Tag: Dr Liz Criddle

UPDATED EXAMINATION REGULATIONS

February 10, 2020

The rules of conduct for the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) Year 12 ATAR course examinations will be published in the Year 12 Information Handbook Part II: Examinations 2020, which will be uploaded to the SCSA website in July 2020.

Given the challenge of identifying and determining the use of mobile technologies in the examination room, please note that we have just been notified that a new rule will be implemented from 2020 for the Year 12 ATAR course examinations: no candidate will be permitted to wear or take any watch or wireless-enabled technology device e.g. Fitbit, into the examination room. These items will be considered unauthorised items.

Unauthorised items include:

mobile phone
analogue or smart watch or Fitbit or similar device
mobile device that has wifi and/or bluetooth capabilities
mobile storage device
non-approved calculator
calculator cover
non-transparent pencil case
non-approved notes or any other print material relevant or irrelevant to this examination, (for example, writing on the back of your hand or arm, or blank paper)
headphones, earplugs, earbuds or other unauthorised listening device
wallet, purse or bag
food, lollies or chewing gum
or any other unauthorised item.

The school Year 10-12 Examination Regulations will be updated to include this change, and it will be mentioned to Year 11 and 12 students in Education Plus.

Liz Criddle

Deputy Head of Secondary (Teaching & Learning)

STUDY SKILLS FOR OUR STUDENTS

February 3, 2020

St Stephen’s is a subscriber to the study skills website www.studyskillshandbook.com.au

This is a website that helps students develop essential skills for academic success. There are units of work on topics such as improving time management skills, how to study, research skills, summarising, technology use, brain and memory.

There are heaps of resources, including useful handouts, grids and planners on the Things to Print page. We spend time in Forum and Education Plus working through some of the Study Skills Handbook activities, as well as using other resources. Parents are encouraged to chat to their children about the study skills covered at school, as well as to take a look at the site for advice and assistance with their child’s study routine.

To access the handbook, go to www.studyskillshandbook.com.au and login as a subscriber with these details:

username:   ststephens

password:   100success

Dr Liz Criddle

Deputy Head – Teaching and Learning

SCSA Parent and Community Website

March 14, 2019

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) has developed a website to support parents and members of the community. The Parents and Community website is accessible on the School Curriculum and Standards Authority website https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au via a new tab – Parents and Community.

The website has been developed for parents and community members as a guide to:

  • what children and young people should learn
  • how they are assessed
  • the standards children and young people are expected to reach at each year level.

The website presents information that parents often ask the Authority and will enhance their communication with schools. It has been developed with input from representatives of key parent groups.

Dr Liz Criddle

Deputy Head of Secondary

myEdOnline

November 19, 2018

myEdOnline is a new personalised learning platform, and is included in the Booklist for 2019. This is an App which allows differentiation for all students and live tracking of student learning. The App also allows for teachers to give instant feedback on a quest or assessment. It will also be used to create digital lessons for students, deliver engaging lessons and get real-time insights into exactly where each student is at in their individual learning journey.

For more information about how each Learning Area is using the App, please refer to the program page in SEQTA at the start of 2019.

Dr Liz Criddle

Deputy Head of Secondary

Welcome Back

July 31, 2018

Welcome back to Semester Two! I hope all our families had a good three weeks break. I have been here during the break, seeing and supporting the amazing work taking place in the Houses. I still cannot believe what was achieved in only three weeks. They are almost finished, and Carana and Timae look amazing, so I am sure Aletheans must be excited about what is going to be happening later in the year.

We start Semester Two with a few changes for study programs. Some students have a change in electives, plus would have had some great feedback from teachers at the Reporting Day and in SEQTA comments. In our first assembly for the year, I talked to the students about this being a great halfway point to assess goals, review goal setting with your Homeroom teachers, and find focus for Semester Two.  This could be as diverse as a focus on excellence, on goals, on class work, friendships, and final results at the end of the year.

The Year 12s have returned focused and ready for their final weeks of schooling. In assembly, I thanked the Year 12 students for their leadership of our school. Sometimes at this stage it can feel like you have been at school for ever, our senior students have been racing toward the finish line for so long and now it is almost here. My hope for them is to keep strong, and keep focused on their goals. We have shared a lot together and are here with all our students, and with our Year 12 cohort as they focus on the finishing line and we run the final part of this race together.

Dr Liz Criddle

Deputy Head of School

YEAR 10 PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS

April 10, 2018

Parents will note that the Year 10 interviews are timed to be held at the end of Semester One. The timing of interviews is related to the process for senior secondary subject selection, which includes subject recommendations, individual subject counselling, the Careers Expo, Course Handbook and Information Evening. SEQTA feedback includes ongoing suggestions for concerns to be addressed or changes made during the term. Information about the whole subject selection process will be emailed to parents early in Term Two. If you have any queries, please contact Student Services.

Dr Liz Criddle

Deputy Head of Secondary

YEAR 7, 8 AND 9 PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS

April 10, 2018

Parents will note from the school calendar that these interviews are timed to be held at the start of Semester Two, after parents have received Semester One reports in June. Because of the rollover, the Semester One report will report on Term 0, 1 and 2. The parent/teacher interviews are at the start of Term 3. Parents have the semester break 30 June -22 July to discuss the report with their child, before meeting teachers right at the start of Semester Two. This means parents have all of Term 3 and 4 to make any changes and to work on feedback, while it is also expected that the feedback being provided in an ongoing manner in SEQTA is also being accessed throughout the whole year. SEQTA feedback includes ongoing suggestions for concerns to be addressed or changes made and is intended to ensure that there are no surprises for parents when Semester One reports are received. Information about how to book interviews will be emailed to parents closer to the date.

Dr Liz Criddle

Deputy Head of Secondary

National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)

February 14, 2018

Next week Year 7 and 9 students will bring home an information booklet about the National Assessment Program – Numeracy and Literacy. This contains details of the assessment program and how you can support your child. Please ask your child to hunt around in their school bag so this information does not get lost! If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the school.

Dr Liz Criddle

Deputy Head of Secondary

Excellence

January 31, 2018

In this week’s whole school assembly, we congratulated 2017 students who achieved great results in their chosen pathways, and congratulated current students in other areas of achievement in our school. I spoke about an Australian who has been recognised for their personal (and team) excellence, Professor Michelle Simmons our Australian of the Year. I talked about how Prof. Simmons thought at a young age about all the things that people didn’t really expect her to be able to do. When she surprised other people, she started thinking: ‘there must be other things that people don’t expect of me, let me find out what they are’. I asked our school community what you might be able to achieve, what difference you might be able to make in order to surprise me, surprise your teachers, and do the unexpected.

Other peoples expectations can be challenging, they can make us re-think our perspective.  My expectation for us all this year can be summed up in one word: Excellence. I want you to achieve excellence for yourself at school. I talked about deciding what excellence means for you. It could mean that you are giving your best, and that you are working out what you can achieve. It could mean – getting an extra three percent in a test, creating an object that has that little bit more of your creativity in it, working at a friendship that is not going so well….. Achievement is different for all of us.

We celebrated Year 12 students who have all taken completely different pathways after leaving school. All needed to have their own understanding of excellence and the belief that they could achieve the unexpected. Your pathway is uniquely yours, and your idea of excellence is yours. I encourage you to start the year well, to support your peers and encourage them, and to keep excellence as your goal. Have an excellent year!

Dr Liz Criddle

Deputy Head – Teaching and Learning

Welcome to the 2018 Academic Year

October 5, 2017

A summary of information regarding the start and finish dates of each term in the 2018 Five Term Academic Year (commencing now in October 2017) was emailed to all families by Ms McKeone last term. These and other important dates are available to view using the school calendar which is located here; http://calendar.ststephens.wa.edu.au/term.php, and details regarding events can be found in SEQTA Engage Documents or the school Bulletin.

My best wishes to all our students and families for the commencement of the new academic year. Our thoughts and prayers are with the 2017 Year 12 ATAR students who will be commencing their WACE Examinations in a few weeks time.

Dr Liz Criddle

Deputy Head of Secondary