Strategic Development & Organisation  

Congratulations to the Year 12 and 11 students on the way they approached and conducted themselves during the exam period. Exams are an important part of Assessment in the senior years, and can be stressful times for students. One of the reasons we have exams in Years 9, 10 and 11 is to start the preparation for students early, so that when their exams in Year 12 do come around, the students have developed study techniques that work for them, and that they are familiar with exam processes as well as command words in exams. 

On Monday 18th November the Year 11 students will formally start their Year 12 classes in Term Zero, which will allow them to start accessing the Year 12 syllabus in preparation for next year.

Supporting Year 9 and 10 Students Through Exam Season: Balancing Motivation and Growth

As our Year 9 and 10 students approach their examinations, beginning on 18th November for Year 10 students and the 20th November for Year 9 students, it is natural to reflect on what drives students to seek success in examinations. We can question why we undertake the stress of exams and what fuels our commitment. Ideally, we would love for their motivation to stem purely from a passion for learning. However, the reality is often a blend of intrinsic motivation—an internal love for learning—and extrinsic motivation, which is driven by external rewards or goals, such as grades, praise, or future opportunities.

Understanding Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation, the joy of learning for its own sake, is a powerful force that we aim to nurture in students. However, this intrinsic drive alone may not always be enough. At times, students need extrinsic motivation to support their persistence, helping them connect the dots between their current efforts and their future aspirations. When balanced well, both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations create a holistic approach to learning, encouraging students to appreciate the process and strive toward meaningful outcomes.

Viewing Exams as Stepping Stones to the Future

For most students, exams are challenging, often stressful, and require them to operate outside their comfort zones. When students view exams not as isolated hurdles but as essential steps toward their broader goals, their approach and commitment can change. By recognising that exams can open doors to future opportunities—such as university, career prospects, and personal development—students can see the purpose in their hard work, reframing exams as milestones rather than obstacles. This way, extrinsic motivators like grades or future rewards act as purposeful tools, aligning students' immediate actions with their long-term ambitions.

Year 10 Exams

All Year 10 Exams are conducted in Rooms 22-25. Students must wear their correct school uniform to each exam. Students who do not have a scheduled exam are required to be in the supervised study space (Rooms 38-39). 

All students would have received an exam timetable with specific times relating to their individual subjects. Students have been taken through a series of lessons on exam revision techniques and a number of key revision tools have been provided to them. 

Year 9 Exams

Our Year 9 students are about to embark on their first exams in the coming weeks. Exams are a summary of student learning that has taken place over the Semester and are used, along with Assessment Tasks, to determine a student's overall result for the subject.

Exams will run from Thursday 21st November to Friday 22nd November and will be held in Rooms 22 - 25. All year 9 Exams will have 10 minutes of reading time and 80 minutes of writing time

All students would have received an exam timetable with specific times relating to their individual subjects. Students have been taken through a series of lessons on exam revision techniques and a number of key revision tools have been provided to them. 

There are a number of benefits to completing exams; they are an important role in the process of learning, they are a great way to assess what students have learned in their studies, and strengths and weaknesses can also be assessed through exams. 

Handy Tip For Students

REVISION & PREPARATION:

• Make a list of the main topics/criteria/key knowledge for the unit of work for each of your subjects 
• Prioritise the topics from weakest to strongest in relation to confidence and comprehension – then start from the weakest and work your way through revisiting and refreshing your knowledge of each topic Revision strategies:
• Re-read over notes or textbook 
• Create cue cards, mind maps, posters, etc.
• Complete practice Questions –chapter review questions, workbook questions, relook at past assessments, topic tests etc. 

WELL BEING:

• Ensure you get plenty of sleep the night before your exam
• Ensure you have a healthy breakfast and/or lunch on the day of your exam
• Bring the appropriate materials – check with your subject teacher about what you can bring 
• Be confident – use the exam as an opportunity to showcase your knowledge 

READING TIME: 

• Use reading time productively – try and read the whole paper at least once 
• Take note of the questions they feel most comfortable with and respond to those first 
• Confirm which is the last page of the question and answer booklet

INTERPRETING QUESTIONS:

• Read the whole question at least twice to ensure they have interpreted it correctly 
• Take note of how many marks are allocated to each question – this is usually an indication of how many pieces of information they are required to give
• Never leave a question unanswered – especially a multiple-choice question
• Decode the question – use a highlighter to identify action words in the question to inform what length of detail your response requires – e.g. explain, discuss, compare, describe, state, define, rank, list, identify, etc. 

Booklists  

Booklists for 2025 are now available on the College Website.

Booklists need to be completed online by Friday 6th December to avoid additional fees. 

How to place your order - Campion Education

Ordering FAQ's - Campion Education

If purchasing second-hand online, please be sure to check the current booklists to ensure that you are purchasing the correct editions. Please note Edrolo books are reprinted and updated yearly, they will be distributed by the College at the beginning of Term One, 2025.

Edrolo Textbooks

There are a number of VCE Science and Humanities subjects that are using Edrolo textbooks for 2025. Please note that the cost of these books includes a printed textbook as well as the complete digital textbook with access to video solutions to every question in the book, exemplar solutions, and hundreds of exam questions. Staff also have access to digital data on how students are tracking including their understanding of content (strengths and weaknesses) as well as completion of class work. Please note the cost of the subscription is subsidised by the College, there will be a subject levy invoiced to families at the end of Term One, 2025 for these subjects in lieu of a cost on the booklist.

Elevate Education Parent Webinar Seminars

Elevate Education are continuing to provide parents of Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional Student College exclusive access to their Parent Webinar Series for Term 4, 2024. 

To reserve your spot, you can register for free below,

Click here to register for free 

Wednesday 27th November

How You Can Build Resilience in Your Child  

Here’s what we’ll be covering on the night:  

✅ What resilience means, what it doesn’t mean, and why it’s important;

✅ How to help build your child’s resilience levels, both in and out of school

✅ How to help your child break their ‘fear of failure’

Wednesday 11th December                

How You Can Set Your Child Up for Success

The webinars are run live online from 6.30pm – 7.30pm (AEST) where the presenter will share Elevate’s key research and skills, and will conduct a live Q&A so you can ask them questions directly. If you are unable to make the webinar, don't worry! If you sign up to attend, you'll receive the webinar recording on Thursday morning.

Should you have questions or would like to contact Elevate directly, their details are listed below.

📞 1300 667 945

✉️ auscoaching@elevateeducation.com 

💻 https://au.elevateeducation.com

👍 https://www.facebook.com/ElevateEd/