MNSHS Student Standards of Engagement (SSE)
Why does the school place students into Standards of Engagement?
Since its founding in 1964 the school crest has included the words “Meliora Sequimur" ('We aim for the best'), as an encouragement to all students to always seek to improve in all areas of their endeavours. The Student Standards of Engagement are the means by which Mackay North State High School provides the affirmation, identification and recognition of students who do “Seek Higher" and demonstrate commitment to excellence, either through their academic work, their self-discipline in attendance and behaviour, their demonstration of the school values (we are confident, we are resilient, we are respectful) or their contribution to the wider school community. The Student Standards of Engagement identifies where students are in terms of their engagement in the school community. Students exhibiting appropriate standards of effort, behaviour and attendance are deemed 'At Standard' and Gold and Silver standards indicating students who work exceptionally hard across all three domains (effort, behaviour and attendance).
What does being at a particular standard mean?
All students have access to all curriculum activities regardless of their 'Standard'. Being 'At Standard' and above (Gold/Silver) allows students to participate in all extracurricular sporting and cultural activities. By working especially hard across all three domains (effort, behaviour, community service) students are able to attain Gold and Silver levels, giving these students the opportunity to access leadership and wider community opportunities. Gold level students at the end of Term 3 will be eligible to receive the School's Excellence in Participation Award at Awards Night. Students working towards Green standard are identified and supported as they work towards Green Standard' and above, with this support taking the form of assistance from their Homegroup Teacher, Year Level Coordinator, Head of Department, Student Support Services and the wider school community to improve their standards from one term to the next. Students may request a review of their Standard of Engagement via their Year Co-ordinator who will review their behaviour, attendance and report card results to ensure they have been allocated correctly. The form below (available on the school website, front office and Junior, and Senior hubs) is to be used if a student wishes to have their standard reviewed.
How Standards of Engagement are allocated / what report card grades mean?
The 'Standards of Engagement Matrix' below outlines what benchmarks a student is required to achieve to be allocated to a particular level. To assist with your understanding of why a student gets an A or C for behaviour and effort on a report card, we have included the second table which is the behaviour and effort matrix the school uses to codify behaviour and effort and therefore allocate A – E result on report cards. Using this matrix gives the school community clear guidelines as to where a student is at in their behaviour and effort in all their classes, as well as providing an explanation for what a student has to do in classes to improve their effort and behaviour.
A student's individual circumstances are considered within our system, through purpose-created behaviour and effort tables that recognise the many and varied attributes of our learners and ensure students are assessed against criteria that recognises their unique capabilities in terms of their effort, behaviour, attendance and extracurricular involvements. Students can apply for a review of their standard throughout the term, providing them with an opportunity to present additional evidence for consideration for their specific individual circumstances. Evidence of circumstances for consideration may come from student, parent, teachers or support staff.
Students' levels are sent out to both parents / guardian and students on the first week of each term. They are sent to a parent's current email address, with students' being sent to their One School account. Students have the first two weeks of each term to apply for a change in level should they so wish. This can be done via the form - Appeal against student standards of engagement.