Marian News · Marian News A Community growing in Faith & Love • Serving Others • Striving to...

Marian News A Community growing in Faith & Love • Serving Others • Striving to Achieve • Thinking for the Futuretriving to Achieve

Marian College196 Glengala Rd

West Sunshine 3020Phone 9363 1711Fax 9363 2386www.mariansw.catholic.edu.au

ISSUE 621ST MAY 2018A Community growing in Faith & Love • Serving Others • Striving to Achieve • Thinking for the Future

Marian News2018 LEADERSHIP REVIEWAll schools are required to undertake a regular review process of school improvement. Kildare Ministries schools utilise the Charter of Sandhurst School Improvement (COSSI) for our review mechanism. School improvement is a dynamic process which requires the intentional planning, implementation and evaluation of action. In developing a culture of school improvement and enhancing performance, each school is required to plan and take action around two major drivers, visioning and responding. These two key actions of school improvement shape and are shaped by the key belief statements of the school community:• Vision Statement, Mission Statement• strategic directions - School Improvement Plan, Annual Implementation Plan.

Over a 5 year cycle schools are reviewed in 5 areas:• Catholic Identity • Leadership• Learning and Teaching • Pastoral Wellbeing• Stewardship of Resources

The area for review in 2018 is Leadership. Over this year the School Leadership Team and staff have collected evidence in relation to a number of quality indicators. In the context of school improvement leadership may be considered, described, evaluated and validated according to how fully it is able to:

• Shape Culture • Transform Community• Develop Governance Structures • Focus on Learning• Build Capacity • Enhance Performance• Steward Resources

We then assessed our progress and evaluated our current rating for each of these indicators using the legend Exemplary, Achieved, Developing or Not Achieved. On Monday 21 May a panel of representatives from Kildare Ministries will visit Marian College in order to validate our evidence and assess our future goals as part of the 2018 Leadership Review. We will provide

SACRED MUSIC CONCERTSchools in the western suburbs were invited to participate in a Sacred Music concert and our Performing Arts department enthusiastically accepted the opportunity. So after much commitment, effort and rehearsal the Marian school choirs joined with the choirs from six other schools to put on an excellent and spiritual performance at Thomas Carr College on 10 May. The renditions of all songs engaged the audience totally and provided another way to experience and celebrate our faith. Congratulations to all the students who gave of their time to this event and to Ms. Mari Eleanor and Mr. Michael Cooper for their dedication to the success of this experience.

THE NATIONALLY CONSISTENT COLLECTION OF DATA ON SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH DISABILITYNationally Consistent Collection of Data

on School Students with Disability (NCCD) The NCCD provides Australian schools, parents, education authorities and the community with information about the number of students with disability in schools, where they are located and the adjustments they receive.

The NCCD reinforces the existing obligations that schools have towards students under the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005. It counts the number of students who are supported under these obligations based on the professional judgement of teachers and their understanding and knowledge of their students.

The NCCD acknowledges the work already undertaken in schools to support students with disability. It assists schools to identify and to support students with disability so they can access and participate in education on the same basis as their peers.

Please ensure that you familiarise yourself with the contents of the NCCD documents in this edition of the Marian News.

Raymond Pisani - Principal

From the Principal EVENTS:MAY21st• LOTE Week• Marian News

22nd• Year 10

Meningacoccal Vaccine

• LOTE Incursion Yr 7/8 P1, Yr 9 and 10 Indonesian P2

• Year 9 Parent Information Evening for City Camp 7pm

23rd• SCSA: Basketball’

24th• LOTE Week

Incursion P1 (Yr 9 and 10 Italian), P3 (Yr 7 and 8).

25th• Yr 9 Unplugged

28th• VCE PE ERA

excursion - ALL DAY

30th - 1st June• Year 7 Camp

JUNE1st• Marian News

5th• Open Morning 9am

PRAYER

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord.

Amen


Faith and MissionIn the Acts of the Apostles we read the account of the coming of the Holy Spirit.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came

enabled them.

Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday and Pentecost is acknowledged as the Church’s birthday and so I suppose we can say happy birthday to the Catholic Church! By our association to the Church as “part of the body of the Church” Pentecost could be called our second birthday, and like any birthday, the word Pentecost is Greek and it means “50th day.” Fifty days after Easter Sunday, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and their followers, and the beginning of their earthly ministry to make disciples of all nations.

Pentecost is also a Jewish holiday, which the Jews use to celebrate the end of Passover. Jews celebrate the gift of the law to Moses at Mt. Sinai on this day. But we, as Catholics celebrate the birth of our Church.

At Pentecost the Apostles and their followers were gathered in a room. Jews from all over the world were gathered with Peter.

heads of all those present. The Holy Spirit came upon these people and each began to speak in tongues. Despite the fact many had no common language, they were perfectly able to understand one another.

Others, who were not so blessed, accused those speaking in tongues of being drunk, but Peter arose and addressed the crowd, explaining that it was only 9 o’clock, and that this phenomenon was not intoxication, but rather this was the work of the Holy Spirit, prophesized in the scripture.

Peter then called all those present to be baptized and about three thousand people were baptized that day. We pray that the Holy Spirit continues to work in those that are baptised as well as those who are not.

Leo Mc Inerney - Assistant to the Principal - Faith and Mission

Student WellbeingSTUDENT LEADERSHIP The student leaders have started their work on the review of our Bullying and Harassment Policy and Procedures and the development of the Student Leadership Communication Model.

In future editions of the Marian News we will give you updates on the progress of this work.

Some of their work is also coming to fruition with the installation of a television for student Information now installed near the entrance to the main building. This will be programmed soon and will begin distributing information to the school community.

It will work in a similar way to the television located in our school foyer and will be focussed on our student body and making sure that they are informed about all things happening in our school over each week.

UNIFORM REMINDERSWith the colder weather now with us we remind you of some aspects of the winter uniform that families and students need to focus on:• The PE uniform is not to be worn if students do not have Physical Education practical classes. This applies particularly to our senior students.

• The wearing of leggings rather that blue tights with the winter uniform.

We ask our student and parent community to support us with all uniform expectations. Our goal is to build positive relationships

THE PARISH CAR PARKUnfortunately, last Friday, I needed to have a conversation with members of our parish community who expressed their concern about the manner in which the carparks at the front and back of the church are being used by our community when dropping off or picking up students.

They were worried that some members of the parish have been put in danger when going to and from the church by the way some members of the community are using the carparks. This includes driving too fast, dangerously and not watching where people may be walking.

The Parish indicated that if this continues to be an issue that they may be left with no choice but to lock the gates at the back of the parish which would mean no member of our community could use the car park.

We are hoping that this does not occur and we ask our parent community to do the right thing, drive carefully and safely, and not endanger any member of the parish or school community.

Kerrie Williams - Assistant to the Principal – Student Wellbeing


Learning & TeachingNAPLAN 2018Students in Year 7 and Year 9 completed their National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) last week. The students are to be commended on the focused way that they approached these tests. Whilst these tests do provide information about individual student achievement, compared with national standards, we are most interested in seeing student progress from Years 7 to 9 at Marian College. This information provides us with valuable information about the impact of our learning and teaching programs and enables us to target these programs more effectively.

SKOOLBAGMarian College is constantly seeking the most effective ways to communicate with our community. In order to streamline communication with our families, the Skoolbag App will no longer be available. We encourage our families to continue to use SEQTA Engage to access College information. We will continue to use CareMonkey to inform families of excursions and events.

SEMESTER 1 EXAMINATIONS – YEAR 10 AND 11 The Semester 1 Examination Period is rapidly approaching. The Year 10 and 11 examinations take place from Friday 8 June and continue until Friday 15 June. Please note that there is no additional study day this year; however, the examinations extend over an additional day, meaning that students will have more study time within the Examination Block.

For VCE students, examination success is the key to maximising their VCE Study Scores, and consequently, their ATAR which determines university entrance. In the Unit 3/4 studies, the VCAA October-November Examinations make up at least 50% of a

planning and studying in advance and, by now, students should have implemented a well-planned program of study.

It is important to note that these examination results will affect the subject selection process for 2019. In approving VCE subjects for students, the College aims to support students to enrol in studies in which they will have the greatest opportunity for success and have demonstrated the knowledge, understanding and skills required to meet the requirements of the study. For this reason, students receiving unsatisfactory examination scores may not be approved for enrolment in related VCE studies. Students who

Panel. This could impact on their pathway options at Marian College. Furthermore, Students applying for Acceleration Studies should be achieving a minimum of 75% in the related examinations.

The Examination Timetable for Year 10 students and Year 11 VCE students will be available on SEQTA Engage and Learn. Letters outlining the details of arrangements will be sent to all families this week.

and third session on a day, they are required to remain at school during their break. A supervised study centre will be available at the College throughout the examination period. Students who are at school and not in examinations are required to use the allocated facility for silent revision.

SEMESTER 1 EXAMINATIONS - YEAR 9 Year 9 students will sit examinations in Themes, Mathematics, Science and Religious Education on Thursday 7 and Friday 8 June. The Examination Timetable for Year 10 students and Year 11 VCE students will be available on SEQTA Engage and Learn. Letters outlining the details of arrangements will be sent to all families this week.

examination experience at Marian College. These exam results will be a key factor in assessing applications for acceleration for VCE Studies in Year 10. Students applying for Acceleration Studies should be achieving a minimum of 75% in the related examinations.

Jane Goddard - Assistant to the Principal - Learning and Teaching

The GATThe GAT (General Achievement Test) is the only VCAA examinations held in June.

The GAT will be conducted on Wednesday 13 June and must be completed by students enrolled in one or more Unit 3/4 VCE or scored VCE VET subjects.

To assist with organisation, students should be at school by 9:15am to check seating arrangements and ensure that dictionaries and stationery are checked.

The General Achievement Test (GAT) is a test of general knowledge and skills in:

written communication mathematics, science and technology humanities, the arts and social sciences

Because it is a general test, no special study is required for the GAT. Students have already done preparation for the GAT in past study of subjects like English, Mathematics, Science and History, where they have built up general knowledge and skills in writing, numeracy and reasoning. These are the knowledge and skills that will be tested.

Marian students will have GAT preparation presentations in their Senior Assemblies covering VCAA rules and provided information to assist them in preparing for the written communication, Mathematics and Visual Arts components.

Students have received a personal GAT timetable and will receive a VCAA GAT brochure detailing general advice on GAT preparation and how the GAT can be used. If any student misplaced or did not receive these items, they can be collected from the VCE Coordinator.

Some FAQs about the GAT (from the VCAA website)

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vce/exams/gat/index.aspx

How is the GAT used?

The VCAA will use the students’ GAT scores as a basis for:

contributing to statistical moderation of school-based assessment results checking the accuracy of external assessment marking calculating the Derived Examination Scores.

Why do students have to do the GAT?

The GAT is an essential part of the VCE assessment procedures. The GAT results play an important role in checking that school assessments and examinations have been accurately assessed and in determining Derived Examination Scores (DES)*.

*The DES may be applied for in extreme cases where a student whose performance on an examination is affected by the onset of illness, accident or personal trauma.

All applications for a Derived Examination Score are assessed by a trained, external panel. If an application is approved, a student’s GAT scores will be used in the calculation of the Derived Examination Score.

So it is important to sit the GAT and do as well as possible on all parts of it.

The GAT is used in these ways because achievement on the GAT is a good predictor of achievement on other assessments. If students have done well on the GAT, then their achievements are likely to be high on their school assessments and examinations.

How do you prepare for the GAT?

Students can best prepare by working through past GAT papers. They should familiarise themselves with these questions and note that all the information needed to work out the correct solutions. Samples of the GAT Question Book and Answer Book cover will be given to students and further information and past GAT papers can be obtained from the VCAA website.

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vce/exams/gat/gat.aspx

What materials can I take into the GAT?

An English and/or bilingual printed dictionary; however, a thesaurus or a combined thesaurus-dictionary is not permitted.

Electronic dictionaries and calculators are not allowed. Pens, pencils and an eraser to complete answers to the GAT will be required.

Students must use a blue or black pen for the two Writing Tasks and a pencil for their responses on the Multiple-Choice Answer Sheet

Further information on the GAT is provided on the GAT Brochure, which students have received and can be accessed at the following link:

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/GAT/GATbrochure.pdf

We wish all the girls well in their preparation for the GAT.

Anne Daunt - VCE Coordinator


LOTEITALY STUDY TOUR 2018

ground after the incredible whirlwind that was the Italy Study Tour.

The time we spent away was nothing short of meraviglioso. Eleven Marian students, along with Joan Fabbian and I, travelled to Italy visiting much of the country, including our sister school in Rimini.

Departing on March 28th were a group of excited, but still very apprehensive young girls. The excitement for these girls had been building for almost a year and on the departure day, the tears were a mixture of anticipation for what was to come and anxiety for the impending separation from family.

There were so many highlights, too many to mention them all, but there are some that need to be discussed. Nothing could have prepared us all for the spiritual experience that was the Easter Mass at the Vatican, conducted by Pope Francis himself. His message of love and hope was felt, if not totally understood, because it was spoken all in Italian. Regardless, the girls respected the reverence of the day, the Pope, and the experience in general. We were additionally blessed, as

It took some ‘not so reverent’ behaviour of elbowing our way to the centre aisle, but we got there. The icing on the cake was the fact that we also got to see Pope Francis drive close by in his Pope-mobile. Our girls gave him a rock-star reception as he passed by, with one of our girls suggesting, he was their Pope-star.

Firenze, Pisa, Rimini, Venezia. By far, however, the most memorable time was the time spent in Rimini with our sister-school. The girls participated in the life of the school and were valued members of their host families. Each girl endeared herself to her

and long lasting connections.

Once again, our gratitude is extended to Mr Pisani, Principal, the Marian staff and student community that supported us,

their daughters. We cannot forget to thank our wonderful travelling companions of three and a half weeks, Ivy Botticelli, Danielle Dimakas, Catelin Gatt, Lisa Karimi, Sarah Kleiner, Tracy Lam, Georgia-Mae Mazzarella, Jenny Pham, Leanne Phuong and Lauren Spiteri.

Grazie, grazie, grazie!

Joan Fabbian Anna CicconeYear 10 Level Leader and Italian teacher Learning Leader and Italian teacher


LOTETHE LEARNING PITThe Year 8 students have been busy at work creating their Learning Pit. The Learning Pit is part of the Growth Mindset and each Year 8 Homeroom created their own interpretation of what falling into and climbing out of a Learning Pit looks like to them.

The aim of the challenge of creating this Learning Pit was to lead to enhanced learning by highlighting to students the active process of learning. By developing metacognitive skills, students are able to recognise when learning is hard, similar to falling into the pit. More importantly, they can articulate what skills and strategies they need to employ to get out of it. This is the Growth Mindset, the belief that real learning occurs when the learning challenges them and when they have understood and developed the language and the strategies to assist them up out of the Pit and into greater learning.

The competitiveness amongst the Year 8 Homerooms only just rivalled the competitiveness amongst the homeroom teachers.

class…8 Veronica!

Anna CicconeLearning Leader

Year 7 STEAMSTEAM AND THE ART & SCIENCE OF VIDEO GAMESWELCOME BACK TO STEAM. For our latest venture, we combine creative creation with the skill sets of a beginning programmer to design and build our own video games!

Using the Gamestar Mechanic online platform, the Year 7 STEAM students are in the midst of creating their own video games, which will be presented at the end of term. The unit began by an introduction into coding when the girls completed Moana’s Hour of Code. This visual interpretation of programming is one of the most successful ways to begin teaching computer coding. Once we covered the ideas behind coding and logical ordering of ideas and actions, we moved onto the elements that make a good game (rules, components, environment, goals, and mechanics). After the theory component, the students were introduced to the platform we will use for game design: Gamestar Mechanic. The students are currently learning their way around Gamestar Mechanic and how it functions.

Gamestar Mechanic works through the idea of “Play – Design – Share”; by completing quests, the students learn how different elements work together (something also known as systems design) and they will apply these ideas and techniques when they create their very own game.

“Digital games offer a promising and untapped opportunity to leverage children’s enthusiasm and help transform learning…”- Gamechanger (by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop)Once the introduction to Gamestar Mechanic is completed, the students will then begin

environment of the game) known as their Narrative, and then onto the creation! We hope you are as excited as the STEAM team is to see what these creative techy young women design! More to come. ~The STEAM Team: Ms Pouliot, Ms Whelan, Ms Marett, Ms Pham


Performing Arts Co-Curricular ProgramsSACRED MUSIC CONCERT

run-through for the performance, and practised moving on and off stage - with over 250 students involved this was quite the feat in itself! After a shared dinner we performed in a concert that was a credit to every school involved. There was even a teacher work (we sang a Bach Chorals). This has been such a rewarding experience for all students involved - musically and personally, with many new friendships being made with students from other schools. The concert was a huge undertaking, and we thank everyone for their support. Thanks also to friends and family who attended and supported the girls and the school.

HAIRSPRAY!Rehearsals are underway, and cast members are getting into the rhythm of rehearsals for singing, dancing, and blocking (how the show works on the stage). The full rehearsal schedule is available on the Hairspray Seqta page. If you have any questions regarding the schedule please contact David Ellis (Director) or Mari Eleanor at the College.

Mari Eleanor - Performing Arts Program Co-ordinator

Year 9 Unplugged DayThe Year 9 Unplugged Day at the Werribee Zoo went ahead despite the inclement weather and we managed to spend most of our sessions in the dry even though it began to rain incessantly from midday. Our focus was Ethical Reasoning and we learned about the effects of coltan mining on the gorilla population in The Congo. Coltan is used in the production of electronic devices and high demand has seen the habitat of gorillas diminished. Students worked in teams to defend a group of people (miners, farmers, rangers and tourists) and argue why they were not responsible for a gorilla’s death. This task also put students persuasive language skills to the test. Instead of free time to explore the enclosures, we called the buses to come and get us early. Most of the animals were tucked up in the warm anyway! Gorillas don’t come out of their shelter when the weather drops below 15 degrees. I think some of our students would prefer this rule as well!

Kellie Illichmann


ScienceScience Club has started off the year with fun and exciting experiments! Science Club members meet on Tuesday, Week B in

From Years 7-12, members meet so that they can work together to understand and engross themselves in various branches of Science, (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Environmental Science), via fun and engaging experiments.

The Science Club captains; Noor Olliak Laura Phu and myself, along with Mrs Matejin and Mrs Carfora, prepare fun and engaging activities for our Science Club members. Furthermore, there are science competitions and special activities that are being planned and arranged for the remainder of the year. We are also particularly looking forward to Science Week, that will be held in August of this year.

New members are always welcome!Farrah Besisou (Science Club Captain)

PDSAs part of our year 10 PDS subject our class had to create a project that involved team work. We decided to plan a city interest excursion. This required us to organise places we would like to go and visit. This was planned by the support of our subject teacher Miss Borg. Joining us on the excursion was Miss G and Maria the integration aid.

For our excursion we went to Minotaur and the MCG in the morning. For lunch we went to Brunetti’s, it was very good. After lunch we went to the Old Melbourne Gaol where Ned Kelly was hanged. It felt a little bit weird but it was very interesting. We were also going to the Melbourne Star, but we ran out of time. We travelled by feet, bus and tram all around the Melbourne CBD. We are now looking forward to returning back to Melbourne to see more exciting things.

Here are some thoughts about our experience in Melbourne. ““I really enjoyed the food at Brunetti’s” “I really enjoyed the MCG”“ I loved eating the pizza”“I liked the enviorment of Brunetti”s”“The Old Melbourne Gaol was super fun. I loved the handcuffs.”“Exploring the whole city in general as we transported to different areas”“I love telling people I went to prison when I went to the Melbourne Goal”“ It was fabulous, I love it all one of the best excursions I had. Thanks a lot to Miss Borg.”

Year 10 PDS Students


Year 7 CampAs Year 7 Camp is just around the corner, I would like to take an opportunity to remind families of some of the exciting things in stall for each of our students. Year 7s will be tenting, hiking, canoeing learning about water ecology, making boomerangs and spending time in the beautiful area that is Camp Jungi in the Rubicon valley. This exciting program is designed for students to explore the limits of their comfort zone and participate in collaboration with their peers. You can best prepare your daughter for camp by encouraging her full participation in activities and facilitating her organisation as she prepares to pack her belongings. Here is an equipment list to assist your daughters packing!

YEAR 7 CAMP CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT LISTIn a nutshell, all your clothing and equipment needs to serve 5 basic functions:1. It must keep you warm2. It must keep you and your gear dry3. It must be as light as possible4. It must be suitable for a range of weather conditions, including the extremes of heat and cold

1 SET OF TRAVELLING CLOTHES PROGRAM CLOTHING (Tick as you pack)

2 WARM Jumpers 1 pair per day (max) of thick socks 1 Hat 1 pair per day (max) of underwear 2 shirts (long sleeves are good) 1 pair shorts 1 waterproof jacket Very warm pyjamas or trackuit to sleep in 2 pair long pants 1 pair walking boots/shoes 3 warm shirts 2 pair of runners

A Waterproof Japara jacket and overpants will be supplied to all campers by Camp Jungai

CAMPING EQUIPMENT (see notes following) (Tick as you pack)

1 set of cutlery – knife, folk, mug/cup, bowl, plate 1 WARM Sleeping bag 1 Small lightweight torch 1 Water Bottle 3 Supermarket plastic bags

PERSONAL ITEMS (Tick as you pack)

Students are expected to bring their own morning tea AND lunch on Wed 30th May Any personal medication e.g. Ventolin, allergy medication (make sure this is on your medical form)

change in environment can alter your cycle). A small packet of baby wipes can be great too. Toiletries - comb/brush, toothbrush, toothpaste Sunscreen and lip balm High energy munchies - Trail mix - dried fruit, chocolate, no wrapped lollies

DO NOT TAKE THE FOLLOWING:• Mobile Phones• I Pod/ MP3/ Mini Disk etc• Wrapped lollies• Electronic Games (eg Nintendo)• Any items that are against normal school rules

Note to parents: Please do not allow your child to bring any of the above items, especially mobile phones. We have

NO HAIR DRYER OR HAIR STRAIGHTENER NO FOOD, NO CHEWING GUM AND NO MOBILE PHONES WILL BE PERMITTED ON CAMP

CECV SWD Program - Information Sheet for Schools, Parents, Carers and Guardians Page | 1

CECV Students with Disabilities (SWD) Program The Catholic Education Commission of Victoria Ltd (CECV) Students with Disabilities (SWD) Program aimed to improve the learning outcomes of educationally disadvantaged students, especially in reading and writing ability and numeracy. Each year, schools could submit SWD applications in either Round 1 (October) or Round 2 (February). Eligibility for the program was then decided by the CECV SWD Committee.

There were seven disability categories: physical disability, chronic health impairment, severe language disorder (including severe developmental verbal dyspraxia), intellectual disability (including global developmental delay), hearing impairment, vision impairment and social–emotional disorders (including autism spectrum disorder). Each disability category had criteria and documentation requirements that had to be met.

Disability funding for Victorian Catholic schools from Federal and State government sources was based on eligible SWD students flagged on the census. Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) is a process that all schools must do every year. It counts the number of students who receive extra adjustments or ‘help’ at school because of a disability, as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA). To count a student in the NCCD, schools must think through some key questions:

1. Is the student getting help at school so that they can take part in education on the same basis as other students?

2. Is the help given because of a disability? The word ‘disability’ comes from the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) and it can include many students.

3. Has the school talked to you or your child about the help that they provide? 4. Has the school kept records about the help they provide, the student needs and the reasons

that the student needs this help? The school will need to keep copies of tests, student work, assessments, records of meetings, medical reports or other paperwork and information about how the student’s learning is moving along over time.

Once the school decides that the student should be counted in the NCCD, they then choose a disability group and one of four levels of help that has been given to the student. There are four disability categories: physical, cognitive, sensory and social–emotional. There are four levels of adjustments: quality differentiated teaching practice (QDTP), supplementary, substantial and extensive adjustments.

2019 Students with Disabilities (SWD) Information Sheet for Schools, Parents, Carers and Guardians

CECV SWD Program - Information Sheet for Schools, Parents, Carers and Guardians Page | 2

Changes to Funding Both Federal and State governments have indicated that the NCCD will now be used to inform funding. From 2019 onwards, schools will receive funding based on students counted in the NCCD at supplementary, substantial and extensive adjustments levels. Therefore, the CECV SWD Program will transition to the NCCD for the 2019 program year.

What does this mean for students currently on the CECV SWD Program?

NCCD Eligibility Specialist documentation (e.g. paediatrician, speech pathology, psychology, GP) that was used for the CECV SWD Program can be used as ‘evidence’ for NCCD. The NCCD does not currently have specific documentation requirements (e.g. documentation from specific specialists or date requirements). Where available, information and advice from specialists combined with school- based evidence will continue to provide rich information to inform educational programming (i.e. adjustments). Evidence of the help given can be seen in documents such as teacher work plans, monitoring sheets, specialist support timetables, Program Support Group (PSG) minutes and Personalised Learning Plans (PLPs). It is highly likely that students on the CECV SWD Program have already been, and will continue to be counted in the school’s NCCD.

Review Assessments NCCD does not currently have specific documentation requirements. Where students may have needed updated review assessments for the CECV SWD Program, they are now not necessary for NCCD. Where available, information and advice from specialists combined with school-based evidence will continue to provide rich information to inform educational programming (i.e. adjustments).

NCCD Submissions Schools must submit their NCCD in August every year and cannot change their NCCD after the due date. The Australian Government will apply post enumeration processes (census audit) to a random sample of the school’s NCCD submission.

Parental Consent Changes were made to the law (Australian Education Act 2013 and Australian Education Regulation 2013). Schools do not need you to agree to let them count a child in the NCCD. You cannot ask the school not to count your child. Where can I access more information? Please contact your child’s school if you have further questions about the NCCD. You may also find these links helpful:

CECV NCCD Information Sheet for Parents, Carers and Guardians ● NCCD national website ● Disability Standards for Education 2005 ● Australian Government Department of Education and Training–NCCD.

CECV NCCD Information Sheet for Parents, Carers and Guardians Page | 1

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) on School Students with Disability What is the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data? Schools must now complete the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) every year. It counts the number of students who receive additional adjustments or ‘help’ at school because of a disability. The NCCD helps governments plan for the needs of students with disability. Who is counted in the data collection? To count a student in the NCCD, schools must think through some key questions:

1. Is the student getting help at school so that they can take part in education on the same basis as other students?

2. Is the help given because of a disability? The word ‘disability’ comes from the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) and it can include many students.

3. Has the school talked to you or your child about the help that they provide? 4. Has the school kept records about the help they provide, the student needs and the reasons

that the student needs this help? The school will need to keep copies of tests, student work, assessments, records of meetings, medical reports or other paperwork and information about how the student’s learning is moving along over time.

Once the school decides that the student should be counted in the NCCD, they then choose a disability group and one of four levels of help that has been given to the student. What does word ‘disability’ mean in the NCCD? In the NCCD the word ‘disability’ comes from the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA). There are four types of disability that the school can choose from: sensory, cognitive, social–emotional and physical. Many students who need help at school can be counted in the NCCD. For example, students with learning problems, e.g. specific learning disability or reading difficulty (sometimes called dyslexia), health problems (e.g. epilepsy or diabetes), physical disability (e.g. cerebral palsy), vision/hearing loss and social–emotional problems (e.g. selective mutism, Autism Spectrum Disorder, anxiety). Letters from doctors or specialists can be very helpful for schools as they plan how to support students with their learning. Schools do not need to have these letters before they can count a

NCCD Information Sheet for Parents, Carers and Guardians

CECV NCCD Information Sheet for Parents, Carers and Guardians Page | 2

student in NCCD. Teachers can use all that they know about the child’s learning and the records that they have collected over time to decide if a student can be counted in the NCCD. What sort of help does the school give students? Students need different types of help at school. Some students need a little help sometimes while other students need a lot of help nearly all the time. The type of help given depends on the needs of the student. The help can include changes to the school buildings or grounds (e.g. ramps or things like special desks or chairs), extra teacher help in classes, special learning programs, changes to the work they give the student or extra adult help. How will the NCCD be different in 2018? All schools have been counting students in the NCCD since 2015. The government will use the NCCD data as part of the funding to schools. What will the school need to know about my child for the NCCD? Schools work together with families to understand the needs of each student. It is helpful if families give their child’s teacher a copy of any letters or reports they have. The letters or reports will help the school understand the student and the help that they might need. Letters from doctors, psychologists, speech pathologists and occupational therapists etc. can be very helpful for schools. These reports, along with information that the teacher has (i.e. school based tests, your child’s work and learning plans), helps the school to understand and meet the student’s needs. What happens to the NCCD data? Who will have the NCCD information? Each school principal must check the NCCD data in August of each year. The school will give the information to the Catholic Education Office. The school will work with the Catholic Education Office to make sure that the NCCD data is OK before they give the data to the government. The government will not be given the names of any students or any letters or records. Please ask your school for their privacy policy if you need to know more. Does the school need me to agree with them about counting my child in the NCCD? Changes were made to the law (Australian Education Act 2013 and Australian Education Regulation 2013). Schools do not need you to agree to let them count a child in the NCCD. You cannot ask the school not to count your child. Where can I find out more? If you have questions, you can ask your child’s school for help. You can find out more by looking at these links:

● NCCD national website ● Disability Standards for Education 2005 ● Australian Government Department of Education and Training–NCCD ● 2019 Students with Disabilities (SWD) Information Sheet for Schools, Parents, Carers and

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