ASSESSMENT & REPORTING

Semester 2 reports will be available later today and they can be accessed via the Parent Portal on Compass. Click here to log into Compass

1. Click on ‘Find your School’
2. Click on ‘Search your School’ and type in Moruya
3. Choose ’St Mary’s Primary School - Moruya’
4. Hit ‘Let’s Go’ and you will be asked to enter your username and password provided by the Front Office

Reports bring mixed feelings for parents and students. Pleasure and pride if they are performing well but considerable angst when children are not progressing as you hoped. Reports can mean anxious times for children too. Will my parents be disappointed or proud? This is the main concern of most children. Kids of all ages take their cues from their parents, so your reaction to their school report can affect the way they see themselves as learners and as people. Before reading the report, do a little self-check to see if you are in the right frame of mind: 

Do you understand that the A-E scale is different from when you went to school? 

A "C" for example means they are achieving at the expected grade level.

A = Achieving Above expectations - Always works independently - Applies to new            situations

B = Beyond expectations - Brilliant

C = Consistently working well - Coping well with work – Competent - Confident

D = Developing, but Doing well - Direction needed

E = Encouragement needed - Eventually get there - Extra assistance required

Are your expectations for your son or daughter realistic and in line with their ability? Expectations are tricky. If they are too high then children can be turned off learning. Too low and there is nothing to strive for. Pitch your expectations in line with your child’s abilities.

Do you believe that children learn at different rates? There are slow bloomers, late developers and steady-as-you-go kids in every classroom, so avoid comparing your child to siblings, your friends’ children and even yourself when you were a child. Instead look for individual progress.

Are you willing to safeguard your child’s self-esteem rather than deflate it? Self-confidence is a prerequisite for learning, so be prepared to be as positive and encouraging as possible.

Here are some ideas to consider when you open your child’s report:

• Focus on strengths - Do you look for strengths or weaknesses first? The challenge is to focus on strengths even if they are not in the traditional 3Rs or core subjects.
• Take into account your child’s effort and attitude to learning - If your child is not trying hard enough or is easily distracted, then you have something to work on. If your child is putting in the required effort, then you cannot ask any more than that, regardless of the grading.
• Broaden your focus away from academic performance to form a picture of your child’s progress as a member of a social setting - How your child gets along with his or her peers will influence his/her happiness and well-being, as well as give an indicator to his/her future. The skills of independence and co-operation are highly valued by employers so don’t dismiss these as unimportant.
• Ask for their opinion about how they think they performed and discuss their concerns - Take note of student self-assessment. Children are generally very honest and will give a realistic assessment of their progress. They are generally very perceptive so take note of their opinions. The Engagement with Learning statements will give you ways to speak to your child about their learning.

After reports are read and discussed, celebrate your child’s efforts. In this way, you will recognise progress and remind them that the holidays are just around the corner when they can forget about assessment, tests and reports for a while.

Sourced from Michael Grose Parenting Ideas

A great deal of work and energy goes into the writing of these documents, and I thank the teachers for their efforts. As I have read through the reports, what really impresses me is the growth and development of so many of our students, not just academically, but socially, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Whilst no formal parent-teacher interviews occur at the end of the year, please feel free to contact your child's class teacher directly should you wish to discuss anything from this year. 

As we move to the Christmas Season, I wish all our Community a peaceful and holy  celebration with family and friends, a time to gather and rest. I also thank God for the privilege of being a member of the St Mary’s Moruya Community. It is this membership that strengthens my faith in the good of people.

God bless and take care.