Junior School 

NAPLAN 2023

All Yr 7 & 9 students are expected to participate in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) which will beheld in March this year, between Wednesday 15th - Monday 27th March.   

NAPLAN tests assess student knowledge and skills in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.  The results of the tests provides valuable information for students, parents, teachers and principals and can be used to improve student achievement.  A full testing schedule for NAPLAN will be emailed to all Yr 7 & 9 parents by Week 6.  In Week 6, students will also have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the different online tests for their relevant year level at the NAPLAN Online Public Demonstration Site in their Maths & English classes and will also receive their class test schedule.  Catch up tests will be available for individual students who are absent on test days.

Support can be arranged for students with disabilities, if the student regularly uses similar support for classroom assessment tasks.  Exemptions may be granted to students with significant intellectual disabilities and to students who have been learning English for less than one year. Parental consent is required before any support due to disability or exemption is granted and parents will be contacted by our Inclusion Leader Prue Jones.

Students may be withdrawn from NAPLAN by their parent or carer. This is a matter for consideration by parents and carers in consultation with the NAPLAN Coordinator, Simone Moore. If, after consultation, you decide to withdraw your child,  a student withdrawal form will need to be completed by the 8th March.

More information about NAPLAN is provided in the brochure included in this newsletter.  Alternatively, please visit the NAPLAN website at www.nap.edu.au. 

Stationery Supplies

We have received an extremely generous donation of stationery supplies from Officebarn in Gisborne to help students whose families are experiencing financial difficulties.  If you would like to discuss this with someone at the College, please don’t hesitate to contact our Junior School Administrator, Sharnee Armstrong 

Please note, this is open to families of Senior School students as well.  We thank Leanne and all the staff at Officebarn for supporting the families in our school community.

Year Level Updates

Year 7

What a fantastic start to Secondary College we have seen by our 2023 Year 7 Cohort! 169 students coming from approximately 18 different Primary Schools! We are very proud of how all students have settled into their new environment and enthusiastically attacked their classes and welcome activities! There were many rewarding experiences in the first week including getting their devices connected to school networks, presentation of ‘Wired’ by Brainstorm productions and of course even the cool and damp weather couldn’t prevent our young people having a fantastic time at Funfields! This week sees our two year 7 camps go off to Roses Gap where we are sure that students will have an amazing time at the activities and connecting to their peers! It is certainly a little ‘quieter’ at the moment with only half the Year 7’s at school!

Please encourage students to check the noticeboard on Xuno for upcoming events, there will be sign up times for many school sport teams and other activities etc. 

Richard Palmer and Ashley Bishop, Yr 7 Coordinators

Year 8 

The Year 8 cohort have settled into Year 8 smoothly. I am very proud of the way most students have settled into learning and taken on a range of new challenges. Students were all allocated a locker via Teams and most students were able to seamlessly locate their designated locker and move straight into learning mode. It is important that all students have a lock, this keeps their belongings safe, including their phones. I acknowledge that there are a few issues around lockers. Those who are not in their allocated lockers will have to move out by the end of this week. Students should see Ms Clarke for extra support around this. I thank the parents and carers of our fabulous Year 8’s for providing them with the book listed items and a device, as it is essential that all students bring the right equipment to classes so they can continue to develop as learners. I am confident that 2023 will be a positive experience for Year 8 students. I look forward to becoming more acquainted with the students and their families. 

Nadine Clarke, Yr 8 Coordinator

Year 9 

The Year 9’s have made a great start to the year. They came in on the first day, and quickly settled in finding their new lockers with minimum fuss. They are also getting used to new and changing class groups and having elective subjects. The Year 9’s have already been on an excursion for Science and have had their first 2 RAID days. It has been a very smooth start to the year, and I am looking forward to working with the Year 9’s as their Year Level Coordinator again this year.

Kelly Hall, Yr 9 Coordinator