Senior School Report

Term Break- School work expectations

The term break provides the opportunity for important leisure, rest, some sleep-ins and family time, especially after the challenging Term 2 we have experienced. However, Senior School students will have some study to do as well. VCAL students are expected to complete the work set by their teachers. Year 10 students will need to complete their persuasive oral presentations and start reading the text Night and those studying a VCE subject will need to complete any set work for that subject. It is important for Year 11 and 12 VCE students to continue their study habits and a study routine to complete any set work and to consolidate their knowledge and skills in preparation for Semester 2 and the end of year exams.

VCE students should review the key knowledge and key skills of the outcomes studied thus far with a particular focus on the areas they found more challenging and need more work/practice on. The key knowledge and skills for each VCE study have been provided by teachers and are also available from: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/curriculum/vce/vce-study-designs/Pages/vce-study-designs.aspx

Past VCE Units 3 & 4 end of year exams (and examiner reports) can be accessed from: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/assessment/vce-assessment/past-examinations/Pages/Index.aspx

VCE Unit 3 students should start to look through these and examine and attempt questions based on Unit 3 topics.

2020 Unit 3 and 4 Exams

The 2020 VCE Unit 3 and 4 examination timetable has been released and is available from: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/administration/Key-dates/Pages/VCE-exam-timetable.aspx

Year 12 Practice Exams

Exams are an important part of a student’s assessment and form an integral part of a student’s VCE study score and their ATAR. It is important for students to practice under examination conditions and prepare for the rigors of the end of year exams. Therefore, on Tuesday 23 June, designed to assist our students to become familiar with these requirements and expectations in readiness for their VCE exams. This also provided the opportunity for our students to consolidate key knowledge and skills covered in their English and Maths Unit 3 studies.

Elevate Study Skills Session

On Tuesday 16 June Elevate Education conducted a study skills seminar for Year 12 students on ‘Ace Your Exams’. The students were provided with advice on how to stay calm before and during exams and how to ration their time during exams. The students were also guided through a process to fully prepare for the end of year exams, including:

Giving themselves adequate time to prepare
Going through past assessment tasks and identifying areas where they lost marks
Ensuring they asked teachers for advice
Using an exam planner to identify goals, record work to be done and highlight deadlines
Completing practice exams

After the seminar Year 12 students were surveyed about how useful they found the information and advice provided. 100% stated that they would recommend the seminar to their peers and 100% said that they found it useful to have a young presenter talk to them about exam preparation. Below are some Year 12 student comments given in the feedback about what they learned:

“You don’t need to be the smartest person in the class to do well in exams”

“I need to create a time management plan”

“I need to give myself enough time to prepare”

“I need to really go over my marks (work) in the assessments I’ve done”

“Use and reflect on my mistakes to improve”

“The importance of completing practice questions, even for SACs”

“Ask more questions”

“Avoid stressful people before exams”

VCAL students- Working with nature

The Year 11 and 12 VCAL students have begun developing their horticultural skills and knowledge in their VCAL Work-related Skills subject and for those students needing to complete their work placements at school due to COVID - 19 industry shutdowns and restrictions. The students have been busy moving mulch and mulching and cleaning up garden beds around the college on Fridays. The class has also started analysing the college’s vegetable garden that was developed some years back with the aim of making this area a vibrant and productive space once again in the future.

Mr Tony Stirling

Head of Senior School