Parent Information Night

Year 6

Welcome

Tonight’s event is a follow up to the New Parent’s Evening from the end of 2015. There will be some repetition of information however tonight will focus more on the expectations of Year 6 Students and Parents from a College Perspective and some information on the day-to-day life of a Year 6 Student at Sacred Heart College.

Marist Charism College ThemesMarist Charism Theme for the Year:

Whole School Focus:

“The love of hard work”

Year 6 Marist Charism Focus:

Simplicity

Year 6 Theme:

“What does it mean to be a Sacred Heart College Student?”

Year 6 Vision Statement:

“Getting the little things right”

Timetable & Classroom Teachers

Staff at Sacred Heart College Middle School:

● SHCMS operates on a High School Timetable, meaning that they have different teachers for different subjects.

● Typically, your son will have two or more teachers that will know him really well.

Key teachersHomeroom Teachers

Ms Deborah Skewes

Mrs Tina Robins - English and HASS

Mr Ashleigh Bryans - Maths

Miss Natasha Williams - Science

Mr Sean Perry - Religion & Health/PE

Mr Matthew Andrigo - Health/PE, Maths, Science

Mrs Sonja Brownridge - English and HASS

Mrs Stephanie Vidoni - English and HASS

Mr Heath Varts - Health/PE, Maths, Science

Mrs Alice Tonkin - Religion and Health/PE

Structure of Support● The homeroom teacher is always the first person to contact. It will then be at their discretion to share the

information with other subject specific teachers, leaders of year level.

● Preferred contact with teachers is via email.

Homeroom Teacher

Leader of Teaching & Learning Leader of Student Wellbeing

Matthew Andrigo Ashleigh Bryans

Academic Expectations

Sacred Heart College has very clear expectations for students in regards to academics.

● Regardless of abilities, students try their very best in all subject areas.● Due dates and deadlines are met. If extensions are required, individual

teachers are contacted via email in advance.● Regular issues regarding missed due dates or unacceptable work will be

communicated and followed up by the Leader of Learning and Teaching - Matthew Andrigo.

AssessmentSacred Heart College follows the Australian Curriculum in planning and assessing student work.

● Accumulative Reports are distributed on the last day of each term. The accumulative nature of the report means that all students work contributes to their final report at the end of the year.

● Students are also assessed on Student Wellbeing and Academic Endeavour.● Subjects are graded on an A to E Scale - What does this mean?

○ A - Your child is demonstrating excellent achievement of what is expected at this year level.○ B - Your child is demonstrating good achievement of what is expected at this year level.○ C - Your child is demonstrating satisfactory achievement of what is expected at this year level.○ D - Your child is demonstrating partial achievement of what is expected at this year level.○ E - Your child is demonstrating minimal achievement of what is expected at this year level.

Homework ProceduresHomework is a valued part of the curriculum and is tailored to suit boys at different stages of their academic development:

● Reinforces and consolidates basic skills and newly introduced work.● Focus on completion and achievement.● Basic literacy and numeracy skills are a key element.● Supports time organisation and independent problem solving skills.● It is a student’s responsibility to record homework in their diary and check Google Classroom for

notes, tasks and due dates.● We encourage parents/carers to establish study habits and routines at home.● Homework Club

○ Offered Wednesday Afternoon (starting in Week 5) from 3:15pm - 4:00pm.○ Students can come to seek support with homework from a Year 6 Staff Member.

Diary & Assessment Portfolio

Students are allocated a Hard Copy Diary and Assessment Portfolio.

● The diary is used for personal organisation - homework and due dates - and is the responsibility of the student.

● The diary can be used for small notes to teachers, however larger correspondence is preferred via email.

● The Assessment Portfolio is where all student assessment pieces are found. This will be sent home regularly throughout the term so that parents can see how their son is travelling.

● It is an expectation that each new assessment piece is sighted and signed by the parents/carers before the portfolio is returned to school. This provides an opportunity to discuss your son’s work.

Behaviour Management & Restorative PracticeThe Behaviour Management system at SHCMS focuses on the concept of Restorative Practice

● In essence, Restorative Practice understands that we all make mistakes at times, but it is what we learn from these mistakes and how we act in the future that is important.

● When dealing with behaviours, teachers often have restorative conversations with students separating the individual from the behaviour and asking questions about what can be learned from the behaviour.

● Regular behavioural issues will be communicated and followed up by the Leader of Student Wellbeing - Ashleigh Bryans.

● Individual class teachers also have restorative reminder sheets to document low-level classroom behaviours. Frequent reminders will result in a Restorative Conversation, contact with the parent and information forwarded to LoSW.

ChromeBook & GoogleEach Year 6 Student will be given a ChromeBook during Week 1.

● The ChromeBook is a learning tool, much the same as an exercise book or pencil case.● At school, the ChromeBook is only to be used under the instruction of the teacher.● Each student will be allocated a ‘skin’ for their ChromeBook with their name, student ID number and

school crest.● Starting in Year 6, students WILL NOT be allowed to place stickers on any part of their ChromeBook

or case (different to other year levels - this is being phased in throughout the College).● ChromeBooks utilise Google Apps for Education (similar to Microsoft Office or Apple Suite) and is a

Cloud (or Internet) based operating system.○ To be most effective, students need to be connected to the internet in order to use the

ChromeBook to it’s capacity, however there are Offline capabilities.

ChromeBook & Google (continued)

● The ChromeBook utilises Google Classroom as a Learning Management System.

● Google Classroom allows for:○ Teachers to upload course materials - including assessments.○ Students to submit work○ Parents to see what students are working on - including tasks and due

dates (will need to access through student logins)● When Google Classroom is used effectively, it removes the excuse “I didn’t

know when it was due” or ‘I lost my sheet’ as it is all stored in the Classroom.

Curriculum Extension Activities (CEAs)Sacred Heart College offer a variety of Curriculum Extension Activities (CEAs):

● Adam Rice is CEA Sport Coordinator

● Meagan Kozlowski is CEA Music Coordinator

● Individual CEAs are coordinated by different staff members

○ Information is often disseminated electronically (via Google Drive or Intranet)

○ Contact should be made with individual CEA coordinators

● CEA Seasons:

○ Summer Season - Term 1 and Term 4

○ Winter Season - Term 2 and Term 3

● Expectations

○ If a student signs up to a CEA they are making a commitment and the expectation is that they attend ALL

trainings and games. If a student is to miss a game, advanced notification must be given to the individual CEA

coordinator.

○ CEA Detentions can be given for missing training/games without adequate reasoning.

Uniform

● PE Uniform is worn twice a week, formal

uniform is worn on other three days.

● Thursday - Friday

● Formal uniforms must be worn for major

school events - including assemblies,

liturgy and masses.

● Hats are to be worn on days where

UV Rating is higher than 3.

Camp WeekCamp will take place at El Shaddai next week!

● Timing:

○ Classes 6.21, 6.22 and 6.23 - Monday to Wednesday

○ Classes 6.24, 6.25 and 6.26 - Wednesday to Friday

● Purpose is to make new connections and get to know other students and staff in a camp environment.

● Permissions slips went home Tuesday and are due back Thursday.

● On two days back at school, students will be involved in various activities, including:

○ E-Smart Seminar

○ Google Skills Training

○ Building a Laptop Riser

○ Various Sports Activities

○ Watching Inside Out (for a Health Assignment) - Please return Permission Slip.

● Can students please wear PE uniform on days at school.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent Teacher Interviews will be taking place in Week 4.

● Times offered will be on Monday and Wednesday evening.

● Sessions are 15 minutes in length.

● Interviews are with the Homeroom Teacher only.

● PLEASE NOTE: The focus for these interviews are to discuss your Son’s Wellbeing - strengths,

areas of improvement and goals for the term/year. They are not an academic interview as only

a week of class contact time will have been completed by that stage of the interview.

● You are welcome to contact your son’s teachers at any stage.

● More information will be distributed soon.

Questions

Thank you for your time and participation in tonight’s welcome evening.

If you have any overarching questions please do not hesitate to ask.

There is now an opportunity to informally meet your son’s other core teachers in La Valla.

Thank you,

The Year 6 Team.