Strategic Development & Organisation  

Exam Time is Upon Us Again

While they are a major source of stress for students (and teachers) exams are still an important part of the schooling process. It is still one of the fairest ways to moderate the results of a large cohort of students. This week, our Year 12 students began their exams. 

Next week our Year 11s will also begin the exam journey - giving them only one more week to prepare. Practising the preparation for exams is arguably even more important than practising the exams themselves. So below is a discussion of some effective ways to approach preparation for exams - perhaps best discussed between our students and their parents or guardians.

Deliberate Practice

Deliberate Practice is a simple process to support your revision. Start by spending time reviewing a topic/unit before quizzing/testing yourself with no notes and from your memory (this is vital for revision). Once you have finished, check your answers. This will support you in showing where your ‘knowledge gaps’ are and where focus needs to be in your future revision. Revision shouldn’t keep you in your comfort zone, you need to be thinking hard and identifying your own areas for development. Avoid simply revising topics you enjoy. A technique to support deliberate practice is the Pomodoro Technique.

Dual Coding

When reviewing something you have learnt, combining words and pictures can be powerful. Examples of this include creating a:

Ineffective Revision Strategies

With the above in mind, it is vitally important to think about strategies that students may employ that have a limited or no real benefit on learning or memory. These include:

• Simply writing out notes or copying from a textbook/exercise book.
• Reading and doing nothing with the information. Trying to focus on ‘too much information’ on a single page and cramming revision.
• Highlighting information for the sake of it.
• Not enough silent work or attention to a given task. Attempting to revise while multitasking and doing other things.
• Comfort zone revision of easy material that pupils have already mastered because it makes you ‘feel good’.

The Importance of Habits and Routines

Within your revision, it is vitally important to establish a strong routine. Having goals is good for setting a direction. What do you want to achieve in this revision session?

In order to support the forming of good revision habits, there are a number of areas to consider:

• Start small and build up – reduce distractions where and when you revise and get your family to encourage the creation of a revision timetable and placing it somewhere visual in your house. Ensure someone else is knowledgeable of this timetable to enable accountability and aid support.
• Make it attractive – collaborative focused revision is beneficial (alongside attending interventions or revision sessions) but you could also ensure there is a ‘reward’ at the end of a revision session. If I complete this, I can do this.
• Make it satisfying – challenge yourself, track your own revision progress and ensure you stick to your revision timetable. Small steps build success and motivation. Use study checklists to support.
• Make it obvious – revise in one area, leave your materials out ready to support organisation and ensure you stick to routines. Ensure your environment is clear, uncluttered, and comfortable.

Finally, best of luck to all our students with their exams over the next few weeks!

End of Year dates for Year 11 Students

• Year 11 Vocational Major Structured Workplace Learning – Monday 28th October till Friday 15th November
• Year 11 Exams Start on Thursday 7th November and conclude on Thursday 14th November
• Friday 15th November – Student Free day for Year 11 students
• Term Zero starts Monday 18th November

Year 11 Exams

All Year 11 VCE exams are conducted in SS 9,10 and 11. Students must wear their correct school uniform to each exam. 

Students are not required to be at school during the exam period unless they have an exam. If they need to remain on the college grounds students must be in the Library for supervised study. 

Any students with an exam clash must email Mrs Malloy to make alternative arrangements. Year 11 students completing a Unit 4 Exam must attend the VCE Unit 4 examinations as a priority. 

Year 11 Vocational Major students will be on Structured Workplace Learning. 

Handy Tips For Students

REVISION & PREPARATION:

• Make a list of the main topics/criteria/key knowledge for the unit of work for each of your subjects 
• Prioritise the topics from weakest to strongest in relation to confidence and comprehension – then start from the weakest and work your way through revisiting and refreshing your knowledge of each topic Revision strategies:
• Re-read over notes or textbook 
• Create cue cards, mind maps, posters, etc.
• Complete practice Questions –chapter review questions, workbook questions, relook at past assessments, topic tests etc. 

WELL BEING:

• Ensure you get plenty of sleep the night before your exam
• Ensure you have a healthy breakfast and/or lunch on the day of your exam
• Bring the appropriate materials – check with your subject teacher about what you can bring 
• Be confident – use the exam as an opportunity to showcase your knowledge 

READING TIME: 

• Use reading time productively – try and read the whole paper at least once 
• Take note of the questions they feel most comfortable with and respond to those first 
• Confirm which is the last page of the question and answer booklet

INTERPRETING QUESTIONS:

• Read the whole question at least twice to ensure they have interpreted it correctly 
• Take note of how many marks are allocated to each question – this is usually an indication of how many pieces of information they are required to give
• Never leave a question unanswered – especially a multiple-choice questions
• Decode the question – use a highlighter to identify action words in the question to inform what length of detail your response requires – e.g. explain, discuss, compare, describe, state, define, rank, list, identify, etc. 

Booklists 

Booklists for 2025 are now available on the College Website:

Booklists need to be completed online by Friday 6th December to avoid additional fees. 

How to place your order - Campion Education

Ordering FAQ's - Campion Education

If purchasing second-hand online, please be sure to check the current booklists to ensure that you are purchasing the correct editions. Please note Edrolo books are reprinted and updated yearly, they will be distributed by the College at the beginning of Term One, 2025.

Edrolo Textbooks

There are a number of VCE Science and Humanities subjects that are using Edrolo textbooks for 2025. Please note that the cost of these books includes a printed textbook as well as the complete digital textbook with access to video solutions to every question in the book, exemplar solutions, and hundreds of exam questions. Staff also have access to digital data on how students are tracking including their understanding of content (strengths and weaknesses) as well as completion of class work. Please note the cost of the subscription is subsidised by the College, there will be a subject levy invoiced to families at the end of Term One, 2025 for these subjects in lieu of a cost on the booklist.

Elevate Education Parent Webinar Seminars

Elevate Education are continuing to provide parents of Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional Student College exclusive access to their Parent Webinar Series for Term 4, 2024. 

To reserve your spot, you can register for free below,

Click here to register for free 

Wednesday 13th November

How To Help Your Child Alleviate Stress

Here’s what we’ll be covering on the night:  

✅ How to spot your child's stress symptoms early

✅ How to start a conversation about emotional wellbeing

✅ Techniques your child can use to self-manage stress 

Wednesday 27th November                How You Can Build Resilience in Your Child

Wednesday 11th December                How You Can Set Your Child Up for Success

The webinars are run live online from 6.30 pm – 7.30 pm (AEST) where the presenter will share Elevate’s key research and skills, and will conduct a live Q&A so you can ask them questions directly. If you are unable to make the webinar, don't worry! If you sign up to attend, you'll receive the webinar recording on Thursday morning.

Should you have questions or would like to contact Elevate directly, their details are listed below.

📞 1300 667 945

✉️ auscoaching@elevateeducation.com 

💻 https://au.elevateeducation.com

👍 https://www.facebook.com/ElevateEd/