Learning  

Dear Parents/Guardians

I hope the term has started well and that you had productive conversations with your child’s teachers in Parent Student Teacher Conferences over the last week. I write to you this week about the upcoming Year 10 and 11 examinations and the General Achievement Test (GAT). Students and parents should have received the timetable on Friday 19 May along with more detailed information.  

General Achievement Test (GAT) 15 June

All students who are completing a Unit 3 & 4 subject must complete the GAT. This is taking place on Thursday 15 June and is in two parts; Section A is from 9:00 – 11:15 and focuses on Literacy and Numeracy, Section B is from 1:15pm – 3:00 pm which focuses on General Knowledge and skills. Students are expected to be at school in full academic uniform by 8:30 am and assemble in the undercroft area. They will be allowed to leave school between the two sessions. 

There are no scheduled classes for Year 11 or 12 students on this day.  While students do not need to revise for the GAT, they are expected to do their best and take it seriously as it does affect their VCE results. There will be a GAT preparation seminar for all students in the coming weeks.

Year 10 and 11 Examinations

Year 11 Examinations run between Wednesday 7 June – Wednesday 14 June inclusive. The last day of Year 11 Unit 1 classes will be Tuesday 13 June and there are no scheduled Year 11 classes on Thursday 15 June, however some students may be required to attend to complete any outstanding Unit 1 work. There will be a Year 11 examination for all subjects except Religious Education and VET Creative Digital Media.

Year 10 Examinations run between Tuesday 13 – Thursday 15 June inclusive. The last day of Year 10 classes is Friday 9 June. Year 10 students complete an English, Mathematics and Science exam and students studying a language will also complete a Language exam. Students currently undertaking a Unit 1 & 2 subject will also complete an exam in this subject on Wednesday 14 June.

Students are expected to be at school 30 minutes before the scheduled start time and are to attend in full academic uniform. Students will be dismissed from school grounds following the conclusion of their exam. If students wish to stay on site to study, there are welcome to use the library.

All attempts have been made to make sure there are no clashes and no students have three exams in one day, if you notice that your child does have a clash or has three exams in one day please contact me or Mr John Andritsos, Learning Administration Leader, as soon as possible.

Absence from Examinations

Students who are absent for examinations will not be able to reschedule them. Students who have a medical certificate or another approved reason will be marked as Not Assessed while students who do not have an approved reason (including family holiday) will be marked as Not Submitted. Students are able to request a copy of the exam to complete it in their own time and receive feedback. They can only receive a copy after all other students have completed the exam. Please forward a copy of the medical certificate and/or reason to Mr John Andritsos.

Special Provisions

Students with a disability are eligible for Special Provisions, these may include one or a combination of the following: rest breaks, extra writing time, smaller space, assistive technology or adjusted tasks. Mrs Trish Maguire, Learning Enhancement Team Leader, will contact you to let you know what provisions your child is eligible for. Special exam provisions are provided on an individual needs basis and are school based provisions for students in Year 10. These may change in Year 11 and 12 according to VCAA criteria. It is recommended that students accept the offer of special provisions during Year 10 and 11.

Ten Exam Preparation Tips for Students

We recommend students start their revision process today. Here are ten tips to help with exam preparation

• Make a revision timetable.
• Write a list of everything that you need to revise for each subject, use a traffic light system to rate your confidence in each area and focus on trouble areas but also review the areas you feel confident it.
• Create an environment conducive to study. Make sure you have a light, clear space with no distractions – put your phone in a different room and laptop notifications are switched off. If you do not have space at home, revise in MRC, state library or another local library.
• Revise in small chunks of 20 minutes with 5 minute breaks.
• Make summary notes. Try different strategies to see what works for you; draw mind maps, write flash cards, try the Cornell notetaking method, create graphic organisers summarise and resummarise notes (they should be getting more concise each time), record and listen to your notes, 
• Teach someone else
• Test yourself or ask someone else to test you.
• Complete practice exams and mark them or ask for feedback from teachers or friends, redo questions that you found difficult or got wrong.
• Create study groups with peers (make sure they are productive and don’t become social!)
• Look after yourself; prioritise sleep, drink plenty of water, eat healthily and reward yourself.

Ms Lucy Neil

Deputy Principal, Learning & Teaching