School of Entrepreneurs

News from the School of Entrepreneurs 

From the SOE Head of School

Greetings everyone,

Term 3 has been a productive term for all students in the School of Entrepreneurs. Stage 5 and 6 have embarked on various learning opportunities both in the classroom and beyond. A highlight for me this term is witnessing the dynamic of each year group grow where each cohort has really developed a supportive culture. It's incredibly rewarding to witness a year group come together and develop a supportive, inclusive culture. As students face challenges like exams and the transition into adulthood, seeing them lift each other up, share resources and celebrate one another’s successes is a testament to their maturity and compassion. A supportive culture fosters resilience, as students learn that they are not alone in their journey. It also creates an environment where everyone feels valued and encouraged to do their best. Watching friendships deepen and confidence grow in a group that truly cares for each other is one of the most fulfilling aspects of the educational experience.

As the end of the term approaches, we farewell our Year 12 students: Class of 2024. Next week we celebrate the culmination of 13 years of schooling for them and wish them all the best as they enter a new chapter of their life story. There is just one more hurdle for them to overcome - the HSC examinations. With Year 12, there are also a number of Year 10 and 11 students who are completing an HSC exam in October. During this stressful time, there are a number of things we can do to support and encourage them.

Supporting Your HSC Student During Final Exams

With HSC exams just around the corner, many HSC students will be feeling a mix of pressure and anticipation. While this can be a stressful time, parents can play a crucial role in supporting their son/daughter. 

Avoiding Multitasking when studying

In reality, multitasking divides attention and decreases performance. Encourage your son/daughter to focus on one subject or task at a time in a quiet, calm, distraction free environment to maximise concentration. Being mindful whilst studying will pay off and prevent the brain fog accumulated from a multitasking approach.

The Importance of Sleep for Memory

Sleep plays a pivotal role in reinforcing what students learn. During sleep, the brain strengthens new memory pathways—a process known as "memory consolidation." Sleep deprivation disrupts this process, making it harder to retain and recall information.

Unfortunately, many Australian teens aren't getting enough sleep, often due to late-night screen use, socialising or extended study hours. In the lead-up to exams, it might seem tempting to sacrifice sleep to cram in extra study, but this could harm performance on the day of the exam. Instead, try to establish a consistent sleep routine and remind your teen of the direct link between good sleep and better memory and focus.

Boosting Study Quality with Active Learning

Effective study isn't just about the amount of time spent with classroom material—it’s also about how students engage with the material. Many students rely on passive study strategies like re-reading or highlighting notes. While these methods are easy, they don’t actively engage the brain in recalling and organising information.

Encourage your teen to use active strategies such as:

• Retrieval practice: Testing themselves by answering practice questions or explaining concepts out loud.
• Spaced learning: Instead of cramming the night before, spreading study sessions over days or weeks to allow the brain to revisit and strengthen knowledge.

These techniques help move information from short-term to long-term memory, leading to better retention and understanding.

Managing Stress for Better Performance

A moderate level of stress can motivate students to study, but too much stress can overwhelm them, making it harder to concentrate and recall information. Research shows that up to one in four Australian teens experience high levels of stress and anxiety around final exams.

Parents can help by keeping things in perspective. It's important not to put undue pressure on students about exam results. While the HSC and ATAR are significant, there are many pathways to university or future careers beyond exam scores. Many universities offer early entry programs or alternative admission methods, so even if things don’t go as planned, options remain.

Encourage your teen to take breaks, connect with friends and family and maintain a balanced lifestyle. Showing calmness and offering reassurance can also help them stay grounded during this challenging time.

By focusing on effective study strategies, ensuring sufficient sleep and managing stress in a healthy way, parents can help their son/daughter feel more confident and prepared as they approach their HSC exams. Success isn’t just about the result, as an influencing factor that contributes to this success is the support we offer to enhance their well-being along the way.

I wish to convey my best wishes to our HSC students embarking on their upcoming HSC exams and wish them all good luck. I also encourage all our other students in the School of Entrepreneurs to take the opportunity to rest and recover from a busy term in the upcoming holidays and I look forward to seeing everyone return in Week 1, Term 4. 

Ms Jacqui Genovese - Head of School, School of Entrepreneurs 

AROUND THE SOE GROUNDS  

HSIE

Year 9 HSIE

On the 10th September, Year 9 attended a WWI Incursion. This interactive incursion allowed students to deepen their understanding of WWI based on artefacts that they were interested in. It was great to see Year 9 students asking and answering questions to deepen their understanding of this interesting topic.

Year 10 HSIE

Year 10 HSIE as part of the Fieldwork component of their current assessment on Environmental Change and Management ventured down to Cronulla Beach on Wednesday 4th September. In the early hours of the morning, Year 10 gathered together and went on the bus to learn about Coastal Erosion via fieldwork.  

The ever amazing Ranger Jamie Group led our students to and talked through and demonstrated fieldwork opportunities not only at the esplanade, but also directly at the coast. An engaging day out on the coast for the students where we all hope they got the important cause, effects and mitigation strategies for Cronulla Beach. 

Duke of Edinburgh 

Wind, heat, rain, storms, clouds and even snakes. 38 hikers ventured into the bushland of the Central Coast over the 11th, 12th and 13th of September. We had to persevere through heat, avoid snakes, race a storm and deal with blisters. 

Many of our Bronze Walkers were second time hikers (the first being the practice walk). Our Year 9’s went ahead into the Bouddi Coastal Walk with gusto, before immediately finding their first adversary immediately. A steep hill. Guided by our Year 10’s, the Year 9’s pushed through, showing great resilience, learning a thing or two about themselves and made new friendships along the way. There was the odd snake or two, 3 beaches, an oversized tent and maybe, just maybe, not enough water. The Bronze Walkers camped the single night, before Mr Wittman and Mr Bagus made their way back. Understandably, the students were sore and suffering from a few blisters, they showed amazing strength to push through and set a new record from camp to the pick up point. 

I think some of the Bronze Walkers surprised themselves with how much strength and resilience they showed across the two days. 

Our Silver Walkers, the Year 10’s ventured further into the bush on day two. Guided by Mrs Viney and Mr Fucile, the 14 students ventured further into the bush, and the hills there too. Surprising both teachers was the food situation of the Silver Walkers where questionable food choices, and the preservation of said food left quite an impression. Our silver walkers showed strengths and team work to not only push through the second day climb, but also the second day’s rain. Waking for the third day, many of the campers didn’t sleep through the rain, the winds and the sound of the waves. The Year 10’s demonstrated leadership and teamwork ove the three days, from guiding the group, helping the year 9’s, getting everyone involved and sharing the weight of all our equipment. A big thank you to our group of Year 10’s, especially Marcus, Nathan, Sudeep, Harsith and Luther who assisted and guided at the front of the Bronze and Silver Walkers to safely get everyone to camp. 

Our tired campers eclipsed the Year 9 record set the day before, before half of them decided to have a nap at the pickup point before the bus arrived. Many tired campers over the three days, a silent bus trip back to school on the Friday. 

Everyone should be proud, they all demonstrated strength and determination to push through and learnt a few things about themselves. A big thank you to the Duke of Ed Teacher and Coordinator Annie Roach for organising and preparing the students for the walk, Chloe Viney, Ferdi Wittman, Marjay Bagus and Breana Wick for offering up their time to ensure the students were able to experience a fantastic three days. 

And a big thank you to our Year 9 and 10 Campers for being great over the three days. 

Mr Fucile

PDHPE

Year 10 Students Gain Vital Road Safety Insights at bstreetsmart Excursion

As part of their road safety and driver safety initiatives in PDHPE, our Year 10 students recently attended the bstreetsmart event—Australia’s largest educational forum on road safety. This excursion provided an invaluable opportunity for our students to engage with real-life scenarios and understand the critical importance of safe driving behaviour.

bstreetsmart is an inspiring initiative led by the Trauma Service at Westmead Hospital, designed to address the concerning overrepresentation of young people aged 15-30 in road trauma incidents. Through their hands-on work, Westmead’s Trauma Service has seen firsthand the devastating consequences of dangerous and distracted driving, fueling their commitment to Road Safety Education.

The purpose of bstreetsmart is clear: to reduce the fatality and injury rates among young people by promoting safe behaviour as drivers, riders and passengers. Over the years, attendance at this event has grown significantly, reflecting its impact on students and educators alike. By participating in bstreetsmart, our Year 10 students were given firsthand experiences that underscored their responsibilities on the road, both as drivers and as responsible passengers.

The forum provided our students with vital information and strategies to avoid serious injuries and death, emphasising the importance of reducing risk-taking behaviour. Through greater awareness of the consequences of distracted driving, inattention, speeding, drink and drug driving, and driver fatigue, students left the event with a stronger understanding of how to stay safe on the road.

Year 11 Students Gain First Aid Qualification as Part of the PDHPE Curriculum

Last week, our Year 11 students took an important step towards becoming more responsible and prepared individuals by participating in a comprehensive first aid course. This course, which forms a key component of their PDHPE curriculum, provided students with essential life-saving skills and culminated in them earning their official first aid qualifications.

Throughout the course, students were taught how to respond effectively in emergency situations, including how to perform CPR, treat wounds, and manage various medical conditions. The hands-on training sessions enabled students to practise these critical skills under the guidance of experienced instructors, ensuring they were confident and capable in applying what they learned.

By the end of the program, all participating students successfully completed the requirements to receive their first aid certification. This achievement not only enhances their personal safety and ability to assist others in emergencies, but also aligns with the broader educational goals of the PDHPE syllabus, which emphasises the importance of health, safety and wellbeing.

The first aid course was a valuable experience that equipped our Year 11 students with practical knowledge and skills they can carry with them throughout their lives. It also reinforced the significance of being prepared to act in emergencies, contributing to the safety and wellbeing of our school community and beyond.

TAS

Year 9 Make Bake Decorate

Our Year 9 students have been busy in the kitchens baking their way through several recipes, learning new skills and techniques along the way!

Throughout Term 2 and 3, students continued to follow a standard recipe card to create several dishes including mini lemon meringue pies, sweet (strawberry and chocolate) and savoury (spinach, feta and mushroom) crepes, tiramisu, haloumi and corn fritters with creamy avocado dip, cake pops and cookies, our class favourite!

Additionally, students had a mini design task where they were instructed to design, bake and decorate their own cupcakes experimenting with flavour combinations and decorating techniques. Pictured below are a few creations that were made; oreo, biscoff and strawberries and cream.

Building upon their knowledge developed within their cupcake task, they then moved onto designing, baking and decorating their own individual cake based around a chosen theme/event. Students first planned their ideas through a portfolio of work, developed a recipe card and finally in only 2 sessions, baked, stacked and decorated their cake. A few of their marvellous creations are shown below. The Year 9’s did such a fabulous job in such a short period of time!

Extra Curricular

SOE Soccer Tournament:

As you know, on Friday the 9th of August we hosted the SOE Soccer Grand Final between Mo's Salad Finished against The Mid Table Bottlers where Year 9’s took the win! During our year meetings, students were awarded their metals as a congratulations on their participation and great sportsmanship throughout the tournament.

Well done to all players involved and a special thanks to our referees, Mr Bettiol, Sahil (Year 11) and Charan (Year 11) and to Mrs Camilleri for organising a successful event and experience for our students, both playing and spectating!

Winners - The Mid Table Bottlers:

Belmin H., James J., TeAriki K., Ayaan A., Blake S., Gurmehak S., Vihaan V., Christian T. (Year 9).

Runner’s Up Team - Mo Salad's Finished:

Jordan J., Mikhail K., Kiratpal S., Udhay B., Bir Ranindir S., Kevin B. (Year 10).