1984 School Magazine

R.O.S.B.A. This year students will receive Junior and Senior Certificates on a new format with exit levels of achievement stated rather than the ratings on a 1to 7 scale, with which you are familiar. ln conjunction with these certificates, we have developed a new reporting system f or students in Year 10 and Year 12. Cirls leaving school at either level to enter the workforce should use these School Reports as information for employers, together with pamphlets recently developed by the Board of Secondary School studies. For students entering Universities or Colleges of Advanced Education, the tertiary entrance score remains the main criteria for selection to quotas. Staff members have risen to the challenge of R.O.S.B.A. and indicated a strong commitment to internal assessment procedures and improvement of the quality of education for students in their care. The contribution they have made to education generally has been great and next year a number of staff will be involved with review panels where their experience as Phase 1 teachers will be most valuable. The success of this year has been largely due to their professional attitudes, interest, enthusiasm and support, together with their desire to maintain high academic standards. New educational initiatives require resources and accordingly, the Board of Trustees called an extraordinary meeting for all parents in late February. Dr. Gehrmann, Chairman of the Board, outlined the planned developments for the future and the methods that would be used to f und them. The planning has been done in conjunction with the school Architect, Mr. Blair Wilson, and an educational consultant, Mr. Philip Roff, using information gathered particularly during the school evaluation in 1980,281. Early in the year the school swimming team coined the slogan "Taking off in '83". That is exactly what B.G.G.S. has done. The school is now committed to a new building programme and reorganisation during 1984 that will allow students access to better faeilities in computing, mathematics, speech and drama, music and the humanities and will provide much needed re- creational facilities for boarders and much needed, improved staff accommodation. This development comes at a time of national concern in education and commits parents to even greater f inancial input than has ever before been requested. Significant changes to national educational policy have been imple- mented because of the great need of this nation to ensure that all children, irrespective of where they go to school, have the opportunity to stay at school as long as possible. By the end of the decade, it is hoped that every Australian child will complete a f ull primary and second- ary education at a satisfactory standard in subject areas that are of importance, relevance and interest. ln 1981 (the latest figures available), only 28.5% of student in government schools who started at Year 1 actually completed secondary schooling while 45.6% of students in Catholic schools and 89.2"/" of students in other non-government schools completed their

Computer Report: Computing has developed in the School as a tool for students, particularly those studying senior Accounting, Mathematics ll and Mathematics in Society. The Parents' and Friends' Association provided us with micro- computing equipment for the Mathematics Department, freeing the Mini-Computer for use by the Accounting Students and Students in Year 8. Next year the P & F proposes to provide further micro computers for the Maths Department, so that a full class will have access to this equipment. The Library will be purchasing an Apple Computer for use by staff in English and the Humanities, so that by 1985 when the new building is open and improved computer facilities are available, most subject areas in the school will have access to a computer as a tool for teaching. Recently the Board of Trustees has provided a Word Processor for my office which will ease the immense workload involved in administration and enrolments. Developments in 1983: Every year improvements continue to be made to the School and this year was no exception. The Board of Trustees replaced the old painted desks with new laminated tables in all classrooms requiring them. As well as this, a number of new chairs were purchased replacing the old wooden ones. The cottages were brought back into service as two classrooms, after having served a number of years as a carpenters'workshop. The carpenters were relocated in the Clothing Shop, the Boarders' Laundry was closed and the Clothing Shop relocated there. Boarders' Laundry is now contracted out at a considerable cost saving to the School and hence to parents. One of the Science Laboratories was remodelled as a senior Chemistry Laboratory. After painting, the Mothers' Group provided attractive blackout cu rtaini ng supplying the finishing touches to a more attractive and useful area. New windows were provided in the top floor western wing classrooms - always a hot box. They have greatly improved the ventilation of these rooms.