We love a focus on real world learning in the junior school, and providing experiences that bring the curriculum to life for our students. A fantastic example of this is BLAKE VR visiting our Year 8 students! BLAKE aims to inspire thousands of young New Zealanders to care for the environment through activities and adventures that encourage environmental awareness and leadership, and instill a deeper sense of our school virtue of kaitiakitanga within them. This learning set students up well for Enviro Week in week 4!  

Students also enjoyed Maths Week in week 3. Mathex is always a Term 3 highlight with all Year 7-10 students who enjoy the lively and intensely competitive contest!

Changes to NCEA in the future
While learning in the junior school is highly engaging it is important that a solid foundation is created for what students will experience when they enter the senior school.  Changes to NCEA will have an impact on Year 9 and Year 10 in years to come. From 2024 a Literacy and Numeracy co-requisite is set to become a mandatory part of the NCEA qualification. These standards will sit outside of the credits needed at each level of NCEA but attainment of the co-requisite will be needed in order to be awarded the NCEA qualification at any level.

The Literacy and Numeracy standards assess learners on important foundational skills that will help students succeed in NCEA, further learning, life and work. Once in place, the co-requisite will be able to be achieved from Year 9, with teachers recognising when students are ready to be assessed against the standards and entering them accordingly.

Sancta Maria College is excited to be a pilot school for these standards in 2022. This year there are two assessment opportunities available. A small group of accelerated Year 10 students undertook this assessment at the end of June and the majority of the cohort will be given the opportunity to take part in the pilot in late September. More information will be coming to Year 10 parents via email.