It’s That Time of Year Again…
As we approach the end of the first semester, I have been reflecting on how my parents responded upon receiving my school reports. I am grateful that they acknowledged my academic results and achievements, but just as importantly, they focused on the comments highlighting my character development – positive or negative. They focused on the evidence of an attitude of dedication to my learning and behaviours displayed toward other students and staff. The values my parents celebrated demonstrated that they wanted me to be faithful to God in all spheres of school life, the small things and the big things, and I am deeply thankful that they acknowledged growth in values alongside academic success.
I hope and pray that you celebrate with your child as you read their Semester 1 Mid-Year Academic Report, which will be sent home on Friday. Reading through every report, it is apparent that every student has much to be celebrated. Students often try to hide parts of themselves to fit in, be cool, or be popular. It is our job as educators to discover, reveal and honour their unique identities, personalities, God-given gifts, and achievements. As you read your child’s report, I encourage you to focus on their overall development. While academic achievements are important, and some would say the very basis for sending your child to school, we consider the growth of their character, in conjunction with their determination to learn, creates their journey towards becoming kind, respectful, responsible, and resilient individuals and is equally significant. Celebrate their unique character qualities and the academic progress they have made, and always remember that every child has their own path and pace.
Primary students acknowledged and celebrated as 'whole people' by their school community and family will be ready to embrace high school with increased confidence, a more balanced and holistic perspective on their education, and a developed character that treats others as they desire to be treated.
New Rating Scale
Our reports are based on teacher observations and assessments, highlighting academic performance and personal development. Christian School Tasmania has undertaken a review of the wording used by each of the schools, and to create alignment across the association, each learning area is now rated on the following scale:
Exceptional: Your child is extending with depth beyond the achievement standard expected for their year level.
Proficient: Your child is working beyond the achievement standard expected for their year level.
Competent: Your child is demonstrating the achievement standard expected for their year level.
Developing: Your child is working toward the achievement standard expected for their year level.
Limited: Your child is working well below the achievement standard expected for their year.
If your child is on an Individual Learning Plan f, it is noted as a P on your child’s report.
If you would like to discuss these definitions and how they apply to your child’s progress in more detail, please make a booking for the upcoming
Parent / Teacher Interviews so your child’s teacher can review your child’s report in more detail with you.
As in previous reports, we continue to assess Progress as a Learner, which includes personal and social development and work habits. These attributes are rated as Consistently, Frequently, Occasionally, or Rarely, reflecting lifelong learning dispositions essential for success at school and beyond.
Our aim is to foster a partnership between home and school to support your child’s learning journey. When you receive your child’s report, can I please also encourage you to discuss it with them? It is important not to judge your child’s progress by comparison with others, even within the same family. Children are not born with identical potential, nor will they develop identical abilities. As long as a child is developing to their capacity for learning and is happily adjusted socially and spiritually, parents and teachers have every reason to rejoice and praise God.
Teachers prayerfully consider each and every comment in their student’s reports and they enjoy the opportunity to reflect on the valuable learning opportunities they have shared with their class. As you receive your child’s report, I encourage you to take a moment to thank God for our precious students and pray that they will discover, share, and celebrate all God has designed and created them to be, growing their trust in God to guide them through their school years. Let's also give thanks for each child's growth and development so far this year and continue to work together to nurture their academic, personal, and spiritual growth. By celebrating who they are, not just what they achieve, we help them build a strong foundation to equip them for life now and in the future.
Bethany Armstrong - Principal
