Dear Parents and Students of the Western Australian International School System,

Welcome to the June E-newsletter of WASS. This June, WASS students are in an intense revision period to prepare for the upcoming end of semester exams. Over the past few weeks, I have been delighted to see their enthusiasm for learning, even though the preparation time for the exams is shorter than the previous school year. Besides, they are also very enthusiastic about participating in activities organized by the school, which proves that they are happy to be back to school after a long break from the COVID – 19 pandemic.

As teachers, we ourselves have been subjected to years of exams. Therefore, it is easier for us to really understand our students and the feelings they go through when faced with the end of year exams.

However, education is not only about the final exams. The education the students receive at WASS is an inclusive one in which learning happens in a number of ways. Learning at WASS is an active experience with a blend of collaborative and independent activities, where students can express themselves visually, verbally, musically and in a range of written forms. WASS teachers spend a lot of time ensuring that they engage in effective teaching in accordance with the course outlines, which in turn leads to effective preparation for the formal exams. 

As a result, our teachers conduct both ongoing formative and summative assessments as a means to continuously assess our students. This allows for diversity amongst our students and their different learning styles. These assessments,  combined with the students’ performance in exams, produce the final grade for the semester.  Exams are only one component of the grading process at WASS which creates less stress at exam times.

Hopefully, with the upcoming exams, the students will take great care to prioritise reviewing all the lessons as exam time approaches. On behalf of the school, I want to wish you a successful exam period and hope that you all achieve your desired results.

Stephen Zahra

Secondary School Principal