Respect, responsibility, commitment, aroha
Opportunities and Excellence BELMONT INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL 188 Lake Road Takapuna Auckland 0622 Tel 09 489 4878 Fax 09 486 3628
website www.belmontint.school.nz email [email protected] Friday 7th March 2014 Dear Parents / Caregiver
2014 INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS AND ASSESSMENTS FOR SCHOOLS (ICAS) (Formerly Australasian / New South Wales Tests)
At Belmont Intermediate we support and encourage students who wish to take one or more of the ICAS papers. Information on ICAS and the papers for 2014 is printed on the reverse of this letter. We have a limited supply of past papers, which can be used for practice from the beginning of term 2, and we will provide some help with answering questions before each of the test dates. Further practice papers can be ordered from the EEA website www.eaa.unsw.edu.au if required. If you wish your child to sit one or more of the papers please complete and return the slip below along with the payment to the school BY FRIDAY 8th April 2014. Please note that late entry fee is $25.50 + entry price for each subject. Once all entries are received I will send out confirmation letters and a timetable of practice sessions for students taking each test. If you would like any further information please use the website above or contact me. Yours sincerely Anne Paterson Associate Principal [email protected] Tel: 489 4878 ext. 226
_______________________________________________________________________________ Belmont Intermediate School 2014 ICAS PERMISSION SLIP
Please return this slip to BIS with payment BY FRIDAY 8th April 2014. (Payable to BIS please) I give permission for my child Child’s Name Year Room To participate in the following 2014 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) tests:
Computer Skills – 20 May 2014 ($8.50) Science – 4 June 2014 ($8.50) Spelling – 17 June 2014 ($10.50)
Writing – 14 June 2014 ($19.50) English – 29 July 2014 ($8.50) Mathematics – 12 August 2014 ($8.50)
All of the above ($64.00)
Please find enclosed ____________________ entry fee. Amount
Name of Parent/Guardian Date
Signature __________________________________________________________
2014 INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS AND ASSESSMENTS FOR SCHOOLS (ICAS) Friday 7th March 2014 Dear Parent Welcome to the 2014 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS). For over 20 years ICAS has taken place each year in schools throughout Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, the Pacific region and South Africa. Your child is invited to participate in 2014. ICAS provides an opportunity for all Years 4 – 13 students to gain a measure of their own achievement in an external testing situation. It provides teachers, parents and students with comprehensive reporting of results in the areas of Computer Skills, English, Mathematics, Science, Spelling and Writing. All students receive a certificate and an individual student report indicating which questions they answered correctly and their score compared with the rest of the students tested. The tests are an excellent preparation for National tests and the student report is useful for highlighting your child’s strengths and weaknesses. The UNSW certificate and individual student report are also suitable for your child to include in a portfolio. High quality UNSW certificates are awarded for each year level as follows:
§ High Distinction to the top 1% of entrants § Distinction to the next 10% of entrants § Credit to the next 25% of entrants § Participation to all other participating students.
All students who achieve the highest score in each year level receive a UNSW medal. These medals are presented at either a Medal Presentation Ceremony or at a school assembly. Students must sit on the official sitting dates to be eligible for a medal. The entry fee per student and the allocated sitting dates are on the reverse side of this letter. Please return the permission slip and entry fee by: BY FRIDAY 8th April 2014 Please note that late entry fee is $25.50 + entry price for each subject. To assist your child to prepare for the International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS), past ICAS test papers can be purchased from EAA online at www.eaa.unsw.edu.au These test papers provide a good indication of the types of questions used and their difficulty and give children experience in the ICAS format. Sample practice questions can also be downloaded from the EAA website. ICAS is an initiative of Educational Assessment Australia (EAA). EAA is a not for profit organisation owned by the University of New South Wales (UNSW). For more information please visit the EAA website at www.eaa.unsw.edu.au or contact Customer Service on 0800 778 010 or by email at [email protected] Yours sincerely
Jeff Laurie Group Executive Educational Assessment Australia, UNSW Global Pty Ltd