Learning and Teaching News

As I sit and write this article, I am astounded that we are about to enter Week 6 of Term 1. Half the term is over, and we are on the downhill slide, even though it feels as though we have just begun. My son, who is studying psychology as one of his senior subjects, tells me that I feel like this because I am getting old. He tells me that as you get older, the complexity of the neural networks in our brains increase, meaning that electrical signals must traverse greater distances and therefore, the rate at which we process information slows down. This, he tells me, is what makes time appear to speed up as we get older. I’m not sure whether this is true, but it doesn’t explain why the boys I talk to also can’t believe that the term is half over! For them, I choose to believe that time flies when you are having fun!

Regardless, what Week 6 does mean for us all, is the fast-approaching assessment period, and it is timely to issue a few reminders around this.

Firstly, the College offers many avenues for students to access assistance with their learning and assessment. As well as our wonderful classroom teachers who are more than happy to assist boys outside of class time and faculty-specific sessions that are run before school or during breaks, the College also has the following help available:

• Primary Tutoring is available for boys in the Primary school every morning from 8:00 am in the classroom next to the Primary Library.
• Secondary Tutoring is available for all boys from Years 7-12 in the Centre for Learning Enrichment from 7:30 am every morning.
• Study Hall is available in the Senior Library every Tuesday afternoon from 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm.
• Maths Tutoring is available for all students from 7:30 am in Room 402.
• Boarders Study sessions run through the Resource Centre with Teacher-Librarians several nights a week.

If you are looking for more specialised or one-on-one help, the College has a list of Old Boys who have expressed an interest in being engaged as a tutor. This is a personal arrangement between families and the tutor. A list of these Old Boys can be found on the Parent Portal Old Boys Tutor List.

As assessment approaches, remaining organised and aware of your responsibilities is important. Our Assessment Policy, Exam Timetables, Year Level Assessment Schedules, and instructions on generating personalised assessment schedules are all contained on the ‘Assessment and Exam Schedules’ tile on the Parent Portal Assessment and Exam Schedules.

This term, Year 10 and 12 have an exam block where they are required at school only if they have an exam. They must come clean-shaven and in full College Uniform with all required equipment. At the start of exam block, any student who is not up-to-date with assessment in other subjects, particularly Certificate courses, will have their exam block privileges revoked. They will be required to attend school and report to Student Administration to begin working on completing this work.

While it is best for boys to complete all assessment with the rest of their cohort, we understand that illness and misadventure can sometimes be a barrier to this. We will work with any student to devise a plan that works for them and only ask that you communicate any concerns to the classroom teacher as early as possible. An application form for Special Consideration can be found on the Curriculum Forms tile.

Finally, Term 1 ends on April 1. It is expected that all students will be in attendance until the last day of term. If it is unavoidable that a student must depart early, a Student Leave Form can be submitted. Again, these can be found on the Curriculum Forms tile. Please have your son begin this process early as he must have a conversation with each of his teachers, their curriculum leaders, his Pastoral Leader and me before departing. If the departure impacts on his assessment dates, it would be expected that all assignments be digitally uploaded by the due date. If exams are missed, he will complete them on the first day that he returns to the College. 

Assessment is a time for all our boys to show off what they have learnt and to demonstrate the skills they have developed. Boys, doing your best in this moment, puts you in the best place for the next moment. All we ask for is your personal best.