With the imminent approach of winter becoming quite evident in the last few days, it is appropriate for me to give one final reminder that full Winter Uniform must be worn from 1 June through to 31 August, inclusive. Full details of the Winter Uniform are contained in the Senior College Handbook, which all families should have a copy of at home, and were also included in the end of Term 1 edition of Aspectus.
Examinations
All Year 12 students in Victoria, with all Year 11 VCE students undertaking a Unit 3/4 VCE subject, are scheduled to sit for the GAT (General Achievement Test) on Tuesday 7 June, from 10.00am to 1.15pm. The GAT is a single 3 hour test consisting of two writing tasks and 70 multiple choice questions. It tests students’ general knowledge and skills in: written communication; mathematics, science and technology; and, humanities, the arts and social sciences. The GAT is used as a means to check VCE external and school-based assessments and is also used to compare IB performance against VCE performance and is the basis on which a conversion on overall IB score can be made to an ATAR.
Our Years 10 and 11 students have their Semester 1 examinations scheduled in the week of Monday 30 May through to Friday 3 June. Our Years 10 and 11 Co-ordinators and the Pastoral Mentors will be providing guidance on getting organised in preparation for the examinations and on how to “work smart”. Further information on the examinations is contained in the sections below written by the Year Level Co-ordinators.
I’m sure most students will have commenced their own revision and I provide the following advice to assist in reducing anxiety prior to and during examinations:
Recommended 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 Method – Survey, Question, Read, Recall, and Review
With kind regards to all families,
