Learning  

Dear Parents/Guardians  

Welcome back to Term 2!  I would like to thank you all for your participation in Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences, the three way partnership between student, parent and teacher is crucial in students' development throughout the College.  I hope students and parents found the feedback they received helpful and use this to set some goals for the term.  It has been pleasing to hear teachers report back that some students have already acted on the feedback provided.  

Year 10 and 11 Exams 

Year 10 and 11 students will receive their examination timetable next week along with some further information about exams. 

Year 10 students will have an exam in all their subjects except RE, PE, Health or their Year Long elective.  Ms Melanie Malakunas, our Year 10 Wellbeing Leader, and the Year 10 team have been working with the Year 10s on getting ready for exams focussing on the following strategies: 

1. Getting Organised:  Tracking subjects and asking teachers early about what to expect. 
2. Note-Taking Practice:  Moving away from writing full sentences to using dot points, highlighters and quick sketches. 
3. Summarising Skills:  Rewriting class information in their own words or creating flashcards to ensure true understanding. 
4. Reviewing Regularly:  Reviewing notes a little bit every week to avoid the stress of last-minute cramming. 
5. Study Habits & Wellbeing:  Studying in 30-minute blocks with 5-10 minute breaks, prioritising sleep and eating "brain food." 
6. Using a Study Timetable:  Mapping out a realistic weekly schedule. 

7. Asking for Help:  Knowing who to talk to when they feel stuck or overwhelmed. 

    

Ms Malakunas has also shared the following strategies about how parents can support students at home: 

• Create a Phone-Free Zone:  Encourage your child to leave their phone in another room (or hand it to you) while they complete a 30-minute study block.  They can check it during their 5-10 minute break. 
• Set Up a Dedicated Workspace:  Ensure they have a quiet, well-lit place to work that is separate from where they relax or sleep, if possible. 
• Focus on Quality, Not Quantity:  Remind them that 45 minutes of deep, focused work is vastly superior to 2 hours of distracted reading. 

• Model Healthy Boundaries:  It helps when the whole household has "unplugged" time in the evenings. 

   

There will be further advice and support provided to Year 10 and 11 students about how to study and cope with examinations in their upcoming extended mentor group lessons.  

A reminder that Homework Club runs in the Library every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday until 4.15pm, students can use this time to complete homework, independent study or revise for their exams.   

Academic Honesty Policy 

We have recently updated our Academic Honesty Policy.  I would like to emphasise that the majority of our students do the right thing regarding academic honesty.  However, with the continually changing nature of resources that are available to students,  I encourage you and your child to spend some time reviewing what is and isn’t acceptable.  You may like to read this alongside our 2026 AI Position Statement.  Both of these can be found on Compass, under the people icon, school documentation/college policies 

Acceleration 

I would also like to take this opportunity to remind Year 9 and 10 students of the requirement of achieving an 85% average across their subjects if they would like to be considered for accelerating into a VCE subject in 2027. 

If you have any questions or wish to provide any feedback, please feel free to contact me.

Ms Lucy Neil 

Deputy Principal – Learning and Teaching