A very busy start to the term with celebrations and recognitions happen for a wide range of our students and our whole community. It was wonderful to see our Year 12’s welcoming our new prep students and receiving their senior badges. I look forward to the assembly on Friday where the Year 12’s will be presented with their senior tie. As we charge towards assessment, there is plenty going on in the Senior Sector.             

Assessment

Our assessment calendars are available from our college website at Our Lady of the Southern Cross College (dalby.catholic.edu.au). Year 12 and 11 Exam blocks are coming up, these will be published on this web page as our main point of reference for all Senior Years students and families. If you have any questions about assessment, please contact your child's classroom teacher or the relevant Middle Leader Curriculum.

Our Lady of the Southern Cross is responsible for gathering evidence of student achievement on or before the due date for internal assessment instruments.

All students have electronic access to their assessment and it is their responsibility to adhere to these due dates.

Students are responsible for planning and managing their time to meet the due dates.

Students and parents can contact teachers and Curriculum Leaders via phone or email. Teachers are not able to grant extensions directly with students and parents/carers.

Our Lady of the Southern Cross College is required to adhere to QCAA policies about due dates accepting assignments only on or before the due date unless an extension through AARA processes has been approved.  For example, a student who is absent due to family holidays will not be granted an extension for an assignment as this doesn’t meet the AARA guidelines set by QCAA. Any adjustments requested must be supported by medical or professional documentation.

Student Led Conferences

On Thursday 22 February we host our Senior Years Student-Led conferences, we look forward to the discussions that will take place to support our staff in knowing how your child learns best in our classes. Staff will be able to discuss with you and your student's progress so far this term and how to enhance how your student learns. The approach of being proactive in our conferences rather than reactive and result-driven provides our community with opportunities to collaborate with our staff before we are locked into assessment. We encourage all those who are unable to attend to engage with the teachers early so we can adjust the rudder early and celebrate your child’s success.

Information on bookings and times will be sent out via the parent portal next week.

Growing Our Learners

Our students are performing very well engaging with classes in all the modes we are availing to our students, face-to-face, hybrid, flexible learning agreements, school-based traineeships and apprenticeships and work experience opportunities.

All of this supports our students to be critical learners, supporting their development as critical thinkers with the ability to adapt their knowledge to unknown problems growing them as learners.

Students can do a range of things to develop their critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, reflecting and developing thoughts.

Here are some things you can do to enhance critical thinking.

1. CLARIFY YOUR THOUGHTS

The best way to clarify your thoughts is to try and explain your thinking to someone else. Even if you are talking to an imaginary person, you will find that explaining your thinking out loud helps you to see the flaws in your argument.

2. QUESTION ASSUMPTIONS

Don’t take your thoughts for granted, every now and then think about why you believe a certain thought or how you know things to be true. Get in the habit of pausing, looking at what you are thinking, and questioning what thoughts underlie your assumptions. Don’t just conform and accept a view because it is the popular one, instead pause and reflect on the arguments for and against that viewpoint and the strengths of each argument.

3. LOOK FOR OTHER PERSPECTIVES

When you are presenting an argument, imagine yourself in a debate and think about what the opposing side might say. What would someone with a completely opposite view to you believe? Can you understand why they might think that way? Can you see some validity in their viewpoint?

4. KEEP AN OPEN MIND

In order to look for other perspectives keep an open mind. If you immediately dismiss any thought that does not fit into the way you see the world, you will never be able to expand and develop your viewpoints, you will have a very fixed and limited view of the world.

5. BE CURIOUS

Start to look outside the things you normally read and watch and think about. Learn more about things you know nothing about and were not previously interested in. Listen more to what people say, we learn so much more when we really listen rather than spend time planning what we will say next.

6. MAKE INFORMED JUDGEMENTS

It is ok to not have an opinion about something because you don’t have enough information yet. Avoid rushing to judgements, take your time to gather information and evidence and assess it before making a decision. Try not to let yourself be swayed by emotion as this can affect your ability to assess information intellectually.

Mr Rodney Spain

Assistant Principal – Senior Years