Acting Principal’s Message

By Acting Principal, Mr Stephen Hill

How apt that in the week that concluded with Pentecost Sunday that the ‘gift’ that are your boys was given to us. As we come to the end of the second week with all Year 11 and Year 12 students and select Year 10 boys back on-site for classroom learning, St Patrick’s is starting to once again feel like school as it should be.

From next Tuesday (June 9), all Years 7 – 10 students will return to onsite learning and I ask all Year 7-10 students and parents to re-visit the previously distributed Frequently Asked Questions for a concise, user-friendly summary of the important information regarding their return to on-site learning.  Once again, we ask that you keep visiting the special COVID-19 page on the College website for all the latest information as the effects of the pandemic continue to unfold.  Please do not hesitate to contact the College should you have any questions which are not answered in the FAQ.

National Reconciliation Week 2020: In this Together

National Reconciliation Week is held on the same dates every year – from 27 May to 3 June. These dates mark two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey – the successful 1967 referendum, which gave the Australian Government the power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to include them in the Census, and the High Court Mabo decision, which saw the concept of terra nullius overturned.

In normal times, the highlight of the College’s recognition and acknowledgment of Reconciliation Week would be a gathering of the whole school for its annual Reconciliation Assembly. Yet another significant event cancelled due to COVID-19!

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn and reflect on our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ shared histories, cultures and achievements. It is also a time to explore and understand more about the important role each of us as members of the St Patrick’s College community can play in furthering the dignity and mutual respect of all.

The Semester Two calendar

Our attention is now drawn to reviewing and updating the Semester Two calendar. As you would expect, there will be many changes to what has previously been published, particularly in the key areas of reporting, P/S/T interviews, 2021 subject selection, exams and end of year finish dates.   Our Year 12 boys are also starting to consider what the remainder of their year might look like, knowing that most of the whole school and Year 12 specific events and activities that are so much of what it is to be a Year 12 boy will not be an option in 2020. More information regarding the updated Semester Two calendar will be distributed before the end of the term.

Updated end Term 2 and beginning Term 3 dates

As previously notified, the College has considered it necessary to amend several key dates in response to a number of issues related to the return to classroom learning for all students:

• Term 2 classes for all Years 7-12 students will now finish at 3.25 pm on Thursday, June 25
• Friday, June 26 will be a student free day to allow staff to prepare for Term 3 classes
• Term 3 classes will start on Monday, July 13. Students will be expected in class on this day. The first day of Term 3 will no longer be a student free day.

Please note that these dates represent a substantial change from previously published calendars.

The College’s Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) obligations

For some students, teacher feedback to completed assessment and classwork tasks may include additional information regarding the modification of these tasks in acknowledgment of the specific learning needs of some boys. This information is provided in accordance with our obligations to the federal government regarding the College’s Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) obligations.

Along with all other schools, St Patrick’s is required to provide evidence for the NCCD program. This includes the provision of clear and transparent information relating to any additional assistance students receive in the classroom delivery of the curriculum and any amendments to assessment tasks.

The NCCD is based on the professional judgement of teachers about the adjustments and actions taken to enable a student with a learning difficulty or disability to access and participate in education on the same basis as other students.   The evidence available to parents via PAM will reflect the wide range of practices of teachers in meeting the educational needs of students consistent with our obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA), the Disability Standards of Education 2005 and best teaching practices.

Not all students with adjustments to their learning will be included in the NCCD however, as a school we must provide evidence of a minimum of 10 weeks (non-consecutive) adjustment and support. The support does not detract from a student’s academic results or indicate a learning difficulty or disability, unless it has been diagnosed by an outside specialist. Rather, it is evidence of good teaching practice to support the identified learning needs of the student.

Further information regarding the NCCD program can be found at https://www.nccd.edu.au/