Assistant Principal's Report
Making the most of Term 4
Welcome back to on-site learning. Year 7, VCE and VCAL students returned on the 12 October and the remaining students will return on the 26 October.
As we all know Term 4 is the completion of the school year and it has a number of milestones throughout the term. I’m sure many of the students (and families) will be looking forward to the holiday period and be able to move closer to ‘normal’ after this time of Covid19 and remote learning.
It is incredible how quickly the year has gone for our Year 12 students. Even with the year being extended it doesn’t seem that long ago when the graduating cohort attended their Residential study camp at Ormond College (The University of Melbourne). Over the coming weeks the students of Year 12 will complete formal classes; with some undertaking exams, while others begin life after school. It is great to hear the level of aspiration from our senior students and their willingness to focus on their final assessments.
It is very important that all of our students remain focus and concentrate on making the most of their educational opportunities. VCAL students will complete all of their requirements. For our VCE students it was great to see the number of students who attended the revision sessions during the holiday period. These final examinations are undoubtedly the most important of all VCE assessments as they have the biggest impact in determining each student’s final ATAR score. The manner in which students approach their studies and how well they perform across the next two months will play a major role in determining which tertiary course they are accepted into, and hence their future career paths. In order to secure the highest possible VCE marks, students need to commit to a consistent and comprehensive study effort between now and the end of year examinations. All the best to the cohort!
The Year 11 students will also undertake exams in the middle of November. Students will gain skills in preparing and sitting for exams. Due to remote learning, the decision not to run formal exams at year 10 has been made.
After the exam period students in year 10 and 11 will begin preparation for 2021 by attending the Headstart Program. This is a great opportunity for students to get a ‘headstart’ and begin their 2021 academic year ahead of the game. Students will learn great insight into the requirements for success and learn some strategies that will assist them in planning, preparing and succeeding in 2021.
In terms of parental support for senior students, you may find that your son / daughter is showing signs of stress at the moment. I encourage you to help them achieve their best with some of the following strategies:
- Give positive reinforcement
- Assist them to plan their tasks and timelines
- Help them structure rewards for themselves for completed tasks
- Encourage them to work together with others
- Structure a distraction-free space for them to work
- Support them to balance times of concentrated effort with time for relaxation
- No technology in the 30 minutes prior to going to sleep
Mr. Chris Knight
Assistant Principal