Senior School Report

by Director of the Senior School, Mr Hamish McCrum

Yesterday we marked the last day of classes for our Year 12 students.  I trust it was a long and positive day for them all.  While we are restricted in what we can do, I am grateful to the many staff and students who gave a large amount of their time to make this day much more significant than it is in a normal year.  This was done by incorporating as many aspects from our other end of Year 12 events as possible.  I also commend the Year 12s on the positive way they approached this day and this term.  You can view some photos of the day by clicking on the following link: https://www.facebook.com/spcoca/photos/pcb.5262276163798102/5262255150466870/

Unit 3/4 written exams will commence on November 9, however most students are back in today for various seminars and tutorials devoted to their English subject.  We also expect to see students accessing the Study Centre and their teachers many times for assistance between now and their final exam.  The year has been difficult for all students.    As stated in the last Crest, the work they do from this point until their last exam can have a massive impact on their end result. Across the state many students will become tired and give-up.  Choosing to keep on trying to improve always results in improved scores at this time of the year.  There is no substitute for doing practice exams questions and redoing them after looking at solutions/gaining some feedback.  It is in the re-doing poorly done questions that students make the biggest improvements.  Reading over notes and highlighting is OK in the early stages of exam preparation, but not as effective as actually writing answers to practice questions.

Students have been given a personalised print-out of their exam timetable which includes the time and venue of their exam.  Encourage them to display these in a prominent place at home so that others in the house are aware of when things are occurring.  In the past, those who have relied on friends telling them when exams occurred have sometimes turned up late; you don’t want to be that person.  Should something occur, not of a student’s making or choosing which prevents them from achieving their best, (e.g. sickness on the day of an exam or a death/funeral of a grandparent) they should contact Mr Steven Biggin (5322 4498) to see what arrangements can be made and whether an application for a Derived Exam Score (DES) would be appropriate – students should sit the exam where practicable even if an application is being made for a DES.

Year 11 students doing a scored 3/4 exam may take the previous day as a study day, (unless their exam is the Monday) and we ask that parents phone this absence through if they are utilising this option.  On the day of the exam, they are required to attend any classes that occur after their exam has finished.

Take care and kind regards,

Mr Hamish McCrum