From the Principal's Desk
Our students and staff are getting ready for a great P&F Colour Explosion Fun Run on Friday 18 November. Parents are able to come along from 11:30am to assist with the BBQ Sausage Sizzle and run set up. We are looking forward to a great day. See previous Compass notifications for further details.
This is the major fundraising event of the year for the Good Samaritan P&F. The Colour Explosion Fun Run has not been held since 2019 so we are very excited about being able to hold it in 2022!
Dear Parents and Caregivers of Good Samaritan,
Our teachers are currently working on the Semester 2 reports. Reporting to parents is a significant part of the overall assessment and reporting process of the school. Often there can be an element of confusion or misunderstanding as to what the reports actually tell parents about their child’s progress.
Below are some Frequently Asked Questions to support your understanding of the reporting process.
Why does the school use the A-E system?
For the past 14 years It has now been a requirement of national legislation for Primary schools to provide twice-yearly written reports for students in Years 1 - 6.
What type of report is the A-E report?
The A-E reports are standards-referenced which, in NSW, means reporting is based on the Common Grade Scale. (see common grade scale below)
A standards referenced report differs to a norm referenced report in that the report is written against a set of standards as identified by the the outcomes of the NSW Syllabus.
Within a norm referenced reporting system students are evaluated against one another such as in NAPLAN. This student to student comparison does not occur in the standards referenced reporting system, rather the reference is made against the individual student’s achievement of the outcome.
Common Grade Scale:
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A |
The student has extensive knowledge and understanding of the content and can readily apply this knowledge. In addition, the student has achieved a very high level of competence in the processes and skills and can apply these skills to new situations. |
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B |
The student has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the content and a high level of competence in the processes and skills. In addition, the student is able to apply this knowledge and these skills in most situations. |
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C |
The student has a sound knowledge and understanding of the main areas of content and has achieved an adequate level of competence in the processes and skills. |
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D |
The student has a basic knowledge and understanding of the content and has achieved a limited level of competence in the processes and skills. |
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E |
The student has an elementary knowledge and understanding in few areas of the content and has achieved very limited competence in some of the processes and skills. |
If my child was awarded a ‘B’ grade last semester and is awarded a ‘C’ grade this semester does that mean they have gone backwards?
Definitely not! In the standards referenced reports students make growth against the outcome. Over the course of the year, different outcomes are taught. Whilst these outcomes may be more challenging, they will be different to what has been taught previously - hence the variation in the grade.
My child only ever receives a ‘C’ grade, should I be concerned?
All parents and teachers want the children to achieve all that they can throughout every semester. However, the ‘C’ grade indicates that the student is achieving the standard (outcome) at a sound (stable/solid) level of knowledge and understanding for their age and development.
How can I support my child to understand the report?
Receiving their school report can be an anxious time for some students. As parents, our reaction to the report can influence how our child views their learning, how this may affect their confidence levels and their engagement in school life.
It is important that children feel a sense of accomplishment so the feedback they receive needs to be effective and easy for the child to understand. Here’s a couple of tips to think about when speaking to your child about their report:
1.Be mindful of your child’s confidence levels
2.Honesty: we want children to feel happy but we also need the feedback to be effective and work to influence their continued learning
3.Constructive: make plans with your child about how they might improve; ask them where they feel they need to improve (they will know); set small goals and check in with them as to how they are going; ask them ‘what do I need to do to help you improve…/achieve the goal…’
4.Inclusive: children need to be included in the conversation; it can’t be done for them; they have to do it so they need to know how and they need to be challenged with high support from home and school.
When will I receive the report?
Reports will be distributed to parents on Friday 9 December. The reports are distributed to parents via Compass.
As we journey, together, with Jesus,
Toni Sillis
Principal