Data and Pedagogical Practice News

Year 12 External Assessment Schedule – 2021

On Monday the QCAA (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority) released the External Assessment timetable for Year 12 2021. This External Assessment block will run from Monday 25 October to Tuesday 16 November. QCAA have designed this timetable to: 

• minimise clashes for students across the state throughout the examination period. Where there is a clash within a morning or afternoon session, students will be allocated to the alternative session on the same day.
• ensure most students sit no more than two external assessments on one day.
• provide sufficient breaks between external assessments for popular courses and frequently combined courses.
• enable all external assessments to be marked in time for students to receive their final Year 12 results.

The timetable has been uploaded to the College portal and can be found under Assessment and Exam Schedules/2021 EA timetable. It can also be found at https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/senior/assessment/external-assessment/timetable.

At Marist College Ashgrove your son is being prepared for external assessment by teaching the subject matter in the syllabus.  To further prepare, sample papers have been developed which will be used during mock exams in Term 3.  These sample papers allow your son to understand how syllabus objectives and subject matter will be assessed. 

The results from these practice tests will be used to construct masterclasses during the first few weeks of Term 4.  These classes are designed to revise subject knowledge, further familiarise boys with the language of the external assessment, the types of questions that may be asked and the expected length of responses.  Masterclasses also allow students to experience external assessment conditions, practice relevant skills and specifically the length of examinations. 

Further to this, QCAA have developed a suite of external assessment videos to help students prepare for external assessment.  Boys can access videos via this link https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKf0-B8NIgSUvb_DJWvwgjTtrdTOMz5qA

Year 11 Exam Block

This week our Year 11 students are on exam block.  During this week boys are expected to be at home studying for their upcoming exams. Expectations for exam block are as follows:

1. Normal College rules apply when on campus
2. Boys must arrive to and from school in full school uniform (including blazers and bags)
3. Boys are to travel directly to and from school without congregating at shops, outside other schools or the like
4. Boys must arrive 10 minutes prior to their scheduled exam
5. Boys must bring all required equipment (calculator, pens, highlighters etc)
6. Boys must adhere to the exam coordinators’ instructions at all times.

Boys are also encouraged to bring their equipment in a clear plastic sleeve or container and that their water bottle should be clear.  This is great practice for external assessment next year.

Study Room

The boys will have the opportunity to use a study room located in the Senior School Library during the exam block period.  This will be particularly important for those students who have training before and/or after school, music practice or those who need to catch public transport.  It can also be utilised for students who know that they study more effectively at the College.  If you would like your son to use the study room during exam block can you please register via the following link:

https://forms.office.com/r/mkmRtM1y7d. 

If your son is attending the study room, a roll will be marked each morning to ensure that your son has arrived safely at the College.  This room will be provided for individual, silent study.

Year 11 Subject changes Unit 2

A reminder to those students looking at changing subjects at the completion of Unit 1 to see Ms Jen Smeed in the Academic Care by Wednesday 9 June 2021.

Please email smeedj@marash.qld.edu.au or visit the Academic Care office (below the library) to organise a meeting. Following on from this, subject change forms can be issued which require signatures from relevant Curriculum Leaders, teachers and parents. If you have any questions about subject changes, please do not hesitate to contact the Senior Learning Leader, Ms Jen Smeed. 

Middle School Assessment Schedule

Students in Years 7-10 are encouraged to use Student Café to access their assessment schedule for Term 2.  To access boys can click on “activities to complete” which shows upcoming assessment items.  To see assessment details and marking rubrics boys click on the assessment item

Parents are able to access feedback from draft assignments and results from your son’s assessment by accessing parent lounge and clicking on “curricular activities due”. 

NAPLAN

Over the past week our students in Years 5, 7 and 9 have completed the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN).  They are to be congratulated on their conduct and attitude towards these assessments.  We look forward to receiving the results from these tests later in the year which will further help develop our teaching and learning programs. 

For those students who were absent during testing, catch up tests will be provided on Thursday 20 May.  Ms Angela Simpson will notify parents of catch up logistics this week.  If you have any questions regarding NAPLAN catch-ups please contact Ms Simpson on simpsona@marash.qld.edu.au