Senior School Report
GAT
On the 27th of May all Year 12’s and some Year 11’s including all VCAL students spent the day doing a trial version of the new format of the GAT due to be implemented in 2022. This version of the GAT sees all students studying VCAL or any Unit 3/4 subject being required to sit the assessment. This GAT is divided into 2 exams to be completed on one day. The first exams all students complete and tests student’s literacy and numeracy skills predominately. The second exam is more like the GAT we have been use to and can be used to moderate 3/4 students in all their various studies.
On the day, we had 178 students completing either one or both exams under the strict VCAA exam conditions. It was a great opportunity for students to experience doing an assessment, as they will be later in the year. Comments from the students were mixed with many saying they found it very exhausting. Unfortunately, the real GAT which had been scheduled for 2 weeks later has been delayed at this stage due to the COVID outbreak in Melbourne however, it will be rescheduled and I believe this will have given our students a great chance of doing their best in a very important assessment.
YEAR 11 EXAMS
Across weeks 8 and 9 of Term 2, the year 11s undertook their first full battery of exams across all the subjects in their timetables. It was the first time they had experienced Senior exams in earnest, as 2020 saw them undertake a much more condensed version in Year 10 due to COVID restrictions. The students felt the challenge of having to demonstrate the skills acquired across a semester of study in all six subjects. Year 11 student Han Trinh reported “It showed me that a whole semester worth of work is a huge amount to study for.” Dekyong Tenzin reflected that she’ll be doing thing differently in the future, saying “Next time I will set myself a study timetable so I have a decent understanding of how I should dedicate my time”.
Han continued by saying that the study she had completed paid off. “Before I completed the exams, I was really anxious. But once I got into the exam room, I felt that I had prepared well enough to achieve good results.”
Kartik Karri had similar sentiments when recounting his experience; “It’s really important to revise well in advance of the exams, as your exam timetable could have you completing exams on subsequent days, making it hard to ‘cram’ before an assessment”.
The Year 11 teachers and exam supervisors would like to congratulate the VCE and Year 10 ‘accelerated’ students on their effort and preparedness for coordinating themselves into the 593 Year 11 exams that were completed. Results and exam feedback will be provided to students at the beginning of Unit 2.
MODEL UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION
On Thursday 20th of June, four students from year 11 attended McKinnon Secondary College for a Model United Nations Convention. Representing the country of Romania, we addressed the issue of Quality Education for All. The day began with the delivery of our 2 minutes position statement on the topic, depicting our view on the stance. After a quick morning tea break, we then reconvened and began the Caucus section where we, along with the other countries, debated and made amendments to the bill, so that it would best represent the shared views of all the countries that attended. Finally, after having lunch, we voted on the final amendments and created a bill in regards to the issue Quality Education for All.
Overall, we found the Model UN to be an enriching and valuable experience, and are grateful for the insight it gave us into the real happenings of the United Nations. Thank you to Ms Zhang and Ms De Alwis for organising the occasion and giving us this opportunity.
Year 10 Study Hour- Acacia Campus
Year 10 Study Hour has been running every Wednesday afternoon at Acacia Campus since term 1. Students have been utilising the time with our focus coming down to two things, students completing their homework for the week, or using the time to organise themselves and learn about new study habits. Run by our wonderful Year 10 Acacia Teachers, who volunteer their time and expertise to support student with their workload.
Students feedback has been really positive as has their participation. With many of them making sure to prioritise this hour as a part of their week. We’ve had quite a few students attending every week, since the beginning. We’re really proud of the success of this program so far, students even asked if they could have it run remotely through our lockdown and during exam week, as they voiced it being a really fun and productive part of their learning.
We will be continuing this program throughout Semester Two and look forward to seeing our year 10 students there