Senior School News

Peer Support Training

Tuesday 31st October 2017

Specifically chosen Year 10 students spent a day at the Chelsea Yacht Club to give us a chance to familiarise themselves with the tasks we would have to undertake and skills we would have to use when we become peer support leaders. The peer support program is a term long journey which collaborates the New Year 11 and Year 7 students. Year 11 students’ form groups and bound with a Year 7 class to help guide and support them through the giant leap that the transition from Year 6 to Year 7 is.

In order to do we learnt a variety of activities that are fun and interactive and would collapse the tension that surrounds high school and meeting new people. The supervising teachers taught and ran through these activities with us and made sure we understood when it would be appropriate for us to run these games with the Year 7’s. The day itself was really fun! We were treated to a complimentary lunch and got to spend a day learning new skills and ideas for being a peer supporter. Majority of us liked playing Balloon Stomp, which is where you tie a blown up balloon around your ankle and then run around a confined space trying pop everyone else’s balloons but keep yours safe.

 Overall it was a really insightful day and all the students that participated are exciting to put this training to use when orientation day comes.

Natasha Burton Year 10 Student

Year 12 Results

Last Friday our VCE Year 12 students received their eagerly anticipated VCE results which was the culmination of their 13 years of primary and secondary schooling. Topping the results for the VCE class of 2017 was Tom Lucas who achieved a wonderful ATAR of 96.95 which was made all the more impressive because it included two 40+ Study Scores of 49 for Further Maths and 46 for English. Tom has already received a scholarship offer from Monash University and is confident of receiving an offer to study medicine at Monash next year.

Several other students obtained 40+ Study Scores in a range of subjects which included Dance, Health & Human Development, Psychology, Computing: Informatics and Outdoor & Environmental Education. These results are recognised as excellent because only 8% of students in any VCE subject can be awarded a 40+ Study Score.

Several VCE subjects recorded scores above the statewide median of 30 which attests to the hard work of both the students and their teachers in achieving results above state benchmarks.

Our students from the class of 2017 can now look forward to enjoying their Christmas holidays although many will have 16 January circled on their calendar as the date when first round university offers are sent which many of our students looking to continue their post-compulsory education by accepting offers for university and TAFE courses in 2018. 

Our best wishes are extended to our graduating students of 2017 from all the staff who have taught you over your six years at Patterson River Secondary College.