Today’s update includes information about the following:
- Years 9-10 Return to School
- Unexpected Event Grades (UEGs)
- Student Contact Details
- NZQA Admission Slips
- Senior Students
- Change of Leaving Dates
- 2021 Yearbook
- Covid Tracer App
- Health Concerns
- Senior Student Attendance
Years 9-10 Return to School
Education Minister Hipkins announced today that school students in Years 9 and 10 could return to school from 17 November and that schools could decide what works best for their communities in structuring their return.
As we will be offering tutorials and support for our senior students ahead of their NCEA external exams on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 November, we will be welcoming our Years 9 and 10 students back to site on Monday 22 November.
In preparation for our Junior’s return, there will be no online learning on Friday 19 November so we can plan programmes of work for the final three weeks of the term.
Further details will be provided over the coming days.
Unexpected Event Grades (UEGs)
An unexpected event grade is a grade given to a student who is unable to attend an exam, or whose result could be negatively affected due to an unexpected event e.g., a pandemic. During the year students complete a range of assessments within each subject, including topic tests, practice exercises, essays, quizzes etc. These all provide data on the level of competence a student has demonstrated for any specific standard. The school derives a final grade based on a summary of all the evidence gathered by the teacher for that standard.
Derived grades will become available in the results section of the school webportal no later than Wednesday 17 November 2021.
Students not satisfied with their UEG should attend the exam for that subject. All Auckland students will automatically receive the higher of their two grades (between the UEG or the grade obtained from sitting the examination in person).
Students satisfied with their derived grades may choose not to attend a particular exam. If a student does not attend an external exam, they do not have to inform the school or NZQA of the reason why, nor do they have to produce any evidence.
We would strongly recommend that students and their families think strategically about which exams they need to sit to gain their NCEA qualifications e.g., if a student achieves an Excellence UEG for a specific externally assessed standard, they would be well advised to focus their revision time on other standards in a subject where their grade could be improved. The Minister of Education has stated that he would like students to sit the examinations, however given the disruption that Auckland students have experienced, we are confident that each student and their family will make the best decision to meet their personal needs.
Student Contact Details
Could you please ensure that you have updated us with any changes to your address or contact numbers. We need this information to be accurate for contact tracing purposes as well as for things like mailing the Leaver’s Magazine and for NZQA. Updates can be made via the parent webportal.
NZQA Admission Slips
NZQA admission slips will be handed out during Tutor on Wednesday 17 November. If your child is not at school on this day, they will be able to collect it from SLT’s main desk on the day of their first exam. This needs to be collected 45 minutes before their exam starts.
Senior Students
We would advise our seniors to take their books and resources home with them every night until they finish next week.
Change of Leaving Dates
Our Seniors will finish school on Wednesday 17 November to prepare for their NCEA exams:
- Year 13 will leave after Tutor.
- Year 12 will leave after Period 4.
- Year 11 will leave at the end of the day (3.15pm).
2021 Yearbook
The price per book is $25. Books will be pre-ordered based on full payment. The cost of the book will be added onto student accounts. Please pay online and use the reference ‘School Yearbook’ and the student ID number or pay directly at the Finance Centre. Payments will close on Thursday 18 November (Term 4, Week 5). If you do not want to purchase a book, the charge will be removed from the student’s account after Thursday 18 November 2021.
If you would like to allocate funds in your credit balance to purchase this book, please email Angela in the Finance Centre a.oshaughnessy@bdsc.school.nz.
Due to college events being held later, publication of the yearbook will only take place after the school year has finished. Year 13 Leavers will receive their books by mail (please make sure we have your correct address on file). All other current students will receive their books during Tutor class on their return in 2022.
Covid Tracer App
We would recommend that students download the Covid Tracer App and QR code in at school every morning. This will assist contact tracing should a positive case arise.
Health Concerns
Key important public health measures against the spread of Covid are to stay at home if unwell, get a Covid test and get vaccinated if not already done so. For the safety of our students and staff, it is vital you keep your child at home if they are unwell, even with mild cold symptoms. We also strongly advise they have a Covid test. Please ensure the school is advised of the test result before your child returns to school (attendance@bdsc.school.nz or nurse@bdsc.school.nz). If we identify any unwell students at school, they will be immediately sent home. We appreciate your ongoing support to help keep our school safe.
Senior Student Attendance
If your child is in Years 11-13 and unable to come to school, our usual attendance procedures apply. Please leave a message for the Attendance Officer on 273-2310 and press 1, or email attendance@bdsc.school.nz. Please note your child’s name, Tutor class and the reason they are away so we can code the absence appropriately in the student management system. As per our normal process, we will follow up on unexplained absences.