INFORMATION BOOK 2018 - Grace Lutheran College

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INFORMATION BOOK 2018 - Grace Lutheran College
INFORMATION BOOK 2018
INFORMATION BOOK 2018 - Grace Lutheran College
Principal’s Welcome

As the new Principal in 2017, I find myself back at Grace
after almost three decades serving Lutheran education
across three States; with two previous roles as Principal. It
was a privilege to serve Grace in the nineteen eighties as
a graduate teacher and it is an even greater privilege to
have returned as Principal.

Grace’s mission to be a Christian community and
prepare young people for a life of faith and service
to God and people, is also inclusive of a goal to
help students develop themselves both at school and
throughout all of life. This educational mindset is
achieved through discovering and developing one’s
talents and learning to realise that we are made to serve
others directly or indirectly through both our vocation in
life as well as through our personal interests.

As Grace College continues to serve the wider
community of the Moreton Bay Region and Brisbane’s
northern suburbs, Grace will continue to build on its fine
reputation that is founded in:
• a commitment to the Christian faith, its teachings,
    and reflective of Christ’s love
• a community where people come first and pastoral
    care is a priority
• an environment where undeserved forgiveness and acceptance is paramount
• a robust academic program, designed to meet a diverse range of interests and learning needs
• an accomplished school which received an award in 2016 as one of Australia’s Top 40 innovator schools
• a co-curricular environment rich with sporting and cultural opportunities, as well as experiential learning –
    especially outdoor education
• service in local and global communities
• It is not just what we do at Grace, it’s the way we do it. We are committed to living and working in accordance
    with ‘The Grace Way’: a life characterised by Grit, Growth, and Grace.
• Grit involves perseverance with all tasks, no matter how tough we might find them, and also strong commitment
    to the work at hand
• Growth means having a growth mindset; a passion for endless learning and improving oneself
• Grace means serving others; firstly mindful of other’s needs, not our own, and, despite our differences,
    deliberately seeking to work collaboratively for the good of all.

In the words of the former long serving Dean of Students, Kris Stevens; ‘The Grace Way is the ethos of the College
whereby we respect and love sacrificially as God’s children all those who come to be involved in the Grace
community. This Christ-like witness dictates our approach to all aspects of life at the College and develops confident,
caring and adventurous citizens of the world.’

I am thankful to be a part of the Grace community again and look forward to serving you this year and in the years
ahead.

In Christian service,

David Radke, Principal

                                                                                                                          1
INFORMATION BOOK 2018 - Grace Lutheran College
Grace Lutheran College is by the grace of God
    a Christian community. It aims to continue the
    preparation of young people for a life of faith and
    service, so that God will be glorified in the world.
2
INFORMATION BOOK 2018 - Grace Lutheran College
Table of Contents
Academic Enrichment                                         20
Anti-Bullying and Anti-Harassment Policy                    26
Assignment Policy                                           15
Appeals Policy                                              18
Attendance                                                  9
Bell Times                                                  6
Caboolture Map                                              34
Career Guidance                                             20
CCTV Management Procedure                                   33
Change of Subjects                                          15
Child Protection Policy                                     28
Christian Community                                         4
Code of Behaviour                                           7
Cyber-Bullying                                              29
Curriculum Guidelines                                       15
Curriculum Principles                                       14
Dropping a Subject                                          16
Email Use                                                   10
Examination Rules                                           18
Excursions and Photographs                                  10
General Information                                         4
Googa Outdoor Education Centre                              20
Grace Academy                                               19
Grace Swimming                                              21
Grievance Policy                                            30
Homework Procedures                                         15
Information Communication Technologies                      22
Infractions                                                 7
Late & Non Submission Policy                                16
Lateness                                                    11
Learning Support                                            23
Leaving Campus Early/Students who miss buses/Use of email   10
Library                                                     23
Medication Policy                                           30
Miscellaneous                                               5
Mission Statement                                           4
Mobile Phone Policy                                         31
Observatory                                                 24
Parents & Friends Association                               5
Pathways Trade Skills Centre                                25
Privacy Policy                                              32
Relationships Management Process                            7-8
Rothwell Map                                                35
School Organisation and Life                                4
School Rules                                                7
Sport                                                       24
Submission of Assessment Policy Years 7-9                   16
Sun Policy                                                  14
Transport                                                   6
Tuckshops                                                   5
Uniform Requirements                                        11-14
Vocational Education & Training Pathways                    25

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Mission Statement                                               In order to fulfil this ministry and mission, teachers in
    ‘Grace Lutheran College is by the grace of God a                the Lutheran school will be qualified and competent
    Christian community. It aims to continue the preparation        educators.
    of young people for a life of faith and service, so that God
    will be glorified in the world.’                                In addition, they will also be committed to the Christian
                                                                    faith; understand and support the faith as confessed by the
    General Information                                             Lutheran Church and practised in the Lutheran school; be
    Grace Lutheran College is owned and operated by the             willing to identify with, uphold and promote the Lutheran
    Lutheran Church of Australia, Queensland District. A            ethos of the school; exemplify and model the Christian
    College Council, appointed by the Church, is responsible        lifestyle in and beyond the school.
    for setting policy for the school.
                                                                    The Church will determine from time to time what specific
    Grace Lutheran College accepts the Confessions of               qualifications it requires of teachers to equip them for this
    the Lutheran Church of Australia and requires that all          ministry and mission of the Church in Lutheran schools.
    instruction and practice conform to this doctrinal basis.       It encourages local school authorities to commission
                                                                    teachers who are appointed to service in a Lutheran
    It is the intention of the Church that Grace Lutheran           school. Every teacher appointed to service who continues
    College be a community based, co-educational                    to meet the requirements determined by the Church will
    secondary school, open to students without discrimination       be an Accredited or Provisionally Accredited teacher in the
    as to class, race or belief (subject to the power of            service of the Church.
    management).
                                                                    School Organisation and Life
    A Christian Community                                           Spiritual Life, Worship and Service
    Our ‘Christian Community’ is a part of God’s family. As         All students and staff at Grace participate in the worship
    a family we encourage working together to build on the          life of the College, particularly the Year Level Chapels
    foundation laid by God, through parents/guardians and           each week and special sub-school or whole school
    others, in the lifelong process of Christian education.         services. These services are conducted by our College
    Within this family, teachers, parents/guardians and             Pastor, members of the Ministry Team, other staff and
    students come together to realise God’s plan for their          students and visiting guest speakers.
    lives. We aim to nurture each other into whole people; to
    assist each other in our work, leisure and service in the       Christian Studies (CS) is a core subject in all Year Levels
    community in the pursuit of wisdom and the expression of        and is taught by staff who receive training to qualify them
    love which reflects Jesus Christ’s life of service to us and    to teach CS in a Lutheran School.
    God’s plan for the world.
                                                                    Students, staff and families have many opportunities to be
    Each of us is, as the Bible says, uniquely significant, and     involved in service-learning at Grace on a local, national
    Grace College exists to reveal and develop our God-             and international level, for example through classroom
    given gifts, by example and guidance. We aim to draw on         learning experiences, Interact, World Vision,
    the insights of the past and the resources of the present       Australian Lutheran World Service, Watoto and Shave for
    to equip ourselves to reason, create, reflect, grow in faith    a Cure.
    and integrity; to be people of Christian conviction with the
    courage to witness to Christ in society.                        Middle School
                                                                    The Middle School at Grace comprises students from
    Our College family also exists to build and strengthen its      Years 7-9 and is designed to be a place where students
    communal life by exercising the self-discipline, concern for    feel safe and valued while learning in a stimulating
    others, love and ultimately the selflessness that Christ asks   environment. A designated Middle School precinct,
    of all who would follow Him.                                    supportive teachers and ancillary staff, an inter-year
                                                                    buddy system and varied social activities allow students
    The Teacher in the Lutheran School                              to make friends quickly and have a sense of belonging
    The Lutheran school is an agency of the Lutheran Church         to a community. Core teachers in Years 7 and 8 provide
    of Australia through which the Church seeks to carry out        stability and a continued strong foundation in literacy,
    its ministry and mission to the people of Australia.            numeracy, Science, Christian Studies and the humanities,
                                                                    while specialist teachers provide expert tuition in a range
    The specific ministry and mission of the Lutheran school        of areas: Health and Physical Education, Languages,
    is to provide quality formal education in which the Word        the Arts (Performing and Visual) and Technologies
    of God informs all learning, teaching and activities and        (ICT, Lifestyle, Design). All students are encouraged to
    where forgiveness and grace govern the relationships of         participate in the wide range of co-curricular opportunities
    the members of the school community.                            available. Students, particularly in Year 9, have
                                                                    considerable scope for leadership.

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Senior School                                                  Only student eGRACE cards are accepted to pay for
Students in Years 10-12 form the Senior School at Grace        items at the school tuckshop.
and develop greater independence and responsibility
during these years. The extended Outdoor Education             A fantastic range of hot and cold food items are
program at Googa in Year 10, Work Experience                   available, all freshly made each day. Trading hours are
opportunities, comprehensive Careers advice and                as follows:
Senior Leadership opportunities assist with this growth.       Breakfast 7:45am – 8:15am
There is a strong culture at Grace of senior students          Recess 10:35am – 10:55am
acting as mentors to younger ones in academics, sport,         Lunch 12:35pm – 1:25pm
performing arts, creative industries and service activities.
Students are able to choose academic or vocational             Volunteers
pathways through a wide range of subject offerings,            The College Tuckshops rely heavily on the valuable
school-based traineeships and apprenticeships and              assistance of volunteers to enable prices to be
university courses.                                            maintained. Approximately three helpers (Rothwell)
                                                               and two helpers (Caboolture) are required each day
International Connections                                      at the Tuckshop to allow efficient preparation and
Grace has long-standing relationships with sister schools      serving support. The hours are approximately 8:30am
in Germany and Japan and a deveoping relationship              to 1:30pm, although these times can be flexible to suit
in China (Robotics). Also, in recent times, Grace has          individuals. Parents/guardians are encouraged to help in
been developing a partnership with schools in Indonesia        this area by serving on a roster and are asked to contact
and Cambodia. Regular reciprocal visits to these               each Tuckshop direct.
countries (and others) occur. Students are encouraged
to see themselves as global citizens and to welcome            Miscellaneous
opportunities to learn from people of other cultures           Office Hours - 8:00am to 4:00pm
within our own school and beyond.                              It would be appreciated if parents/guardians could make
                                                               telephone calls to the school within these hours. The PA
Pastoral Care                                                  system at the College is not used to pass messages to
Grace has been renowned for many years for its pastoral        students. In the case of extreme emergency, the office
care. This is fostered through a Home Class system             staff will go to the student’s classroom and withdraw
where students meet every day in a small group that            the student from class to receive the message. Please
remains together, and usually with the same teacher,           assist by making sure your child is aware of travelling
throughout their life at school. Coordinated by their Year     arrangements for getting home etc. prior to coming to
Level Coordinator, these groups work through a program         school.
whereby the students learn life, study and social skills
and address important topics relevant to their health and      Bringing Money to School
well-being. The Home Class teacher is the first point of       Should students be required to bring money to school,
contact for parents/guardians wishing to communicate           it should be put into an envelope clearly marked with
with the school about their child.                             the name of the student, Home Class, amount enclosed
                                                               and what the money is for. The correct money would be
Parents and Friends Association (P&F)                          appreciated as the office does not hold a lot of change.
The Grace Parents and Friends Committees are essential
and active members of the College community. These             If students have a large amount of money with them for
committees promote understanding and co-operation              some reason, we suggest that it be handed to the office
within the school community to assist parents and              for safekeeping for the day.
students in achieving the best outcome from their time
at the College. The P&F committees also provide a              Any money or valuables left in lockers or school
vital link with College management, administration             bags is the responsibility of the student. No
and academic functions through their representation            responsibility will be accepted by the College.
in various decision-making committees. The P&F
committees assist the College and its students by              Purchasing Using Student ID Cards
fostering activities that will be of benefit to them.          Many facilities at the College utilise the student ID Card
                                                               (eGrace Card) for purchasing items. For example,
                                                               photocopying, printing and tuckshop purchases are carried
Tuckshops                                                      out using this payment method. Money can be added to the
Rothwell and Caboolture                                        card via the College website in the ‘Payments’ tab.
The Tuckshops operate five days a week at Rothwell and
Caboolture Campuses during normal term time and are            Insurance
open for breakfast, recess and lunch.                          College insurances do not cover property of parents/
                                                               guardians or students. Parents/guardians should arrange

                                                                                                                            5
insurance cover for items of value, such as bicycles and       College Policy on Lending Money
    musical instruments. A limited student accident insurance      Parents/guardians are advised that it is College policy
    is arranged and details published in the newsletter            not to lend money to students, even small amounts.
    annually.                                                      When students have forgotten their lunch, they may go
                                                                   to the Hive (Middle School) or the Hub (Senior School)
    Lockers                                                        at Rothwell or Student Reception at Caboolture to collect
    All students are allocated a locker and combination            a lunch voucher for the school tuckshop.
    lock. In the event of a lock being lost or damaged,
    replacements will need to be purchased by the student.         Bell Times
    It is essential in order to ensure security, that locker       Students should be at school by 8:10am in order
    combinations are not divulged to other students and            to prepare themselves for the school day. School
    lockers remain locked at all times.                            commences with Home Class at 8:20am each day,
                                                                   and finishes at 3:05pm. Please see page 9-10 for
    Telephone                                                      information on what to do if a student arrives at school
    Students are permitted to use College phones to ring           after 8:20am or needs to leave early.
    home only in an emergency (e.g. missed bus.) The
    student should report to the Hive (Middle School) or the       Class                    Start - Finish    Mins
    Hub (Senior School) at Rothwell or Student Reception at
                                                                   Home Class/Pastoral      8:20 - 8:55       35 mins
    Caboolture if this becomes necessary.
                                                                   Care/Chapel
    Ambulance                                                      Period 1                  8:55 - 9:45      50 mins
    In the event of an injury or illness which requires            Period 2                 9:45 - 10:35      50 mins
    immediate attention, an ambulance will be called and           Recess                   10:35 - 10:55     20 mins
    parents/guardians notified.
                                                                   Period 3                 10:55 - 11:45     50 mins
    Sick Students                                                  Period 4                 11:45 - 12:35     50 mins
    When students become sick during the day, they                 Lunch                    12:35 - 1:25      50 mins
    should first see the school nurse/first aid attendant          Period 5                 1:25 - 2:15       50 mins
    at the Health Centre (Rothwell) or Student Reception
    (Caboolture), who then arranges for parents/guardians          Period 6                 2:15 - 3:05       50 mins
    to be contacted and arrangements made for the student
    to go home if necessary. Parents/guardians are required        Transport
    to provide an alternate contact person in case they are        The College has its own fleet of buses which run to the
    unable to be reached, e.g. grandparents or a neighbour.        Rothwell Campus from Bracken Ridge, Bribie Island,
    Students are not to ring home themselves when sick.            Caboolture, Dayboro, Eatons Hill/Warner, Everton
    Students should not attend school if obviously ill at the      Park, Scarborough/Clontarf, Narangba/North Lakes,
    start of day.                                                  Joyner and North Lakes each morning and return each
                                                                   afternoon. Buses run from the Caboolture Campus
    Students Needing to Use Crutches                               to Narangba/Bellmere, Beachmere/Bribie Island,
    If students are required to use crutches while attending       Sandstone Point and Mt Mee/Wamuran. For more
    classes, please notify Student Services prior to their         information and arrangements for the use of these
    return to school so that room changes to lower floor           services, please contact the Finance Department by
    classrooms or a key for the lifts can be arranged. Lift        telephoning 3897 2179.
    keys are located at the Health Centre at the Rothwell
    Campus, and Front Reception at the Caboolture                  The Rothwell Campus is serviced by a number of
    Campus.                                                        Kangaroo and Hornibrook buses, providing transport
                                                                   from and to Bracken Ridge, Burpengary, Caboolture,
    Accessibility                                                  Sandgate, Strathpine, Petrie Railway Station and
    Most areas of the College are wheelchair accessible via        Redcliffe. The Moreton Bay Rail Link commenced
    lift access, and disabled toilets are available.               operations in October 2016. A new station at Rothwell,
                                                                   800 metres from the College along with dedicated bike
    Contacting Teachers                                            paths east and west provide students with additional
    Parents/guardians are asked initially to contact the           transport options.
    College receptionist. The receptionist will either volunteer
    to pass a message to staff, suggest that a letter be           Other bus companies service the Caboolture Campus.
    written or arrange an appointment. Emailing staff is also      See phone numbers below. The College is not
    an option through grace@glc.qld.edu.au                         responsible for the provision of this transport. For more
                                                                   detailed information, please contact the appropriate
                                                                   transport company:

6
•   Hornibrook Bus Lines Pty Ltd 3284 1622                   to be gracious winners and good losers. Conduct and
•   Kangaroo Bus Lines 1300 287 525                          uniform on or off the field must be exemplary.
•   Caboolture Bus Lines 5495 4744                           8. Designated out of bounds areas must be strictly
•   Coast and Country 1300 428 737                           observed.
•   Bribie Island Coaches 3408 2562                          9. Relationships between boys and girls must be such as
•   Christensen Bus and Coach 5497 1478                      not to cause distraction from studies or bring dishonour
•   Translink 13 12 30                                       to the College. Persistent or continued close physical
                                                             contact is not permitted.
Code of Behaviour                                            10. Students are expected to be on time for classes,
Grace Lutheran College is a Christian community. This        sporting and cultural activities, campus work etc.
means all members, teachers and students, live only by       11. Mobile Phones: See Mobile Phone Policy.
the grace of God, saved by our Lord Jesus Christ for a       12. Students are not to throw any object, either in or
new life in Him. Members of this community aim to live       outside the classroom, with the exception of appropriate
by Christ’s forgiveness according to His teachings and       sport activities. This is a suspendable offence.
by the power of the Holy Spirit.                             13. The College reserves the right to open and search
                                                             students’ lockers and bags without notice.
All members should show concern for fellow members,          14. The chewing of any kind of gum is banned on the
helping them to live the Christian life of love for one      campus.
another. Love requires that members of the College           15. Aerosol cans of any variety are banned on campus
community advise, correct and help each other in times       or at camp. The reason is that aerosols have caused
of temptation and trouble.                                   asthma and other breathing difficulties for some
                                                             students.
Christian discipline is Spirit motivated and concerned       16. Dangerous implements such as knives, metal
with the student’s desire to serve the living God. Should    rulers, sling shots etc are not permitted on campus or
a student’s behaviour be such as to have an adverse          while the students are under College jurisdiction or in
effect on other people, property or school, action will be   College uniform. Students with a dangerous implement
taken to redress the situation.                              and/or threatening the use of same will be suspended
                                                             immediately and render themselves liable to instant
Parents/guardians are expected to support the College        dismissal from the College.
in its discipline policies and should consider the Code of   17. Alcohol, cigarettes, illegal drugs and other harmful
Behaviour and School Rules carefully prior to enrolling      substances are strictly forbidden either on campus or
their child, since enrolment signifies acceptance of same.   while the student is under the College’s jurisdiction or in
                                                             College uniform.
School Rules                                                 • Students using, or in possession of any of the above
1. Students are at the College to learn. They are                 or any equipment associated with drug abuse, or
therefore expected to be attentive in class, move about           found to be supplying any of the above, either on
the campus in an orderly fashion, be punctual and have            or off campus, will be suspended immediately and
all necessary equipment for each lesson.                          render themselves liable to instant dismissal from the
2. A student may leave campus only with the permission            College;
of the Head of Senior School, Head of Middle School or       • Students in the company of students using same will
Deputy Head of Caboolture Campus, and generally only              be suspended;
if written permission is granted by parents. This includes   18. Students in possession of illegal or inappropriate
not leaving campus once a student has arrived at the         text images (eg pornography) or distribution of same
College regardless of mode of transport.                     in person or by electronic means will be dealt with
3. Students are not to interfere with the property of        according to the College’s Computer Usage Policy and
others. Damage to property caused by negligence must         Mobile Phone Policy and may be liable for suspension or
be paid for.                                                 review of enrolment.
4. Uniform and behaviour while travelling to and from        19. Matters arising in Rules 16-18 may also be reported
school, while on excursions, or in any public place must     to the Police and/or Department of Child Safety under
be exemplary.                                                current legislation and College policy.
5. Students cycling to school are expected to exercise
all care and obey all the rules of the road, including       Relationships Management Processes
wearing a helmet. In addition, they should ride in single    Relationships Management is a whole of College
file.                                                        approach to developing and maintaining effective
6. Students who drive to school must have written            relationships for learning. It involves an approach
parental permission, have submitted a permission to          to education that values all relationships within the
drive form at the relevant campus and observe other          College community that play a part in the education of
such conditions as stipulated by the College and police.     our students. Relationships management is a proactive
7. Students are expected to participate in sports and        approach to classroom behaviour management based

                                                                                                                           7
on a Restorative approach to addressing issues of harm                    presenting issue and the context.
     or unacceptable behaviour that potentially disrupts
     effective relationships for learning.                                     Note:
                                                                               Counselling
     The Effective Relationships Management Flowchart is a                     Counselling of students by an appropriate staff member,
     guide for Teachers, Students and Parents to understand                    Year Level Coordinator, Head of Sub-school, School
     the flow of how relational issues in the College are                      Pastor, Counsellor or Career Guidance Officer is an
     managed. The flowchart can be engaged from any                            integral part of the procedure.
     level; the level of entry is dependent on the nature of the

    EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPS
    MANAGEMENT FLOWCHART                                        Effective
                                                              Relationships
                                                              for Learning
                                                                                                               Moving back to Effective
     LEVEL 1 (low level)
                                                  •    Restorative chat                                        Relationships for Learning
     In class misbehaviour                        •    No Blame conference                                     requires Grace Students to:
     Playground misbehaviour
                                                  CLASS TEACHER
                                                                                                               1. Be present in all classes, be
                                                                                                               punctual, with necessary equipment

     LEVEL 2 (moderate level)                     •    Lunchtime Withdrawal
                                                                                                               2. Attentive & cooperative & work

     Moderate or repeated                         CLASS TEACHER                                                to the best of my ability
     misbehaviour in class or                     • Afternoon Reflection
     playground                                   • Subject Withdrawal
                                                     (Reflection room – RR)                                    3. Complete all Homework &
                                                                                                               assignments to an acceptable
                                                  HOD/MSCC/CCC
                                                                                                               standard according to my ability

     LEVEL 3 (high level)
                                                  •    Restorative chat                                        4. Be courteous & cooperative
     Gross misbehaviour or                        •    Restorative Conference
                                                                                                               in all relationships with staff &
     continuation of disruption                   •    Multiple Lunchtime Withdrawals
     despite intervention in Levels               •    Internal suspension (RR)                                students, inside & outside the
     1 or 2 interventions                         •    Daily report
                                                                                                               classroom
                                                  •    Academic report

                                                  YLC/DHCCC
With discretion                                                                                                5. Maintain a positive attitude to all
                                                                                                               aspects of College life
     LEVEL 4 (very high level)                    •    Significant Internal suspension
                                                  •    Contract/negotiated behaviour
     Referral to Head of Sub-                                                                                  6. Wear the designated uniform
                                                  •    External suspension / consideration of
     School/Deputy Head of                             enrolment review                                        properly both on & off campus
     Campus - Caboolture
                                                  HEAD OF SUB-SCHOOL/ DHCCC
                                                                                                               7. Behave in acceptable manner in
With discretion                                                                                                public while wearing the College
                                                                                                               uniform
     LEVEL 5 (highest level)                      •    Enrolment review
                                                       o Probationary continuation with
                                                       agreement                                               8. Obey College rules as set out in
     Referral to Principal
     Effective Relationships for                       o Exclusion                                             the Handbook
     Learning
                                                  PRINCIPAL/DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

    NB: A record will be kept of student issues & parents will be informed of moderate to the highest level concerns.

8
Afternoon Reflection                                               school, Year Level Coordinator, Home Class
Afternoon Reflections of up to one hour may be given               Teacher, College Pastor and, where appropriate,
after school. Normally one day’s notice will be given.             Head of Learning Support and/or School
During Afternoon Reflections a student may be required             Counsellor will meet to review the student’s case. A
to complete homework, or do some appropriate task or               recommendation is made to the Principal.
activity. Afternoon Reflections are given for failure to do    •   Head of Campus or Principal, Head of Sub-school
homework, for lack of punctuality and similar breaches             and where appropriate Pastoral staff member meet
of the College rules. Parents/guardians are responsible            with student and parent/guardian to discuss the
for transport home after an Afternoon Reflection.                  matter and for the Principal to make a determination
                                                                   on the matter.
Restorative Conference
In some situations a mediation session between affected        Attendance
parties may be held to help restore the relationship and       It is most important that students be regular in their
repair the harm caused. Parents/guardians may also be          attendance so as to gain maximum benefit from their
asked to attend to support their child in the process.         time as a student at Grace. The following are acceptable
                                                               reasons to the College for non-attendance:
Student Contract                                               • Illness/accident
This is a written notice to the parents/guardians that their   • Overseas trips
child’s behaviour is not satisfactory and if not corrected     • Compassionate grounds e.g. funerals
may lead to exclusion from the College. A student              • Selection in State or Regional sporting teams or
generally may be placed on Student Contract for a                    cultural activities
period of up to one semester.                                  • Exceptional circumstances approved by the school.

Suspension                                                     Please note that for the above items the College would
A student may receive an internal suspension for an            expect to be notified and its approval obtained at least
accumulation of Afternoon Reflections or for a more            one month prior (except in the cases of emergency) to
serious breach of school rules. A student may also             the expected absence.
receive a Subject Withdrawal from a specific subject for
a number of lessons. All such internal suspensions will be     Some students in the past have handed in notes seeking
spent in the Middle School, Senior School or Caboolture        permission to be absent later that same day. This
Campus Reflection Room under direct staff supervision.         presumes the College will grant leave automatically even
Students will be required to complete a Restorative            if the request is not within the College’s guidelines. The
Worksheet and have an exit interview with the Year Level       College reserves the right to refuse the request to leave
Coordinator or Head of Department upon completion of           early if it is not satisfied with the reasons given.
the suspension. Students are also required to continue         In the Senior School, particularly Years 11 and 12,
their studies whilst on suspension.                            academic matters should be given a priority. For this
                                                               reason student absences should be kept to a minimum
Review of Enrolment                                            and avoid disruption of key assessment and exam
In the circumstances that a student breaches the               periods. Absences for family vacations during term time
conditions of their Student Contract or commits an             in Year 12 pose a considerable threat to the well-being
act (such as breaches of Rules 16-18) that places the          and academic success of students. Application for any
welfare of the school community at risk, the student may       such leave should be made in writing at least three
be subject to a review of enrolment procedure. In this         months prior for the College to assess the implications.
case the Year Level Coordinator or Head of Sub-school          Permission will not automatically be granted.
will externally suspend the student effective immediately.
Parent/Guardian will be advised by telephone of this           In the case of illness/accident, please contact the school
decision as a matter of urgency.                               by 9:00am each day by using the Grace College app for
                                                               either campus. Alternatively, Rothwell Campus families
The Review of Enrolment has three stages:                      can SMS text message to 0416 906 287 or by leaving a
• Head of Sub-school and Year Level Coordinator meet           voice message on 3897 2183, and Caboolture Campus
   with parent/guardian and student to outline reasons         families can voice message on 5428 9445.
   for review and to allow due process by student and
   parent to respond to allegations. Where the matter          Students who have been marked absent on the daily
   has needed to be reported to the relevant authorities       roll and have not been accounted for with an earlier
   the College will only be able to meet with parent/          message from a parent on the absentee line will be
   guardian and student after the authorities have             contacted by SMS on the parent’s mobile phone to
   completed their investigation. The student will remain      establish the reason for their absence. (If a mobile
   on external suspension at this time.                        phone number is not available, please ring the absentee
• Head of Campus or Principal, Head of Sub-                    number).

                                                                                                                            9
A doctor’s certificate is required if a student is absent for   achievements, student activities and other news is published
     more than two days because of illness or accident.              in school newsletters, magazines (and on websites). When
     It is not acceptable for students to remain at home             enrolling students, the parent undertaking signed by
     to complete assignments, while it is asked that                 parents/guardians indicates acceptance of this. Any use of
     appointments for doctors, dentists etc. be set for after        photographs or video for the direct marketing of the College
     school hours, including on sports days.                         or for use in the public domain require specific permission
                                                                     from parents/guardians. Parents/guardians will be asked to
     Students are expected to be in attendance for all sports        complete a Talent Release Form. Photographs will not be
     carnival days as well as their regular sport afternoon.         used in this manner unless permission is given.
     Students are permitted a maximum of one medical
     appointment per term during sport afternoons. If regular        Leaving Campus Early
     medical appointments are required due to an incapacity          In a situation where a student needs to leave the campus
     to play sport then permission should be sought in writing,      before the end of the school day, a written note must be
     outlining the frequency and nature of the appointments.         brought from home and taken to the Hive (Middle School) or
     Catching up on school work, assignments or to attend            the Hub (Senior School) at Rothwell or Student Reception at
     work other than work place arrangements made in                 Caboolture before Home Class in the morning. This will be
     conjunction with the VET Department are not valid               signed by the Head of Senior School or the Head of Middle
     reasons to be absent from sport. Disciplinary action will       School, Deputy Head of Caboolture Campus or a nominated
     be taken for breaches of attendance.                            representative. The note must then be taken to Home Class
                                                                     and be signed by the Home Class teacher. The note is then
     Excursions and Photographs                                      shown to the subject teacher when the student needs to leave.
     Excursions                                                      The student must then report to the relevant Student Reception
     From time to time during the school year, students of all       to sign out where they will be given a Sign Out slip. Parents/
     year levels will be required to participate in excursions.      guardians should collect their students from the Hive (Middle
                                                                     School) or the Hub (Senior School) at Rothwell or Caboolture
     Most excursions will occur during the normal school day.        Reception. Middle School students will not be permitted to
     Students will leave during normal hours and return during       leave campus without the parent collecting the student in
     normal hours. These excursions can either be related to         person from the appropriate office. Please note that students
     curriculum or pastoral care. Some assessment may be             will be collected by College staff from a class only in an
     connected to curriculum excursions. The length of these         emergency.
     excursions may vary from a single lesson to the whole
     school day.                                                     Students Who Miss Buses
                                                                     Although office hours are 8:00am–4:00pm, the College
     Reference is made to this type of excursion in the              Reception area is usually attended until 4:30pm each day.
     Confirmation of Enrolment Document and in signing               Parents/guardians who have any issues with buses and
     this document, you have agreed to students attending            transport home should contact the office within these hours.
     these excursions and being transported in buses on such
     occasions. Therefore, additional permission will not be         Students who miss buses may report to the College Library
     sought by staff from parents. Students will be given a          which remains open at Rothwell Monday to Thursday
     notice outlining the details of the excursion, dress required   until 6:00pm, and at Caboolture Campus until 5:15pm.
     etc. If parents/guardians do not wish their student to attend   Students are permitted to phone home to make alternative
     this excursion, they must notify the College in writing by at   arrangements. On Friday afternoons the Library closes at
     least the day before the excursion.                             3:15pm at Rothwell and 3:05pm at Caboolture. Students are
                                                                     to report to Main Reception of either campus so that suitable
     If an excursion outing extends out of school hours or           travel arrangements can be made as soon as possible. If a
     involves a cost above $10.00, a permission slip will be         parent/guardian cannot be contacted by the close of Library
     emailed home with the notice outlining the details of           hours, the student will be put into a taxi (with a voucher) and
     the excursion. The permission slip must be returned via         the parent/guardian will be charged for the fare.
     email to the teachers involved at least a day before the
     excursion. Permission will also be sought from parents/         Email
     guardians if the excursion requires students to participate     Whilst email is an acceptable manner for parents/guardians
     in an activity outside of normal College activity e.g. Rock     to contact the College, it should be remembered that
     Climbing or out of school hours.                                internet mail is not a fully secured and private medium for
                                                                     correspondence. Confidential and sensitive information
     Student Photographs                                             should not be communicated through this means. Emails
     From time to time, photographs are taken of students            should be directed to the College email address only. They
     engaged in College activities. The Standard Collection          will then be forwarded to the appropriate staff member. These
     Notice in the Student Information Form states that on           will be responded to by telephone, email or letter in a timely
     occasions, information such as academic and sporting            fashion (not necessarily that day).

10
Lateness                                                           Parents/guardians are reminded that a written explanation
Students are expected to be at College by 8:10am in order          is required if their child is not in correct uniform. These notes
to organise their books from the lockers by Home Class at          should be addressed to the Head of Senior School or Head
8:20am. Students arriving after 8:20am are to present at the       of Middle School and handed in by the student prior to the
Hive (Middle School) or the Hub (Senior School) at Rothwell        commencement of school.
or Caboolture Reception where they will receive a Late Slip.
Parents/guardians are required to notify the College if their      Requests from parents/guardians to have their child exempted
student is going to be late, either by SMS to 0427 016268          from wearing correct uniform for longer than one week will
or to the College’s absentee line on 3897 2183 (Rothwell),         be referred by the Head of Senior School or Head of Middle
or 5428 9445 (Caboolture). Students who fail to present            School to the Head of Campus or Principal for consideration.
for a Late Slip will remain as ‘absent’ on the daily roll. Three
unacceptable Late Slips will result in an automatic Afternoon      There is a College Uniform Committee (advisory), appointed
Reflection.                                                        by the Principal, which meets when required. If any parent
                                                                   wishes to comment on aspects of the school uniform, he/
                                                                   she should forward these comments, in writing, to the Head
Uniform Requirements                                               of Senior School. The College makes the final decision on all
Correct uniform is to be worn each day. The College reserves       matters concerning the uniform.
the right to send home students not properly dressed. Students
are to be in correct uniform from the time they leave home         The Heads of Campus and Heads of Sub-schools
until they return at the end of the day. This includes while       are responsible for the day to day interpretation and
travelling and at shopping centres. Students who do not            administration of the rules relating to uniform.
wear the correct uniform to or from school will be placed on
Afternoon Reflection.

                                                                                                                                       11
Girls Day Uniform                                        Material:       Brown polyester wool with
     Skirt:          Brown, pleated                                           embroidered College crest and gold
                     Length - knee length or longer                           writing
                     Material: Polyester Rayon (Viscose)      Badge:          Metal - optional.
     Blouse:         White and brown pin-stripe
                     overblouse                               Girls Sports Uniform
                     Material: Polyester cotton               May be worn to and from school only on sport day.
     Dress:          White brown green stripe                 (Wednesday: Years 10 ,11 & 12 and Thursday: Years 7,
                     Length: Knee length or longer            8 & 9)
                     Material: Polyester Rayon (Viscose)
     Tie:            Brown bow, embroidered College           Shorts:         Brown polyester/cotton with printed
                     crest, green and yellow stripe (worn                     College initials in gold
                     with both dress and blouse)              Sports Shirt:   Diamond polo shirt
     Socks:          Calf length white                                        Material: Polyester/Cotton
     Shoes:          Brown or black leather lace-ups                          Plus either red, blue, green or white
                     ‘shiny polished’, not moccasins, ankle                   house shirt with embroidered house
                     boots, skate shoes or slip-ons                           badge (worn for all inter house
                     Suede is not permitted		                                 activities and carnivals)
                     No coloured edging or contrast in        Shoes:          Predominantly (80%) white lace-up
                     stitching permitted                                      joggers. Boots are not permitted
                     Shoes MUST be able to be polished        Socks:          White sports socks with ‘Grace’ on
     Hat:            Off-white straw, brown trim with                         the sides, worn unfolded
                     brown, yellow and green hat band                         Material: 80% cotton 20% nylon
     Bucket Hat:     Brown reversible, house colours with                     White ankle sports socks with ‘Grace’
                     embroidered College crest                                around the top. 80% cotton 20%
                     Material: Polyester/Cotton                               nylon
     Cap:            Brown and green with College Crest       Bucket Hat:     Brown reversible, house colours with
                     Material: Polyester/Viscose                              embroidered College crest
                                                                              Material: Polyester/Cotton
     College Bag: Optional - Brown Sports Bag with
                     College initials in gold trim            Cap:            Brown and green with College Crest
                                                                              Material: Polyester/Viscose
     In cool weather, the following may be worn with the
     Day Uniform:                                             Tracksuit:      Jacket: Green, brown, white
                                                                              microfibre
     Stockings:      Chocolate Brown 70 denier opaque                         Material: Poly/Cotton, fully lined
                                                                              The tracksuit jacket is compulsory for
     Girls Formal Uniform                                                     Years 7 - 11
                                                                              Year 12s are permitted to wear their
     Skirt:          Brown, pleated (same as day uniform)                     Senior Jersey in lieu of the tracksuit
     Blouse:         White over-blouse                                        jacket. The tracksuit jacket must be
                     Material: Polyester Cotton                               worn with the Sports uniform
     Tie:            Brown bow (same as day uniform)                          No other jumper or tracksuit is to be
                                                                              worn with the sports uniform
     Stockings:      Mini Beige 15 denier sheer
                                                                              Bottom: Brown microfibre. Optional-
     Shoes:          Same as day uniform                                      no other tracksuit pants to be worn
     Hat:            Off-white straw, brown trim with         Special:        When representing the College,
                     brown, yellow and green hat band                         the student is expected to wear the
     In cool weather, the following may be worn with the                      uniform for that sport
     day or formal uniform:                                   Uniforms:       e.g. Softball: white Softball pants.
     Pullover:       Brown cotton blend with embroidered                      Athletics: school singlet
                     College crest                                            Swimming: school togs
                     Material: 65% polyester 35% cotton                       Team Sports: as required
     Blazer:         Optional to Year 9. Compulsory for
                     Years 10, 11 and 12 for all formal
                     occasions. A blazer may be worn with
                     the day uniform in winter

12
Boys Day Uniform                                         Pullover:      Brown cotton blend with embroidered
                                                                        College crest
Long           Brown to be worn with brown leather                      Material: 65% polyester 35% cotton
Trousers:      belt                                      Blazer:        Optional to Year 9. Compulsory for
               Material: Polyester Rayon (Viscose)                      Years 10, 11 and 12 for all formal
Walk Shorts:   Brown to be worn with brown leather                      occasions. A blazer may be worn with
               belt                                                     the day uniform in winter
               Material: Polyester Rayon (Viscose)                      Material: Brown polyester wool with
Shirt:         White and brown pin-stripe with                          embroidered College crest and gold
               College crest embroidered on pocket                      writing
               Material: Polyester cotton                Badge:         Metal-optional
Socks:         Dark chocolate brown short socks
               under trousers                            Boys Sports Uniform
               Long walk socks with shorts. Light        May be worn to and from school only on sport day.
               fawn with dark brown and green            (Wednesday: Years 10 ,11 & 12 and Thursday: Years 7,
               stripes around top                        8 & 9)
               Material: 60% cotton 40% nylon
Shoes:         Brown or black leather lace-ups           Shorts:        Brown polyester/cotton with printed
               ‘shiny’ polished, no moccasins, ankle                    College initials in gold
               boots, skate shoes or slip-ons. Suede     Sport Shirt:   Diamond polo shirt.
               is not permitted. No coloured edging                     Material: Polyester Cotton
               or contrast in stitching permitted.                      Plus either red, blue, white or green
               Shoes MUST be able to be polished.                       house shirt with embroidered house
Hat:           Brown ‘Akubra’ style wool with brown,                    badge. (Worn for all interhouse
               yellow and green hat band                                activities and carnivals)
Bucket Hat:    Brown reversible, house colours with      Shoes:         Predominantly (80%) white lace-up
               embroidered College crest                                joggers. Boots are not permitted
               Material: Polyester/Cotton                Socks:         White sports socks with ‘Grace’ on
Cap:           Brown and green with College Crest                       sides, worn unfolded. 80% cotton 20%
               Material: Polyester/Viscose                              nylon
                                                                        White ankle sports socks with ‘Grace’
College Bag:   Optional - Brown sports bag with
                                                                        around the top. 80% cotton 20% nylon
               College initials in gold trim
                                                         Bucket Hat:    Brown reversible, house colours with
Boys Formal Uniform                                                     embroidered College crest
                                                         Cap:           Brown and green with College Crest
Long            Brown to be worn with brown leather                     Material: Polyester/Viscose
Trousers:       belt                                     Tracksuit:     Jacket: Green, brown, white microfibre
                Material: polyester rayon (viscose)                     Material: Poly/Cotton, fully lined
Shirt:          White, long sleeve (worn rolled down)                   The tracksuit jacket is compulsory for
                Material: polyester cotton                              Years 7 to 11. Year 12s are permitted
                                                                        to wear their Senior Jersey in lieu of
Tie:            Brown with embroidered College crest,
                                                                        the track suit jacket. The tracksuit
                green and yellow stripe
                                                                        jacket must be worn with the Sports
Shoes:          Same as day uniform                                     uniform. No other jumper or tracksuit
Hat:            Brown ‘Akubra’ style wool with brown,                   is to be worn with the sports uniform.
                yellow and green hat band                               Bottom: Brown microfibre. Optional-
In summer, when formal uniform is worn to school for                    no other tracksuit pants to be worn
an excursion, the boys may remove their tie and roll     Special:       When representing the College, the
their sleeves up while at school, provided the uniform                  student is expected to wear the special
is worn correctly when travelling home.                                 uniform for that sport.
                                                         Uniforms:      e.g.Softball: white Softball pants.
In cool weather, the following may be worn with the                     Athletics: school singlet.
day or formal uniform:                                                  Swimming: school togs.
                                                                        Team Sports: as required.

                                                                                                                  13
Grooming                                                       Health & Physical Education). All students are to wear a
     In all aspects of their appearance, students are expected      cap/hat when involved in sport as scorers, players ‘on the
     to be neat and tidy. It is therefore necessary that            bench’ and as players where possible. (Some exceptions
     hairstyles be neat and conservative.                           at discretion of the coach and Sports Coordinator, e.g.
                                                                    basketball, football, bowling for cricket). Other than when
     GIRLS: Hair longer than collar length must be either           playing sport on the oval, students are encouraged to wear
     plaited or tied with brown, gold, black or white ribbons,      hats during recess and lunch hour.
     ‘scrunchie’ or band (not in combination)
                                                                    Caps/hats should be a College cap/hat for on-campus
     BOYS: Hair must not be longer than the top of the              activities. Students are to be encouraged to bring
     collar. Sideburns and hair must not be below the ears.         and apply sunscreen. Students are permitted to wear
     Must be clean shaven                                           appropriately rated sunglasses. However, these should
                                                                    not be expensive items as the College will not take
     BOTH: Fringe must not be below the eyebrows                    responsibility for these. Hats, sunscreen and sunglasses
     Any change to student’s own natural hair colour is not         should be stored in the locker when not in use.
     permitted
     Severe undercuts or shaved heads, mohawks or rats tails        Curriculum Principles
     are not acceptable                                             The introduction of Year 7 in 2008 was the catalyst for a
                                                                    school re-organisation with Years 7-9 forming the Middle
     The following jewellery is permitted:                          School, and Years 10-12 the Senior School. The full
     • A plain watch                                                implementation of the Australian Curriculum (ACARA) from
     • A thin chain necklace with or without a simple cross         2014, has also had an impact in the organisation of the
     • A single sleeper or plain metal stud in each ear (girls      curriculum. In constructing our curriculum the following
        only). Studs or rings elsewhere in the body are not         principles have been applied:
        permitted                                                   • The Basics: Grace provides a strong foundation
     • A medical ID necklace or bracelet for a specified                in the general capabilities outlined in ACARA:
        medical purpose (e.g. diabetes)                                 Literacy, Numeracy, Information and Communication
     • One signet ring                                                  Technology, Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal
                                                                        and Social Capability, Ethical Behaviour and
     The following is not permitted:                                    Intercultural Understanding. These are developed
     • Junk jewellery                                                   through specific subjects (e.g. English and Maths) and
     • Makeup                                                           across curriculum areas. In line with ACARA principles,
     • Nail polish                                                      Grace mandates study of the Arts and Technology to
     • Oversized garments - uniforms should fit properly                Year 8 and History and Science to Year 10.
                                                                    • Balance: A Grace education means an education
     Sport                                                              for the whole person – spiritual, academic, physical,
     The sports uniform may be worn to and from College only            social, emotional, technological and cultural.
     on sports days - Wednesdays (Years 10, 11 & 12) and                Mandatory aspects of the curriculum therefore include
     Thursdays (Years 7, 8 & 9) - or any other designated sports        Christian Studies, Chapel, Pastoral Care, Sport, and
     day. This must be the official College uniform and not the         Outdoor Education (including the four-week Googa
     special uniform required for some sports. Students may             program in Year 10). Students are also encouraged
     change into these uniforms before the activity.                    to participate in the wide range of co-curricular
                                                                        opportunities.
     For Physical Education classes, students must change into      • Choice and Differentiation: Grace seeks to cater for
     sports uniform (at the College) during the nearest break           all members of a family: boys and girls, students who
     before the lesson and change back into normal uniform              learn at varying rates and those with diverse interests.
     during the first break after the PE lesson.                        Grace provides learning support and academic
                                                                        extension offerings and we allow elective choices for
     If a part of the sports uniform is unavailable, the full day       students from Years 8-12. This is very popular with
     uniform must be worn travelling. Full day uniform may be           students. In the Senior School, we offer all prerequisite
     worn on sports days and changed for sports during the              subjects for University and Vocational Education and
     lunch hour.                                                        Training options.
                                                                    • Two-Campus, One School Policy: Grace Heads
     Sun Policy                                                         of Department and Curriculum work across the
     All students are to wear the College hat when playing              College, ensuring work programs, standards and
     on the oval at recess or lunch, and when involved in               assessment are consistent at both campuses. The
     compulsory activities in the sun, i.e. on outdoor assembly,        Rothwell Campus offers subjects on site in 2018 in all
     excursions, class time outside a room - except when a              Key Learning Areas from Years 7-12. In some cases,
     cap is more appropriate (eg. for Physical Education and            Caboolture students are able to study a subject with

14
Rothwell students or via Distance Education.              Non-Completion Of Assessment
                                                              In the Senior school, assessment requirements must
Curriculum Guidelines                                         follow Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority
Homework                                                      (QCAA) principles and procedures. The non-completion
Regular homework and revision of work (study) is              of pieces of assessment is a very serious issue. In the
necessary if a student is to develop their skills and         case of serious illness or major problems, medical
understanding.                                                certificates, or similar certification can be used to justify
                                                              late or non-completion of assessment and the student
Timely completion of regular homework is expected by          may be able to receive an exit level of achievement in
all subject teachers. Students should also have a set         that subject.
study plan to help them establish the necessary self-
discipline needed for self-directed work. Students are both   The policy for the late and non-submission of assessment
encouraged and guided to develop their study plan by          can be found following this section. It outlines the
many teachers in Pastoral Care and in subject areas. It is    serious consequences and possible implications of non-
very important that students establish a regular pattern of   compliance.
time for academic work needing to be done at home.
                                                              Attendance For Assessment
Homework may also include assignment work which is            Tests and exams in Years 11 and 12 normally count
ongoing for a period of three to six weeks leading up to      towards a student’s final assessment. As the College has
the due date.                                                 to certify that these are done on an equitable basis for
                                                              all students, it is vital students are present.
Suggested MINIMUM time for homework and study (per
night, five nights per week) - and use the weekend for        Acceptable excuses for absence from tests/exams (Years
catchup on the number of hours missed through other time      7-12) are:
commitments.                                                  • Illness/accident (medical certificate needed in Years
                                                                 11 and 12)
 Year       Weekly            Daily                           • Overseas trips (not advisable for Years 11 and 12)
                                                              • Compassionate grounds e.g. funerals
 7          4 hours           45 minutes
                                                              • Selection in State or Regional sporting teams or
 8          6 hours           1 hour           includes          cultural activities
 9          7 - 8 hours       1 - 11/2 hours   time           • Exceptional circumstances approved by the College.
 10         7 - 10 hours      11/2 - 2 hours   spent on
                                               assignments    If a student misses an exam/test (with a valid excuse),
 11         10 - 15 hours     2 - 3 hours
                                                              he/she may be given a result based on work already
 12         10 - 15 hours     2 - 3 hours                     completed and marked. However, in the situation where
                                                              the assessment is summative, alternative assessment
If students are spending excessive time on homework           may need to be undertaken, so that specific subject
and assignments, please contact the teacher to clarify        requirements are met. This can only be organised if the
requirements.                                                 appropriate certification (e.g. medical certificate) has
                                                              been received at the College.
Assignment Policy
Assignments MUST be presented by the DUE DATE.                N.B. Usually no tests/exams will be given before or after
Students may apply to the subject teacher concerned,          the actual date/time set down for them.
then the Head of Department for an extension of time
for the assignment, on the appropriate form, well before      Change Of Subjects
the due date. If a student is absent on the due date,         It is possible to apply to change a subject if a student
arrangements must be made to deliver the assignment           feels that an error of choice has been made.
as required. (In the Senior school, late submission
of assignments must be accompanied by a medical               Applications for a change of subject must be made
certificate and/or extension form signed by the HOD).         before the cut off dates as published in the school
                                                              calendar. This allows the student to obtain eligibility for
In most cases, a draft will be due about one week             credit in the new subject and avoid missing important
before the final date, to enable feedback to be given         foundation work. Application forms may be obtained
and to demonstrate that the due date will be met. This        from the Deputy Principal’s Secretary at Rothwell and
draft should be considered ‘the first final copy’ and be      Student Services at Caboolture. Approval depends
complete.                                                     on the agreement of the Heads of Department of the
Details regarding assignments can be found under the          two subjects involved and the Head of Teaching and
Due Date section on the Online Calendar.                      Learning. A student must remain in the current subject
                                                              until approval has been granted.

                                                                                                                              15
Change Of Classes                                             •   A student may be permitted to drop a subject in
     It may become necessary on occasion for Heads of                  Year 12 if, after consultation with appropriate staff
     Department to rearrange students within classes for a             concerning the possible effects on exit achievement
     variety of organisational or management reasons. It is            including OPs and FPs, the student and parents/
     not the policy of the College to change students’ classes         guardians wish to do so under the conditions
     within the same subject upon student or parental request.         outlined above. Excellent effort and a history of
                                                                       diligence will be looked on favourably in this
     From time to time issues of preference or concerns may            situation. A student who is not making a genuine
     arise, however the position of the College is to resolve          effort in the subject will not be permitted to drop it.
     any issues that may present. In the first instance, an
     interview with the class subject teacher is recommended.      Application forms for dropping a subject may be
     A subsequent interview with the Head of Department            obtained from the Deputy Principal’s Secretary or the
     and/or Head of Teaching and Learning may be offered           Senior Student Services (Hub) at Rothwell and Student
     where appropriate.                                            Services at Caboolture. Students contemplating dropping
                                                                   a subject should consult with Senior Student Services
     Dropping Subjects Policy                                      before the application is submitted.
     Occasionally, a Year 12 student may find that, despite
     best efforts, he/she is not coping with the demands of        Late And Non Submission Policy
     the course of study selected and may apply to drop            Preamble
     one subject to allow extra time to study the remaining        Grace Lutheran College considers the punctual
     subjects. This will be considered by the College, but the     submission of student assessment to be a critical aspect
     following should be carefully considered by the student       of their education. Not only does it provide timely
     and his/her parents:                                          evidence of each student’s achievement across all
                                                                   objectives/criteria in all subjects, it also develops good
     •   It is not a forgone conclusion that the student will be   habits with regard to such aspects as time management,
         permitted to drop a subject.                              personal study and research.
     •   Consideration of the possible effects on QCE
         (Queensland Certificate of Education) and OP              It is acknowledged that assessment can take various
         (Overall Position) eligibility must be given.             forms – written, oral and physical – and can be
     •   A student with study periods is expected to organise      individual or group orientated. It is essential therefore,
         his/her own work and carry it out without direct          to consider in this policy all possible forms that student
         supervision in the library. Any lack of self-discipline   assessment may take.
         may result in the student being returned to the
         subject.                                                  This policy is based upon the QCAA principles presented
     •   It is extremely difficult to predict the effect of        in ‘Moderation Processes for Senior Certification’ listed
         dropping a subject on OPs and FPs.                        below:
                                                                   1. Late or non-submission of assessment should not lead
     Therefore:                                                    to the production of results for that student indicating
     • The school re-affirms its policy that students will         knowledge or skills for which there is no evidence.
        normally study six academic subjects in Year 11 &          2. Late or non-submission of student work should in no
        12 except in exceptional circumstances. Some Senior        way allow the student to avoid providing timely evidence
        students may find that doing Senior over three years       of the student’s achievement in the full range of general
        will be advisable. This option (Variable Progression       objectives and the criteria and standards of the course of
        Rate), may be explored with the Head of Teaching           study (that is, the substantive requirements).
        and Learning.                                              3. Policies of late or non-submission of student
     • Students in Year 11 will not normally be permitted          assessment developed by schools need to be
        to drop a subject, but may change subjects. The            enacted consistently across the school to ensure that
        exception to this is for students undertaking a school-    consequences for all students are fair and equitable.
        based Apprenticeship or Traineeship or a Certificate
        course through an outside provider.                        The Policy
     • A student may be permitted to drop a subject in Year        Students shall be given an acceptable period of time in
        12 if there is a proven case of study for an external      which to complete the assessment task, and the due date
        qualification, such as music, where the extra time         will be clearly included on all task sheets and indicated
        can be spent studying and/or practicing for that           to students when they are distributed.
        subject.
     • A student in part-time employment is expected to            Students shall be made aware of the procedure for
        keep working hours to a maximum of ten hours per           seeking an extension, which must be done prior to the
        week (on a regular basis) in preference to dropping        due date and for legitimate reasons only.
        a subject.

16
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