Welcome Back

Welcome back to what is a critical and very busy time of year for our senior school students.

Year 12 September Exam

I would like to thank all students and parents for the overwhelming support for the Year 12 exams which were held over the September holiday period. This program was an outstanding success, and I hope it is a valuable learning experience for students in terms of perfecting exam techniques and time management. It is now important for students to act on the feedback which has been provided by their teachers to further improve their learning outcomes and examination performance.

I would also like to thank the supervisors who assisted with the exams in particular Mrs Bev Valentine, who worked tirelessly to ensure the exams ran efficiently and under VCAA guidelines. I would also like to acknowledge the extra work and dedication of our Year 12 teachers in the setting and marking of these exams.

Year 11 Central Australia Tour

Another successful tour of Central Australia and the Northern Territory has arrived home safely with students and staff reporting on a memorable and enjoyable trip. Congratulations to the students who were excellent ambassadors for Frankston High School. I am sure you gained an invaluable appreciation of Australian culture and will have life long memories of this tour. Thank you to the staff involved, under the leadership of Mrs Adrienne Shepard who gave of their personal time and worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the trip – their commitment and dedication is outstanding. Thank you also to Mrs Anne Thomson for the excellent organisation of the trip.

Examinations

We have now reached the most critical time of year. Year 12 students have less than one week of class time left and Year 11 students have four weeks before their exams. All students should have implemented a comprehensive study plan/timetable to prepare for their examinations.

Some useful hints for exam preparation:

Prepare summaries in your own words and use pictures, tables and graphs to help you remember the theory
Highlight the key words that you need to remember and create the theory
Work with a study partner and ask each other questions about the notes or explain the concepts to another person (parents come in handy here!)
Study in blocks of time eg. 50 minute blocks followed by a ten minute break
Practice as many past exam papers as possible so you get used to the timing and types of questions examiners ask
Don’t cram before exams; a bit each day is a much more effective way to learn
Establish a regular routine in studying, eating, exercising and sleeping
Study and sit previous years’ exam papers at home at the same time as the end of year exam.
Don’t stay up all night; it’s not an effective way to learn

I would like to remind parents and students of the Elevate presentations where the importance of completing past exam papers was stressed. The presenters stated that a critical component of student success in Year 12 is completing past exam papers under timed conditions and receiving feedback from teachers on their answers. As a minimum 5-6 practice exam papers should be completed per subject; based on research the top students in each study are completing 20-30 practice exam papers and meeting with their teachers to receive feedback. Students should also be reading the Assessment Reports on past exam papers which are available at www.vcaa.vic.edu.au.

Performance and Oral Examinations

Students in studies with a performance or oral component have been given a timetable for these examinations. Any student who has not received a timetable should see Mr Cameron immediately. The examination period begins on Monday 7 October and ends on Sunday 3 November. Students should arrive at their examination half an hour before the scheduled start time and must have photo identification with them.

Good luck to all students involved.

Important Dates

Year 12 Examinations begin Wednesday 30 October and conclude on Friday 22 November.

Year 11 students are not required to attend school on Wednesday 30 October due to the Year 12 English Examination taking place on this day.

Year 11 Examinations begin on Monday 18 November and conclude on Friday 29 November. The results from these Year 11 examinations are very important and determine subject selection and promotion to Year 12.

The final submission date for all work for Senior School students is Friday 8 November.

The Early Commencement Program will run from Monday 2 December to Friday 6 December. Attendance is compulsory for all 2019 Year 11 and Year 12 students.

I wish all senior school students the very best for their upcoming exams.

Congratulations To Amelie Schumann

Amelie was recently selected to attend the London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF), a two-week residential program held at the Imperial College of London. Below is an article written by Amelie on her invaluable experience.

"A couple months ago, I had the opportunity to participate in the London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF), a two-week residential program held at the Imperial College of London. The website puts it this way: ‘Founded in 1959, LIYSF aims to give a deeper insight into science and its applications for the benefit of all mankind; and to develop a greater understanding between people of all nations.’

After participating in the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) in January, I was ecstatic to apply for the international programs. The LIYSF caught my eye because it hosted over 75 countries, with a total of 500 students! I realised that with this diversity in culture I could learn a lot about STEM’s role in a global sense.

The LIYSF experience was surreal. On one day, I learned about a student’s research project about muon-detectors on the surface of Mars, and on the following day, we were learning Italian dances in a fountain. Because every student was unified on the idea of science, I was always very comfortable walking up to people and making conversation. For example, I could ask, ‘what country are you from?’, and ‘what field of science are you passionate about?’; they may answer ‘Cyprus’, and ‘nanorobotics’, and I would instantly learn about new ideas and ways of thinking!

From the LIYSF I learnt a lot of things. I learnt about a variety of cultures and their arts, food, and more. I learnt about the significance of STEM in our everyday lives; how we can use science as an effective tool in solving major issues. I learnt more about my passion in physics and saw where it could take me moving forward. I also learnt how to make a really nice tea.

That brings me to the support of Frankston High School and other incredible organisations such as Rotary International. With the school’s financial aid, I was able to further explore my passions and see the real-world applications of STEM. Thank you all for helping me!"

Amelie Schumann

Year 12

Congratulations to Jess Vize

Jess completed a three day geospatial technologies course at RMIT during the July school holidays. The event was called the Geotech Spatial Hackfest. At the Hackfest, Jess learnt to use geospatial software and data sets, found out how geospatial technology is used in workplaces and worked to solve problems using the software. She was one of 15 students selected for the course on the basis of her marks and recommendation from her Geography teacher at Distance Education where she is undertaking Units 1 and 2 Geography this year. During the course she worked with experts from emergency management Victoria, ESRI, Victoria Police, City of Melbourne and visited the State Control Centre. The students worked in groups to use open access software to analyse and solve a problem related to the city of Melbourne and safety.

At the award ceremony she listened to talks by Rob Gell who is the patron of GTAV and who presented the current science behind our climate crisis, Nova Peris, who spoke about Aboriginal culture and climate action, and a student advocate who is using social media to build knowledge of the climate movement and sustainability.

Year 12 Valedictory Dinner

The Year 12 Valedictory Dinner will be held on Wednesday 23 October at The Pullman Melbourne, Albert Park from 7.00 pm to midnight. Students should have finalised their tickets and tables as catering numbers need to be confirmed. I would like to thank Mr Simon Cameron and Ms Elise Roper for their excellent organisation of this night. I look forward to seeing Year 12 parents and students at this important event.

Wednesday 23 October

The Pullman Albert Park

65 Queens Road, Melbourne

6:30pm to 11:30pm

$95 each ticket

Year 12 students may purchase 3 tickets

(1 for themselves and 2 guests)

Tickets can be purchased online (refer to Compass information)

Any enquiries please contact Ms Elise Roper on 9783 7955 or eroper@fhs.vic.edu.au

SCHOLARSHIPS

The Margaret Schofield Memorial Scholarship

Applications for this annual scholarship are invited from government school students of VCE Music - Solo Performance. The selection panel will consider applicants who can demonstrate a commitment to music in recent years and to a future career in music performance. The students’ study scores for VCE Music - Solo Performance will be taken into consideration. This scholarship was established by the family of the late Margaret Schofield in recognition of her achievements as a musician and her commitment to music education and is coordinated by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). The annual scholarship will contribute towards the cost of tertiary education in music performance.

The application form is published on the VCAA website: www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/excellenceawards/ms-applicationform.doc

DOXA Hollingworth Cadetship Program

This program is designed to provide disadvantaged youth who have satisfactorily completed their Year 12 studies, with the opportunity to pursue university education and gain future employment.

The current cadets are studying a range of degrees including Social and Environmental Science, Applied Science, Law, Arts, Commerce, Transport and Logistics Management, Economics, Business, Computing, Engineering, Accounting, Public Relations, Human Resources, Psychology, Arts, Urban Planning and Architecture.

The Doxa Cadetship provides:

Financial assistance
Work experience with a corporate organisation
A mentor
Book allowance
Professional and personal development

If you are interested in applying, please see me.

The David Burgess Foundation

The David Burgess Foundation has provided scholarships to well deserving, disadvantaged students for the past 27 years. The Foundation aims to help young people from State secondary schools who have had to struggle to overcome adversity, who have shown commitment to their goals and those of the community, and who, with some help, have the opportunity to succeed in their studies and future life.

Any Year 12 students who satisfy the criteria and are interested in applying for this award are asked to please see me. Details regarding the criteria and additional information regarding The David Burgess Foundation can be found at www.DBF.org.au

Applications for 2020 scholarships close on 28 October 2019.

Best Wishes To The Class Of 2019

As this is the final newsletter for our Year 12 students before they embark on their final examinations, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere best wishes for their examinations and their future goals and ambitions. I wish them every success in the future and I would like to thank them for their excellent contribution to Frankston High School. They have been an absolute pleasure to work with. I would also like to congratulate and thank the excellent work and leadership of our two School Captains Anzali Nedumaran and Jade Roberts and Deputy School Captains Lily Chapple and Guy Taylor.

Ms Helen Wilson

Senior School Principal

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