“Keeps me on my toes”: teachers, parents and students tell us why they love ICAS

As educators who’ve faced seemingly endless obstacles in recent times, it’s a boost to have a reminder of the original purpose and joy behind teaching. That’s why we’ve put together a treat for you: the chance to hear it straight from other teachers, as well as students.

We’ve compiled a selection of quotes which touched us, from students, parents and teachers who participated in last year’s ICAS.

ICAS challenges learners

“I really enjoyed participating in ICAS 2021. The thing I love most about ICAS is getting to try challenging questions that I wouldn’t normally get to try in school.” –Sasha (Year 11 English, SA)

“I love ICAS because it challenges me and encourages me to step out of my comfort zone.” –Isabella (Year 3 English, NSW)

“It was great to be able to challenge and extend myself, and to be able to compare where I sit amongst the students, not just in my school, but from around the country and even the world.” –Elijah (Year 10 Digital Technologies, NSW)

“The general feedback about ICAS was that it was rather challenging. So I asked quite a few of our learners afterwards, how did you find the assessment tasks? And they came out and said, ‘Mr. Catalano, it was quite challenging. I did my best. But you know what? Mistakes are part of learning, so I’m glad I did it so I can learn even more.’ –Frank Catalano, Principal at Glen Waverley Primary School (VIC)

ICAS builds skills and character

“It gives them skills that they need for the future, such as critical thinking skills, higher order thinking skills and problem solving skills.” –Vanessa Fernandes, Teacher at Hambledon Public School (NSW)

“I think it gives my daughter a taste of what’s to come. What a test means or to sit down for an hour, to do some questions and also just to understand what time pressure is. I think it’s good, it pushes her out there and challenges her.” –Preeti (Parent)

“We really value the ICAS assessment tasks because they really do allow the children to really think about themselves in the future. As they get older, assessments and exams will become more and more apparent. So we teach the children about the importance of composing yourself, preparing, reading the question carefully … in order to set themselves up for success.” –Frank Catalano, Principal at Glen Waverley Primary School (VIC)

ICAS helps inform future development

“The most rewarding part of doing ICAS was that I get to find my inner abilities and inner strengths.”  –Samantha (Year 2 Science, NSW)

“ICAS gives me the chance each year to see how much potential I’ve got and whether I could have done better.” –Ryan (Year 4 Digital Technologies, QLD)

“Seeing these results really helped me identify my own strengths and weaknesses and allowed me to create realistic and personal goals that assist me in my learning.” –Liam (Year 12 Mathematics, VIC)

“ICAS provides a different perspective on my academic abilities compared to normal school assessments.” –Andrew (Year 10 Mathematics, NSW)

ICAS is fun for students

“I sat the English, Maths and Science ICAS exams and I thought the exams were really challenging and interesting especially when they are applicable to the real world.” –Andrew (Year 8 Science, NSW)

“Something I loved about doing this competition was the opportunity to extend myself beyond what I get in the classroom and also being able to share this unique experience with my friends.” –Allegra (Year 5 Science, QLD)

“I love that ICAS tests have such a wide variety of questions and always keep me on my toes.” –Esther (Year 8 English, NSW)

ICAS celebrates achievement

“I feel proud about winning the medal because it represents my love and capabilities of maths.” –Jungwoo (Year 4 Mathematics, NSW)

“My favourite thing about ICAS is getting the achievement in the end and knowing you did something well.” –Eric (Year 11 Mathematics, NZ)

“It’s OK if you don’t get a medal. But as long as you had fun, you win!” –Tao (Year 4 Mathematics, VIC)

Remember – ICAS 2022 sales are now open! Click here to purchase ICAS for your school.