On or Before the Due Date

With our Year 12 students working towards completion of all of their IA’s and Year 11 students finalising, for some, their last IA for Unit 2 and starting their Unit 3 work, I cannot stress enough the level of accountability to the QCAA. This accountability is reflected in all assessment from Year 9 to 12. Unless there is an illness, injury or family emergency, all assessment must be completed on or before the due date. This is the QCAA wording. For submissions in Canvas and hard copies, this means before 3.10pm on the date the assignment or task is due. Assessment will not be accepted after 3.10pm.

I can only reschedule an exam based on an illness or injury and only if I have a medical certificate that meets the QCAA specifications, but it will be a comparable exam and I must report this to the QCAA. The medical certificate must be dated the day of the exam. It must include a diagnosis or symptoms and include information about how the illness/injury will affect the student’s participation in assessment. The school will be required to write a similar (comparable) paper to the one that was missed. Similarly, I can grant an extension for an assignment if accompanied by a medical certificate. Family emergencies will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, but the QCAA suggest a bereavement as a typical example.

I cannot allow exams to be sat before the rest of the cohort for circumstances that are within the family’s control such as a family holiday or an appointment. If a student misses an exam or misses the deadline on an assignment and it is not supported by a medical certificate (or exceptional family emergency), your son or daughter will receive a Not Rated for that assessment instrument. In the event of an assignment, the teacher will use evidence submitted previously for that assignment to allocate a grade. In most instances that will be the draft or checkpoint submission. The importance of submitting a complete draft is important for teachers to provide feedback and establish evidence of work before the due date. In the event of an exam or if no draft was submitted, there is no recourse for gaining credit for that assessment instrument. If a student receives a Not Rated for any assessment instrument within a subject, they will receive a Not Rated for that subject. In other words, your son or daughter will not receive a subject result, it cannot contribute to their ATAR and they will lose 2 QCE points if it is in Units 3 or 4, or 1QCE credit for Unit 2.

Students must take responsibility for ensuring they are aware of assessments. The assessment calendar is accurate at the time of publication via our portal and the college website. However, it is a live document and students and parents are informed of any changes by their subject teachers and notifications are sent to students and parents. I advise the students to get into the habit of recording their assessments on their computer using an electronic calendar. This way, if you ask them about a suitable time to make an appointment, they will readily have the information to hand and not have to go looking up the assessment planner on the portal and website.

Learning Discussions in the Senior Years

Our teachers are looking forward to seeing our community over the multiple opportunities families now have to engage with our teachers to discuss students learning. If you have not made an appointment, or have missed out on seeing a teacher, please contact them via email and our staff will arrange an alternate time.

SET planning Interviews

Thank you to the parents and carers who attended the SET planning interviews for their child in assisting with planning for Year 11, 2025. It is an exciting time for students as they reflect on their pathways for senior. The discussions with students have been very empowering, as the work staff are doing in supporting students to have the right information to make informed decisions is clearly evident.

More information on subjects and opportunities to engage with myself and our teachers will be available in the coming weeks.

PROOFING YOUR ASSESSMENTS

As you gear up for your next assessment, mastering the art of proofreading is key to ensuring your hard work shines through. There are essential steps to proof your assessments effectively and elevate your academic performance.

1st Proof: To begin, consider relocating to a fresh setting for a focused proofreading session. Find a place that is not your usual study space where you can concentrate on refining your work. Bring along the assessment criteria and question prompts to guide your review.

Your initial proof should encompass the following key factors:

• WORD COUNT: Confirm that your assessment aligns with the specified word limit. Identify any excess words that may need trimming to meet requirements.
• SPELLING / GRAMMAR: While spell check can be helpful, don't rely solely on it. Look out for common errors like 'form' instead of 'from' that may slip through automated checks.
• SOURCES: Verify that all sources for visuals, examples, and quotes are properly cited and listed to support your arguments.
• CRITERIA / QUESTION ANSWERED? Review the assessment criteria and ensure that your responses directly address the requirements. Tick off each criterion as you confirm its coverage in your work.
• REPETITION: It’s easy to repeat points, double check you haven’t done this.
• USEFUL INFORMATION: It’s not uncommon to write unnecessary information. Do you have points that don’t really answer the question? Have you written clearly? Is there any information you could leave out? Is there any information that you realise needs to be added?
• REINFORCE: This is where you need to finalise which words you will bold, highlight, underline etc. so your assignment clearly identifies the main points. Bolding can let the teacher see clearly that you have covered all the parts of the question, that there is a sequence of ideas and you have organised the information well.

2nd Proof: The next day repeat the above steps, but this time - READ YOUR ASSIGNMENT OUT LOUD! If you didn’t print your assignment to proof the first time, now could be the time. Reading and hearing the words spoken in different mediums can sometimes give a new perspective to your writing. Note down any changes you need to make.

3rd Proof: It’s always a good idea to ask someone to proof your assignment after you have proofed it first. It is common for the writer not to pick up typos or silly mistakes because they know what they meant and see the words they intended to write, and not the errors. So recruit a proof reader (parent, relatives, older sibling or friend etc.) to gain fresh insights. Remember, meticulous proofreading is a valuable skill that can elevate the quality of your work and set you on the path to academic success.

Mr Rodney Spain

Assistant Principal Senior Years