Boarding News Year 12, Week 6, Term 1, 2011
Dear Year 12 parents/carers,
The half yearly exams are just about on the boys. This should be a weekend of solid work in the lead up to them. Any weekly boarders who would benefit from staying in may do so on request from you.
During the exams, boys are expected to attend school each day as normal. They must be at all meals and sports training. We find that this is the best for most of them as they keep their routines and their rooms are well set up for productive and supervised study. Please keep dinner leaves and overnight requests to the absolutely essential during this time. As I have explained to the boys, the Trial HSC and the HSC itself are periods when leave requests are more appropriate if a boy has a break for a few days in his timetable.
At Assembly yesterday we had a very good presentation by Mr Cherry and Tim Hill from Year 12 about their unique expedition to Antarctica late last year. For a school group to go there is rare and more details about the trip are on the College website.
With Lent starting we had an Ash Wednesday liturgy. The boys are encouraged to donate at least $10 towards the Marist Asia- Pacific Solidarity over the next four weeks. Collections will be on their return to school on Sunday nights or Monday mornings. A little prompting from home can help with this.
Last night we had a voluntary Mass just for Year 12 in the Chapel. The special intention was their exams but there are many more things to pray for, of course. This is something that will be offered each term.
Our 1st VIII rowers are attending the National Championships in Adelaide this weekend. We wish them and all sports teams the very best as the summer sports season draws to a close.
Pat
Year 12 Brains Trust (Photo by Clay Cross)
Academic News Year 12 Week 6, Term 1, 2011
Dear Parents /Carers and students,
I want to take this opportunity to make some important examination procedures very clear before the Half Yearly Examinations commence on Tuesday. These exams represent a very significant part of students’ overall Assessment marks for their HSC in most subjects. They are also the second last time that students will sit for formal exams of this nature before they do the HSC exams later in the year. The Half Yearly Academic Report is a very important document about the student as well as an indicator of his academic progress and targets. I will expand upon these few points briefly.
- Half Yearly Examinations and HSC Assessments
Students are advised to look carefully at the 2011 HSC Assessment Handbook that they received at the start of Term 4, 2010 to check the assessment weighting of the Half Yearly exams in each of their subjects. This weighting will also be shown on the Assessment Notifications that teachers have distributed in each subject for these exams. Some subjects will weight exams heavier than others and this is quite normal. Good exam performances present as an opportunity to consolidate Rankings in each course and build upon performances in earlier Assessment Tasks.
- A Trial for the Trial HSC:
The Half Yearly Exams give us an excellent opportunity to hone our exam room skills. I will run these exams exactly as the Presiding Officer, appointed by the Board of Studies, will do for our HSC examinations in October/November. Students will assemble on the steps of the Hall no later than 10 minutes before each exam, 15 minutes for the larger exams of Mathematics, English and Studies of Religion. I remind them again that they should only bring exam equipment to their exams – DO NOT BRING MOBILE PHONES! An electronic clock is displayed on the big screen in the Hall but students should wear a watch if they are in other exam locations.
No student will be permitted to leave the exam room before the finishing time. I expect that very student will work right through to the end of every examination. Our boys have been excellent in doing this in the past.
All Year 12 students are expected to be at the College every day during the Half Yearly exams whether or not they have a test on. Parents are asked to assist me and Pat with this one please. Do not let boys talk you into staying at home by saying they can study better. They can’t. They have their routine here and most importantly, they have their teachers here. Teachers are rostered on to supervise students each lesson when they are studying in their rooms. There is no wandering around, no visiting other boys – though students can ask to do peer tutoring in the Yr 12 Common Room if they need assistance from other boys. Students need to be very organised during their study time. There will be long periods of recreation also and normal sports training will continue during the exams. This is a crucial aspect for our boys and a wonderful pressure release. I have said to all Year 12 that there is nothing wrong with an early night if they have done all their work.
If a student is unwell when he has an exam, he is to bring it to my attention either in person, by email or by telephone. He is expected to sit for his exams even if he is unwell unless he is physically unable to sit in the exam room. Whether attending unwell or not attending the exam, I will require a doctor’s certificate.
- The Half Yearly Academic Report
The Academic Report that will follow the Half Yearly exams is a very important one. We pride ourselves on delivering reports home within a very short time after the conclusion of the exams. Most Sydney-based families should expect the report in the mail on or soon after Monday April 11th. It that mailing will be a subject report by page, a full boarding report. On each subject report will appear a course mark, course average and a progressive ranking. The course mark on the Half Yearly report is a combination of the exam and assessments completed up to this point, different to the Trial HSC report which will only reflect the exam. Teacher comments will often reflect areas that need attention but mostly they will comment on progress achieved.
The Boarding Report is the last full report of this kind that a Year 12 student will receive before his Headmaster’s Reference around Christmas time. This is a statement of character that is very helpful to prospective employers and in particular, for scholarship or apprenticeship applications or applications to residential universities.
Best wishes,
Mark Fenech
Tom Smithers preparing his Visual Arts Body of Work