Senior School News/Events

Dear Senior School Parents/Carers and Students 

In 2023 we have developed bespoke Years 11 and 12 programs to support our students to achieve their personal best and pathway aspirations. At Year 11 we have Student Agency Workshops and at Year 12 we have Voice Mentoring. These sessions are pastoral care in their focus and incorporate the latest research around themes including study, careers, organisation, memory, wellbeing and managing stress. These run once a fortnight.

Included below are some key messages from the program thus far:

Character Strengths 

All Years 11 and 12 students and their Voice Mentors and Agency Teachers have completed the VIA Character Strengths survey to identify their strengths. Research shows when individuals tap into their character strengths, the positive personality traits, they are happier, less stressed, more engaged and find more meaning. Students have participated in activities to leverage their unique strengths. Take the free survey here to find out your strengths.

Organisation And Diary Use

By now all students should have received their school diaries. If not, these can be collected from the Senior School Coordinators Office. Please encourage your Years 11 or 12 child to actively use theirs. Organisation is an important skill that will help students transition into the workforce and further study. Students can use their diary to record assessment dates, homework and extra revision classes. It is also pleasing the hear many students make use of small whiteboards at home to keep themselves organised. 

Study And Homework 

At no point should a Year 11 or 12 VCE student say they have no work. There is a distinct difference between homework and study. Study is an important component on their learning. Years 11 and 12 students should be undertaking approximately 14–22 hours per week of study. An environment conducive to study supports focused and productive study behaviour. This includes sufficient lighting, a desk and suitable chair that is faced away from the bed and resources that encourage good organisation.

Students are encouraged to utilise the resources and study spaces available at school. The Presentation Space and Margaret Mace Study Centre is available to students before school and after school if they wish to complete homework and study.

• The Presentation Space is available for collaborative study. This space has whiteboards where they are encourage to practice the skill of dual coding – using images to help consolidate and strengthen concepts.
• The Margaret Mace Study Centre is available for independent study.

Year 12 Wall Planners

During Year 12 Voice sessions, the mentor teacher handed out A2 wall planners. Thank you to the Year 12 Coordination Team for organising these. We are hoping these are up at home in a space that helps students maintain good organisation habits.

SAC Calendar

Years 11 and 12 students, parents and carers can access the Years 11 and 12 Assessment Calendar via their Compass newsfeed. Families are encouraged to put these on the fridge or another common space.

Attendance

In Years 11 and 12 students are required to maintain 90% attendance to be eligible for a Satisfactory ‘S’ result. Attendance is a key enabler to ensure students do not have gaps in their learning. There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes. Absences from assessments need to be supported by authorised documentation (medical certificate or approved school excursion). It is vital that holidays are planned during school holidays where possible, and not during the term. If you are planning to go on holiday during term time, make sure that you contact the Attendance Officer in advance, and work with the school to develop an absence learning plan.

Tips to improve memory 

In the Year 11 Memory Workshop, students learnt about research from psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus.  Ebbinghaus was interested in how human memories work. He used himself as the research participant to test memory by memorising nonsense syllables (ZOF, WID etc). He then tested himself periodically to see how much he remembered at different points in time. He then graphed his forgetting – this became known as the Forgetting Curve. According to his research, humans will forget over 40% of what they learn after 20 minutes of learning it. Including below is some student-based tips to combat the forgetting curve. 

Tips for students to improve their memory

VCE Maths Tutoring

Please encourage your Years 11 or 12 student to engage with the VCE Maths support and enrichment program offered each day of the week.

Ms Tiffany Greenhill

Campus Principal

Senior School 

VCE NEWS/EVENTS

Congratulations

Well done to Tane Graham of Year 11 who has made the School Sports Victoria Baseball 18 & Under State Team. Tane will compete at the National competition in May.

All the best with the competition Tane!

Year 12 Meet and Greet

It was a pleasure to welcome many Year 12 families to the Senior Campus on Monday 6 February to enjoy a social BBQ and meet some key Year 12 staff for 2023.  We conducted a Q and A panel whereby parents composed questions on a range of topics. The panel consisting of of Andrew Batchelor (Principal), Carla Caminiti (Year 12 Head of Year), Mel Donegan (Mental Health Practitioner), Sharon Bourne (Career Practitioner – Year 12), Brett Cook (Year 12 teacher and parent), Georgie Long (Head of English and Literacy and Year 12 English teacher).  A very big thank you to this team for volunteering their time.

The themes of the questions that were asked and answered included:

• VTAC applications
• School supports to inspire positive study behaviours

Supports in place for managing mental health and stress

• How to manage school, work, life, sport, social commitments
• University open days
• How the ATAR and study scores are calculated
• Exam and key dates
• What happens if you child misses a SAC or exam
• Recommendations for monitoring your child’s progress

Thank you to Ms Tiffany Greenhill, Ms Carla Caminiti, Mr Ryan Jones, Ms Kelly Mitchell, Mrs Sharon Bourne, Mrs Jess Bambridge, Ms Georgie Long and all the staff who attended and supported this new initiative. 

VET Sport and Recreation Camp 

Last week, Frankston High School Year 11 VET Sport and Recreation students went out for their annual SPREC Induction and Leadership camp. Students were greeted with perfect weather for both days which matched the spectacular backdrop of the Portsea Surf Life Saving Club, the location where students would spend the night. The camp proved to be an invaluable experience with all in attendance learning and demonstrating a number of skills including what it takes to run a camp, organise various activities, take ownership for equipment, build relationships/ respect with groups and tour facilities. Additionally, during the camp all students participated in a number of activities including surfing, touring a state-of-the-art gym, touring a first-class Lifesaving Club facilities and much more.  

The students effort and behaviour was exemplary with all students applying themselves to the best of their ability and representing the school with distinction. Mr James Cameron and Mr Ryan Jones are both excited to see the students build on this positive start throughout the year.

Congratulations to the two winning groups Indya Lielnors, Archie Hough, Elli Symonds and Angus Morrison from Mr Camerons’ class and team “Sharks” from Mr Jones class which consisted of Jarvis Yates, Reid Munnikhuis, Africa Simmons and Jesse Litchfield.

Congratulations also to the two MVPS of the Camp, Reid Munnikhuis (Mr Jones) and Elli Symonds and Bel Bleackley (Mr Cameron's). 

VCE French Class Attends Film Festival

On Wed 8 March, students of VCE French attended a screening at the Alliance Française French Film Festival in South Yarra. Afterwards, students were able to enjoy lunch from Laurent’s patisserie and all practiced their French conversation in the park. This was a great opportunity for students to learn more about French culture through film, practice their listening and speaking skills and engage with a public cultural event.

A big thank you to Miss Danielle Bretherton, Mr Chris Sutcliffe and Ms Clara Dumas for attending and helping to make the day a valuable experience for our students.

SENIOR SCHOOL TEAM

The Senior School Team is here to support the student’s learning and wellbeing throughout 2023.  Please see the below table for key contacts:

If you have any concerns or questions please do not hesitate to contact any member of the teams.

IMPORTANT DATES | SENIOR SCHOOL