Teaching and Learning Report – February 2, 2018

January 31, 2018

Teaching and Learning in 2018

Students have returned from the summer holidays ready for classes with a noticeably positive attitude to learning. This year the College will continue to implement and develop a range of teaching and learning initiatives including:

  • Changes made in response to the Middle School Review including blocking Year 9 classes with the Senior School in order to offer a broader range of subjects. An extensive Community Service Program has also been developed for Year 9 students.

  • Expansion of the 1:1 device program with all boys in the Senior School using a HP Spectre laptop.

  • The appointment an EAL coordinator, Miss Sarah Slater, in order to better serve the needs of our students for whom English is an Additional Language (EAL).

The aim of these and other initiatives is to continue to provide a teaching and learning structure that recognises and responds to the diverse learning of students at St Patrick’s, giving all our boys every opportunity to achieve personal academic success.- –

Years 7 to 10 students will access their textbooks via an app called Campion MyConnect. This will enable students to use all the interactive resources associated with the textbook as well as having a PDF version for when they are offline.

2018 PAM log-in update

All parents should have received an email last week with their updated 2018 PAM login details.

St Patrick’s operates the online student information system (SIMON) to provide students and parents access to a range of information to support and further the learning of each boy. The Parent Access Module (PAM) provides parents online access to a range of information specific to their son(s) including:

  • His timetable

  • Attendance records

  • Daily messages

  • The College calendar

  • Performance on assessment tasks

  • Interim and end of semester reports

  • The booking of parent/student/teacher interviews

The email included your 2018 PAM log-in details, your username and password, which you will need in order to access the above information specific to your son(s). PAM can be accessed via the College’s homepage (https://www.stpats.vic.edu.au/) or by going directly to the PAM site – https://www.stpats.vic.edu.au/en/students-parents-staff/parent-access-module/

Student medical details must be updated through PAM. The majority of the excursion permissions forms will also be accessed through PAM.

A PAM Parent User Guide has been written to assist you with the log-in process and to explain the key features of PAM. It can also be accessed by clicking on the relevant tab in the PAM section of the College’s website – https://www.stpats.vic.edu.au/en/students-parents-staff/parent-access-module/

Parents requiring further assistance with their PAM login are asked to phone the College on 5331 1688.

Expected Standards of Attainment in Assessment Tasks Guidelines

The College’s Expected Standards of Attainment in Assessment Tasks Guidelines state that the expected minimum standard of attainment for graded assessment tasks in all Victorian Curriculum, Awakenings and VCE subjects at St Patrick’s College will be 50%.

The implementation of the Expected Standards of Attainment in Assessment Tasks Guidelines aims to:

— – – Promote and further a culture of high academic expectations amongst students,

— – – Reinforce and support the College’s committed to academic excellence,

— – – Further raise academic outcomes (with particular emphasis on, literacy, numeracy and VCE outcomes),

— – – Enhance student engagement and resilience,

— – – Establish clear expectations for students, parents and teachers alike regarding assessment tasks,

— – – Support the ongoing identification of students who might benefit from an individual learning plan,

— – – Inform any required discussions regarding a student’s readiness to progress to the following year level or equivalent subject,

The establishment and enforcement of expected standards of attainment for assessment tasks clearly indicates to all students, parents and teachers that the College will not accept mediocrity. These guidelines aim to reinforce in the boys’ minds that the College is committed to academic excellence and that doing the minimum will not be accepted.

The complete Expected Standards of Attainment in Assessment Tasks Guidelines can be accessed via the College’s website.

Mrs Julia Petrov

Acting Deputy Headmaster -“ Teaching and Learning