Curriculum News
CURRICULUM NEWS
As the semester comes to an end we would just like to take this opportunity to congratulate students and their families for their efforts. Whilst we do not need to elaborate on the challenges we have all faced so far this year the approach of many of our students during the remote learning phase, the adjustment to the gradual and then full return to school plus new timetables and school structures has in the main been phenomenal. A big part of this has been the support of families and carers and we would again like to highlight and thank you for the role you have played in supporting our students during this semester.
With Semester 2 starting after the holidays it is a good opportunity to put the distractions of Semester 1 behind us, set new goals for the remainder of the year and start afresh. Have a restful break and we look forward to seeing everyone back ready to get back into the classroom in Term 3.
7-10 Semester 1 Reports
Year 7-10 Semester 1 Reports will be available via the Compass portal from 3:30 pm on Friday 3 July. It is worth pointing out that the data in these reports are somewhat different from our regular report structure. This is due to the extended period of remote learning, modifications to assessment schedules and the like. Reports are still an accurate reflection of student progress during the semester.
Students and families are encouraged to use these reports to evaluate current progress, reflect on the feedback provided by teachers and develop some goals for Semester 2 that will assist in enabling students to work towards their full academic potential. For Year 10 students the reports will provide a valuable resource to reflect on as you consider your subject selections for Yr 11 2021.
Year 11 2021 Subject Selection
Year 10 students have now been provided with a vast amount of information regarding subject selection for Year 11 2021. The Subject Information Handbook was distributed via email last week. This week we had a Zoom year meeting where we discussed the structure of Stage 6 education (RoSA, HSC, ATAR) as well as all the requirements to qualify for a HSC such as the Minimum Standards Test and All My Own Work.
We have also opened a Subject Selection section on our school website. This has been set up as an automatics pop-up or can be found by clicking the For Parents, For Students or Curriculum tabs on the school home page. Here students and their families will find a range of support material to assist with understanding Stage 6, HSC structure and requirements and other resources to support students with this process. In particular, each Faculty has a page with a message from the KLA Coordinator. Each subject we offer has a link with an outline of the subject, content covered in Years 11 and 12 along with a brief video providing detail for each subject we offer.
With the holidays upon us, this site is a great resource to support students through the selection process. Students are encouraged to take the time to review this detail to assist them to make informed choices. Students should also be accessing other resources such as Universities, TAFE etc to ensure they understand any requirements associated with possible pathways they are considering.
Year 10 students and parents are strongly encouraged to make appointments with their teachers on our upcoming Parent-Teacher Interview night to discuss current levels of performance and their suitability for any subjects they may be wishing to undertake in Year 11.
We would like to make it clear that at St Joseph’s we offer a full suite of subjects for students to consider for their Stage 6 studies. These subjects are listed in our handbook and on the website. We offer, within reason, the same subjects as all other local schools (some speciality subjects eg Dance withstanding) on site. In some circumstances, students can undertake a course via distance education if they are the only student wishing to undertake that course. In saying this we also have a greater capacity to run subjects with smaller class sizes such as music and extension subjects as we have a greater staff capacity than other comparable schools. We are also able to ensure we have qualified teachers for each subject we are running.
In the handbook and on the website you will find the email addresses for all our KLA Coordinators. The Curriculum Office is also available so please feel free to email any questions you may have regarding subjects and the Curriculum but note that responses may not be returned immediately due to holidays.