Dear St. Joseph’s School Community,

Advice on Semester Reporting

I am writing today to share what will happen with reporting in this Covid-19 period. As we all know our school moved to remote learning as a result of Covid-19 and with this change our usual ways of working and engaging with students have looked very different in this period.

The Covid-19 curriculum change will also have an impact on how we assess and report on this valuable student learning. Our school, teachers, students and families have all had to adapt, change and respond to the landscape – sometimes on a daily and weekly basis. As we are all well aware there have been countless positive opportunities and new learning, but there have also been challenges and we have each responded as best we could to what was a very different second term school program.

I again thank every student for all they have achieved and all they have contributed – they should all be very proud of their efforts, resilience, persistence, managing challenging moments and ultimately the work they completed over the Covid-19 learning time. I also again thank each parent/carer and family member for your encouragement, feedback, patience and willingness to engage with us to support your child’s ongoing wellbeing and learning.

With all of this in mind, I would ask you to appreciate that the content on which we report is reduced, as the usual assessments and teacher observations undertaken in the everyday classroom have not been fully possible this term.

Teachers will use a broad evidence-base to make their own balanced assessments of your child’s progress at this point in time. Such evidence includes teacher/student communication, student-led conversations and teacher observations, term one notes, work samples and staff comprehensive record-keeping during the remote off-site program.

Curriculum Advice

In that context, the report will look different from usual. Following the advice of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), Victorian Department of Education and Training, and the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria Ltd (CECV), this report will provide:

• An assessment of student learning from Term 1 in English, Mathematics and Religious Education.
• A description of the anticipated knowledge and skills covered in the remote and flexible learning period of Term 2
• A statement advising parents of the other areas of the curriculum taught in Semester One.
• A remote and flexible learning comment stating how the student has adjusted to the remote and flexible learning environment.
• A general comment on how each student has settled into the 2020 school year, their participation in developing their learning skills during the Learning Behaviours (Respectful Relationships) Unit of work in term one.

Parent-Teacher Communication

• An opportunity for parents of students who were full time onsite during Remote Learning to communicate with the classroom teacher will be made available to discuss the report.
• Parents who attend PSG’s will already have communicated with their child's teacher and so will not require a separate conversation to discuss the report.
• There has been a significant amount of communication between teachers and parents of students learning from home. Many parents may feel this has fulfilled their needs and may choose not to request any further communication this term regarding the student’s report.
• If a parent/ teacher is of the opinion that a conversation about the report is necessary, either can make a request.

The end of year report (December) will provide a more normal and comprehensive view of the years learning across all usual curriculum areas.

In summary

Reports will be made available via our Parent Access Module (PAM) that can be accessed from the link on the SZApp or the link on our website (Android users should use this link).

Reports will be available from Monday 22nd June, 2020 from 4pm.

With constant home school phone/google communication the normal parent-teacher visit on site will not be required or be able to occur this term. However, if important information by a parent or teacher is still required either can express the need for a call. This will be organised with your child’s classroom teacher in the last week of the term.

Again I thank everyone for your help with these arrangements during our transition to full schooling. Again any issue can be clarified as needed by contacting our office on 5516 1343.

Regards,
Michael Gray. Principal.