10-12 Campus News

Is it the end of Term 1, 2021 already?

For many of our senior school students time seems to be moving a whole lot quicker in 2021 than perhaps it did in 2020.  For many, we are approaching the end of their high school journey while others are just completing their first steps at the Holloway Road Campus.  

Now is most certainly the time to be working in the present, whilst keeping a close eye on what might be next. Year 10 students will soon be choosing subjects for their VCE, Year 11 students will be learning and mastering skills that will support them through the examination year to follow, and year 12 students will be trying their very best to sharpen skills and take in content as examinations approach.

“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”― Barack Obama

Life both in and out of school will continue to provide challenges.  It will always present choices; some big, some small, but they will always be there.  Could I suggest tapping into our school values when considering your next steps.  Respect, integrity, community, excellence and creativity can make a strong guide when making these decisions. As a part of the Sandringham College community we are here to help you make good things happen.

Year 12 Formal  

The year 12 Formal was held at the Caulfield Racecourse Committee Room on the 5th of March this year.  The Committee room commanded a fitting view of the finish line at Caulfield with our year 12 students very much on the home straight of their high school education.  The overriding emotion of the evening was one of joy.  Although there is still some much left to run of this particular race, I am incredibly proud of the way that the vast majority of our students approached the evening with maturity, respect and gratitude.

Study Skills Programs @ Holloway Rd

As a part of our on-going commitment to the pastoral care of our students Ben Ditterich, our Head of Sub-school (10-12), continues to build an exciting array of activities for our senior school students to learn from.  As a part of this program, our Year 10 and 11 students recently completed an Elevate Study Skills program.  I for one was lucky enough to be in a class and watch the Elevate staff deliver a very timely message to my Year 11 Chemistry students on effective study and the overriding importance of past papers when approaching a VCE discipline.  

Past papers are such a huge part of any study routine.  Here is a snapshot guide to making them work for you:

• Do the paper (under examination conditions - no stopping to check snapchat midway through)
• Assess the paper (through your teacher / independently / with your peers).
• Be specific about the language you use when answering questions.  Carefully review examiners reports on the given examination.  They will tell you the mistakes that your predecessors made on the exam - why would you repeat those skill errors on your own paper?
• Thoroughly review the areas of weakness (see your teacher about the best way to take and refine your note taking)
• Carefully arrange your trial paper and subsequent notes to make further review as fast and effective as possible.

Student Leaders 2021

Student leaders have been decided for 2021.  I am so grateful to those students for putting themselves forward and committing to this role at the College.  Aleks Vidanovic will be working with our leaders this year as we see the elected Executive Team working with each of the satellite interest groups and their respective chairs, to heighten student involvement within our school. 

Students are encouraged to join these groups and become a part of the process that will hopefully lead to some great discussions and exciting developments in the coming months.

Executive Committee

Program: Amy Hooper

Nick Kalogeropoulos, Georgia Hales

Program: Frank McNamara

Dan Castle, Charlotte Poore

Program: Jason Keyt

Shaelea Hilliard, Lucy Robertson

Program: Sean Mundy

Louis Liu, Summer Wolchyn

Academics

Louis Chen (Co-chair)

Lawa Monahan (Co-chair)

Wellbeing Jimmy Curphey  (Chair)

Arts Imogen Fenessey (Chair)

Sport Toby Golding (Chair)

Community Mackenzie Bliss (Chair)

Environment Flynn Dakis (Chair)