Secondary News
Assessment Tasks
We are now in Week 6. All students should be working on Term 3 Assessment Tasks. Homework help is available at lunch time in the Learning Centre and also during homework club on Thursday afternoons.
Students are encouraged to submit drafts for all assessments before their due date in order for teachers to provide feedback. While specific instructions may not be given, guiding advice can help elevate response quality. Drafts may not be accepted if submitted too close to the assessment due date.
Testing
We will be re testing our student's Comprehension and Numeracy in Week 8. Term 3 is an ideal time to assess and update the progress of our students. Please remind your child that these tests are very important and they must achieve their personal best.
Year 10
Students in Year 10 will have an opportunity in the next few weeks to complete an online test to meet the required HSC minimum standards.
Write a Book in a Day
Last Friday, twenty-one highly motivated students from Years 7 to 9 set up camp in the Learning Centre at 8am. They would be there for the next twelve hours. Each group of five to eight students was tasked with composing a 4000-5000 word text by the end of the day, competing against other students around Australia. Each book had to fit specified parameters, be appropriate for children aged 10-16, and reflect a unique Australian identity.
Although it was an arduous day for all involved, all students eventually finished their books. The pizza break at 5pm was a welcome reprieve from the writing process. The final books were entirely composed, illustrated, edited, and published by the students.
Congratulations to all involved for what turned out to be a fantastic day of writing and collaboration. Over the next three newsletters, we will be showcasing the books created by our teams, as published by the students.
First up is our Year 7 group, with their book "The Night Rock Apocalypse". Well done to Arabella Drogemuller, Georgia Whibley, Grace Grantham, Bronte Davison, Selena McGrady, Matilda Hayes, Lukas McGregor, and Marni Ryan. Their parameters were that the main characters had to be an ambulance driver, a sculptor, and an echidna. Additionally, it had to be set in an adventure playground and feature a lost ring. You can read their book at this link.
Year 7 - Zine Fair Tuesday 24th September
As part of Year 7's study of poetry in Term 3, students will submit a cumulative assessment, showcasing their work in English, in the form of a "zine". A zine is a self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images, usually produced in limited runs through photocopying.
Zine fairs have formed a part of the culture around independent publishing for many years. These are opportunities for zinemakers to show off their wares, trading and collecting individualised artistic creations.
All members of the St Philomena's community are invited from 2:15pm to 3:00pm on Tuesday 24th September to attend an exhibition of these student works in the Parish Hall (old school hall). Student zines will be available for purchase for a gold coin donation, all proceeds going to the Moree St Vincent de Paul Society. All classes at St Philomena's are also invited to drop by at this time and check out the published work of the students in Year 7.
Miss Humphries and I are so excited to celebrate the ongoing fantastic work of our current Year 7 cohort with you. If you have any questions about this event, please contact me at jmccallu@arm.catholic.edu.au.
Student Diary Usage
Please continue checking in with your child's diary each week to ensure you are aware of the homework and assessment schedule's that have been set.
Caregivers are asked to sign the student diary once a week to confirm that all parties are aware of student responsibilities for this time period.
If you are unsure of the requirements of the school diary, please make contact with your child's Pastoral teacher.