Grammar News

Senior School

SHARRON FRAME

Head of Senior School

 

Students in Senior School begin intensive revision this week for their upcoming examinations. It is important to remember that examinations are a snapshot of what they are capable of. Some students excel under test conditions, whilst others do not. It is one point in time and contributes to the overall outcome achieved by a student. On its own, it does not determine pass or fail. However, none the less, students put a lot of emphasis on examinations, and this means life at home can be impacted as their stress levels rise.

 

Study should be effective and efficient. There is no point ‘studying’ for hours if it is not testing their understanding and ability to apply theory to a new context. Revision should highlight what needs further clarification, not what is already known. Practice questions, chapter review questions in textbooks, and previous tasks are all good resources for revision. Students should feel comfortable and, in fact, are strongly encouraged to approach their teachers for more revision material and guidance with drafting responses. The re-writing of notes merely enables the ability to recall information, not apply it.

 

Semester Examinations

The examinations commence Monday November 18, and conclude Thursday November 21. A copy of the timetable has already been forwarded to students, along with relevant revision material for each subject. Students will be dismissed at the end of their final examination, with parental permission. If we have not received parental permission, it will be assumed the student is required to remain at school until the end of the day. Supervised study will be available for those students. Please note, we cannot accept verbal permission. Permission must be received in writing.

 

 

 

Remembrance Day Service

The 2020 Senior Student Leadership Team accompanied Deputy Principal, Peter Dickinson and the Head of Senior School to the Remembrance Day Service, conducted by the Oakleigh-Carnegie RSL at the Cenotaph in Oakleigh, on Sunday November 10. Peter Christeas and Efthymia Delichristou laid a wreath on behalf of the School Community. Thank you to Peter, Efthynmia, Athena Typaldos, Sinky Oeng, and Claudia Ciempka, who represented Oakleigh Grammar on a cold and early Sunday morning.

 

 

Senior School Transition

Following the Semester Examinations, students will take part in 10 days of transition classes. The program is designed to give our 2020 VCE students a head start on their course work, introducing them to their first unit of study in each of their chosen subjects. The program also provides students with an opportunity to maintain their study routines. The Christmas break is a long break, and during that time students should take the opportunity to recharge and relax. However, it is also important that they continue to do some work in preparation for the rigour and demands of VCE. Teachers will provide students with homework to be completed for submission, during their first classes in 2020.

 

Reach New Heights Awards

Congratulations to the following Year 10 students who were awarded Reach New Heights Awards at the Middle and Senior School Assembly on Tuesday November 12:

  • Respect: Peter Karkanis, for being positive and having caring interactions with all members of the School Community
  • Community: Angelica Athanasakis, for her contribution to the School Community
  • Positivity: Basil Anagnostopoulos, for being positive in his approach and interactions with others
  • Courage: Danica Podaridis, for stepping outside of her comfort zone to participate actively in School life

 

Reminder

Friday November 22 is a student free day, to allow staff to compile semester reports.

 

Year 10 MYP Personal Project

This year our Year 10 cohort completed their Personal Project reports, with an overall high level of participation. While we as a School are still endeavoring to make the Personal Project a more integral component of student’s final year of MYP, it was pleasing to see many students take on the project with great determination. Some of the more noteworthy projects included an original piece of music created completely from scratch, a recipe book based on ancient Greek recipes, and several picture and photo albums. As Personal Project continues to grow at Oakleigh Grammar, it is exciting to see more and more students get stuck into their projects, and build something that is personal to them.