"You must be cheerful and happy, animating all around you." Catherine McAuley

DEPUTY'S DESK

LEARNING AND TEACHING REPORT

As we come to the end of the term and with the end of year exams rapidly looming, this is a great time and opportunity for students to reflect on their progress.

 

MID SEMESTER REPORTS

Mid Semester reports will be available from Friday September 20 at 4.00pm in the Parent Access Module (PAM). To access these reports you will need to go to the school website and go to Login > SIMON/PAM > and enter your username and password. If you have lost your login details or cannot remember your login details you can contact reception at the College and they can organise for your login details to be reset.

 

Once you have logged in go to your child’s profile by clicking on their name or photo, then click on the student assessment tab and that will give you access to all completed reports for the year for your child. The reports are also accessible for students through their normal SIMON profile. Mid-semester reports are an indicator of progress to this stage and have a focus on student attitudes and behaviours, rather than achievements or assessments.  The mid-semester reports will include an indication of the following work practices:

  • Effort                                        
  • Class Behaviour
  • Punctuality
  • Organisation for class
  • Productive collaboration with peers
  • High expectations of achievement
  • Home Study

Please be aware that not all subjects have Home Study and in these cases students will receive Acceptable as their score for Home Study. The report will also indicate general academic progress to date and will specify if any pieces of work have not been submitted. 

 

I encourage you to discuss with your son/daughter the contents of this report which aims to communicate how students are progressing in their various subjects. The report is an important document and warrants parents/guardians and students taking some time to consider its contents and to reflect on progress and current levels of achievement.

 

If you experience any difficulty accessing your child’s report or if you would like a hard copy of the report and you cannot print the report at home, please contact or visit College reception and they will be able to assist you with this request.

 

PARENT / STUDENT / TEACHER CONFERENCES

The most significant aspect of the Mid Semester/Interim Report is the invitation to Parent, Teacher and Student Conferences. The teacher may indicate that an interview is 'requested', however, all families are invited to Parent, Teacher and Student Conferences regardless of whether a request appears on the report.

 

Parent, Teacher and Student Interviews will be held on Tuesday October 15 from 4.00pm to 7.00pm in the McAuley Precinct of Enright Campus.  This will be the last formal opportunity to discuss progress of students before the end of year. Interview appointments are made through PAM. You will have access to bookings from 4.00pm on Friday September 20. 

 

 

 

 

Instructions for making bookings:

Bookings to be made directly through PAM. To access Parent Student Teacher bookings you will need to go to the school website and go to Login > SIMON/PAM > and enter your username and password. If you have lost your login details or cannot remember your login details you can ring reception at school and they can organise for your login details to be reset. When you login to the Parent Access Module you will see a tab like the one below.

Click on this tab, if you have more than one child at the College, select the child you want to make bookings for and you will see a list of their classes. Click on the classes that you would like to make appointments for and select a time, then use tab 'Book Interview'. You will see when a booking is made you are also given information about which room the interview will be held in.

 

After you have made all the appointments you require you will see just above the booked times, a print icon which will allow you to print off a booking sheet with all interviews included. I look forward to your participation in the upcoming Parent Student Teacher Conferences. 

 

NAPLAN REPORTS

Year 7 and Year 9 students NAPLAN test reports for 2019 are now available and can be collected by parents from College reception.  VCAA recommend that ‘due to the confidential nature’ parents should collect the reports directly.

The National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a nationwide test of all Year 3,5,7 and 9 students in English and Mathematics . The National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy tests were undertaken in May earlier this year.

 

All students at Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in schools across Australia undertook the same tests on the same days. The NAPLAN tests are conducted at schools throughout Australia and marked by expert, independent markers. The content of each test is informed by the National Statements of Learning and Mathematics, which underpin state and territory learning frameworks. Test questions cover aspects of Literacy (Reading, Writing, Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling) and Numeracy.

 

These National tests provide information on how students are progressing and support improvements in teaching and learning. The NAPLAN report will indicate the child’s level of achievement. Each student’s level of achievement will be reported against the agreed national benchmarks of student achievement.

 

It is important that unexpected results do not cause you undue alarm.  The NAPLAN was a group of tests taken over a period of three days – it is no more or less important than any other piece of assessment.  There are many factors contributing to your child’s results and the NAPLAN should be seen as another piece of useful information about your child’s progress. School reports, feedback from teachers, examples of student work, and the general happiness of your son/daughter are all valuable indicators as to how they are progressing.

 

A good read on what NAPLAN results do and don’t mean can be found at the following webpage, from Melbourne University Senior Education Lecturer Suzanne Rice.  Should you have concerns or questions about the NAPLAN tests please contact your child’s Homeroom Teacher.

YEAR 12 EXAM PREPARATION, REVISION AND PRACTICE EXAMS

The Year 12 students and teachers are moving into a critical time as they prepare for the end of year exams. Over the holidays it is imperative that Year 12 students maintain a substantial time commitment to their studies. There will be many extra events organised for these students during these holidays, including a number of practice exams and extra tuition sessions.

 

I strongly encourage all students to maximise these opportunities in order to be fully prepared for end of year exams. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the teachers for their commitment in providing these opportunities over the holiday period.

 

EDROLO

As you may be aware, St Joseph’s College provides access to

THE RIGHT PLACE, WITH MERCY

Life does not come with a GPS pre-set with the safest and most direct route towards what we want and where we want to be. At every fork in the road, navigating choices in life can be both exciting and challenging. How do we find help when we need it?

 

No matter the situation, we can always rely on compassion and kindness to steer us in the right direction. Sister Joan Chittister OSB, a prolific writer whose work spans decades, advises: “To be merciful is to be kind, to be open, to be trusting, to be a friend. It is when we show mercy that we may be closest to God.”

 

As we travel the road of life, the Mercy Ethos keeps us at God’s side by guiding us with six simple ‘travel tips’:

  1. Pay Attention: Exercise discretion when committing to people and things.
  2. Go Gratefully: Recognise that the work of others contributed to what you have and where you are now. Gratitude begets gratitude.
  3. Nurture Your Global Citizen: Stay aware of the world beyond yourself.
  4. Cultivate Joy: Celebrate others’ successes and good fortune.
  5. Trek Courageously: Be brave and employ integrity at every turn.
  6. Watch Out: Be courteous, observant and respectful as you reach out to others in need.

Life is full of wonderful experiences and unpredictable situations. Mercy helps us find our way and stay true to our chosen path. When we let our hearts lead the way, we can be sure that we will always be in the right place.

 

Dr Tony Finn

Deputy Principal, Community