Curriculum Initiatives

At Baldivis Secondary College we recognise the importance of students arriving at school with all of the resources they require to fully engage in their classes EVERY DAY.  To support students in this endeavour we will have implemented a number of important strategies;

    1. The AVID Program
    2. Connect
    3. Completion of homework and assessment tasks
    4. Good Standing Policy

 

 

 

The AVID Program

AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination and involves teachers implementing a range of strategies to increase student learning and performance. Students are explicitly taught a range of AVID strategies, such as goal-setting, organisation, Cornell note-taking, and time management.  The two main foci of AVID in Year 8 are;

    1. The AVID Binder – We expect students to bring their AVID Binder to every class, every day
    2. Note-taking –  students are introduced to  “The Cornell Way,” a method of focused note taking that increases information retention and understanding to support  student success.

 

 

 

Connect

Connect is the Department of Education’s online environment which provides teachers, students and parents with secure access to a collaborative online learning environment via the internet.  For more information click here.

 

 

 

Completion of Homework and Assessment Pieces

The Baldivis Secondary College community recognises the value and importance of homework and study as integral to supporting students to achieve to their full potential.  Homework is part of a planned approach by teachers to provide a relevant opportunities for students to practice and extend their learning, independent of the class environment. This is also the time students would be expected to finish work not completed in class time or missed through absence. Invariably, assessment tasks require some independent work to be completed away from the college.  In order to support the completion of homework and assessment tasks the college is implementing three specific strategies;

    1. The Academic Alliance – The Academic Alliance is a chance for students to catch up on missed work, get help with the homework, assessments and skills in general. This club meets on Monday afternoons from 2.45pm – 3.45pm in the Library.
    2. Lunch-time Detention – It is the students’ responsibility to seek extensions BEFORE the due date for any homework or assessment pieces. Student who fail to complete or submit work by the due date and haven’t sought an extension will be given a fifteen minute lunch-time detention in which to work on unfinished tasks. Where this continues to be a problem for students an ‘after school’ detention may be imposed.

 

 

 

Good Standing Policy

At Baldivis Secondary College we believe that it is essential to clearly state the standard of performance necessary for students to succeed at school and be well placed to enter the post-school destination of their choice. The good standing policy establishes minimum standards and expectations in relation to Academic Performance, Attendance and Conduct. The degree to which each student achieves the standards will help determine their ‘standing’ for a semester.

The Good Standing Policy is currently under review and will be available shortly.

 

 

To download a copy of the Be Prepared to Achieve strategy click here!