Learning and Teaching News

End of Term 1 Exam Block

Students have now been emailed a copy of the Term 1 Exam Schedule. This exam block is for students in Years 7-10 and Year 12. 

Please note the details below:

• Year 12 exams will run from Tuesday 22 – Friday 25 March. Students will remain in normal timetabled classes on Monday 21 March. Year 12 students will go home when they are on exam block, attending campus only when they have an exam scheduled. Any student who has outstanding assessment/competencies will lose exam block privileges and will remain at school.
• Year 11 students will remain in normal timetabled classes. Their exam block will run in Week 5 of Term 2 in line with the end of Unit 1.
• Year 10 exams will run as scheduled on the calendar from Friday 18 – Friday 25 March. Year 10 students will go home when they are on exam block, attending campus only when they have an exam scheduled. Any student who has outstanding assessment/competencies with lose exam block privileges and will remain at school.
• Year 7-9 exam block will continue to run as scheduled on the calendar from Friday 18 – Friday 25 March. Students will remain in classes over the exam block, only missing normal timetabled classes when they have an exam scheduled.

At the end of Term 3, students in Years 5-10 will receive an interim report card and students in Year 12 will receive a Unit 3 report. These will be accessible on Parent Lounge from the afternoon of Friday 1st April. 

Again, all Year 10 and 12 students need to be reminded that exam block privileges will only be given to students who have completed and are up to date with all assessments - this includes the Year 10 Work Skills competencies and Year 12 Certificate and Diploma competencies. All Year 10 and 12 students will be expected to attend school and complete the work they have due before being given the privileges of exam block. 

Extensions for assessment

As we enter the assessment period, please be reminded of the process of requesting an extension. 

Years 7-10

Students are able to request an extension form through the Studies Office or via the Portal / Curriculum Form tile (Special Consideration Form). It is easiest if students present with the form complete with the assistance of their parent/guardian stating why they require an extension (illness, COVID-19 quarantine, bereavement) and that it is signed by their parent/guardian. Students will need to take the Special Consideration form to their relevant subject teacher/s and discuss the reason for the extension as well as the new due date. Once this conversation has taken place, the from needs to be returned to Mrs Kim Rabie through the Studies Office. Your son will receive an email confirmation once it is processed.

Years 11-12

Students are able to are to request a Special Consideration form for extension/s on assessment due through the Studies Office or via the Portal / Curriculum Form tile. According to QCAA regulations, in senior this extension must be accompanied by a medical certificate. Students will be given an extension form to take to their relevant subject teacher/s to discuss the extension and a new due date. Once this conversation has taken place, the from needs to be returned to Mrs Kim Rabie through the Studies Office. Your son will receive an email confirmation once it is processed.

Preparing for exams 

Last week, we provided information on overcoming the ‘forgetting’ curve as well are some study tips useful for preparing for upcoming exams. This included making flashcards and completing practice questions. This week, we would like to provide a few more tips to help boys in their exam preparation. 

Clear your head

This is important clear your head because clarity of thought will let you think rationally. If you are panicked, in revision or in the exam, then it will show in your work. You’ll end up flitting between things and trying to juggle too many revision tasks at once, or your answer to an exam question will be muddled and sloppy as you try to shoehorn in irrelevant facts. Go for a run, play basketball, practice the piano or help your parents cook dinner and clear your head. Focus on what is in front of you rather than worrying about everything at once.

Revise with essay plans

For essay-based exams, spend a little revision time drafting rough essay plans. In the exam you should write five-minute plans and think about topic sentences at the start of paragraphs to give your argument focus, so practise doing this in advance even if you don’t have time to write practice essays.

Ensure your check your essay plans with your teacher to get valuable feedback prior to your exam.

Look at marking schemes

Don’t fret in the exam if there are questions you can’t answer. Write some working out down, since this may earn you one or two marks and it’s better than a blank space. You won’t be penalised for putting something incorrectly. This is why it’s important to look at mark schemes or the number of marks awarded per question in exams. These mark schemes can include comments on how to gain marks or hints as to how many points should be included. For example, if a question is worth two marks you will need to include two main points in your response. This may be a definition and then an example or an identification and a justification.

Study tips adapted from https://targetcareers.co.uk/careers-advice/revision-tips/385996-how-to-revise-for-exams-in-a-week

Middle School News - Years 7-9

Maths Tutoring – Years 7-9

Maths tutoring will be available to all Year 7 to 9 students in the Resource Centre on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:15pm-4:15pm. These sessions will be aimed at supporting homework completion, working through skill sets that have not been understood and preparing for exams in Week 9. If you have any questions about this tutoring, please contact our Head of Mathematics Mrs Chrystal Frans (fransc@marash.qld.edu.au).

Academic Care Interviews

Over the course of the next two weeks, I will be holding academic care interviews with various students across Years 7-9.  I endeavour to meet as many boys as possible to discuss their academic progress, setting goals and discussing steps for success.

If I am not seeing your son this term and he has a particular concern, he is encouraged to come down to the studies office and book a time with me.  He is also more than welcome to email me at rosenbergr@marash.qld.edu.au

Thank you to those boys who have remembered their academic care interview. For those who have forgotten or were unable to attend due to COVID-19 or flooding, please email Inekah Moyles-Virtue to organise another time. 

Learning from Home

If you are unable to attend school due to COVID-19 or flooding (this week) please access your classwork via the Moodle subject page. If you are unsure of what work to complete or require further work, please contact your classroom teacher for guidance.

Brilliant Brains STEM Club

The inaugural meeting of the Brilliant Brains STEM Club occurred last week. It was a meet-and-greet amongst our highest-achieving Year 5 to 9 students to start idea generation and begin the process to inquire, create, and solve the myriad of wonders that STEM problems can bring! A huge thank you to Mr Varghese and Ms Dekkers for mentoring our “Big Brains” to do big things!

Study Hall

Study Hall continues to be held in the Resource Centre on Tuesday and Thursday morning from 7:45am-8:30am. Please note Thursday’s session is a repeat of Tuesday’s lesson. These sessions are open to all boys from Years 5-12. 

Please find below the outline for the Study Hall for the remainder of Term 1.