ISSUE ONE

Deputy Principal's report

WINTER UNIFORM

At the commencement of term two, Tuesday 18th April, all students are required to wear the winter uniform. 

Below is a description of the uniform that is required for terms 2 and 3.

We ask that parents and students continue to support the College in maintaining a high standard of presentation for the students of our schools.

BOYS

  • Blazer: CRC Blazer
  • Trousers: Navy Blue with CRC monogram
  • Winter Shirt: White long-sleeve shirt with CRC monogram. Tucked in
  • Jumper: CRC Jumper can only be worn to and from the College if under the Blazer
  • Tie: To be done up to the shirt collar and worn correctly
  • Shoes: Black leather lace up school shoes. No street shoes or black runners
  • Socks: Navy Blue
  • Scarf: Plain Navy Blue

GIRLS

  • Blazer: CRC Blazer
  • Winter Kilt: College kilt to be worn to the knee
  • Winter Shirt: White long-sleeve shirt with CRC monogram. Tucked in
  • Jumper: CRC Jumper can only be worn to and from the College if under the Blazer.
  • Tie: To be done up to the shirt collar and worn correctly.
  • Shoes: Black leather lace up school shoes. No slip on, ballet or T-Bar style shoes.
  • Socks: Long Navy Blue Socks or Navy Blue Tights
  • Scarf: Plain Navy Blue

Parents and Friends

On the 16th of March, the College Executive comprising of the Principal and Deputies attended the first Parents and Friends Association Meeting for 2017.  The group enjoyed dinner at Quatrefoils restaurant, whilst discussing pertinent issues that would generate the agenda and direction of the group into the 2017 College Year. 

 

Our next Parents and Friends meeting, which will be allocated as the AGM, has been scheduled for Thursday 11th May.  We still invite any parents who may be interested in joining this committee to email deputyprincipals@crcsydenham.net to obtain further information.  

School Holiday Arrangements for Students

Students will have the opportunity to use the College Learning Common as a space for private study on the first week of the school holidays.

The Learning Common will be open between the hours of 9:00 am – 3:00 pm and will be supervised by the Student Protocols Officer – Jan Hynninen.

Students are asked to present their student card upon arrival.  College Uniform is not required.

Assessment in the VCE

Recent media reports have made reference to the varying forms of assessment that exist in the VCE. The following information is intended to clarify assessment processes at Catholic Regional College Sydenham.

At Catholic Regional College Sydenham students in Year 11 VCE are provided with scores to indicate their level of achievement on numerous SAC (School Assessed Coursework) tasks. This assessment is designed to challenge all students. As such these tasks should produce a range of results with students who have demonstrated the highest levels of knowledge and skills receiving the highest scores and those who are still establishing these skills receiving the lowest scores. This is the nature of scored assessment in the VCE, as all students in a given study are ranked from highest to lowest. This process is particularly important in Unit 3 and 4 (Year 12) studies, with the College replicating this process in Unit 1 and 2 (Year 11) studies in order to prepare students for the rigours of their final year of secondary education.

The second element of assessment in VCE studies relates to the student’s ability to demonstrate achievement of a range of learning outcomes. These learning outcomes are pre-determined by the VCAA (Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority) and are specified in documents referred to as Study Designs. In order for a student to be eligible to receive a Satisfactory (S) result they must demonstrate achievement of several learning outcomes within each VCE unit. These learning outcomes may be seen as the minimum standard of knowledge and skills that students must demonstrate in order for the teacher to assess them as having achieved the learning outcome. If a student does not demonstrate achievement of the learning outcome they will receive a Not Satisfactory (N) result for that unit of study.

In order to assess the satisfactory achievement of the learning outcome, subject teachers are able to use a range of learning tasks that are completed in class. These “class work” tasks should be recorded on SIMON with feedback provided to students. This feedback is accessible to parents in the Parent Access Module (PAM). In order to reduce the amount of assessment that takes place, teachers may use SAC tasks to provide a score and to assess a student’s achievement of the learning outcome. As such, students are required to achieve a minimum score of 50% on SAC tasks in order to be considered to have achieved the relevant learning outcome. If a student receives less than 50% they will be given a second opportunity to complete the SAC to receive an S result. If the student is then unsuccessful a second time, teachers will then use alternative tasks to look for evidence that the student has achieved the learning outcome. If, at this point, the student is unable to demonstrate the relevant skills and knowledge the teacher will award an N result. This practice is consistent with the CRC Sydenham Assessment Policy which is available on the College website.

The Es – ATAR and the Unscored VCE Program

 

At the end of each academic year, the College uses data from student results in Year 11 VCE units to create an estimated ATAR (Es-ATAR) for all students who completed Year 11 VCE. The Es-ATAR is determined through an analysis of exam scores and SAC results for all Year 11 VCE students in their unit 1&2 VCE studies. Students are provided with a predicted ATAR range between 1 and 99.95 to indicate their relative position within the group of students in their year level at the College.

Our experience in using this data indicates that the Es-ATAR is a good predictor of student performance in Year 12. As such, this data enables the College to make informed decisions about placing students in a Year 12 learning program where they will be able to achieve success in order to make an effective transition to a post-school destination.  Data may indicate that some students are better suited to an Unscored VCE Program (UVP). In 2016 approximately 50 students undertook the UVP with very pleasing post school destinations. Every student made a successful transition into a full time program as shown in the graph below.

Unscored VCE Program - Destination Data 2016

 

It is our experience that students who do not wish to enter university study when they complete school are provided with an authentic pathway by completing their studies in the UVP. Furthermore, some students will show through their level of achievement in Year 11 that they are not suited to pursue scored assessment in Year 12. Students who gain an Es-ATAR of below 45 may be contacted by the College to discuss their placement into the Unscored VCE Program.

As outlined by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), the VCE is awarded on the basis of satisfactory completion of units according to VCE program requirements. The decision regarding satisfactory completion of a unit is distinct from the assessment of levels of achievement. Whilst School Assessed Coursework (SAC) and School Assessed Tasks (SAT) are often used to determine both satisfactory completion of a unit and assessment for a study score, it is not a requirement that these tasks be scored. It is possible for students in the UVP to be assessed for satisfactory completion of outcomes in tasks that may be more suited to their learning style.

A student whose work is not scored will still be eligible to complete the VCE. 

Students in the UVP do not sit end-of year examinations and do not receive an Australian Tertiary Admittance Rank (ATAR). In effect, this means that they will not qualify for direct entry into most university courses. There are, however, many post school study programs that do not require an ATAR.

The philosophy “every student, every pathway” drives the development of learning programs at our College. It is our aim to provide our students with a broad range of learning programs that will engage them whilst they are with us. The Unscored VCE Program honours the College’s commitment to this philosophy.

All students who enter the Unscored VCE Program will receive extensive careers counselling which will provide them with information on pathways that do not require an Australian Tertiary Admittance Rank (ATAR). Students that are in the UVP are required to attend a program at the College during the first two weeks of term 4 that aims to facilitate their school to study, or school to employment transition. Completion of this program is a requirement for graduation.

If you have any queries about the nature of VCE assessment, the Es-ATAR or the Unscored VCE Program please do not hesitate to contact the College on 9361 0000.

 

Jeff Mulcahy & Chantelle Gauci

Deputy Principals