Senior School

It has been great to have the Wilding Wing filled with the sound of students as they return from their term holiday break. 

For our Year 12s, this is the last full term they will spend at St Patrick’s. It is an exciting time; however, we have reminded the boys that the job is not done yet.  Throughout Term 1 and Term 2, it has been fantastic to observe students applying themselves in all aspects of their schooling with vigour, whether than be in the classroom, on the sporting field or on the stage.  As we start Term 3, it is important that they do not lose sight of their goals and aspirations for their futures.

The first VCE written exam for many will be the VCE English exam on Tuesday, 29 October and this time is fast approaching. For all other VCE subjects, a copy of the VCE Exam Timetable can be found at Pages - VCE examination timetable (vcaa.vic.edu.au). 

With this in mind, we encourage all parents and caregivers to check in on their child to see how they are progressing. Are they taking care of themselves physically and mentally?  Are they putting in the effort required of them to get the best out of themselves? Have they started revising parts of their subjects covered early in the year? 

Research supports this type of distributed practice as an effective revision strategy.  Does your child have a good grasp of revision strategies that work? If they do not, encourage them to engage in a conversation with their teachers as it is never too late to develop new skills.  Often the focus is on the outcome when it should be on the process that led to that outcome, with an eye on each student performing to the best of their ability by putting in the maximum effort possible.

Year 12 Formal

The Year 12 Formal is scheduled for Friday, 2 August, with invitations sent out last term to all students.  The RSVP is this Monday, 22 July.  The event will be held at the Mercure Hotel and Convention Centre, and we hope all the students are looking forward to it as it provides them with an opportunity to enjoy an evening of good company and good music in their final year at school. 

Financial Literacy

In our most recent Year 12 seminar, we took the boys through a presentation aimed at raising awareness of the importance of being able to manage your finances well, what the implications are of going into debt and what investment opportunities are available for students diligent enough to have saved some money.  

The amount that is paid back in interest on your average home loan over 30 years certainly raised some eyebrows when we worked through a Home Loan Repayments calculator and when we looked at the capital gain that could have been earned on BHP and Commonwealth Bank shares over the last 25 years without even considering the dividends associated with this ownership over the same period of time. It was made clear to the boys that it is very important they educate themselves in the world of finance, understanding the risks.

VTAC Applications

In Week 2 of Term 3, our Careers and Transition Manager Mr Anthony Meehan will present to the boys on VTAC applications.  This is the organisation that coordinates applications to university. Following this he will be conducting small group sessions during the Year 12 study sessions on the VTAC registration, application, Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS) and Scholarship application process.  

We encourage you to check in with your child if they are intending on applying for a course to ensure they understand the process.  If a student is planning on taking a gap year, or uncertain about whether they would like to go to university, we encourage them to put in an application because any course offered to them at the end of the year can be deferred for study in future years.