Senior School

In the Senior School we are very much into the pointy end of the season, with exams and assessment being the priority.

The VCE Exams commenced last week with VCE English, closely followed behind by English Language and Literature to round out the literacy subjects.  The Year 12 Study Centre has been full of students studying for upcoming exams and seeking valuable assistance and advice from the tutors.  

Speaking to many of the boys after their exams, they have felt the exams were assessable and fair, resulting in them being pleased with how they have performed.  It’s hard to believe that following yesterday’s VCE Physical Education exam, the first of our students completed their final exam, and as a result, their Year 12 and VCE at St Patrick’s College.  

We are very proud of this year’s cohort and look forward to celebrating all our Year 12’s at their Valedictory dinner on Thursday, 21 November, once all students have completed their exams. 

At the same time, our Year 11 students have been preparing themselves for the upcoming Unit 2 exams starting with English next Friday.  At the beginning of term, we ran an assembly and spent time focusing on revision strategies they should be utilising as they prepare.  

These are strategies that they will be able to take with them into their final year at St Patrick’s and onto any further study they engage in after leaving school.  The students have been provided with a timetable for the exam period, and clear instructions on where they are required to be and when.  

This exam period presents the Year 11 students with a great opportunity to practice and hone their exam strategies in preparation for next year, from traffic lighting the Study Design for Unit 2 of each of their subjects to determine the areas they need to focus on in their preparation for the exams, through to time management in the exam to ensure they do not run out of time.  We encourage parents to check in on their child to see they have a plan in place and a dedicated space at home for their studies and preparation for the upcoming exams.

Following the exam period, our Year 10’s become Year 11’s, and our Year 11’s will move up to Year 12 with Head Start commencing on Monday, 25 November.  It is important for all students to be in attendance as this date represents the start of the academic year for these two-year levels and is not a trial run with content covered again at the beginning of 2025.  All subjects will be commencing from this date with holiday homework assigned in the last class.