GEC College News

Senior School News

Senior School Exam Preparation

Success in the VCE for many students relies on performing well in exams.  Our Year 11 and 12 students have now had exam strategies sessions run by Success Integrated as they prepare for the Semester 1 exam period. It is always challenging to prepare well for midyear exams whilst the Unit 1 & 3 classes and assessments are still running. Hopefully the exam strategies sessions have provided our students with an insight into the organisation and mindset required to do this well.

The key to exam success is preparation.

 

As winter is setting in we would like to give a timely reminder that all students are required to be in correct school uniform for the entire school day including on their way to and from school. It is important that the school uniform policy is followed by all students. If your child has a reason to be out of uniform please provide a note explaining the reasons.  Further information about the school uniform policy can be found in your student planner.

Your support with this would be greatly appreciated.

 

Jeff Micallef

Senior School Leader

Year 10 News

Thank you to the Year 10 students who attended the Peer Leadership Program. They were chosen, as they are influential within their peer groups.

 

This program provided an opportunity for the students to learn some leadership skills to keep them and their friends safe as they navigate through their teenage years and potential exposure or experimentation with alcohol and other drugs.

 

The peer support leaders will present a ‘project’ back to their peers by the end of the school year. There will be opportunity to have a mentor from one of the program partners to assist in completing this.

 

Peer support leaders who attended the leadership program

 

Gauri Gupta

Luisa David

Dhugal Leathley

Alexander Leathley

Sanjaykumar Selvakumar 

 

Thanks to all Year 10 peer support leaders. Your weekly involvement with  Year 7 students is much appreciated and your contribution to Glen Eira’s community is peerless.

 

Year 10 students are preparing for their exams. They should be revising, filling out mock exams under time conditions and seeking feedback from their teachers.  Additionally, should any Year 10 student need assistance in developing a study plan or help with exam preparation, please come to the Senior School office and see me for advice.

 

Delanka Peiris 

Year 10 Coordinator

Year 11 News

 The Year 11 Exams will be taking place in Week 9. Now is the time for students to ensure they are properly prepared with a study regime. In addition to this, it is important that students understand the difference between homework and home study. Homework is set by your class teacher to be completed by a set date. Home study is additional work, revision or research that you undertake to develop and strengthen areas of knowledge that you have identified yourself. At Year 11, you should be aiming to complete at least 8 hours of study per week (1.5 hours per day).

 

Creating a home study timetable will allow you to prioritise what subjects to study more for. You should set more time to study subjects that you know require more work than others. There is a study timetable template in your school planner to help you get started however, you may find that a digital timetable is more appropriate and flexible to use.

 

Here are some useful study tips…

  • The most effective study is completed within 45 minute sessions. Remember to take small breaks (10-15 minutes) to maintain effective studying
  • Study should be done when you are most mentally alert. Some people focus better in the morning while others focus better at night.
  • Set more study time to difficult subjects. This will allow you greater time to strengthen weaker areas in your knowledge. You don't need to spend as much time on areas you are already good at!
  • Be realistic and keep a balance. Many students have casual jobs or community and sporting commitments. Remember to keep yourself balanced and include time to socialise, exercise/work etc. so that you don't overload yourself.
  • Minimise the distractions. Find a quiet place to study free from unnecessary distractions i.e. TV, mobile phones, Facebook, Snapchat etc. Quiet, gentle music is a useful way to reduce distracting background sounds.
  • Make it visible. Make sure your study timetable is somewhere that you (and your parents) can see it. This will help you get into a routine that you have set for yourself and allow you to achieve your overall goals.
  • Sleep. Sleep is a vital requirement for a healthy mind and a healthy body. Make sure you aim for eight hours of sleep each night!

 

Benjamin Wickham

Year 11 Coordinator

Year 12 News

On Wednesday 15th May six year 12 students and myself attended the Chadstone/East Malvern Rotary ‘Taking on the Challenges’ dinner.  During the course of the evening students had the opportunity to listen to various speakers talk about their journey from secondary school through to work.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank the students who attended: Sean Kelly, Sierra Danon, Ashleigh Harris, Taylor Lowery, Dips Thaker and Shoan Kondhalkar for their attendance and their thoughtful questions during the question and answer time.

 

Laura Brancatella

Year 12 Coordinator

VCE Literature: Lunching with Shakespeare’s Othello

The Year 12 Literature class spent a double lesson on Friday at a cafe up the road from the school, Upsy Daisy. Our teacher, Ms Cordingley organised this as a change of scenery to study Literature in a Café because good Literature is best served with coffee and delicious food. We set up an iPad and speaker and listened to a dramatic reading of Shakespeare’s Othello while annotating our play scripts. It was fun to have class in a public space and allowed us to share our love of Literature.

 

Kyle Paterson

Year 12