Director of Learning and Teaching 

It is hard to believe, but Monday marks the end of our 2025 classes as we close out our revision week and look towards our End of Year Examinations next week. All students and families should have received a copy of the Examination Schedule for next week.

If there are any concerns or clashes in the schedule, please get in touch with Wendy Henderson or me, and we will make arrangements to address any issues that arise. If a student is unwell or unable to attend an exam, we do our best to reschedule it during the Examination week or on the Examination Feedback Day, which falls on Tuesday, 2 December. To ensure the integrity of the examination process, exams cannot be rescheduled to occur before the allocated examination time.  

Examination week is an important one for our students to showcase their learning.  Students have the opportunity to develop recall skills, apply new knowledge, problem-solve, communicate ideas, and examine key concepts. They learn to work under pressure, reset, and reflect. It is a time to celebrate what they know and the progress that they have made throughout the year. But it can also be a time of anxiety and stress for some of our students.

Last week’s assembly provided an opportunity for some of our new student leaders to share their strategies and tips for exam success, both at home and in the Boarding House. While they all had their favourite ways of revising and managing stress, there were some common themes. I thank Will Legoe, Lily Giles, Zane Thomas and Finn Dennis for sharing their experiences with all of us. 

All our College families have been sent the exam timetable and guidelines. I urge you to read these guidelines again. Students can feel more confident going into the exam period if they can keep the following in mind:

1. Have all the right materials for the exam – pens, a clear water bottle, and a dictionary. 
2. Arrive at the exam venue early.
3. Read the Exam instructions carefully.
4. Use the reading time effectively to work through the paper and start thinking about the questions.
5. Manage exam time: wear a watch during the exam and track your progress.    (Please note that smart watches are not allowed to be used)

Best of luck to all our students next week. 

Following Exam Week, we have an allocated Student Free day to allow for exam marking and reporting tasks to take place. On Tuesday, 2 December, students will attend their normal Day 7 classes and receive feedback on their exams for these subjects. For subjects that do not have an allocated class that day, students can contact their subject teacher to receive feedback and may like to arrange a time to meet a teacher if desired. Students are encouraged to review their exam papers; however, these are retained by the subject teachers for our records and cannot be taken home by students. 

On Wednesday, 3 December, students will 'Step Up' into their classes for 2026. Student timetables and guidelines for the Step Up program will be given to students on Tuesday, 2 December. 

As always, if you have any questions or need to speak with me, please email me at arobertson@hamiltoncollege.vic.edu.au.