Middle School News
Term 2 and 3 Dates
As always, please refer to the College Calendar for the most up to date details of College events.
Please note:
Corpus Christi Day Friday 22 June
Semester One Awards Assembly Tuesday 26 June
Term 2 concludes on Friday 29 June
Term 3 commences (for students) Tuesday 17 July
Year 9 Connections Retreat Commitment- donated items for schoolbags
Earlier this term, the Year 9 students had the opportunity to participate in a Retreat experience that focussed on Connections where they explored relationships that connect them to people in the human family.
As part of this experience the students were made aware of the lack of educational resources in many communities around the world. In response to the needs they witnessed, each student was asked to make a commitment to bring in some stationary item or any materials that would usually be part of a school bag.
These items will be donated to the charity ‘Schoolbags for Jesus’ and also be gifted to communities in Beagle Bay and Cambodia when the College sends representatives on their respective immersions.
All students are kindly requested to bring in their donated items by the end of Week 7 this term. These can be brought in to Homeroom or Religion class or dropped into the Ministry Office at any time.
The donations and the completion of the reflection sheets form part of the Service Learning component at the College for the Year 9 cohort.
For further details or any queries please contact either Katrina Thomas or Judy Coelho.
THE BISHOPS’ RELIGIOUS LITERACY ASSESSMENT 2018
At the request of the Western Australian Bishops, 51ɬɬapp, Year 5 and Year 9 students in Catholic schools across Western Australia will take part in The Bishops’ Religious Literacy Assessment (BRLA) from the week commencing Monday 30th July in Term Three. For Year 9 students at Corpus Christi, the BRLA will be held on the morning of Wednesday 1st August. The assessment will be accessible to students only online.
Students enrolled in 51ɬɬapp, Year 5 and Year 9 who are following a regular classroom program are expected to participate. Students with disability are also entitled to participate in the assessment. Exemptions may apply.
The Nature and Role of the BRLA
The Bishops’ Religious Literacy Assessment is a large-scale, standardised assessment program that consists of a series of Religious Education (RE) tests developed and marked by the Office of Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA). The purpose of the BRLA is to measure student learning of the content in the RE curriculum. Formal school and student reports are produced by the Office and will become available to schools in Term Four.
The BRLA provides a ‘point in time’ snapshot of student performance in RE. Students’ knowledge and understanding of the content of the RE curriculum is assessed using a combination of multiple choice, short and extended response items. Students’ faith is not assessed. The use of the BRLA complements the school based assessment programs in RE.
Please contact your child’s teacher if you have any inquiries regarding the administration of The Bishops’ Religious Literacy Assessment in 2018.
Academic Excellence Extension Program (AEEP)
Filipa Carvalho
Head of Academic Excellence
Each year, members of the Academic Excellence Program (AEP) are given the opportunity to take part in the Academic Excellence Extension Program (AEEP). Students can work either individually or collaboratively on a project of their choice. At the end of the 10 weeks, students will present their work to guest judges, parents and friends during the Celebrating Excellence evening
The purpose of the program is to:
· Empower students to strive for excellence and achieve at their true potential.
· Maximise the potential of all students, converting gifts into talents.
· Provide students with a positive environment as a result of being involved in unique opportunities whereby they can pursue their interests.
· Offer students the opportunity to work with like-minded students.
· Train gifted and talented students to ensure correct attitudes and approaches to learning.
· Maintain academically able students, motivated.
· Cater for academically able students who are often self-directed learners.
· Ensure selected students excel at the attributes identified in the 51ɬɬapp Learner Profile.
· Provide students with the opportunity to apply 21st Century skills including working collaboratively and communicating with others, nurturing student creativity and problem solving skills.
Students can select from a wide range of projects. Click below to access the website with information relating to the program and past projects and the available projects.
Additional Details:
When: Every Tuesday
Start date: 5 June 2018
Time: 7.30am- 8.30am
Venue: TCC
Exhibition evening: Thursday 23 August 2018 (Celebrating Excellence Evening). Student projects will be exhibited and showcased to parents and friends later in the year.
Personal Projects
Some amazing projects are taking place and being produced. Students are encouraged to keep working on achieving their goals and to remember that they should be aiming to have their project complete by the end of the Term 2 holidays. Students are encouraged to have regular contact with their staff superior.
On the final day of Term Two, students will be given direction and time to work on their reports and exhibition. In Term 3 students will work on fine tuning their project, writing their report and designing their display.
HOMEWORK
Home study is seen as an integral part of the academic program of the College. It is recommended that all students should be engaged in consistent home learning. Regular, planned study timeslots organised around family, leisure and sport commitments are a guideline for success.
The guidelines below are average times recommended for 5 days/times per week (including weekends).
· Year 7 30-60 minutes per day
· Year 8 45-75 minutes per day
· Year 9 60-90 minutes per day
What is expected of Teachers?
· Homework should be issued with the intention to assist students consolidate their learning
· Outcome of homework should be communicated to students
· Provide suggested time to spend on set activities, e.g. (15 minutes)
· Differentiate homework to appropriately challenge each level of learner.
· Homework should be entered on SEQTA
What is expected of the student at home?
· Ensure that all possible homework is completed
· Work for short, concentrated bursts. Twenty to forty minutes of fully-focused effort interspersed with short breaks is recommended
Parents can help by?
· Regularly checking SEQTA for communications from teachers
· Providing a suitable environment for home study
· Insisting on a high standard of neatness for all work in all subject areas
· Providing firm support to follow a set study plan (thus helping the student to avoid overloading on any one night)
· Providing resources (e.g. providing internet access, obtaining books, encouraging the use of the library)
· Monitoring the effective use of the Internet
· Being actively involved in the learning with students
· If a student is unable to complete an ‘overnight’ learning task due to family reasons, please either email the teacher concerned or write a note in the Student Diary.
HOME-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
Parents are reminded that in the first instance, if you have concerns about your son’s or daughter’s progress, it is always appropriate to make direct contact with the relevant class teacher. If there is no resolution to your concerns, the College’s protocols require the Head of Year or Learning Area Coordinator to be contacted.
As our teachers have full time teaching loads, please note that any return of parental contact may not be possible until the following day. You are also encouraged to use Direct Message in SEQTA to bring matters to the attention of staff.
YEAR 9 STEM
Curiosity
“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” — Albert Einstein
Year Nine students across Mathematics, Technology and Enterprise and Science have been collaborating on the current STEM program. It has been running smoothly and the students are working on some great stop motion animations. Many of the students asked if an extension could be made as they have realised how much work and effort has to go into a stop motion animation.
The project manager of each student group will be asked to email their Mathematics, Technology and Science teachers with access to their portfolio by this deadline. The STEM Team will nominate the top animations and then choose some winners in terms of their final product.
