It is timely for me to advise/remind all Senior College students and families that in the last week of Term 3 we have a “re-scheduled day”, with Wednesday 20 September being designated as a Day 6 (ie we will run a Monday Day 6 timetable on this day) – we have done this several times across the year to compensate for the number of Mondays we lose from the teaching timetable across the year. I would also like to remind all students and families that Term 4 starts with a “student free” staff in-service day and that the first student day of Term 4 is therefore Tuesday 10 October, a Day 7 on our 10 day timetable cycle.
As all families would be aware, this year’s Celebration Evening is scheduled for Wednesday 18 October at Robert Blackwood Hall – with a prompt 7.30pm start. Students will be asked to arrive by 7pm on the night and families will be reminded to be seated in the auditorium by 7.15pm. This is a very special evening which enables us to celebrate all of the wonderful achievements of our Tintern Grammar students. It also provides an opportunity for the School Community to farewell our Year 12 class of 2017, before final examinations commence. Ticket bookings have commenced for Year 12 families and will become available for Years 7 – 11 families on Monday 18 September. Families need to be aware that there will be no ticket sales available on the night.
Practice Examinations for Year 12 Subjects
In the last week of the upcoming holiday break our Year 12 VCE students, our Year 11 VCE students who are undertaking a Unit 3/4 subject, and our Year 12 IB students will all be undertaking practice examinations before their final written examinations. Our Senior Students have received their practice examination schedules and I wish them all well for these practice exams but also urge them to ensure that they do take some time for rest and relaxation to “recharge their batteries” before they channel their energies towards their final revision.
Study Hints
It is thus timely for me to reprint the sound study advice we provide for our students in the Senior College Course Handbook, under the heading of Practical Study Suggestions for all Students, as follows:
Conditions for Study
- Adequate light, ventilation, heat and space
- Use a consistent workplace
- Sit on a comfortable chair at a desk or table
- Keep both noise and visual distractions to a minimum
- Work while you are fresh
Fitness
- Physical fitness is important in order to work well
- Proper food, exercise and leisure are essential
- Adequate sleep is a must
Organisation
- Plan your study time; not only WHEN you will study, but WHAT and HOW you will study
- Do not sit down to study and then try to decide what you will do – this is a sure way of wasting valuable time
- Work out a study timetable, allotting time fairly so that each subject is well covered – this will overcome the tendency to spend too much time on any one subject at the expense of others
- Break study time into blocks allowing for 5–10 minutes break after each hour
- Use an efficient reading method, for example the SQ3R -survey, question, read, recall, and review
Summer Uniform
The arrival of one or two days of very pleasant Spring weather coincided with the changeover period, from 1 September until the end of Term 3, when our students may opt to wear Summer or Winter Uniform. I need to remind students and parents, however, that the requirement is that students wear a complete and correct version of the School Uniform – whether it be Summer or Winter, and not a mixture of the two. The School Blazer must be worn to and from School with either version of the uniform; parents are asked to support the School with this matter.
Our Annual Presentation Ball
This coming Saturday 16 September Mrs Maria Connor and I, and other invited guests are looking forward to attending the annual Presentation Ball at The Ivanhoe Centre. As usual, our Senior College students who are involved, and their families, will be full of anticipation of a wonderful evening; the culmination of all the hard work in dancing lessons that are vital parts of their preparation for the evening.
With kind regards to all members of the Senior College Community,
