From the Acting Head of Senior School

Next week, our students from Years 7 to 11 will move into Examination Week – a significant milestone in the school calendar. For our Year 7 cohort, this will be their first experience sitting an extended assessment in a formal setting. While this new experience will no doubt cause apprehension for some students, exams are an essential tool for assessing students’ knowledge, identifying areas where they may need improvement, and preparing them for the VCE years and further studies.

We encourage students to take a proactive approach to exam preparation, with our Revision Week providing a valuable opportunity for them to create and follow a structured study schedule, review their notes, and complete past exam papers for practice.

For families who are wondering how they can support their children, below I've outlined some ideas that may prove beneficial:

Create a calm study environment: Provide a quiet, distraction-free space for studying that is well-lit and equipped with necessary materials.
Assist with time management: Encourage your child to create a study timetable that breaks subjects into manageable chunks. Remind them to take regular breaks to prevent burnout.
Promote healthy habits: Provide nutritious meals and snacks to fuel concentration; support physical activity to reduce stress and improve focus; and encourage sufficient sleep (at least 8 hours).
Practice with them: Quiz your child on key concepts or create mock exam questions, then review any challenging topics together to reinforce their understanding.
Teach stress-relief techniques: Remind your child to maintain perspective and focus on one task at a time. Deep breathing, mindfulness and relaxation exercises can also prove beneficial.
Offer emotional support: Listen to your child's concerns and reassure them if they feel overwhelmed. Rather than adding pressure, praise the effort they put into their preparation and remind them that doing their best is what matters most.

Following the Examination Week, students will receive their marks and grades from their teachers, providing an opportunity for constructive feedback. During this time, students are encouraged to consider the following:

Identify strengths: Students should review aspects of the exam where they performed well. These successes should be acknowledged and celebrated.
Pinpoint areas for improvement: Carefully review questions answered incorrectly or left blank. Students should seek guidance from their teachers to understand how to approach these types of questions and learn from mistakes.
Evaluate exam strategies: Reflect on their preparation and approach during the exams. Were the strategies effective? Should they consider changing their approach for future assessments?
Understand the reasons behind their performance: If students didn’t perform as well as they had hoped, it’s important to discuss potential reasons. Challenges might be overcome in the future by allocating more study time for the subject, using more effective study methods, improving time management and other key skills, and practising stress-management techniques.

We encourage parents to support their children in making small, incremental improvements for future assessments. By focusing on manageable, practical changes, students can steadily build their skills and confidence, leading to significant progress over time.

Unfiorm and personal presentation reminders

A reminder that we now expect all senior students to be in full winter uniform. Students are also asked to be mindful of the following:

Blazers are expected to be worn to and from school each day.
Shirts are expected to be fully tucked in throughout the school day
When in the formal uniform, black leather school shoes must be worn. Black trainers may only be worn with the PE uniform.

Best wishes to all senior students during next week’s Examination Week.

Mr Marcus Smalley

Acting Head of Senior School