SECONDARY NEWS
From the Assistant Principal

Miss Kim Bailey
kbailey@arm.catholic.edu.au

Vinnies Lap-a-thon

In Week 6, on Thursday 16 November, the Secondary department will give up their sport time to take part in our annual Vinnies Fancy Dress Lap-a-thon.

Sponsorship forms for the lap-a-thon will be sent home with students this week. Participants will be asked to collect sponsorship money and make a donation to this cause. All funds raised will be donated to our local St Vincent de Paul centre for their busy Christmas period. There will be prizes for the best outfits presented for judging. Our Vinnies fundraising will continue with our coin-drop and Thanksgiving Mass in Week 10.

Year 10 Farewell Social

There will be a social on Thursday 16 November, to farewell Year 10. Miss Cush, Year 9 and the SRC are busily preparing for the event. More details next week in the newsletter.

Stage 5 Elective Choices 2024

Students in Years 8 & 9 made their Stage 5 Elective choices last Friday. This is the first step in this process, and students will be advised of their subjects before the end of the term.

Please contact Miss Bailey if you have any questions.

Far Out Science

Last Tuesday, a number of students in Years 9 & 10 and Mr Gaias attended the Far Out Science Day at UNE. The students had a great day and were excellent ambassadors of Holy Trinity. Thanks to Mr Gaias for organising the day and to UNE for covering all costs.

Warraymayalaya Maal Dhuwi Retreat

During week 1, three Year 8 and 9 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from HTS participated in the Warraymayalaya Maal Dhuwi Retreat, which focused on "Aboriginal Spirituality and Identity." The name of the retreat, "Warraymayalaya," means "Stand together," and "Maal Dhuwi" translates to "One Spirit."

During the retreat, these students took part in cultural and team-building activities designed to foster courage, resilience, and the opportunity to make new friends while having fun. The primary focus was on learning about the significance of carrying one's Spirit and Identity together, emphasizing the importance of Aboriginal spirituality and identity.

Secondary Exams

Students in Years 7 - 10 commenced their exams yesterday. If a student is absent on a scheduled exam day, they will complete the missed exams at the first available opportunity. If known in advance, exams may be completed before the absence.

It is also important to note that exams are only one of the methods of assessment. The semester report will include a variety of formative and summative assessment tasks completed over the course of the semester.

To optimise performance, students need to be well-rested. They also need to ensure that they have the necessary equipment, for example, spare pens, a calculator and geometrical instruments for Mathematics and Science. Please advise staff of any issues regarding the completion of exams.

Exam timetables have been distributed to students and are also visible on Compass for all year groups and parents.

STUDENT Semester 2 Exam Timetable 2023 .pdf

PREPARING FOR BLOCKS OF EXAMS

For many students, a block of examinations can be daunting. Some students have no idea where to start and what they should work on. The first thing to do if you have examinations approaching in the next few months is to find out what topics will be tested. Even a simple question to teachers can get you started, such as ‘Are we being tested on the whole year’s work or just this semester?’. Once you know what topics will be covered, organize all of your learning materials and make sure nothing is missing, and you have everything you need to review those topics. The next step is to make study notes on these topics if you haven’t been doing this throughout the year (hopefully you have!).

Next, it is time to start learning the notes (testing yourself on them over and over) and doing practice questions to make sure you can apply your knowledge to different types of questions.

If you have a number of weeks prior to the examinations, it is a good idea to make a plan in your diary or phone or on a whiteboard of what subjects you will study and when. Try and allocate each subject once or twice each week, depending on the number of examinations you have.

MAKE GREAT STUDY NOTES

With exam time approaching, it is time to seriously think about making study notes – especially if you haven’t been doing them regularly throughout the year. Find out what topics will be tested, make a quick mind map of each topic so you can see an overview of what you need to learn, and then start making point-form notes about what you need to learn and remember for the exam. You want to make your study notes as soon as possible so you have ample time to learn them and to do lots of practice questions.

Top 5 Tips to Improve Your Notes:

POINTS: Avoid long sentences and condense content into key points.
TABLES: Use tables wherever you can to create structure and make the content easier to learn.
KEYWORDS: Pull out keywords and capitalise them (as shown in this list).
HIGHLIGHT: Make sure the main content stands out (but don’t go crazy with colour).
FEEDBACK: Show your notes to teachers, parents and friends so they can suggest ways to improve them.

Last Minute Study

What do you do if you have left your study until the last minute?

In an ideal world, it would be great if all students paid attention, focused and participated in all classes, completed all homework and assessments thoroughly, asked for help throughout the year on anything they didn’t understand, made regular summaries of the work covered in class (preferably at the end of each topic or section) and did their best to learn as they go throughout the year.

But in reality, this doesn’t always happen for every student and every subject.

So what can you do if you have left your study for tests and exams to the last minute?

5 TIPS FOR LAST-MINUTE STUDY

FIND OUT FAST: Be very clear about what you need to learn and what will be tested. It is impossible to start your study until you are sure what you have to know. Find out as much as you can about the exam format and the style of questions. Don’t be afraid to ask your teacher. For each subject, write a list of exactly what topics and areas you need to review.
GATHER MATERIALS: Do you have notes, materials, and textbooks on everything you need to learn? If not, is there a friend who will let you photocopy the work you have misplaced? Is there an online portal where material from classes is stored? Can you borrow additional books or textbooks from the library on the topics you need to learn? Are past examination papers available?
MAKE A PLAN: You only have limited time left, so you need to make the most of it. Draw up a grid that shows how much time you have left before your exams to study. Decide if you will spend equal time on each subject or if certain subjects need more time. Allocate subjects to the timeslots you have, then decide exactly what you will do to prepare for each subject. For each subject, make a list of what sort of study you should do to prepare for that subject. Brainstorm your ideas on how to prepare, ask your parents and teachers for feedback and share ideas with your friends.
CREATE STUDY NOTES: Target your notes to what will be tested. It is best for learning and memory to make your study notes yourself, but if you have run out of time, there are options. See if any of your class materials or textbooks have summarised the sections you need. See if there are study guides available in the library on the topics to learn or make targeted notes on the key areas you must memorise. You could also see if there is a friend with whom you could split the topics between yourself and share the notes you make. Don’t spend too long on this stage; it needs to be completed as quickly as possible.
STUDY! What does study actually mean? It means memorising the material you need to know so you can recall it in the exams and practising the skills of the subject so you know how to do the types of questions you will have in the exam. To memorise your notes, you need to test yourself over and over on them. You could read a section, see what you can write down without looking, and then check. Then, review the things you didn’t know again. Or you could do the same approach by reading things out loud and then seeing what you can repeat out loud. Doing questions, practising essays, and past exam questions will also help you understand what you know and what you need to spend more time on.

The key is to get started. No more procrastination, no more excuses.

Start today!

What do you do in the few days before an examination?

At least a few days before the exam, make sure you do the following:

Plan out how much time you should spend on each section of the test.
By looking at past papers, get a feel for the types of instructions that will be on your paper.
Do some exercise so you can burn off the pent-up stress that can come before exams.
Look after your body – lots of water to juice up your brain, healthy food, and decent sleep.
To calm your nerves, make mental pictures of yourself sitting down and doing well in the test.
Purchase any equipment you may need, extra calculator batteries, pens, rulers, etc.
Ensure you know what equipment is allowed in the test or exam.
Focus on reviewing the key points, perhaps a condensed version of your summaries.
Practise as many past test papers as you can get your hands on.
Check the timetable to ensure you have a clear picture of when each exam is being held.

The night before the test or exam:

Pack your bag with everything you will need for the next day, ensuring you have all the necessary equipment.
Plan what time you need to leave to ensure you have plenty of time for unexpected delays.
Don’t go to bed too late – you need to make sure your brain is fresh and alert.
Don’t ring friends and discuss your preparation or the examination.
Just before you go to sleep, look through your notes briefly.
If you have a number of exams, check the timetable to confirm the exam's date, time and location.

The morning of the test or exam:

Visualise success. Before you get out of bed, close your eyes and picture yourself going into the exam, doing well and coming out pleased with your efforts.
Review your notes. You are not doing intense study at this stage; just looking through and reminding yourself of the main things you want to remember.
Eat breakfast. Your brain needs fuel, so eat a hearty breakfast so you can focus and concentrate in the exam.
Be on time. Ensure you leave enough time for contingencies so you won’t be late.
Avoid negativity. Don’t stand around in the group discussing what you did and didn’t study.

Upcoming Year 10 Events

Week 6
- Year 10 Farewell Social - Thursday 16 November
Week 7
- WEX
Monday 27 November – Wednesday 29 November:
- Christian Living Camp at Copeton Dam – students will come to school on Monday morning with their requirements for the camp and be bused to the Dam.
Thursday 30 November:
- Graduation Mass Practice - 9.15 am at Sacred Heart Church.
Friday 1 December:
- Graduation Mass, Presentation of Awards & Morning Tea - 9.15 am at Sacred Heart Church
- Graduation Dinner Dance – 6.30 pm at the Inverell RSM Club.

Google Classroom Guardian Summaries

Remember to accept the invitation to sign up for Google Classroom Guardian Summaries. Please contact Miss Bailey if you have any questions or problems.