Learning & Innovation
“Learning is not attained by chance. It must be sought for with ardour and attended with diligence.” Abigail Adams
Learning & Innovation
“Learning is not attained by chance. It must be sought for with ardour and attended with diligence.” Abigail Adams
“Success does not come from what you do occasionally -
it comes from what you do consistently”
- Maree Forleo
As we settle into Term 1, this advice from American life coach Maree Forleo underpins the importance of the resilience required for students to succeed in their learning journey.
Through our Elevate sessions, we have provided students with strategies and tools that experience has shown to be helpful in both learning and studying as well as learning. Students will have the opportunity to continue to develop these skills to assist their learning.
Whilst many of the strategies are not cutting edge, they are tried and tested. Students have been encouraged to set substantial but achievable goals that can be checked off to track progress. They have also been encouraged to develop a study timetable that divides the week into times of active study and time away from the desk to support learning through activities that nourish and promote wellbeing. Further, all students benefit from a suitable quiet place to study where all of the requirements to assist them are at hand and distractions are minimised as much as possible.
In meeting with our Stage 6 students earlier this term, I outlined ways they can set up for success in the HSC. The following strategies were explained:
Our brain is a connection machine however for the connections to be formed an investment of time and energy is required to ensure these connections are well travelled and ready for easily recall under time pressure in the exam room. If the connections formed around a topic are weak, it will be difficult to perform at one's true potential in the exam room.
To revise key concepts, definitions, quotes and formulas students were encouraged to:
Once the content has been hardwired it’s time to strengthen connections by applying them to challenging exam style questions which will create even more of the connections students will require to perform to their true potential in the exam room.
To practice exam style questions students are encouraged to:
For our Year 12 students it is important to note that the closer they are to the Trial HSC Exams and the final HSC exams, the more of these exam style tasks they need to be undertaking. Simulating the exam room is essential to being prepared for the actual exam room. Students should be building up to being able to complete an essay within 40 minutes under exam conditions and full exams within the time limit (90 mins through to 180 minutes) under exam conditions.
Students are also challenged to think carefully about their approach to learning. Only doing what is required, or albeit at the last minute, does not allow them the opportunity to extend their learning or to achieve their potential. Struggling with a new idea or a difficult question and pursuing it until a student gets on top of the issue is the most effective way of making significant progress in their learning journey. The growth mindset of “not yet” rather than “failure” is crucial to a positive outlook on learning. In learning from our mistakes we move in a new direction and are not defined by them. Often the small change pursued consistently will reap significant reward when adopted early.
2021 HSC High Achievers
On Tuesday 8 March we celebrated the feast of our founder, St Brigid and as a community, we also had the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the successes of our Graduating Class of 2021.
The success we celebrated last week was a recognition of much work and considerable effort by members of the Class of 2021 and the many parents, teachers and fellow students who supported them.
I would like to take this opportunity to again congratulate our Distinguished Achievers for 2021. Their tenacity and dedication to learning despite the challenges of 2021 was extraordinary. The 2021 HSC High Achievers are listed below.
Distinguished Achievers
Distinguished Achievers are those students who have achieved a result in the highest band for one or more courses.
1 Course | |||
Juanita Bailey | Legal Studies | Heidi Machamer | Visual Arts |
Georgia Beale | Drama | Serena Pelosi | Visual Arts |
Jessica Colacicco | Food Technology | Niamh Robb | Visual Arts |
Zoe Desmons | Mathematics Advanced | Lana Stanbrook | Design and Technology |
Maisie Evans | Studies of Religion I | Hannah Walters | Drama |
Laura Frias | Mathematics Standard 2 | Kiara Weber | Music 1 |
Phoebe Hoad | Design and Technology | Stav-Ritsa Xexenis | Music 1 |
Nelly Jasinska | Polish Continuers | ||
2 Courses | |||
Lauren Goff | Legal Studies Mathematics Standard 2 | Charlotte Milner | Drama Studies of Religion I |
Nicola Iliopoulos | Personal Development, Health and Physical Education Italian Continuers | Caitlin Mock | Biology Studies of Religion I |
Chloe Karpes | Legal Studies Italian Continuers | Anneliese Smart | Personal Development, Health and Physical Education Visual Arts |
Cein Matthews | Ancient History Mathematics Advanced | Abby Taylor | Design and Technology Drama |
Lily McDonald | Business Studies Legal Studies | ||
3 Courses | |||
Heidi Astridge | Biology Mathematics Standard 2 Personal Development, Health and Physical Education | Parisa Mousavi | English Advanced Legal Studies Studies of Religion I |
Veronika Berman | English Advanced English Extension I English Extension II | Mia Reed | English Advanced English Extension I Mathematics Standard 2 |
Ella Cox | Business Studies Legal Studies Mathematics Standard 2 | Isabella West | Legal Studies Mathematics Standard 2 Visual Arts |
4 Courses | |||
Imogen Bozinov | English Advanced Legal Studies Studies of Religion I French Continuers | Jasmine Deng | Biology Mathematics Advanced Music I Studies of Religion I |
Lola Brill | English Advanced Mathematics Standard 2 Studies of Religion I Visual Arts | Grace McClure | Biology Legal Studies Mathematics Advanced Personal Development, Health and Physical Education |
Samantha Cheung | Business Studies English Advanced Legal Studies Studies of Religion I | Rachael Nusco | Economics English Advanced Mathematics Advanced Studies of Religion I |
Sinead Connon | Design and Technology Mathematics Standard 2 Personal Development, Health and Physical Education Studies of Religion I | Elizabeth Petrova | Business Studies English Extension I Legal Studies Studies of Religion I |
Pema Daoud | Ancient History English Advanced English Extension I English Extension II | Emily Sheppard | English Advanced Legal Studies Mathematics Advanced Studies of Religion I |
Ciara De Andrade | Ancient History Biology English Advanced Studies of Religion II | ||
5 Courses | |||
Saoirse Flahive | Biology Economics English Advanced English Extension I Studies of Religion I | Rachel Tang | Biology English Advanced Mathematics Extension I Mathematics Advanced Studies of Religion I |
Lily Miranda | English Advanced Mathematics Extension I Mathematics Extension II Music 1 Studies of Religion I | Jenna Thompson | Ancient History Drama English Advanced Legal Studies Studies of Religion I |
6 Courses | |||
Charlotte Beadon | Ancient History English Advanced Legal Studies Modern History History Extension Studies of Religion I | Elisabeth Ure | Ancient History Business Studies English Advanced Legal Studies Mathematics Standard 2 Studies of Religion I |
Lucy Lane | Ancient History Economics English Advanced Legal Studies Mathematics Advanced Studies of Religion I | Leilah Yousaf | Business Studies Economics English Advanced English Extension I Mathematics Advanced Studies of Religion I |
Evie-Louise Shooks | English Advanced English Extension I English Extension II Legal Studies Studies of Religion I Visual Arts |
First in Sydney Catholic Schools
The following students placed first in a course in Sydney Catholic Schools.
Imogen Bozinov | French Continuers |
Jenna Thompson | Drama |
Leilah Yousaf | Economics English Advanced Studies of Religion I |
Elisabeth Ure | Legal Studies |
Top Achievers
Students who are top achievers in a course have achieved one of the highest places in the state in an HSC course.
Rachel Tang | Biology, 16th Place |
Elisabeth Ure | Legal Studies, 10th Place |
Leilah Yousaaf | Economics, 9th Place |
HSC All Rounders
Our HSC All Rounders are the students who have achieved a result in the highest band possible in 10 or more units of their HSC Pattern of Study.
Our HSC All rounders for 2021 are:
Charlotte Beadon |
Lucy Lane |
Elisabeth Ure |
Leilah Yousaaf |
Congratulations to all our 2021 Graduates on your remarkable success.
Natasha Fox
Director of Learning and Innovation