2020 High Achievers

We would now like to acknowledge the students who have achieved an ATAR of over 90. Achieving an ATAR of 90 plus places these students in the top 10 percent of all the students in NSW and it is a great accomplishment.

Piriyarathan Karunapalan - 98.25

Nathan Bortolin - 97.5

Marcus Sartor - 97.3

Aditha Jayasuria - 94.3

Laurence Catanzariti - 91.35

Samuel MacRae- 94.4

Well done to Nathan Bortolin who ranked in the top 10 students in the whole state for Studies of Religion 1 unit.

Congratulations to each and every one of these students, you are to be commended for your hard work and dedication.

High Achievers Assembly

Last Thursday, as a community of learners, we celebrate the achievements of our best students from the HSC of 2020.

Last year there were 85 students in Year 12.

There were 31 Band 6 grades awarded amongst 15 students and also through 16 subjects. 16 of 26 subjects performed above State average.

Our results were to best ever for the College! The best since state-wide results have been recorded. From the 2020 HSC, MCC is the leading catholic School in the southern NSW, ranked 53rd of all Catholic High Schools and in the top 200 high schools of the state.

For students attempting to go to university the targets are Bands 4/5 & 6 and from this cohort, 35% of all student results were either Band 5 or Band 6 (1 of every three students) and combined with Band 4 that percentage rises to 72% (7 out of 10 students).

Some of the reasons for this include the Year 12 Mentor Program where each student buddies up with a staff member to help them mentally prepare for the year ahead.
HSC Support Evenings for parents and students, covering topics related to management of learning, tertiary options, goal setting, managing stress, striking a balance in life and examination requirements.
Tutorials run in the mornings, after school and workshops delivered during the holidays.
Submission of assignment drafts to teachers
Teachers who have experience as HSC markers.

The effort that has been applied to achieve these results takes a commitment from all staff, students and parents. It commences at the start of the Year 7 and is the work of the whole school. I thank everyone for the part they played in this achievement.

Individual achievements are being acknowledged today. To each and every one of you I offer my personal congratulations along with those of the College community. Once again the students who received the best results are honoured here today and we congratulate them for their wholehearted effort and wish them well into the future. Thank you.

Mr Alan Le Brocque

Principal

DUX OF MCC 2020 - Speech

Good morning students, staff and 2020 high achievers of Marian Catholic College. Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude for this award and the opportunity to address the school. I stand before you all today as an individual who has gone through the year 12 journey many of you listening will also embark on. And while my experience might not be exactly similar to yours, hopefully I can impart some personal insights that you might find helpful.

One of the biggest challenges for me during the course of the HSC was the sheer amount of content involved across all the subjects. Considering all the slideshows, textbooks and prescribed texts you will encounter, it seems daunting all the information that must be retained. Now everyone has different ways of trying to learn this content, and I encourage you to experiment and see what works for you. Personally, my notes varied depending on the subject, and ranged from mind-maps to quote tables. However, what I think is most important is that you structure your notes based on the syllabus. By doing so, you can sift through blocks of information in textbooks and isolate the key points which show up in exams. Whilst it did get tiring, updating my notes weekly also helped immensely as it meant when I had to revise for exams, I only needed to refer back to my own personal notes, which was structured in a way that I could understand.

Another aspect of the HSC that’s always mentioned is balance; how one can juggle their study, leisure and social interactions. As the 2020 cohort tried to navigate this fine line, a curveball in the form of remote-learning added to the stress. In that unusual and isolated learning environment, facing a screen for hours, I found it was important to take a break from study and distract my mind, usually by reading a book or going outside. Throughout the year, I also looked forward to the weekends where my friends and I would play tennis in the morning. Moments like these were vital in helping me unwind, and afterwards I could continue studying more refreshed and focused. In finding this balance, I am grateful for the support network of my family and friends. I would encourage you to support your fellow classmates, to celebrate each other’s successes and discuss your shared challenges, because this will ease the pressure on you as an individual.

Finally, perhaps the most important insight I learnt during the HSC is that commitment to improving is always rewarded. No-one will have a year of perfect exams and assignments, and it’s easy to become disheartened by a disappointing mark. But it's important to constructively look at your feedback and work to improve your weaknesses. Through this cycle of refinement and improvement, you will be surprised at how much can change. Before I conclude, I would like to thank my Year 12 mentor Mr Herb, our year coordinator Ms Star, and all the teachers that taught and supported the class of 2020. Our joys and success as students and as young adults are borne out of your dedication and hardwork, so thank you. To the current group of HSC students, I encourage you to enjoy and relish this final year of schooling in all aspects. I wish you good luck for the upcoming year and for all your future endeavours. Thank you all for listening.

Piri Karunapalan

Year 12- 2020 Year Co-ordinator Speech

I had the pleasure of being Piri’s pastoral coordinator for 6 years and his Mathematics teacher from year 9 through to year 12. Piri is an exceptional young man and clearly also a very intelligent young man. His success in the HSC is no fluke. As his peers will attest Piri has always been that student who got his own round of applause at an award ceremony and it wasn’t much fun being the student whose name followed his.

Piri has always shown ability across all his subject areas, clearly an exceptional student of Mathematics and Science but also a thoughtful writer and deep thinker. Not only blessed with intellect but also an admirable work ethic, Piri loves to learn and has broad reaching interests and capabilities. Piri took what he learned in the classroom and looked deeper. He sought out further opportunities to build on his knowledge base. He was consistent and determined.

When I asked Piri’s Year 12 teachers how they would describe him as a student a word that consistently came up was humble. He never displayed any arrogance and in fact exemplified a true spirit of collaboration, sharing with his peers and recognising that having others to challenge your learning could help you strengthen and grow. It didn’t always go to plan for Piri and as others started to push him it was necessary for Piri to take a step back and listen to feedback and advice from his teachers.

Piri completed his HSC journey with a supportive friendship group. He found plenty of down-time and in his time at the College found time for tennis, cricket and chess. He took on leadership roles and quietly led by example.

I know that Piri will take the solid foundation laid here at Marian and build on it. We are so happy to have been part of your journey and we look forward to hearing of your future endeavours. Our best wishes go out to you and all the cohort from 2020.

Trish Star

Year 12 - 2020 Pastoral Co-ordinator