Thirty of our current Year 9 and 10 students have been randomly selected by the government to participate in the 2018 international PISA testing program. Approximately 800 schools across Australia will be involved in this program designed to monitor how well young Australians are meeting important educational goals.

Letters have been mailed home to parents and guardians this week to outline when and what these tests entail. We wish to reassure all students and their families that the outcome of these tests will remain confidential and that the information gathered will be used to provide a broad data base for comparing Australian student performance with that of students in other countries. It will also enable policy makers, researchers and teachers to learn from other education systems around the world.

As Ignatian students, we thank them in advance for demonstrating their commitment to be men and women for others by embracing this challenge on Friday August 24^th.

Principal, Mr. Exton will join me in meeting with the selected students on Monday during morning homeroom in the ILC to explain Saint Ignatius College’s obligations and expectations as a mandated school undertaking the testing in 2018.

Mrs Annette Chidzey PISA School Coordinator and Deputy Principal [Learning and Teaching]

Years 9 and 10 2019 Subject Selection

In the next few weeks, students currently in Year 8 and 9 will be invited to make elective or unit choices as part of their academic programs for 2019. Currently students in Years 10 and 11 are finalising their selected study preferences for next year as well, so it is a very busy time for students in all four levels at present.

Year 9 students have already undertaken some preparatory career investigation as part of their Personal Learning classes and in the weeks ahead we will focus on unit selections to complement mandated studies associated with the Victorian curriculum at Year 10 level.

Year 8 students will have the opportunity to select three electives per semester to complement their Year 9 core studies in 2019 and information about possible electives along with people to seek guidance and support from as part of this process will be shared with the students in the next two or three weeks.

Mrs Annette Chidzey Deputy Principal [Learning and Teaching]