Parent Teacher Evening

Our Parent/Teacher evenings are planned for Thursday 25 August, 3.30pm - 7.00pm and Wednesday 31 August, 3.30pm - 6.30pm. This is a great opportunity for you to meet with your child's class teachers to discuss their progress. Due to the COVID restrictions, we will conduct the evenings via Microsoft Teams. To make a booking for your child(ren), parents will need to login to the Sentral Parent Portal. The booking portal is now open. Parents can book interviews on either or both evenings. We encourage students to attend the interview with their parents so that we can work in partnership to achieve the best outcomes.

Progressive Achievement Tests – Spelling

This fortnight, Years 7 to 10 students will complete their Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) in Spelling. PAT is an integrated approach to improving learning as it measures student’s knowledge, skills and understanding and helps pinpoint where they are in their learning journey. Students will be using their own devices to complete the test. I encourage all students to do their best as the results assist the College in helping monitor student progress.

Year 9 – Wednesday 24 August, Period 3

Year 8 – Thursday 25 August, Period 4

Year 10 – Friday 26 August, Period 3

Year 7 – Friday 26 August, Period 4

Year 10 Minimum Standards Tests

The HSC minimum standard is a way of supporting and ensuring students have a functional level of literacy and numeracy. To achieve an HSC in 2020 and beyond, students must sit the HSC minimum standards online tests in reading, writing and numeracy. Each of the three tests are of 45 minutes duration.

Minimum Standard Reading Test

• 45 multiple-choice questions
• Adaptive — meaning it tailors to a student's ability. Questions become harder or easier depending on whether a student is answering questions correctly or incorrectly.

Minimum Standard Numeracy Test

• 45 multiple-choice questions.
• Adaptive — meaning it tailors to student's ability. Questions become harder or easier depending on whether a student is answering questions correctly or incorrectly.
• An onscreen calculator will be provided for some questions.

Minimum Standard Writing Test

• One questionbased on a visual or text prompt.
• Response of up to 500 words to be provided in onscreen text box.
• Marked by trained markers according to the achievement level descriptions, relevance of writing to the topic, structure and sequence of ideas and control of language.

Preparing for the writing test

500 words is only a suggestion

• Many students can meet the minimum standard in fewer than 500 words.
• Students should try to use the full 45 minutes.
• Students should use some time to plan their response on a piece of paper, and some time to edit their work. For example, a student might write 400 words in 40 minutes and then spend five minutes editing the response.
• Any text that exceeds 600 words will be in red. It will still be marked, but is unlikely to add value to the student’s response.
• Students should place greater emphasis on the quality of the response rather than focusing on the word count.

Sample tests can viewed on NESA following the link https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/hsc-minimum-standard/online-tests

Year 10 students will be completing the minimum standards test in Week 7. A timetable will emailed to families in the coming weeks. 

Year 11 Examinations

Year 11 examinations will be held in Weeks 8 and 9. Students should be preparing for their examinations by revising the year's work and other study material set by their class teacher. If students have any questions regarding their exams, they are encouraged to talk to their class teachers. Good luck with your preparation Year 11.

Please see below for a copy of the Trial HSC Examination timetable.

The Carroll College community would like to warmly invite all fathers, guardians and grandfathers to attend our annual Fathers’ Day breakfast on Thursday 1 September from 7.30am to 8.30am. This year we will be having a Drive-Thru breakfast, due to the COVID restrictions. Please see below for a copy the invitation.

This weeks reminders

• Monday 22 August – student pupil free day
• All the best to our students competing at the Archdiocese Athletics Carnival on Tuesday 23 August.
• Parent teacher evening will be held on 25 August from 3.30pm – 7.00pm via Teams.

Term 3 examination and testing weeks:

• Week 5:  Year 12 HSC Trial exams continue
• Week 6:  Years 7 - 10 PAT spelling 
• Week 7:  Year 10 minimum standards tests
• Weeks 8 - 9:  Year 11 exams

Sandra Harris

Assistant Principal, Learning and Improvement