Vision for Learning
Senior Years Course Information Night
It is time for students and their families to start to consider what subject preferences students may wish to study in 2018. The first step in the College Course Counselling process is for parents and students to attend a Course Information Evening.
All sessions will be held on Monday 31 July.
- Current Year 9s - 6.30pm
- Current Year 10s – 7.30pm
- Current Year 11s – 8.30pm
The Course Information Evenings are the first part of the subject preference process for students going into Years 10,11 and 12 in 2018. At these evenings parents will hear about the curriculum requirements of the SACE, subject preference and course counselling processes and items of specific note to each year level. There will also be the opportunity to ask questions of the Year Level Leaders, Pathways Coordinator and myself on the evening.
In brief, the process is as follows:
Term 3 Week 2
Attend Subject Information Evening, receive information about submitting subject preferences for 2018.
Term 3 Week 4
Access Curriculum Guide online via ECOLI, consider preferences, complete the subject preference form and return to school. This form starts the discussions at course counselling meetings should they be required. Changes to preferences are possible after this form has been submitted.
Term 3 Week 7
Students going into Years 11 and 12 and parents attend a course counselling meeting to discuss preliminary subject preferences. Changes may be made at these meetings. Interviews will be made online via schoolinterviews.com. Information about this process will be distributed next term. Families of students going into Year 10 are not required to attend a course counselling meeting but they are welcome to seek advice from relevant Learning Leaders regarding their preferences.
End Term 3
Subjects are allocated and confirmed. Once preferences have been received, a line structure is developed taking into account class sizes, staffing restrictions and the availability of specialist facilities, to piece together a whole school timetable. This also may mean that some senior students may be scheduled outside of the normal timetable. We aim to satisfy the wishes of the maximum number of students in the College, but there will be a need in some cases, to make alternative subject preferences. This will always be carried out with full consultation of students and their families.
We look forward to sharing with you on the initial Course Information Night.
Sandra Barry
Director of Learning
Exams Next Week
The exam period for Years 10 and 11 will be upon us next week. Please remember that students are expected to wear the correct formal school uniform for all exams. For exam security all students will be asked to place their mobile phones and any other devices that have internet access, such as smart watches, in a box at the entrance of the exam hall. The day –to- day arrangements for the week remain as follows. All students sitting an exam on any given day must arrive at school ready for Care Group and remain at the College until the end of their last exam. Students with no exams scheduled for a day do not need to attend school. Monday is a study day where no students in Years 10 or 11 are required at the College.
For most Year 10s this will be their first experience of a formal written examination and some students may be feeling anxious about this form of assessment. Tests and exams are a regular part of the school environment. It is important that exams be kept in perspective – while a regular assessment practice they are not the only assessment tool used and consider a student’s ability to apply their knowledge within a time limit. They are also used as practice for students as they move into Year 12 in the next 2 years, especially for in those areas that have examinations at this level.
Some things can be done to make exams a more valuable, worthwhile and less threatening experience for students. Subject teachers will have spent time helping students to revise and to learn a range of examination techniques relevant to particular subjects. At home, parents can help students prepare for exams in the following ways:
- Establishing a regular routine for study and revision
- Making sure there is a quiet area, free from distractions where students can work
- Helping students maintain a balanced lifestyle, including adequate rest, sport and leisure activities and a healthy diet.
As always, please get in touch with your child’s Care Group teacher if you have any concerns about how your child is coping with the examination and assessment period.
Sandra Barry
Director of Learning