Boarding News
Year 12 Week 5, Term 1, 2011
Dear Year 12 parents/carers,
The main features of this week’s blog include:
- Photos of the School Athletics Carnival, award winners and class activities.
- A snapshot of what classes are doing to prepare for the Half Yearly exams.
- Important dates to remember.
- Headmaster’s message about Parent/teacher interviews.
We hope that you enjoy this news and find it helpful.
At Assembly today the following Year 12s were on stage because of their recent sporting achievements:
Matthew Vickers scored 30 points in the 1sts basketball last Saturday; Abel Bernardi took a match winning hat trick in the 3rds cricket; Aidan Blair was third in the Under 17 athletics point score at Monday’s athletic carnival, while Jack Karikios and Mark Brandon were equal second in the opens to Michael Shin, the Open athletics champion for 2011.
Also at Assembly, Br Anthony read from an email that I received this week from the organiser of the Santa Sabina dance that 35 of the Year 12s went to last Friday. She commended the boys on their behaviour and manners. Each shook her hand and thanked her at the end of the night and this was very impressive. She didn’t find it too surprising however and nor did her father who is a Joeys Old Boy!
Other positives this past week have included the wins by the 1sts and 2nds debating teams in the ISDA competition’s first round and the very strong performances by our GPS swimmers especially Jackson Howell and Sam Lane. Angus Le Lievre was chosen in the GPS cricket squad for the second consecutive year and Eliot Frank played in the CIS water polo team on Monday.
Br Anthony spoke about what makes a strong year group. He mentioned respect for each other, the ability to relate to staff, genuine support and pride in each other’s achievements among other characteristics. This is a theme that we will continue to push with the current Year 12 in order to make them into a stronger form day by day.
Could I ask that if you hear of any parents who are not receiving these blogs or emails, that you encourage them to send me an email so that this can fixed up?
Thanks and all the best until next week
Pat Rodgers
Academic News
Year 12 Week 5, Term 1, 2011 “Make No Small Plans!”
I’ve grown accustomed to the nervous energy leading into exams. It’s a busyness quite unlike other times of the year. Most students look to their routine to get them through long periods of concentration; others wait outside staff rooms to check work with teachers; some sneak back to their rooms halfway through the supper break to get the edge that comes with a few extra minutes of work; most change their priorities such that the books get more attention than the girlfriend and a few lost souls will kid themselves that they can deal with it all later.
I say to our Class of 2011 as they approach their Half Yearly exams in less than a fortnight – “Make No Small Plans!” These were the words of the great American architect, Daniel Burnham, who rebuilt Chicago after the Great Fire of 1873 that burnt that city to the ground. “Make no little plans;” Burnham said, “they have no magic to stir men!” It is my belief that setting big goals is the prerogative of those with opportunity and our boys certainly have that. They ought to ask a lot of themselves and strive to achieve those lofty ambitions. They are young and capable and they have the support of giants here at SJC and at home. But it will take sacrifice.
Exam Preparation in Year 12 classes:
Teachers and their classes have been doing a lot to prepare for the Half Yearly exams. This week I asked our Year 12 teachers for a snapshot of some of those things. Studies of Religion 1U students have been given a past HSC question on Jewish ethics and they will receive another on Christian ethics soon. In Studies of Religion 2U, classes are carefully analysing the characteristics of essay responses in the higher Bands in order to avoid the ‘generic prepared answer’. Music 1 students are using their textbook and online resources to work through the musical concepts involved in the Aural part of their exam. In Legal Studies, students start each lesson by analysing homework essay tasks against established marking criteria. In Industrial Technology, students are finishing an Industry survey assessment task that will feature prominently in their exam. Through this unit the boys have been provided links to the OBOS website where past examinations may be accessed as a study resource this link may be located on the College iLearn page. Geographers are consolidating their content from their visit to Leeton early in the term and their case study on the rice industry. Mega-cities is another topic that Geography students are honing for their exam responses. All Advanced and Standard English students have received marked work and feedback on a practice Area of Study essay that will help them prepare for their speeches on the last day of exams. In addition, Standard English have been revising their novel Maestro as well as working on a booklet of past HSC questions. Advanced English have done the same with respect to their novel called Cloudstreet. Speech preparation and revision of prescribed texts and two self-chosen related texts is what’s keeping English Extension 1 students busy. ESL boys are focusing on past HSC questions for their Area of Study. In Agriculture key terms have been the focus of selected past exam questions and the students are also developing their own examples of multiple Choice questions which will feature in the new format exam for Ag this year. Revision of the mandatory units on the Primary Industries course as well as HSC On-line and notes from their visit to Tocal is solid preparation for the PI boys. In French, past papers also remain the focus as well as consistent practise in speaking and listening. General mathematicians will be receiving a booklet of past SJC Half-yearly exam papers to keep them busy. In Ancient History, students have been given a revision template for their first topic, complete with past HSC questions. Drama students have also been given a revision booklet and are accessing exam resources on iLearn. The same is happening in Biology (more Biology and less Drama, though) specifically in the Syllabus topic Maintaining A Balance. iLearn is proving to be very useful for students in the 2U Mathematics course while they are continuing to study the challenging topic of the Theory of Trigonometric Functions as well as the application of this theory in the calculations of Areas and Volumes. Physics boys are also accessing past exam papers on iLearn. It’s a similar story in Engineering Studies. In PDHPE, Core topic 1 revision has been completed and the boys are getting stuck into Core topic 2 via past exam questions. Right from the very start of the term, Latin scholars have been revising the translation of the 400 lines prescribed from Virgil Aeneid X, methodically working through them at the rate of 20 lines per day in their own time and then spending 10 minutes at the beginning of every second lesson doing a multiple choice grammar test based on the previous 40 lines revised (tests sourced from Trial HSCs from other NSW schools), before proceeding with the term’s required work. In Visual Arts, the practical Body of Work is well underway while in art history and criticism the assessment task on Contemporary Artistic Practices will provide a wealth of content for Section II of the written exam. Senior Science students have been encouraged to attended early morning revision classes at 8 am each Wednesday morning in Week A and Mondays in Week B and complete Chapter tests from their text book.
In a nut shell, we’re busy alright! Top that up with training for summer sports and games on Saturday as well.
Writing Essays:
I spoke to the whole Form on Wednesday about writing essays. I reminded them that writing sentences is the first step in writing a good essay. Topic sentences are crucial to good essay structure and these need to be practised. Similarly, the conclusion is an often under-estimated part of the essay because students are rushing to finish their work in an exam. Conclusions are the last thing that the marker reads before placing a mark on the script so they are worth taking time over. One thing that parents can do to help with essays is to offer to read them back to their sons or allow them to read it to you. Essays sound different when they can be heard as well as read. Another helpful thing is to buy a cheap thesaurus to have on his desk.
Board of Studies:
On Wednesday, Year 12 students checked their HSC Entry Forms making sure that their personal details and subject selections were all in order. At the home front. parents should watch out carefully for mail sent by the Board of Studies and by the University Admissions Centre. Important PIN numbers will be one such item and these will be needed to gain access to HSC results and to make course selections for university entry. Please keep these in a safe place when they arrive. Because of privacy laws, schools do not receive copies of student PINs so lost numbers can be problematic.
Best wishes for a lovely weekend,
Mark Fenech