9-12 Community News

Farewell to our Year 12s 

Today, we reached another milestone in the 2026 academic year. After 13 years of schooling the Year 12 cohort farewelled the school, with many smiles, lots of fun memories and a few tears.  

The Year 12’s final day started with a shared breakfast in the Tolle and their final TA session for the year. There were many smiles and tears as memories were shared of their time together over the last 13 years. After breakfast and lots of photos, students participated in a reflection ceremony, led by Mrs Shaw, in the Church. Students then made their way to the staffroom to share morning tea with staff.  

Their final assembly saw a parade of colourful costumes and themes, including characters from Madagascar, some Minions, Willy Wonka and the Oompah-Loompas, characters from a "galaxy far, far away", the Sesame Street crew, Kung Fu Panda, Scrooge McDuck, Orin Scrivello and Austin Powers, and the guys from the Hangover, followed by Colonel Sanders and chicken buckets.  

The entire school shared in the students’ final assembly, with a farewell video from the Year 12s providing a combination of old and new memories, reflections and observations on the highs and lows of their final year, showing how far they have come from their beginnings as students through to their final day. There were lots more laughs and a few more tears as the College community saw how far the students have come from their 'baby photos' to now. After a final farewell, and ‘sign off’ the Year 12s exited the BC for the last time, with the best wishes of the entire St Augustine’s community going with them. 

As the students now turn their attention to their final exams, the world of work or study beyond their time at the College, we would like to take this opportunity to wish our Graduating Class of 2026 all the best as they pursue their chosen pathways. May they make their way through the world with the spirits of St Brigid and St Augustine guiding them as they live a true life of strength and kindliness. 

Unit 3/4 Practice exam schedule – Week 3 

While formal classes have now finished for the Year 12s, the time to study and prepare for their exams continue. Next week, from Monday to Thursday, students have the opportunity to complete practice exams in their Units 3/4 subjects. (This includes Year 11 students who are undertaking Units 3/4 subjects.) The link below details the timing of the exams. 

2026 VCE Unit 3/4 Practice Exams.docx 

These practice exam sessions are voluntary; however, they are STRONGLY recommended. Undertaking a timed practice exam provides students with an invaluable opportunity to strengthen knowledge and exam techniques. Working under timed conditions helps build stamina, manage stress and develop effective time management strategies. Timed practice also reveals gaps in understanding, helping students identify which topics require further revision. Beyond content mastery, it enhances recall, improves focus and encourages students to apply knowledge efficiently rather than relying on open-ended study. 

Year 12 students will need to sign in and sign out of the office when they arrive and leave. 

Year 10 and 11 exams – Week 8 and ECP Weeks 9 and 10 

While we are at the end of Week 2, it is timely to remind students that Years 10 and 11 students will be sitting exams in Week 8. A timetable is currently being drafted and will be shared in the next newsletter. Our Early Commencement Program (ECP) for 2027 Years 11 and 12 students will begin in Week 9. It is expected that all students attend as the content worked on in these weeks is part of the students' Units 1 and 3 programs that will form part of next year's assessment. If students miss content, they may feel they have fallen too far back and are not able to catch up. Catholic Education Sandhurst are pushing for 90% attendance for all students and that is what we expect from our VCE and VCE VM students. Students are unable to learn the content to the same degree from home, as in a classroom setting.  

2027 Subjects and Classes 

We are currently working to finalise our staffing and timetables for 2027. In the coming weeks, we will provide the opportunities for Year 10 students to finalise their 2027 VCE pathways and subjects, with students having the opportunity to meet with our Careers Practitioners, Mrs Downie and Mrs Anderson, supported by other senior staff.  

In the coming weeks, current Year 9 students will also have their 2027 Year 10 subjects confirmed, including students who have selected Fast Track VCE subjects and VET Programs.  

Booklist 

Once our subject offerings have been confirmed, the Years 10-12 booklists will be released. We ask that families complete their orders by the nominated date so that books are available close to the start of our ECP in Week 9. For students going into Year 12, there will be a secondhand booklist shared. This list will be provided to students later in the term. These are from current Year 12 students selling textbooks; this is something that the students facilitate, and the College cannot assist with.  

VCE VM Morning Tea

Last Tuesday, our Year 12 VCE VM Students organised a morning tea for their year level to celebrate the end of their school year and their time together.  It was a lovely opportunity for the students to share some delicious food and catch up before the end of their school journey.

Congratulations and farewell VCE VM Students!

2026 VCE Examinations – Important Information for Students and Families

As our Year 12 students enter the final stages of their VCE studies, they have now received their individual VCE examination timetable and the 2026 VCE Exams Navigator. These resources are important guides to help students prepare for their upcoming VCE external assessments.

The VCE Exams Navigator, published by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), contains essential information about examination dates and times, approved materials and equipment, VCAA examination rules and Special Provision. All students undertaking VCE external assessments are expected to read and understand the information contained in the Navigator.

Know Your Examination Timetable

Students should carefully check their individual timetable and take note of the date, starting time and location of each examination. The VCAA advises students to arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled examination start time and to ensure they are familiar with the examination rules.

For our students, the major written examinations include VCE examinations throughout October and November. Students should use their individual timetable as the definitive record of their own examination commitments.

What Can Students Bring?

It is particularly important that students check the approved materials and equipment for each examination. Basic stationery such as pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, rulers and highlighters may be brought into the examination room, but pencil cases must be transparent. Correction fluid/tape and loose sheets of paper are not permitted.

Students should also check the requirements for their individual subjects. For example, approved calculators are permitted in specified Mathematics examinations, while General Mathematics examinations allow an approved CAS calculator or CAS software, a scientific calculator and an appropriately prepared bound reference.

Students are responsible for ensuring that their calculator is working correctly and should bring spare batteries where appropriate. They cannot borrow a calculator from another student once they have entered the examination room.

Understanding the Examination Rules

The VCAA examination rules are designed to ensure that all students complete their assessments under fair and consistent conditions. Students must follow all instructions given by examination supervisors and may only bring materials approved for their particular examination.

A particularly important reminder for students and families is that mobile phones, smart watches, fitness trackers and other unauthorised electronic devices are not permitted in the examination room. Watches of any type must also be removed and placed where they can be clearly seen by supervisors.

Students should also remember that they must not communicate with other students during an examination, must remain seated until instructed otherwise and must cease writing when directed by the supervisor.

Preparing for Success

We encourage parents and carers to take some time to talk with their student about their examination timetable and preparation. Students should ensure they know where and when each examination will take place, what equipment they are permitted to bring and the rules they must follow.

The final weeks of VCE are an important time for students to establish good study routines, attend all remaining classes and seek assistance from their teachers where required. At school, we will continue to support students with revision, examination preparation and opportunities to ask questions about the examination process.

We encourage all families to keep the VCE Exams Navigator in an accessible place and refer to it throughout the examination period. The Navigator should be regarded as an essential reference for students undertaking 2026 VCE external assessments.

We wish all of our Year 12 students every success as they complete their VCE journey.