Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome back to a new school year. It is hard to believe that this group of fine young man will be completing the secondary education in nine months. The boys HSC year will fly, they have already completed twenty five percent and are only 6 weeks away from half yearly examinations.

I would like to take this opportunity to explain my role at the College. Essentially the role of an Academic Coordinator concerns both the academic and pastoral needs of your son, during the school day. I am the first port of call for both you and your son and my priority is to ensure that the holistic education that your son will receive at St Joseph’s is administered effectively and is of maximum benefit to your son. As well as my role as Academic Coordinator, I am also on the Year 12 boarding team as a supervisor which will allow Jeremy and I to have a collegial, all-encompassing approach to your sons’ education and well-being. Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time during the year should you have any concerns regarding your son. My direct number at school is 98160871, if I am unavailable you can leave a message and I will return your call as soon as possible. If it is more convenient you may also contact me via e-mail, dfrost@joeys.org.

Your sons have started the New Year very well, quickly settling down to a good study environment and routine. They continue to impress all staff of the College; they are a true credit to yourselves. I have been especially impressed by their honesty, reliability and dedicated to their studies.

To help with the boys’ organisation, they have received a Year Planner Wall Chart. At our first year meeting this week, I discussed the importance of planning in advance for the completion of assessment tasks. On Wednesday night during my boarding supervision, I was very pleased to see that most boys have started to plan their academic year. I must say that there was one common day on these charts that were not academic, the start of schoolies. I guess we all need a goal to motivate us!

Congratulations to the following Academic Prizewinners for Year 11 2012:

Max Beavis

Academic Excellence Award, First Place in Studies of Religion 2 Unit, First Place in Ancient History, First Place in Modern History, Consistent Study Effort Award

 Brendan Brosnan

Academic Excellence Award

 Christopher Cooper

Academic Excellence Award, First Place in English Extension 1, Consistent Study Effort Award

 Nicholas Findlay

Academic Excellence Award

William Flannery

Academic Excellence Award, First Place in Chemistry, First Place in Latin Continuers, Consistent Study Effort Award

Paul Fortuin

9th in the State Mathematics Extension 1, Academic Excellence Award                                                                             

 Christopher Kocx

Academic Excellence Award, First Place in Japanese Continuers

 Patrick Leary

Academic Excellence Award, First Place in English Advance, First Place in Visual Arts

 Aidan McLachlan

Academic Excellence Award, First Place in Studies of Religion 1 Unit

 Benjamin Mulherin

Academic Excellence Award, First Place in Business Studies, First Place (Equal) in Economics        

 Liam Ryan

Academic Excellence Award, First Place in Biology, First Place in Geography, First Place (Equal) in Legal Studies

 Matthew Sandell                                                                                                  

Academic Excellence Award

 Alexander Tegart

Academic Excellence Award, First Place in Physics                                  

 Alexander Walsh

Academic Excellence Award

 Nicholas Yeung

Academic Excellence Award, First Place in Catholic Studies                

 Conor Spinks

First Place in Fundamentals of English                                                          

Timothy McDowell

First Place in English Standard                                                                          

Alexander Prichard

First Place in Design and Technology                                                            

 Daniel Needs

First Place in Drama

Andrew Mulligan

First Place (Equal) in Economics                                                                      

Leo Frost

First Place in French Continuers

Lachlan Rush                                                                                                           

First Place in General Mathematics

Thomas Jenkins

First Place in Industrial Technology – Timber, First Place in Work Studies

Nicholas Kuhne

First Place in Information Processes and Technology

Nicholas Cumming

First Place (Equal) in Legal Studies

Henry Hannell

First Place in Mathematics Extension 1

Callum Coleman                                                                                                    

First Place in Music 1

Andrew Deegan

First Place in PD/H/PE, First Place in Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation 2 Unit

 Liam Schwager

First Place in Primary Industries

 Edward Upjohn

First Place in Senior Science

 Jonathan Abood

First Place in Software Design and Development

Patrick O’Brien

First Place in Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation 1 Unit

Samuel Beck                                                                                                           

Consistent Study Effort Award

Patrick Sutton

Consistent Study Effort Award

Ben Thompson                                                                                      

Consistent Study Effort Award

William Harris

Outstanding Achievement in Outdoor Education

I am looking forward to another successful year together.

 Regards,

Darren Frost

Year 12 Academic Coordinator

Parents and Guardians,

It is hard to believe but the end of the Academic year is here. The last fortnight has been a very busy time for assessment tasks. They boys were very focused and determined to achieve their best in these tasks. I am confident this will be reflected in their results. Below are some important dates for Yr 12 2012.

2012 HSC Key Dates – BOS – HSC (Year 12) 

Term 2, 2012

Monday, 30 April 2012

Personalised HSC written examination timetables released (via Students Online and Schools Online)

Monday, 7 May 2012

HSC written examination timetable released

Term 3, 2012

Monday, 30 July 2012

HSC trial examination period commences

Thursday, 2 August 2012

HSC practical examination period commences

Monday, 13 August 2012

HSC trail examination period concludes

Saturday, 15 September 2012

HSC practical examination period concludes

Term 4, 2012

Monday, 15 October 2012

HSC written examinations commence

No later than 13 November

HSC written examinations conclude (final TBC by 30 April 2012)

At conclusion of exams

HSC Assessment Ranks available (via Students Online)

Wednesday, 19 December 2012

HSC results available to students by internet, SMS and telephone (to principals via Schools Online)

HSC Inquiry Centre opens

Term 1, 2013

Tuesday, 15 January 2013

HSC credentials mailed

Over the Christmas break all students will have some school work to complete, this may range from media logs to the completion of assessment tasks. Also, their half yearly examinations in week eight, term one, will approach very quickly. This break is a perfect opportunity for the boys to develop study notes and even commence study for these exams. It is important for the boys to have a break but it is also important for them to keep focused on their studies. Year 12 is a very quick year and too much ’down time’ can lead to bad habits and a lack of preparation for assessment tasks, including examinations.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all parents and guardians for the guidance they have given their sons.  I believe that the success of this year can be attributed to the supportive Joey’s community and in particular, Year 11 families. It is  unquestionable that it requires a great deal of generosity and commitment to support a Year 11 student through their first year of senior high school, but the families I have met this year have been nothing short of amazing.

I would also like to thank all parents and Year 11 staff for their support. My job is made such much easier due to the dedication of staff and constant support of parents. Finally, I would like to thank Jeremy for his incredible diligence and dedication over the past year. His gift for pastoral care makes him an outstanding mentor and colleague.  I look forward to working with him again next year.

I would like to wish all families a safe and holy Christmas and I look forward to the endeavours of Year 12, 2012.

Regards,

Darren Frost

Year 11 Academic Coordinator

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The final four weeks of term is a very busy time for Year 11 assessment tasks with most subjects having a task due. This is an extremely important time as your son completes his first assessment task that will count towards his HSC. At our Division meeting this week I reminded the boys about time management (hopefully it is starting to sink in) and the support networks available at the College. These include; classroom teachers, school counsellor,  careers counsellor, boarding coordinator, academic coordinator, old boy tutoring, library staff and the list goes on. I discussed the importance of open communication with yourselves and staff in regards to any school issue but especially concerning assessment tasks. The boys’ HSC starts now and they need to ensure that they are achieving their potential. If students are concerned that they are not, for whatever reason, they need to communicate early to people that can help. I hope again that this message is starting to sink in.

Over the last month, many boys have been asking about ‘scaling’. There are many myths about scaling, the most common is, if you do a so called “hard” subject, you will be scaled up. This is not the case. Technically, how difficult a subject is has no effect on how well it scales. How well a subject is scaled depends on how well its candidature does relative to the whole cohort, if that whole cohort did that subject. This is one of the reasons why English is compulsory, because it is used as a cohort benchmark, from which all relative candidature performances are statistically compared. More specifically, the better the candidature for a particular subject does in their other subjects, the better that subject will be scaled.

The difficulty of the subject has no effect on how well it scales. While there tends to be a positive correlation between difficulty of subjects and their scaling, that is, people notice that harder subjects tend to scale better. The reason for this is that students who choose harder subjects tend to do better than their peers in their other subjects. Performance is always based on work ethic, when a particular subject is rewarded it is generally because the candidature achieved well and just so happened to do very well in their other subjects relative to their peers. A student or group of students who work well and achieve in a subject are most often working well and achieving across all their subjects.

You should always pick subjects you will be good at. There’s no point choosing Maths Extension if you have no talentin Maths. If you are passionate about Legal Studies and are able to score in the top 1%, that is so much better for your ATAR than doing something you’re not interested in or have difficulty doing and scoring in the bottom 10%.

Remember also that boys will always perform better in a subject they enjoy. If they are interested in the content they are more likely to be engaged in class, to put in extra work in study and retain information for their examination.

I hope this explanation of scaling helps. If you still have some concerns or questions about scaling, please do not hesitate in contacting me at the College. 

Regards

Darren Frost

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome back to term 4 and the start of your sons’ HSC course. Your sons’ Preliminary course was over in the blink of an eye and the HSC course will be over even more quickly. The first two weeks of term have been very quiet with respect to assessment tasks except for the boys in the accelerated maths class, who will complete their HSC mathematics exams next week. The next fortnight is also relatively quiet with only an assessment task due in Biology. Things start to speed up after this with weeks 7 and 8 having assessment tasks due in over 20 subjects. At our last Division meeting, I provided all students with a hard copy of the term 4 assessment calendar (I have attached a copy with this blog). I told the boys that despite sounding like a broken record, the importance of organisation and planning is key to achieving a successful HSC result and specifically completing all assessment tasks this term by the due date and at a level that reflects their ability.

Thank you to all parents for completing your sons’ pattern of study forms. This has helped me immensely as I was able to process all subject changes last week, enabling Year 11 to start their new timetable and study periods by the middle of last week.

Most boys have received their textbooks but there are a few who have not ordered them. If you son has ordered textbooks but not received them, please either email me or ask him to see me as soon as possible. I also asked this of the boys at our Division meeting but I don’t need to tell you how short some of their memories are, especially regarding assessment tasks, study, examinations and organisation.

Better Books, the textbook supplier, has been outstanding. Many days I will fax an order through in the morning and this order will arrive by lunch the same day.

The next twelve months will be a busy time for your son and your families. There is a lot to deal with. Year 12 brings unique challenges in terms of dealing with disappointing results, study, application to universities, TAFE or Colleges and scholarship applications, just to name a few. My main role at the College is to support both you and your son in dealing with these challenges. Please do not hesitate in contacting me at the College to be of any assistance (dfrost@joeys.org or 9816-0871). I look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure that Joeys provides your son the best possible education he can receive.

Regards

Darren Frost

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We made it! Year 11 have completed their Preliminary HSC course. In the next few days you will receive your son’s yearly report. This report is a summation of student achievement for the year in each subject and it is an important tool to help decide which pattern of study to undertake in Year 12. A reminder that all students at Joeys in Year 12 must undertake a minimum of 11 units, including 2 units of English and at least one unit being a study of Religion.

On Wednesday all Year 11 received a “Pattern of Study” booklet that details important information concerning requirements for the HSC. Included in this booklet are forms that need to be completed by all students and which you need to sign. These forms include:

· pattern of study for HSC

· Application for extension courses

· Change of Subject

All students must complete the “Pattern of Study” form. Depending on your son’s circumstances, he may need to complete numerous forms that are attached with the booklet. I request that your son’s forms are stapled together and returned to myself first day back next term, the 11th of October. No change to a student’s pattern of study will occur if their forms are not returned by this date.  This information is needed to create new study classes. Processing all these forms is an onerous job but it is hoped that this can occur by the end of week two. If a student decides to drop a subject, they will remain in that subject’s lessons but complete private studies within these classrooms until new timetables are issued.  

By now the majority of textbook orders for Year 12 subjects should have occurred. The 23^rd of September was the deadline for orders to guarantee delivery for first day next term. As I have mentioned in previous emails, if your son is still finalising his pattern of study, once a decision has been made about this subject please order the appropriate textbooks to ensure best chance of delivery for the first day of term.

I hope you and your son have an enjoyable holiday. The majority of the boys will not have much work to complete overthe break since HSC courses do not start until next term. It will probably be the last time until after the HSC examinations that they will have a holiday when they do not have to complete assessment tasks or study for examinations. This provides   a great opportunity for them to help around the home or family business and give something back to the family. A small gesture of appreciation for all that you do to make their life so enriching.  Unfortunately the accelerated mathematics students do not have this luxury as they will be studying for the HSC examination in mathematics. I hope all families have an enjoyable and safe holiday.

Regards

Darren Frost

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 30^th 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

Dear Parents and Guardians,
The boys have settled well into the last term of their Preliminary HSC. The next fortnight is a very busy time with respect to assessment tasks. After this period, most assessments for Year 11 will have been completed, except their final examinations.

Congratulations to the following students who received a study effort award for term 2:

Anthony Baker

Henry Birtwistle

Henry Brindle

Ethan Chin

James Christie

Oliver Coorey

Aaron Curtis

Ross Davey

Callum Flitcroft

James Harrison

Mitchell Jowett

James Keenan

Michael Lawler

Harry Maher

Tom Murphy

Daniel Picone

Dominic Price

Sean Quigley

James Quinn

Alec Rainnie

Tomas Robertson

Josh Schwager

Morgan Thomas

Jackson Whiting

As you are aware, this week the boys undertook their final study skills session. This session focused on examination preparation and techniques. Many of the boys commented on the excellent information presented during this session. Some straight forward strategies that the presenters offered for exam room excellence were; stay calm, plan, ration your time and keep your mind open. Four simple strategies that would help in completing an exam that achieves results that reflect the students’ ability and potential. The presenters also provided the boys with 8 steps for preparation excellence:

1) Give yourself adequate time to prepare
2) Go through past papers and correct mistakes
3) Get teacher’s advice
4) Learn from the people around you
5) Prepare well
6) Set a goal
7) Plan
8) Practice papers

It was pleasing to hear that the strategies classroom teachers constantly give students were reinforced by outside presenters. Sometimes it takes an outside person to convince the boys that, yes teachers do know what they are talking about.

I have requested that all classroom teachers, where appropriate, provide students with the 2010 Yearly Examination and any other examinations that they feel will help students prepare for the final preliminary examinations.

The yearly examination timetable has been completed; all boys have now received a copy. Please find a copy below.

The effort displayed in these final exams will set the boys for the start of the HSC course. The practices they develop now will be an invaluable asset to success in their final year.

Regards
Darren

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome back to term three, a pivotal term in your sons’ education. This is the final term before your son starts his HSC course.  During division meetings I have been emphasising with the boys, the importance of this term in preparing them for their HSC. Starting next term, all assessment tasks will contribute to their final HSC result. The important skills of comprehension, exam technique and extended response composition need to be developed this term so that starting next term, understanding new HSC content taught is their main goal. As you are aware, the boys last term undertook a study skills session with Elevate Education that focused on extended response writing. In a survey conducted at the end of this session, 98% of the boys indicated that they had found this session beneficial to their development of effective extended response writing. At division meetings I have stated to the boys that the development of this skill does not stop at these sessions, they need to be constantly liaising with their classroom teachers to continue to develop this skill. It is not a skill that can be completely developed at one study skills session.

Next Tuesday night, 8th August, will be the second and final study skills session conducted by Elevate Education. The theme of this session is effective examination preparation. It introduces students to the critical exam skills that will allow them to excel in the exam room:

· Learning styles – Students are introduced to the different learning styles and are encouraged to develop a multi-layered learning system

· Semantic learning – Students are introduced to a range of semantic learning techniques to help  them move beyond rote-learning.

· Exam room techniques – Including stress management, planning, how to tailor a succinct, focused answer and time allocation.

The cost of the session is $15 per student. All boarding students will be undertaking this session and I strongly encourage all day boys to attend.

This term is a very busy one with respect to assessment tasks. Below I have attached a copy of the term’s assessment schedule. It is imperative that the boys are well organised and start these tasks as early as possible because weeks five and six are busy weeks for assessment tasks, with over twenty tasks due in this period.  After this period, year 11 will only have two weeks before the final Preliminary course examinations.  The term flies when the boys are having fun!

Numerous boys have seen me about dropping subjects for the HSC course that commences next term. I believe the time to start thinking about dropping subjects is not now but during the term 3 holidays when a discussion with parents can occur. It is essential that the boys make an informed decision about the course of study for their HSC. This informed decision can only occur when the boys devote 100% to all their subjects, especially in their final examinations at the end of term. Only once this has occurred, can a decision be made about which subjects they should continue for their HSC and which subjects to discontinue. It is important to remember that students at Joeys must undertake 11 units in the HSC course, with at least one unit being a Religion course.

At the end of term, teachers of subjects that offer an extension course will talk to their classes about these courses and indicate which students these courses would be appropriate for. Also, towards the end of term, I will have a discussion with all of Year 11 about the number of units boys should be undertaking in the HSC. This communication with the boys will also be expressed in a forthcoming newsletter so that you are informed and that discussions over the holidays about patterns of study are constructive.

As we prepare to embark on the most important step in your sons’ educational journey a collaborative effort between teachers, parents and students will ensure the best possible start to the HSC.

On Wednesday this week, Yr 11 Business Studies students were involved in their Business Expo in the Resource Centre. The hard work that they put into their business presentations was a testament to this outstanding year group. Below is a movie from the expo.

Regards

Darren Frost

It has been a very busy term with over 30 assessment tasks due. The majority of the students have met these challenges with a strong determination to succeed. I am sure that there will be many endeavours next term as the boys complete the HSC Preliminary Course but it is with confidence that I say Year 11 will rise to the challenge. These young men continue to be outstanding ambassadors of our College community.  

On reflection of last year’s Year 12, I would like to share with you a few comments as we approach the final term of your sons’ HSC Preliminary Course. School success doesn’t just happen. In order for a student to achieve school success they must be committed to making the most of the school year, developing good study habits and troubleshooting problems positively as they happen.

School success requires a good study space at school and/or at home. The boys are very fortunate to have such a great study area after the amazing improvements to their dormitories over the Christmas break. Students need a quiet place to study and finish homework.

Ensuring that a student is organised is another key factor to achieving school success. At the start of each term the boys are provided an assessment schedule which is posted on the Year 11 blog for parents. Also, at the start of each term, I provide students with a study scaffold to help them organise their night study program over a weekly period.

I believe it is important to maintain an open line of communication with your child’s teachers by communicating through email or by touching base by phone when needed. Parent-teacher interviews are a wonderful way to meet your child’s teachers and develop a relationship with them but this only occurs once a year. If ever you have a concern or a question please do not hesitate in contacting me or your sons’ classroom teachers. Experience has taught me that it’s especially important to make contact with the College as soon as you realise your son is struggling with a certain subject, seems to lose interest in school, or complains that he’s falling behind or doesn’t understand a certain concept that’s being taught in the classroom. Small issues become big issue simply with time.

Joeys boys are very busy people, there’s no doubt about it. Many are eager to participate in after-school activities, sports, debating, music lessons, and other wonderful opportunities. While it’s great to encourage your son to develop hobbies and passions, it’s also important to make sure that he still has time to do nothing. Teenagers need down time in order to hang out with their friends, spend time alone and with family, and re-energies themselves for school and all their other responsibilities.

Your son may be growing, but your opinion still matters to him. They may not tell you but they do want you to be involved in their school life by asking questions about his day and his studies. Your support and enthusiasm for him when he shares stories about his teachers, classmates and everyday happenings is vital in their development. Your positive attitude about his education will rub off on him and help him achieve his goals and school success.

I would like to wish all families a safe and enjoyable term 2 holiday.

Regards

Darren Frost

Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank you to all those parents and carers who attended last Saturday nights parent information evening. Below is the PowerPoint presentation from the night. During the evening when I presented the scenario about using the best 10 units for calculating a student’s ATAR, I displayed an example of student’s marks in specific subjects. Some parents asked what the ATAR would be for this scenario of marks. I have put these results in an ATAR predictor and the approximate ATAR for these set of results based on last year’s HSC was 77.  Whilst there is not a definative corrolation between these marks and an ATAR, it provides us with a useful example of how HSC marks relate to the calculation of a student’s ATAR.

A very busy fortnight for assessment tasks is approaching for the boys.  During such times, many students struggle with their organisation and time management, resulting in failure to complete all tasks by the due date. Please actively monitor your sons’ progress in completing assessment tasks. Developing the habit of failing to hand in tasks by the due date can become a difficult one to break. A friendly reminder that when you are aware of assessment tasks being due, a parental nudge maybe all that is needed to inspire the motivation to complete the task on time. Teenage boys make procrastination an art form, we need to work together to try and curb their artistic abilities in this regard.

 On Tuesday night the boys had the opportunity to speak directly with a range of universities, TAFE, colleges and apprenticeship organisations and to collect information from them.

 Below is a list of organisations attendance.

 A huge thank you must be given to Lorna Charters, the College’s Careers Counsellor for organising such a successful evening. Many boys have commented on how informative many of the exhibitors were and how many opportunities and options they were not aware of before the evening. For those parents who could not attend this expo, I strongly encourage you to discuss this evening with your sons over the long weekend. I am sure many will still be excited about what they discovered at the expo and will appreciate you showing an interest and awareness. I wish all families a safe and restful long weekend.

Regards

Darren Frost