Dear Secondary Parents,
As we move into the final few weeks of our first term, this is a good time for students to reflect on the progress they have made since the beginning of the school year. The routines of new classes and new expectations are now well established, and our focus increasingly turns towards students taking greater responsibility for their own learning.
Across the Secondary School, students are completing formative and summative assessments, receiving feedback and identifying the areas in which they can continue to improve. Over the next couple of weeks, teachers will also be completing the final assessments for this part of the term ahead of our Progress Reports, which will be shared after the October break.
It is important to remember that these reports provide a snapshot of learning and progress so far. At this relatively early stage of the academic year, students will not yet have been assessed against all of the assessment criteria within each subject. The Progress Report should therefore not be viewed as a final grade, but rather as an indication of how students are progressing based on the learning and assessment completed to this point.
An important part of learning is recognising that assessment is not simply about the final grade. The feedback students receive along the way and, importantly, what they choose to do with that feedback, is where much of the learning takes place.
At this stage of the term, organisation also becomes particularly important. We encourage students to regularly check ManageBac and Google Classroom, plan ahead for upcoming deadlines and speak with their teachers when they are unsure or need additional support. Developing these habits of independence and self-management is an important part of preparing our students not only for success at school, but also for the increasing demands they will face as they progress through the MYP and Diploma Programme.
Parents can support this by having regular conversations with their children about what they are learning, what they are finding challenging and what they are proud of. Rather than focusing only on grades, questions such as “What feedback have you received?”, “What are you working to improve?” and “Is there anything you need help organising?” can encourage students to think more deeply about their own progress.
With two weeks of the term remaining, there is still plenty of learning ahead. I encourage all of our students to maintain the positive routines they have established, respond thoughtfully to feedback and continue to Challenge Yourself, Involve Yourself, Be Your Best.
Have a lovely weekend
Andrew Cooper
Secondary Principal