Weekly News Term 2 Week 8

Dear Parents and Caregivers

I am sure a number of you have read the article in Friday’s Otago Daily Times. We were pleased to see in the latter part of the article, that the process and the reasons informing this change were discussed.

Those of you who have have attended meetings looking at our curriculum review know, there are a number of factors which have influenced our planning.

We believe one of the main advantages of removing most NCEA assessments will be the increased teaching time made available. This allows for greater depth and breadth of learning. Alongside the time for deeper learning, we hope it will also provide a reduction in the anxiety that comes from being constantly assessed. Rigorous assessment will most certainly be part of the Year 11 course, and students will have opportunities to learn how to cope with different assessment tasks linked to their learning.

Despite The Otago Daily Times’ surprising reference to, 'fear of failure', this is not a driver of this change. In actual fact, with more time for deep learning, we believe there will be greater opportunities for students to see the value of making mistakes, reflecting on their learning, and developing a growth mindset.

Included in this newsletter, are the FAQ’s which were sent out earlier this week. Please contact me if you have any questions.