Recently, I sent out to parents and families the new SJS Artificial Intelligence (AI) and SJS Homework Policy for secondary students. Please take the time to familiarise yourself with these documents. Joe Shorter and I spent time with students across Years 7-12 unpacking the key elements of each policy, particularly focusing on the responsibilities for them as students.

The SJS AI policy focuses on the appropriate and ethical engagement in the use of AI to enhance each student’s learning, and as a school, we are exploring ways to navigate this space and support our students in this. It is important to remember that AI is a tool to support the learning of students, not a mechanism to do the work for them. Please note that the inappropriate use of AI in generating assessment, homework and in class responses is a breach of academic integrity and will be managed through our existing Assessment and Drafting framework. We will provide updates to families as we continue to move through the ever-changing space.

The SJS Homework Policy will hopefully provide clarity for students and families around homework expectations. The key message delivered to students was about consistency of engagement in small homework tasks and revision for each subject across the week as the most effective way to reinforce the learning happening in classrooms. It is important to remember that these are guidelines within the policy and each student needs to tailor their homework setting to suit their own learning needs.

Our Year 12 students move into a 5 day Mock External Assessment block across Week 10 as they prepare for the state-wide External Assessment (EA) block that commences 21 October. The purpose of the Mocks is to rehearse the structure of the assessment block and familiarise students with the types of assessment they will experience in the EA’s. Feedback received as part of these mock assessment is critical in informing the direction of the remaining weeks of the mastery period and will allow for students and staff to work collaboratively to prepare the students for the challenges of the external assessment.

Finally, the Year 11 Leadership Camp and Leadership Day took place this week at Emu Gully and the QCWT. With a focus on developing the leadership of our Year 11’s, through the lens of the spirit and qualities of the ANZAC’s, we were immensely proud of the way this group supported each other through the various challenges. The way they came together as a group and displayed teamwork, resilience and persistence gives me every confidence in the future student leadership at our school in good hands. The Year 11 students now enter the student leadership application and interview phase, where 2025 student leaders will be announced and presented to the school and wider community at our school awards night early next term. I thank Jacob Steele and Karen Petrie for their leadership of this, as well as Nathan Hurtz and Gianna Blaxland-Zanatta who assisted.

Call to be… Christ-Like 

Called to live… Mercy 

Matthew Brown
Deputy Principal