Melanie Denney

Assistant Principal

Dear Parents/Carers and Students,

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the JMSS Exhibition Night, where Year 10 students shared what they have been working on in their electives this semester with friends, family and the general public. I was impressed with the confidence and knowledge demonstrated by all of the students, and the creative and interactive nature of the displays. Thank you to all of the students and staff who made this such a wonderful celebration of STEM at JMSS, and special thanks to Kathryn Grainger (Acting Head of Science), Penelope Hale (Assistant Head of Science), and Anna Zonneveld (Laboratory Manager) whose careful planning and organisation brought the evening to fruition.

Upcoming Assessment Period 

All students are coming up to the mid-year assessment period during which we run exams for Year 10 and Unit 1/2 subjects, and SACS for Unit 3/4 subjects. The “exam week” will run from Tuesday 10th June until Monday 16th June. During that time, classes will not be held, and students only need to attend school when they have a scheduled assessment.

Students are encouraged to plan their revision leading up to their assessments, explore study strategies and establish routines. It is also a good opportunity to think through strategies to help deal with nerves that often arise during these times. Breathing techniques, gentle stretching and focusing on your senses can all help reduce feelings of stress. It is also important to maintain perspective and use exams as a chance to reflect on the progress you have made in a subject.

Year 11 and 12 students have had briefings explaining the General Achievement Test (GAT) which all students studying a VCE Unit 3/4 subject will sit on Tuesday 17th June. The GAT plays an important role in determining Derived Exam Scores (if the need arises), provides a point of reference to check validity of external assessment results and detect anomalous grades, and contributes to scaling of study scores. Students can become familiar with the GAT by looking at past papers on the VCAA website and by accessing information on the JMSS ProTips website.

 ANZAC Commemoration Ceremony

During our most recent general assembly we commemorated the ANZAC spirit through a service run by our school captains. We were privileged to hear from Mr Mal Anderson who shared a personal story about his grandfather’s experiences in World Wars I and II. Another special moment was the playing of The last Post and Rouse by Bai Yang Pogos-Hill. 

JMSS Athletics Carnival

The annual JMSS Athletics Carnival was held earlier in the term. It was fantastic to see such a high level of participation from students, and a great display of House spirit. Congratulations to Ms Sarah Adolph and her team on the organisation and smooth running of the day.

Melanie Denney

Assistant Principal