Senior School News
Year 10 to 12
Senior School Exams and Celebrating Students’ 2021 Achievements!
Year 10 & 11 students
Welcome Back to School Year 10 & 11 Students!
We were so happy to see our Year 10 and Year 11 students return to on-site learning. They have shown so much resilience over the last two years and we are sure this will stand them in good stead as they move further through their senior school years.
Students were welcomed back by their Coordinators and student leaders with personalised cards, motivational quotes and a sweet treat! We thank Nga Li, one of our College Lab Technicians for her invaluable efforts in putting these treats and cards together for our students.
Students have now had some time to adjust back to the routines and requirements of on-site learning and have completed a number of assessments and should now be working on preparing for their upcoming exams.
What can students do to help themselves prepare for exams?
- Make sure you know exactly what will be covered in the exam. Look at past papers to help you understand what to expect. Talk to your teacher if you are unsure
- Have a quiet, clean space to study in, with ready access to any materials you need.
- Break your study up into 20 minute chunks, with breaks of at least 5 minutes in between. The brain encodes information more effectively in short, repeated sessions
- Say it and think it out loud. This is one of the best ways to retain what you are learning. If you can explain your thinking to someone else, you deepen your own understanding
- Go to bed at a reasonable hour, eat regularly and make time for fun and exercise
- Avoid energy drinks, coffee and other sources of caffeine. Drink plenty of water instead
Tips for the day of an exam
- Work out what you need to take with you into your exam the night before and have everything ready–water, calculators, pens, pencils, etc
- Eat a light breakfast–this will help with your energy and concentration.
- Make sure you know where your exam is and arrive at school with plenty of time to spare
- Visit the toilet before your exam starts
- If you’re getting anxious just before your exam, focus on your breathing. Breathe in to a count of 3 and then breathe out to a count of 3. Repeat this steadily for a few minutes
- On exam day, stay away from people who may be feeling anxious or make unhelpful comments that increase your anxiety
- When you first sit down to do your exam, take time to slow your breathing and relax
When you finish your exam, take time out to relax a bit before you start preparing for the next exam. Do something you enjoy or have a chat with your friends.
The following attached documents may be useful resources.
- Five Steps to Study Success
- Seven Tips for Managing Exam Stress
Further information is available through the following links:
https://headspace.org.au/young-people/how-to-reduce-stress-and-prepare-for-exams/
https://au.reachout.com/articles/5-steps-to-study-success
- Year 11 exams run from Monday November 15 to Friday November 26
- Year 10 exams run on Monday 29 November (English and EAL), Tuesday 30 November (Maths) and Wednesday 1 December (LOTE Chinese and LOTE Italian)
Year 12 Students
Our Year 12 students are now on the tail-end of their VCAA Examination period, with the final Year 12 exams occurring on Wednesday 17 November.
We are pleased to announce that we will be conducting a Final Assembly & Celebration for our Year 12 VCE students on Friday November 19. This will allow staff and students to meet together as a group and celebrate the achievements of the 2021 Year 12s with an Assembly in the stadium, to be followed by a picnic lunch and concluding with a COVID-safe Colour Run.
The Assembly will commence at 11.00 am in our Sports Stadium. The current restrictions, unfortunately preclude the attendance of parents and family members as would normally be our practice.
The Final Assembly will be recorded and an edited presentation will be made available to parents and family members. The arrangements for the day are as follows:
- Students will arrive at school at recess in full school uniform (all students and staff must wear a mask for the Assembly and can remove it only for organised photos)
- The assembly will start in the stadium at 11am sharp. Students will be sitting in their English/EAL class groups
- Assembly will finish around 1pm
- Food & drink will be then provided by the school, with a picnic lunch to be held in the Upper Courtyard
- Students may bring their school shirts/dresses for signing and modified uniforms to change into after the assembly
- Students will need a change of clothes (wear white!) for the Colour Run. We also recommend that students wear some form of eye protection, such as goggles or safety glasses for the Colour Run
Celebrations will conclude at approximately 3.00 pm.
Kate Leaumont
Head of Senior School
Uniform Shop PSW - Retail Stores reopening
PSW Kew East store is now fully open to vaccinated parents, as per the Governments guidelines, from Saturday 30 October, so parents not wanting to order online will be able to visit the store from Saturday to purchase their uniform needs in person. The shelves are fully stocked.
1 to 1 Digital Learning Program 2022
In 2022 we will continue with our whole school 1 to 1 Digital Learning Program for all students.
The purchase of these devices is crucial to the learning program as students will access eBooks rather than an extensive number of expensive textbooks.
Details of the 1 to 1 Digital Learning Program for all students and important information regarding suitable devices are detailed in the attached policy.
**Please note that the JB Hi Fi Solutions portal is no longer open for the sale of devices. This service is not available for 2022 purchases.
Student Compass ID/Library/PTV Cards
Please remind all students that they must carry their Student Compass ID/Library/PTV Cards with them at all times.
ALL students must sign in/out with their card at the General Office when they are arriving late or leaving early for any reason. A reminder that Year 12 students are required to sign in/out at The John Landy Centre Compass Kiosk.
The cards are also used for any student photocopying that is done at school. The EDSC Student Compass ID/Library/PTV is also the student PTV (Public Transport Victoria) cards. They are required to carry this card as student identification while travelling on public transport.
If a student loses their card, parents/guardians are able to re-order a replacement card via the Compass parent portal.
