Especean

Curriculum

Years 7 to 10 Yearly Reports

By the end of this week, Yearly Reports for Years 7 to 10 will be posted online 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 key College and Year based events such as Founder’s Day, Reflection Day, and others, as applicable to relevant Year groups.
     
  • Attendance Record from Monday 6 June up to and including Friday 11 November. (Note that the Semester 1 Report included dates from Monday 6 January to Friday 3 June.)
     
  • 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, and initiative. These Profile elements are described as Consistently, Usually, Occasionally or Rarely.
     
  • A new descriptor in the Pastoral Profile, i.e., Contribution to Mission: Donations, engagement in Formation, and commitment to College Identity. The indicators are:

    - Consistently – A student who receives this will be somebody who consistently contributes to the justice appeals for the College and for the cohort (e.g., Lenten Appeal contributions, Winter Appeal, justice partnership). He is not expected to be wealthy and contributing but supporting and doing the best he can with his means. He will attend Friday Masses at times throughout the year, contribute to whole school masses (by singing, responding and being positive), he will be positive and engaged on reflection days and he will make efforts to support the faith life of the College, including positive contribution / involvement in prayer. These students stand out.

    - Usually – A student who receives this will undertake the above at times throughout the year/semester. They will be positively engaged in the faith life of the College. If they never contribute to justice initiatives, they cannot be given ‘usually’. The majority of students will fit into this category (or Occasionally).

    - Occasionally – A student receiving this will make an effort once or twice during the period of reporting, and may not engage in Friday Masses, but still support whole school events.

    - Rarely – A student given ‘rarely’ does not contribute to justice appeals (as above), can be difficult during whole school celebrations and reflection programs, and is not engaged in the prayer life of the College.
     
  • A course report A, B, C, D or E Overall Achievement grade referenced to the Common Grade Scale as defined by the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) which represents the Class Teacher’s professional judgement in applying the course performance descriptors and the Common Grade Scale to designated formal tasks, however, selected informal assessment activities may have supplemented evidence from the formal tasks to verify or shift a grade cut-off when on the cusp of a grade.

The Common Grade Scale criteria are as follows:

A

The student demonstrates extensive knowledge of content and understanding of course concepts and applies highly developed skills and processes in a wide variety of contexts. In addition, the student demonstrates creative and critical thinking skills using perceptive analysis and evaluation. The student effectively communicates complex ideas and information.

 

B

The student demonstrates thorough knowledge of content and understanding of course concepts and applies well-developed skills and processes in a variety of contexts. In addition, the student demonstrates creative and critical thinking skills using analysis and evaluation. The student clearly communicates complex ideas and information.

 

C

The student demonstrates sound knowledge of content and understanding of course concepts and applies skills and processes in a range of familiar contexts. In addition, the student demonstrates skills in selecting and integrating information and communicates relevant ideas in an appropriate manner.

 

D

The student demonstrates a basic knowledge of content and understanding of course concepts and applies skills and processes in some familiar contexts. In addition, the student demonstrates skills in selecting and using information and communicates ideas in a descriptive manner.

 

E

The student demonstrates an elementary knowledge of content and understanding of course concepts and applies some skills and processes with guidance. In addition, the student demonstrates elementary skills in recounting information and communicating ideas.

 

  • a Grade Distribution in terms of the number of students awarded each A to E grade in a course.
     
  • For the Year 10 Report only, a percentage Course Mark and Course Average are included. It is important to note that for this reporting period, the Course Mark and Course Average have been linear mapped for parity across all subjects. For example, a Course Mark of 85 and above corresponds to an A in Overall Achievement, a Course Mark from 70 to 84 corresponds to a B, 50 to 69 is a C, and so on.

 As per Michael’s instructions:

  • achievement in one or more Learning Areas or descriptors expressed by one of the following indicators: Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Elementary or Limited. Each indicator indicates the level of performance complementary to the Common 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.

It is important to note that the Overall Achievement grades and the Grade Distribution provide two kinds of information about the academic progress of students. The Overall Achievement grade gives an indication of academic performance relative to the achievement of course outcomes referenced to the Common Grade Scale. The Grade Distribution gives an indication of that performance compared with other students in the Year undertaking the subject.

 

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 new scholastic year, with the view of making realistic and progressive improvements over time.

Speech Night 2022

Just a reminder as per the Especean issue of 16 November 2022, the College’s Annual Speech Night will proceed this year at the Sydney Olympic Park Quaycentre, Homebush on Thursday 1 December commencing at 7:15 PM with an estimated finish time of around 9:30 PM – 9.45 PM. Parking for the Quaycentre will be available at Sydney Olympic Park P3 located on Sarah Durack Avenue.

 

Attendance is compulsory for all students from Years 5 to 11. All students from Years 5 to 10 are to be in attendance in full College summer uniform. All Year 11 students, all prize winners and some performers will be required to wear their blazers and they will be reminded separately.

 

Entry doors to the venue’s Main Arena are scheduled to open at 6:15 PM. Parents, carers and guests are to enter via Door 2. College students and staff will enter via Door 5. Invited VIPs will enter via Reception.

 

Outside purchased food or drink are not allowed inside the venue. Students are not allowed to chew gum nor have water/drink bottles on the Main Arena floor.

 

As per the current Public Health Order, masks may be worn inside the venue but is not mandatory. 

 

All students are to report to their Homeroom Teacher on arrival at the Main Area to have their names marked off and they will be shown where to sit.

 

Please note that the upper concourse level kiosks will be trading for snacks and refreshments from 6:15 PM but will close at 9:00 PM. Parents/carers cannot deliver food nor drink to their sons on the Main Arena floor once inside the venue, that includes before, during or after official proceedings.

 

It is also important to note that full student attendance at the College is compulsory and expected on each school day up to 3:10 PM on Friday 2 December.

Reminder: Years 7 to 11 Optional Parent / Teacher Interviews

As per the 9 November 2022 issue of the Especean and as per the College Calendar, optional Parent/Teacher interviews are scheduled for Monday 5 December in two sessions, 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM and then 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM. The Interviews shall take place in the College Gymnasium.

 

The interview booking facility in TASS will be open to parents/carers at 9:00 AM on Wednesday 23 November and will close at noon on Friday 2 December. Thereafter, any parental request to change an interview time must be made by mutual agreement with the teacher via email. 

 

Parents/carers are reminded that they may book interview time slots themselves via the TASS Parent Lounge using the interview tab. The College will not be allocating interview times. Parents/carers need to ensure interviews are booked by no later than noon, Friday 2 December.

 

Interviews are for five minutes only. There is a two-minute break between each interview to allow the interviews to run smoothly. Please note that parents/carers cannot double book a teacher for a longer interview. Should more interview time be required, parents/carers may arrange with the teacher another mutually suitable time.

 

For parents/carers encountering difficulties logging on to the TASS Parent Lounge, please contact the College’s IT Department via College Reception on 02 9763 1000.

 

If for any reason a parent/carers needs to cancel or change a booked interview time after the closing times stated above, then please contact the relevant teacher via email.

 

The interviews are an opportunity for parents/carers to discuss aspects of the Yearly Report with their sons’ teachers with the intention of making improvements for the new scholastic year ahead.

 

Please note that for parents/carers of Years 8 and 10, the interviews will not be an appropriate forum to discuss prospective elective subject changes for next year with individual class teachers. As has been emphasised in appropriate forums this year, applications for elective subject changes will open in Week 4 of Term 1 next year and not before.

 

Michael Cutrupi 

Director of Curriculum