Dear Parents and Guardians,
Within a month your son will have completed his HSC Preliminary Course. Time really has passed so quickly. On the 6th of September the Year 11 Yearly Examinations commence. They conclude on the 16th September.
During the coming weeks you will receive an email from our Director of Teaching and Learning, Mr Lee MacMaster, concerning the ordering of your sons’ textbooks for his HSC subjects. The deadline for the submission of these orders is 30th September. This causes a problem with students who are still undecided about which subjects they will discontinue for their HSC. As I have stated in previous newsletters, it is important that the decision to “drop” a subject is an informed one that is made in consultation with parents and teachers. This discussion, for many students, will best occur during the term three holidays. The book company, Better Books, will hold the completion of your sons order until the start of term four, I strongly recommend that you complete your order as close as possible to the due date and then make a second order once you and your son decide on the subjects that they are going to complete for their HSC.
Many boys are a little anxious about their course of study for the HSC. I am sure many of you have already discussed this topic with your sons and I am sure this has helped them with this anxiety but if you have not had the opportunity, I
strongly encourage you to do so. A simple “I am very impressed with your mature approach, but would still like to sit down one on one when you come home to further discuss this” for example, can go a long way in alleviating this anxiety.
During the week I requested that all Year 11 classroom teachers provide students with an examination notification that includes weighting, length of the examination and structure (number of multiple choice, short answers and extended response questions).
I have also requested that students be provided with at least one practice paper that is similar in style and structure to the examination they will complete in their yearly examinations. I have expressed to the students the importance of completing these practice papers. They need to practice how they are going to perform in the examination room. In the examination room they do not read notes, they must express in written form the knowledge they believe the question is seeking. I have also encouraged them, once they have completed a question or a paper, to give this to their classroom teacher for marking. Teachers at Joeys are very dedicated and are more than willing to help students who seek their guidance. Teacher feedback can directly address any issue that they may have 
with content or question style. Most boys love their sports training and most training sessions involve some sort of activity that mimics game day. The same approach needs to occur with their studies, as I keep emphasising at our Division meetings, study like it is Saturday match day. I have never seen, in my time at Joeys, a sporting team sitting in a circle in the middle of an oval, reading set plays for the weekend for a whole training session. Academic preparation is no different.
Regards
Darren Frost