CBC Careers and Subject Expo and we took our Year 10 students over to CBC so they could find out about subjects at CBC, as well as obtain information from different universities and other providers.  The PCW Subject Expo was a great success, with many students and parents in attendance.  There was a great buzz in the hall as students and parents engaged in conversations with Learning Leaders and staff.

 

I would like to acknowledge the great work of Ms Fiona Sayner, Head of Student Pathways, Ms Tonya Wimhurst, Careers Counsellor, and all the Learning Leaders and staff who supported the Senior Subject Expo.  Many thanks.

Grade Point Average (GPA) | Years 10-12

Composition and Calculations

Using assessment and exam results across the semester, a Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated for all students from Years 10 to 12.  This score represents the average score a student achieves across all studies for the semester.  GPAs are recorded as a score out of 10; to do this Assessment Results are standardized: for example, 75% becomes 7.5 or 10/20 (50%) becomes 5.

 

Secondly, the scores are broken down into three parts into a GAT like tri-score.  The three areas are:

  • English / Humanities / Religion
  • Maths / Science / Technology / PE and Health
  • The Arts

Languages are only included in the overall GPA.  The value of the breakdown is that it very quickly allows you to view where an individual’s strengths and weaknesses exist in terms of student progress.

 

The overall GPA is used to determine the recipients of the end of the year Academic Excellence Awards. It is also used as a resource in determining whether a student application for advanced enrolment into a Unit 1/2 or 3/4 study is approved, as well as discussing subject selection choices with individual students.

 

The GPAs are available to students and parents on the Portal.  Students, with the assistance of their teachers and parents, are encouraged to set goals for their individual improvement.  We are able to monitor a student's progress over time with regards to their GPA and students demonstrating significant improvement will receive an Academic Excellence Award to celebrate this achievement.

 

An N or UG result equals a zero and will be used in the calculation of the GPA score.  This will be a clear reflection of your daughter’s performance at that time.  Exam results and any results from CBC subjects are also used in the GPA calculation.

College Musical - Grease

I know everyone involved in this year’s musical has been working so hard in the lead up to opening night. I wish everyone involved great success and I look forward to seeing the show. Break a leg!

AFMLTA International Languages Conference

During the Term 2 holiday break, I attended the Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers Association's (AFMLTA) International Languages Conference in Hobart.  I presented a workshop on learning and teaching languages through virtual reality.  It was wonderful to listen to and learn from my colleagues about contemporary pedagogy.  I look forward to sharing what I learnt at this conference with the staff and in my classes.

 

Nathan Lane

Director of Pedagogy and Innovation