Compass Directions - Tuesday 28 February, 2012

Upcoming Activities Quick Reference

Compass on the web

Last week, 27 teachers from Compass partner schools attended professional development sessions for the Film Production and Editing and Stop Motion Animation programs. Facilitator Jack McGrath and the Compass staff were very impressed with the movies and animations produced by the teachers in a short space of time, and by the teachers' enthusiasm and creativity. In turn, the teachers found the sessions both valuable and enjoyable.
Read the full story on our website.

Visit the Compass photo gallery to see teachers in action on the day and see two of the videos they produced.

Parents Campus Visit - Sunday 18 March

The first Parents Campus Visit of the year is on Sunday 18 March. These visits allow parents and potential future students to find out more about higher education and university, and gives them a chance to have questions answered face-to-face. We’d love to welcome both returning and new parents to campus this year.

We have provided each school with hard copy invitations that parents can fill out and return to the front office. Please note that RSVPs are due by Thursday 8 March as space is limited – contact Events Manager Simone Ross or Compass administration as soon as you receive your RSVPs. Thank you to those coordinators who have already received and returned their RSVPs.

Kickstart: Science outreach at the University of Sydney

The Kickstart Science Workshops give students a chance to get a hands-on university experience. The workshops are closely aligned with the HSC syllabus, and were designed to meet the demand expressed by science teachers in response to changes to the NSW HSC Science syllabus. Students are able to perform experiments and see demonstrations of key ideas in the syllabus that may be difficult to do in the classroom. This is a popular program attended by public and independent schools all over Sydney, and dates fill up quickly.

What have teachers and students said about the program?

• "Right atmosphere for learning"
• "Hands on experience means I'll be able to recall experiments for exam"

For more information, and to see which syllabus areas the modules address, please visit the Chemistry, Biology, and Physics websites.

If you wish to register, please contact Victoria at the Compass office with your student numbers and top three preferences for dates.

Professional Learning - Literacy Focus

Teachers concerned with reading comprehension and literacy in the middle years might be interested in these Professional Learning workshops. The blended model combines online reading and learning with face-to-face classes at a hub school (Homebush Boys High School).

• Conversations about Literary Texts – grammar for teachers and students in context.
• Reading and Writing for the Middle Years – expanding teachers’ strategies to meet students’ increased literacy demands.

Please contact Victoria Loy to register.

Reminder - Seymur Centre bookings - Primary schools

With the reduced calendar this year, space is filling fast for the Seymour Centre performances for primary schools. If you were not able to request a performance and date when we visited you, and if you intend to send your classes to the Seymour Centre this year, please contact us as soon as you can.

You can find dates for the Seymour Centre productions on their website.

Professional Learning - Call for expressions of interest

Faculty of Engineering & Information Technologies

The Faculty of Engineering & Information Technologies is looking at offering a four-day professional development course at the end of Term 1 for high schools teaching the new Engineering Studies Stage 6 syllabus or who wish to increase their skills in engineering studies. If you would like to be involved in future professional learning in this area, please contact Victoria Loy.

Important dates - High school calendar

Year Ten Subject Selection & Scholarship Information sessions

The Student Recruitment Unit has released some important dates for Compass schools interested in Year 10 subject selection, scholarship workshops, and the University Open Day.

Year 10 Subject Selection Evening (Session 1)
Wednesday 6 June

Year 10 Subject Selection Evening(Session 2)
Tuesday 12 June

Both sessions will be held at the Eastern Avenue Auditorium.

Scholarships Information Evening
Wednesday 20 June Eastern Avenue Auditorium

Sydney Open Day
Saturday 25 August
Camperdown campus &
Darlington campus

Registration is not yet open. We will let you know the registration procedure via Compass Directions.

Professional Learning 2012

Professional Learning at the University of Sydney