Deputy Principal, Teaching and Learning

Many parents would recall using an old-style camera. I am sure you remember the KODAK camera well. These cameras required you to compose the shot and focus. The image was captured at a click of a button but then you had to wait until the 24 or 36 film was complete before you could take the canister of film out of the camera and take it into the local chemist or supermarket for processing. A week later you would then collect your envelope of printed 6 x4 images and hope, yes hope that each shot was clear and just as you had intended. The art of taking a photograph when I grew up took time. There was no instant gratification, unlike the instant photo or selfie taken today on a smartphone. This generation of young people operate in a very different world; one of immediacy and connection.

Perhaps the KODAK moment taught the Baby Boomers and Generation Xers how to wait. Maybe we developed patience in a way that our young people today struggle with. Success in all areas of life takes time. There is rarely an overnight success. In terms of our learning, progress takes time and is incremental. Learning well takes patience, discipline, and focus. As we approach the middle of Term 1, it is appropriate that we pause and review what progress is being made in the teaching and learning space.

This year we are inviting parents of students who are undertaking a Unit 3 & 4 subjects to attend Mid Term Interviews online. We believe an early conversation about how the student has commenced learning and what areas they can improve on is vital. Similarly, we welcome our Year 7 parents and students to a Mid Term Online Interview with their mentors.

Early in the week, Mrs Linda Archer sent information to parents about the Mid Term Online Interviews including instructions on how to make appointments via PAM. We look forward to meeting our parents online on Wednesday 3 March 2021 and discussing the learning progress of our students.

Thank you again to our parent community for your support for our Continuous Remote Learning Program 3.0. We are pleased that the RLP has been short and that we have ended Week 4 together face to face.

Mrs Susan Bradbeer

Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning

HOW PARENTS MAKE A PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEW BOOKING USING PAM

Every student at the Senior School has SIMON access. 

Each family has been sent login details including Username and Password for the PAM system.

If you have not received, or have misplaced, your login details, contact Susie Holcombe, via holcombes@hamiltoncollege.vic.edu.au

Please read the attached document for instructions.

Mrs Susan Bradbeer

Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning

BUSTING VCE MYTHS – PREPARING FOR VCE ASSESSMENTS

I hope that all VCE students made the most of their time during the circuit-breaker lockdown to catch up and get ahead. Looking ahead to the next few weeks, many subjects have their first SACs scheduled. It will be important that students are aware of what is required for each of these assessments. 

Myth 1 - My SAC scores don’t matter as        long as I do well on the exam

• SACS do matter. The SACs given throughout the year are used to rank the students in each class. Based on this ranking, the study scores for each of their subjects may go up or down. A low-ranking student who does well on the exam might actually get a lower study score than a high-ranking student who does slightly worse on the exam!
• Studying for SACs is a great way of practising the valuable study skills required to achieve success on the final exam. After all, who do you think will be able to study better: a student who has cruised through the year, or one who has diligently studied and revised their notes for every single one of their assessments?

Myth 2 - I can’t start studying for my exams yet

• Yes, you can! Start now! It is never too early to start studying for an exam. Students who leave their exam study until the end of the year will feel panic and confusion. Students who want to be successful will spend their entire year developing revision sheets, refining their notes and attempting exam questions. You can usually find exam questions online so there is no excuse not to be practicing.
• You need to go over each of your SACs with a magnifying glass. Learn all the skills and keep all the necessary resources to be as prepared as possible come November. VCE is not a sprint to the finish; it is a marathon, and the sooner students start applying themselves to the challenge, the more successful they will be.

Mrs Rebekah Bonnett

Head of VCE Studies