Teaching and Learning Report – August 27, 2015

2016 Subject Selection

Current Year 8 students attended the student information session for 2016 Year 9 this week. While at this session, the boys received a copy of the 2016 Year 9 Information Booklet and the 2016 Year 9 Subject Selection Guide. The information booklet provides an overview of the Middle School program and includes descriptions of the core and elective subjects being offered in Year 9 at St Patrick’s College in 2016. The selection guide goes through subject selection process step-by-step.

Electronic copies of the documents distributed during this session, including the PowerPoint presentation can be accessed via the St Patrick’s College using the following link – https://www.stpats.vic.edu.au/en/students-parents-staff/curriculum/middle-school/

The 2016 Year 9 Subject Selection Guide is due on Friday, September 4. The completed selection form is to be returned to the relevant Pastoral Group Tutor.- Students will be using the College’s computer network to enter their proposed 2016 subject choices into the timetable database during weeks 9 and 10 of this term

Should you have any concerns regarding your son’s options for 2016 Year 9 please do not hesitate to contact the College and speak to Mr Neal Arthurson (Head of Middle School), any relevant Year 8 subject teachers or myself.

National Assessment Program -“ Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) report

Parents of Year 7 and Year 9 boys were mailed their son’s 2015 National Assessment Program -“ Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) report this week. The NAPLAN is designed to show parents how well their son is progressing in relation to what is expected in the key areas of reading, writing, language convention and mathematics for his year level, and how he is progressing in relation to expected statewide and national levels of achievement for these areas.

Parents of Year 7 and Year 9 boys are asked to contact their son’s English and/or Mathematics teacher, or myself, regarding any questions or concerns they might have in relation to the information contained in the NAPLAN report.

From Head of Faculty -“ Mathematics

From the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI):

Mathematics is taught in every secondary school in Australia but very few of us know about the wide range of jobs available to those who take their mathematics study further. Unlike lawyers, doctors and engineers working mathematicians and statisticians don’t get a simple job title. This makes it hard for students and their families to know about the huge range of sought after and well-paid careers on offer across many areas including health, finance, education, energy, game design, data science and telecommunications. The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) publishes Maths Ad(d)s to tell students, their families and schools about these exciting opportunities. Maths Ad(d)s helps answer that old question, -Where can I go with maths?- – Through the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers AMSI is aiming to deliver Maths Ad(d)s to as many secondary school families as possible.

Download a free copy of Maths Ad(d)s at their careers site: – careers.amsi.org.au/mathsadds

From Head of Faculty -“ Science

National Science Week -“ Student Invitation Project

All students in Year 7, 8 and 9 have been invited to take part in the Galaxy Explorer online citizen science project. Galaxy Explorer asks you to help astronomers classify and size more than 200,000 galaxies from the comfort of your own home as part of this year’s National Science Week citizen science project.-

https://www.galaxyexplorer.net.au/

A number of students have taken up the opportunity to be a part of this project. Some feedback I have received from them is:

-I’ve signed up for this and I’ve already gotten a colliding Galaxy- Year 9 student

-This is great- Year 7 student

-I’m classifying lots; I hope I win the telescope- Year 8 student

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