A warm welcome back to everyone. As parents and carers of our students, we would like to work in partnership with you during this important Term for all our students. Below are essential announcements regarding assessments and the upcoming TA interview.

Year 12 (and Unit 4 students)

In our continued collective effort to support our current students enrolled in Unit 3 and 4 subjects, Damascus College Teachers have been running VCE Revision Workshops, Trial Exams and Revision Lecture Series. Most of these occur during class time; however, some do occur after school or on weekends. We would appreciate it if you could engage in conversation with your student by encouraging them to attend these after-hour trial exams or workshops.

The after-hour trial exams not only emulate the environment but also allow for last-minute feedback, which is critical just before the exams. Please discuss these opportunities with your student.

Year 7 - 11 Final Assessments

Year 7 to 11 students will move into official assessments over the next few weeks. These official assessments include exams, diagnostic tests and final assessment tasks. If conducted, exams will take place during class time and follow a dedicated timetable. Caroline Nolan (VCE Coordinator) will send correspondence relating to Year 11 exams, and I will provide details of 7-10 exams.

The exams for Years 7-10 will take place from 6 November 2023 to 10 November 2023. Year 11 exams will occur from 15 November 2023 to 21 November 2023. Students will receive their exam information and timetable next week.

Teachers will officially begin the revision process for exams from around week 3 of Term 2; please check on PAM and through the monthly Student Digest for exam dates and final assessment tasks for your student’s subjects.

Trying to complete all tasks and prepare for tests/exams can be anxiety-inducing for some students, especially coming out of remote learning.

Students in Years 7-10 will also be sitting diagnostic tests which will take place on 23 and 24 November 2023. These are the Progressive Achievement Test Maths, Reading and Spelling (PAT R/M). Progressive Achievement Testing (Years 7-10) focuses on assessing and monitoring student growth over time. It is underpinned by an understanding that students of the same age and in the same school year can be at very different points in their learning and development.

These assessments provide valuable information to teaching staff:

• about students’ current learning needs and introduce new strategies that will assist in their academic development;
• affirms students’ achievements, particularly in relation to their Victorian Curriculum level.

More information on PAT R/M can be obtained from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).

The PAT R/M are not tests we expect your child to study for.

We encourage all students to participate in this test; however, conversations regarding non-participation may be a matter for consideration by parents and carers in consultation with Matthew Hallowell, Leader of Student Growth and Engagement. Arrangements will be made to assist students with additional needs if the student regularly uses similar support for classroom assessment tasks.

Early Start and Early Start Booklist

Early start will occur from 27 November 2023 to 5 December 2023. During these scheduled days, students will participate in their 2024 classes. Next week, communication regarding the Early Start novels will be sent out to families. Students who have been selected to participate in the Year 10 Hands on Learning Program (HoLP) and VCE VM students will not need to purchase novels. It is expected that all VCE students will purchase their novels in readiness for Early Start.

Teacher Advisor (TA) Interviews

We wanted to remind you about some important changes to our TA and Subject Interview schedule. In our ongoing efforts to enhance attendance and engagement in TA Interviews and Subject Interviews, we have adjusted our approach.

For the year 2024, we will be focusing on TA Interviews in Term 1, followed by Subject Interviews in Term 2. In Term 3, we will combine both TA and Subject Interviews to provide a comprehensive discussion of your student’s progress and goals.

Please note that there will no longer be TA interviews in Term 4 2023.

We want to emphasise the importance of open communication between families, Teacher Advisors, and subject teachers. This continued collaboration strengthens the relationships between teachers, students, and parents/carers and ensures the best possible support for your student’s education.