SENIOR SCHOOL

The senior school student’s year has started with a bang! All year 12 students took part in a “Deep Dive into 2023” which involved a day spent together forming relationships, team building and motivating them for the year ahead.  

Circus skills including plate spinning, juggling and hoola hooping allowed them to have a laugh, explore their levels of resilience and re-establish their connections with their peers. At the same time, some team building activities were taking place outdoors.  

After a session about stress management and VCCA rules and regulations, they students enjoyed a BBQ lunch together before a session with Daniel Merza, a speaker who travels the world talking to students about being leaders of their life. He also talked about the monkeys we all have on our backs and students got to identify which monkey was holding them back from experiencing success for 2023. 

We have also welcomed Year 11 VCE and VCE-VM students back and they have settled into classes quickly. The jump from year 10 to 11 has been made apparent and it is good to see all senior students making the most of their study time and utilising Club 3/4. 

We celebrated the success of the Class of 2022 in a general assembly, and also celebrated the high achievers in Year 11 who did well in their accelerated subject in 2022. Congratulations to Jordan Barnwell, Par Ku Hnialum, Anisa Aganovic, Shaylee Goodwin, Kyle Roache, Hannah Schofield, Ciara Delaney and Grace Kilgour. 

We are now settling into the first of many SAC-heavy weeks. Some advice to all our VCE and VCE-VM students: 

Balance is important 

Senior school years are hard work! Keep up your hobbies and leisure activities and talk to someone if things are getting overwhelming. All staff at Mooroolbark College are here to support you through these two years. 

Find your own best way to study 

VCE and VCE-VM is all about independent learning and finding out how you learn best. This means discovering how you study. You might learn best by drawing pictures and diagrams, making up songs with matching dances, or you might learn by simply writing things down. 

As well as experimenting with different methods of study, try studying at different times of the day. You might be sharpest of an evening, rather than the morning! If you know yourself and how you study, learn and remember, you will have a better chance of knowing your coursework. 

SACs are intended to prepare you for exams 

School Assessed Coursework (SACs) is the closest you’re going to get to an exam situation throughout the year, especially with regards to time constraints. Use your SACs to practise completing assessment tasks in allocated times. That practise is absolutely essential and will give you an advantage in the exam. It will also help you to feel at ease and less pressured when having to write a lot in such a short amount of time. Treat every SAC like you would an exam 

Consistency is key 

No one can cram a unit of work in one or two nights before a SAC. Give yourself every opportunity to succeed. Regular study sessions every night will pay off in the end. Whether you are doing VCE or VCE-VM, keeping up-to-date with your coursework as it is due, is the best way to stay ahead of the game.  

Michelle Colette

SENIOR SCHOOL LEADER