Leader of Teaching & Learning
The start of Term One has been active, with students finalising their subject choices for Year 11 and Year 9 & 10 students settling into their electives.
Year 11 students have been issued their Assessment Schedule and Procedures Guide for 2021. This publication contains important information about our College policy and procedures for Year 11 Assessment. Parents can access a copy on our Moodle site, under the Assessment tab.
For Year 12, it is a continuing HSC journey and I encourage them to focus on their daily behaviours, routines and habits which will assist them in the long run. Consistency and persistence are attributes that will put them in good stead for this final HSC year.
Assessment is the process of identifying, gathering and interpreting information about students’ learning. I often get asked if there is an ‘assessment free’ period in school. Assessment, teaching and learning is ongoing. Teacher’s are continually formulating judgements about students' learning and their progress; we use a wide variety of tools to determine the next best steps. Absenteeism does impact on teaching and learning, so there is no ‘good time’ to be away.
At McCarthy, the key reasons we assess student achievement is to:
- Support student learning
- Monitor student learning
- Diagnose student needs
- Evaluate the effectiveness of teaching/learning programs
- Ensure student reporting processes are based upon valid information
The feedback that students receive from completing assessment activities will help teachers and students decide where they are up to and whether they are ready for the next phase of learning or whether they need further learning experiences to consolidate their knowledge, skills and understanding.
Some of the tasks that students will be given in a subject will not be formal assessment tasks. Students are required to complete all set activities, not only those that constitute summative assessment.
As we settle into the semester, may I encourage all students to engage effectively in the lessons; participate in lively classroom discussions, open up and share their views and responses. While the development of skills and knowledge may be challenging, our teachers are highly skilled and they dedicate much time to ensuring students are participating in challenging activities, in a collaborative, student centred learning environment.
Leaders of Learning:
English - Mrs Heather Burke hburke1@arm.catholic.edu.au
Mathematics - Mr Tim Godden tgodden@arm.catholic.edu.au
Science - Mr James Vella jvella@arm.catholic.edu.au
HSIE - Mrs Louise Vella lvella@arm.catholic.edu.au
TAS - Mrs Chloe Bushell cbushell@arm.catholic.edu.au
PDHPE - Mrs Ashleigh Jones ajones1@arm.catholic.edu.au
Creative Arts - Mrs Donna Swan dswan@arm.catholic.edu.au
Mrs Raelene Maxworthy - Leader of Teaching & Learning