Year 12 Parent Information Evening

Tuesday 18 February 2014

Mr Darren Pitt

Director of Learning and Teaching ExcellenceSACE Coordinator

Mr Simon Murray

Headmaster

Sam McKinneyDeputy Headmaster/Head of Senior School

Mr David McShane and Ms Zoe AlfordSchool Counsellors

Pastoral Care

Mr Mark Colsey

Careers Counsellor

Careers

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• Aspirations – Any general goals, pathways?• Interests – what do they like to do, enjoy doing?• Values – what is important to them?• Skills & abilities – what do they do well?• Personality – what traits, what predispositions do they

have? How do they respond in certain situations?• Education – what level and type of education are they

prepared to undertake?

‘Self-assessment’

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The Importance of Planning

Goal setting is important to planningLong, intermediate & short term goals

SMART goals. Realistic - achievable

Be actively considering a number of plans

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Increasing career awareness

• The internet - Job Guide/MyFuture - Interest profile, career related internet sites, job outlook

• Course/profession information sessions• Tertiary information week - Open Days• Engaging with practitioners• Work Experience

The ‘HIGH FIVE’ in career development

1. Change is constant2. Follow your ‘passion’3. Main focus is on the journey 4. Stay learning – be engaged5. Be an ally – seek support and give support

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An ally’s (parent) role?• Be supportive and encourage exploration • Be good listeners, willing to discuss issues,

highlight their strengths, interests etc• Encourage your son to ‘own’ his future. Do not

do it for him, but be with him for it• Share any concerns with the School• Encourage a balanced lifestyle

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Tertiary & TAFE entry in SA• All applications are online and processed by SATAC• Selection for most courses is based on a student’s ATAR

(Australian Tertiary Admission Rank)• Students can apply for up to 6 uni & 3 TAFE courses -

placed in a preference order• Students can change their course preferences until

early January – they can change their minds!• Many courses have pre requisites and/or additional

selection requirements

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Tertiary Entry - Interstate• Can apply online for courses in each state, via a

separate tertiary admission centre, VTAC (Vic) UAC (NSW) etc

• Year 12 English requirements vary - each university decides

• A student’s SACE based ATAR result is accepted and unchanged in every State

• A student’s IB based score is accepted in every State but the score to ATAR conversion varies slightly

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IB score to ATAR calculations• For entry into SA courses, an IB score has an

equivalent ATAR pre determined by SATAC. These conversions are reviewed every 5 years

• In SA, and IB score of 37 = 97.35 and 30 = 86.5 • Bonus points apply for IB applicants as per SACE• For entry into courses in other States, a different

system is used to convert an IB score to an ATAR. These conversions change each year

• In Victoria, NSW, WA & Queensland for uni entry in 2014, an IB score of 37 = 95.5 and 30 = 83.25

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ATAR calculations - SACE• The final subject result is scaled and converted into a

score out of 20 (20 credit subject) or 10 (10 credit subject)• Nearly all of our students are doing a min of 90 credits• The best 80 credits of scaled scores (4 subjects) are used • The Research Project (10 credits) result can contribute to

the ATAR calculation – if it will improve it• This total (out of 80) is called the Uni Aggregate• Bonus points are added to the University Aggregate• A percentile distribution for the aggregates is then

calculated on a 99.95 – 0 scale to get the ATAR*• Sample from 2013: Aggregate 73 – ATAR 96.5 Aggregate 60 – ATAR 77.4

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Key Dates in 2014• 18 March: Saints Careers Evening• 25 & 26 May: Tertiary Studies & Careers Expo• 27 May: UK Tertiary study options – at Saints• 6 June: UMAT (online) applications due• 30 July: UMAT test• 5 August: Uni, TAFE & SATAC Evening at Saints• 15 to 17 Aug: Tertiary Information Days (expected)• 26 Sept: SATAC (and interstate) applications due

(expected). • TAFE allows for rolling applications.

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Key Planning Issues• Dates? Please collect the handout• Job Prospects? Career Awareness? Weblinks included in

the handout• Course Entry Requirements? Details in the SATAC Guides,

Tertiary Entrance Booklets• Career information will be in the School Newsletter• The Uni/TAFE application timeline? Aim to finalise course

applications before the end of term 3 at the latest – then revisit after the exams

Mr Darren PittDirector of Learning and Teaching Excellence

SACE Coordinator

SACE

SACE - What Should Be Happening Now?

At this stage, boys should:

• Make sure they are familiar with all course requirements and syllabus documents.

• Planning the year, knowing the hurdles.

• Be familiar with the Learning and Assessment Plan in each subject.

• Keep a regular study routine, beginning now, and plan a schedule for assignments and plan for test revision.

• Regularly use Keystone and the SACE Board website (www.saceboard.sa.edu.au) which contain vital information.

What Should Be Happening Now?

• Fostering proactive and independent learners.

– Fostering independent learning– Study periods– Periods 1 - 2 and 5 – 6

• In Year 12 it is a student’s responsibility to learn and the job of the teachers to facilitate, help and resource that learning.

Policies for Deadlines and Word Count

• Students who do not meet deadlines set according to school procedures must be awarded zero for the late piece of work. Students who miss a deadline for legitimate reasons are required to present a medical certificate to the SACE Coordinator, Mr Pitt. If a student believes that he may miss a deadline then he should discuss it and negotiate it with his subject teacher ahead of time.

Please be aware that extensions for overdue work and missed deadlines in Year 12 are no longer a school issue, but a SACE Board one.

The word limit on written tasks is established by SACE and must be adhered to, words above the specified word length are not marked by external examiners.

Assessment

Many of the courses have end of year examinations. To prepare boys for this, Trial Examinations will begin on Tuesday 15 July and continue until Friday 25 July. Please note that these dates fall within the end of Semester 1 school holiday, but that attendance for all Year 12 boys is compulsory.

Trial Exam Timetables will be issued in Term 2.

- Final SACE Examinations begin on Monday 28 October and continue until Thursday 21 November. Study Leave begins Thursday 24 October.

Academic Honesty

All Year 12 SACE work entered for assessment is submitted to TurnItIn.

www.turnitin.com

Each SACE subject will also have strict guidelines over referencing. Students should check with their teachers to ensure that they are meeting expectation.

Special Provisions

Special Provisions refers to the process by which students who have had their learning inhibited through Learning or Physical Disability, Misadventure or Absence can be supported in assignments or examinations.

• A letter will be sent to all parents of SACE students next week, and

application procedures for Special Provision for examinations will be outlined there.

• Applicants for Special Provisions must specify the outcome requested, called ‘variation’, and the reason for this request. A detailed list of outcomes, most commonly extra time, the use of a laptop and supervised rest breaks, can be found at:

www.sace.sa.edu.au/the-sace/students-families/special-provisions

Special Provisions • Applications contain some information provided by parents such as, in

some cases for example, copies of Educational Psychologist’s Reports.• The school is responsible for some information in the application,

including the results of a reading and writing test which is conducted at school.

• The granting of Special Provisions is entirely in the hands of the SACE Board. Applicants are normally informed of the success of their application at the start of Term 2.

• Special Provisions applications can be made later in the year if circumstances arise that demand it. Should this be the case with your son, please contact me directly at the school as that situation arises.

Monitoring Progress• A student is ultimately responsible for his own progress, but a partnership of

school and home is necessary to achieve success. Parents will be informed if a boy fails to fulfil his commitments to a course or if a teacher suspects that a boy might struggle to do so. This contact may come directly from the subject teacher, the Head of House, myself or Bill Sweeney the Director of Teaching and Learning.

• Academic Footprint. Every third week, assessment grades will be published on Keystone for ‘live’ reporting to parents.

• Details of your son’s progress will be communicated to you via the reporting processes, Parent Teacher Evenings and other direct contact if necessary. Dates for reporting and Parents Teacher Evenings are in the School Calendar on Keystone.

Contacts

• In the event of any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your son’s Mentor at the school. If it is a SACE matter, then also please feel free to contact me.

• Students should also check the SACE Board website for information pertaining to their courses.

• dpitt@stpeters.sa.edu.au or 8404 0432

• mcolsey@stpeters.sa.edu.au

• www.saceboard.sa.edu.au