As the year is coming to and end and we have had a lot of events on, we would like to celebrate these in our final newsletter of the year next Tuesday 8 December.
Lego League
The Regional LEGO League heat has just finished and I am pleased to announce that the Secondary Team (Totally Brik) where awarded 2nd Place overall, which is our best effort yet (based on Robot Design, Robot Run, Innovation Project and Core Values).
To top off a great day, Carramar Primary (Active Ants) were awarded 1st Place overall making it a Carramar 1st and 2nd with Duncraig Primary receiving an individual award as well.
If you see the following students during the week please congratulate them and wish them luck for the Nationals in 2 weeks at Curtin Uni.
Charlee Blair, Harry Blair, Aden Randell, Jack Koong, Torin Doak, Charlie Schoeman, Harrison Hawker, Luke Shirdon, Kyra Bartels, Hayley Wenn, David Bejan, Elijah Bosma, Noah Carter
TIM DRAKE
Carramar Library
As 2020 is slowly coming to a close we would like to ask all parents and students to search their homes to see if there are any library books/resources that need to be returned or renewed before the end of the year.
We would also like to remind all years 3-12 students that they are most welcome to come and borrow for the holidays. Students in PK-2 are welcome to come with a parent to borrow for the holidays. These books will be due back at the start of our 2021 year.
Best wishes for a safe and joyful festive season.
CARRAMAR LIBRARY STAFF
Holiday Hijinx
The hardest part of the school holidays can be finding something for the kids to do. Ward off the constant ‘I’m bored!’ declarations and make screen time more productive at Fire Tech’s STEM workshops this January.
Kids can brush up on their tech talents at a range of workshops including Junior Adventures in Augmented Reality, Creating for YouTube, Making Games with ROBLOX, Video Game Design, Lego Stop-Motion Animation and Digital Music.
There are courses to suit children aged between 9-17 and the cost rivals that of vacation care, all while the kids walk away with a new skill.
Sign up for the SUMMER SPECIAL with workshops starting from $99 a day and running from 10am-4pm between January 11 and 15 at the School’s Duncraig Campus.
Find out more at firetechcamp.com.au
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
Tickets for our cross campus production, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe are on sale NOW.
Due to current COVID restrictions we are limited to the number of tickets we can sell, so it is worth getting in quick! Please note, if/when COVID restrictions are lifted we will release more tickets, but government guidelines restrict us from selling the full capacity of the theatre at this stage.
C.S Lewis’ original work is reimagined in this contemporary interpretation of a much loved classic. Year 7-12 students from both campuses take us on a magical tour through the wardrobe and into the Land of Narnia. A feast for the senses, including incredible puppetry and stage combat, this production is sure to delight young and old alike.
ECU School of Engineering CREATE STEM School Holiday Program – January 2021
Following two successful programs held in the school holidays in July and September/October this year, we are pleased to announce the ECU School of Engineering STEM School Holiday Program – CREATE will be offered in January 2021 and the dates are 13 January, 14 January and 15 January. This program is offered at no cost to participating students.
CREATE is designed to support the teaching and learning of STEM subjects for students interested in STEM studies, and is suitable for students currently enrolled in Years 8 to 10.
Limited places are available and registration closes on 16 December 2020.
More information about this program can be obtained from the Administration Team, School of Engineering by email at se-create@ecu.edu.au or by telephone on 6304 2924 / 2926.
January 2021 Jump-Start Program
Master Mind Australia is delivering a comprehensive January Preparation Program for all students entering years 7 to 12 in 2021.
The University of Notre Dame
Twilight Tours | 3 & 8 December, 5.30pm
Considering your uni options? Notre Dame’s Twilight Tours are the perfect opportunity to chat with current students and staff, and enjoy an evening in Fremantle’s West End. Take a tour of our unique town university and find out more about studying at our 5-star rated university.
Architecture Summer School | 11-15 or 18-22 January 2021
Ever wondered what it’s like to design cities, building and landscapes? Find out what it’s like to study, work, and create amazing built environments as an architect at Notre Dame’s Architecture Summer School. Open to students who will be in Year 11 and 12 in 2021.
Register now at notredame.edu.au/events
Exam FAQ
Exam time can be a stressful time for the whole family. We wanted to provide a simple explanation about some of the Frequently Asked Questions we receive around results and the meaning behind some of the commonly used acronyms and phrases.
We would like to firstly note that League Tables, which have become widely used as a simple measurement of results in the media, rank schools based upon single measure metrics.
However, schools provide a range of opportunities that are not reflected in many of these tables including service learning, work experience, tours, camps and the like. Different practices between schools regarding scholarships, pathways and subject selections also mean that results are not comparing like for like. As St Stephen’s believes in the holistic education of a child with both academic achievement and student wellbeing being central to what “success” looks like for a Year 12 graduate, perhaps a more accurate table or statistic to look at for university-bound students is what percentage of students got into university.
- What are the league tables?
While some find merit in the single metric measurements of league tables, at St Stephen’s, we find they only provide a limited snapshot of achievements and do not reflect all students who undertake Year 12 studies in different areas. Since 2016, the three tables commonly reported on are: the percentage of students obtaining a WACE, the median ATAR and schools’ performance in VET (this is the percentage of students who achieve a Certificate II or higher compared to those who attempted it is the metric – in the last few years St Stephen’s has been achieving a 100% rating in this space).
- What is the WASSA?
All students receive a Western Australian Statement of Student Achievement (WASSA) when they complete Year 12. The WASSA was introduced to WA in recent years to bring the State’s reporting in line with the rest of the country. It formally records a student’s achievement in every course, qualification and program completed in senior secondary schooling and provides evidence of achievement.
- What is the WACE?
The West Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) is awarded to students who have successfully completed senior secondary schooling and have met the specific WACE requirements. These include either achieving an ATAR score (complete at least four Year 12 ATAR courses) or a Certificate II (or higher) in a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification, plus meeting literacy and numeracy standards, grade standards and studying a breadth of subjects. More information about the requirements can be found on the School Curriculum and Standards Authority website at senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au.
- What is ATAR and how is it calculated?
ATAR stands for Australian Tertiary Admission Rank. It is used to rank students who wish to enter public universities in Australia relative to one another. Find more at www.tisc.edu.au/static/guide/atar-about.tisc. The ATAR is calculated by averaging moderated school marks and examination marks to determine a combined course mark. These scores are then standardised and then scaled. The top 4 scaled scores of appropriate course combinations are added together to produce the School Leaver Tertiary Entrance Aggregate, this is then converted into an ATAR score. Find more here: www.tisc.edu.au/static-fixed/statistics/misc/marks-adjustment-process.pdf
- Why is calculating the ATAR so complicated?
The statistical processes used are done in the interests of fairness for all. Moderation of school marks occurs to ensure that students are neither advantaged or disadvantaged as a result of differences in the standards of assessment and marking that occurs within different schools. Standardising marks is to compensate for variations that may occur in the difficulty of particular examinations from year to year. Scaling takes account of the ability of students undertaking different courses to ensure that students taking difficult courses are not disadvantaged or advantaged if they take an easier one.
- What is VET?
VET stands for Vocational Education and Training. It provides students with qualifications recognised nationally by industry and training organisations. At senior school level, the qualifications offered are usually Certificate I, II, III, or IV courses. More at senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/vet/faqs