IMPORTANT INFORMATION - YEAR 9 ENGLISH EXAMINATION
Dear Parent,
On Tuesday October 18 all Year 9 students will be sitting the Year 9 English Examination. This task intends to allow students to showcase both their Comprehension and Writing skills under exam conditions. In addition to measuring their development this year, it is also an important step in helping them prepare for their Senior School studies and the requirements of the VCE.
This task sees students complete two essays in 90 minutes with unsighted prompts. One essay is a response to one of two texts they have studied this year, the other is a persuasive essay on a general topic. This style of task is unfamiliar to students and is intentionally challenging. The task will not be graded, but to support their ongoing developmentstudents will receive clear and valuable feedback on their achievements and areas for future improvement.
Teachers have been helping their students to develop exam study techniques in the lead up to the task. We are aware that this examination may cause some stress to students; the acknowledgement and management of this stress is part of the preparation process for students’ future studies. One of the best ways to alleviate the stress of exams is through thorough preparation and we encourage you to speak with your child about how they are preparing for and feeling about their upcoming exam.
We are also aware that some students are not planning on following a VCE/University pathway and therefore do not require rigorous exam preparation. For these students, parents may feel that the pressure of the Exam may cause undue stress and would prefer their child not sit the Exam. In this case, students will complete an adjusted version of this task, whilst all other students complete the full exam. There will be no further impact on students’ overall results from this decision, but their preparation for VCE studies will potentially be impacted. If you wish to have your child complete this adjusted assessment you must communicate this to your child’s teacher via email by Friday October 14.However, it is imperative than any student who is considering or intending to follow a VCE pathway complete the full English Exam.
I wish each student the best in their preparation for this stage of their learning journey.
Kind regards,
Damian Stephenson – Director of English