From the Principal 

A message of encouragement to our HSC Students

One of the joys of working in education is the ability to be a part of the learning and personal growth journey that each student individually undertakes across the life of our school. We are all different and every student has unique passions and interests that our staff at Moama Anglican Grammar collectively nurture and support them to pursue within our learning program.

Today we celebrated 100 Days of Kindergarten, a significant milestone in the life of our Kindergarten students, and over the coming months our HSC students are approaching the end of their secondary schooling.

I have the pleasure of engaging our HSC students on a regular basis, through formal and informal encounters. The most common themes that emerge when asking our HSC students ‘how are you’ at listening lunches, or in passing during the school day, are that they are ‘not bad’, ‘quite stressed’, are ‘finding it hard to balance school, part-time work commitments and their social lives’ and ‘are unsure as to what next year will look like’.

During a recent lunchtime meeting with our Secondary School Captains, we discussed such points at length.

My encouragement to our HSC students is that most students undertaking their Year 12 studies in any State or Territory across the country will likely be in a similar space at this time of the year. It is normal.

The perceived pressure of the ATAR and of attaining a particular score to enable students to pursue tertiary study always mounts as schools approach the Trial Examination and Formal Examination periods. This is normal.

Students placing additional pressure and expectation on themselves as they finalise school-based assessments and get closer to preparing for the Examination periods is also normal.

My message to our HSC students as you approach the final stages of your Year 12 studies is to think about what you can control. Most importantly, how are you managing your time to support you to be at your best? Are you getting distracted regularly when attempting to study? If yes, what can you change? Are you developing a study routine which supports school, part-time work, and social life balance? Are you creating space for rest and exercise? If no, what impact is this having on your well-being?

Sometimes little considered changes to our personal habits and routines can help us to be at our best and to find balance during periods of high volume and challenge.

Scott Downward

Principal