This past Monday, we enjoyed the King’s Birthday long weekend, a welcome opportunity for rest and rejuvenation. We hope all families were able to spend some quality time together.

Continuing the theme from last week’s World Environment day, we are having a Print-Free Day on Thursday. Print free days have become a regular feature on our calendar as a small but significant step in reducing our environmental footprint. We are hopeful that everyone at the College is questioning themselves about the need for printing documents before they click on the print button.

This afternoon I taught a year 10 class about how to prepare for their upcoming semester exam in psychology, and it reminded me that for this cohort of students, this will be their first experience of preparing for and sitting exams. It is a skill they need to plan and practice. Making sure they have an effective study timetable and a place to do the study is key. Short and often periods of revision leading up to the exams are much more effective than cramming just before the exam. I encourage the year 10s to start their revision now, and ensure they get the required hours of sleep, exercise and eat well so they are prepared as best they can be for their upcoming exams.

Next week, our Unit 3 and 4 VCE students will be sitting the General Achievement Test (GAT). For many students, the GAT is a bit of mystery as it doesn’t seem content related or to be something that can be studied for, although completing some past GAT papers can give an indication of the types of questions they may encounter. The GAT however, is an important measure to ensure that VCE assessments, school based and exams, are accurate indicators of student skills. It helps in statistical moderation and checks the accuracy of school based assessments. The GAT can also be used to calculate a Derived Examination Score (DES) if a student is unable to sit their final exams, so it is important that students put their best efforts into completing it.

I have had the opportunity to visit some classes of late to observe their entry and exit routines – part of CES Magnify programme implementation. We have had these in place since the start of the year, and the level of calmness, routine and predictability for our students has been very well received. We look forward to putting some additional classroom routines in place next term to continue our consistent approaches and ensure our classrooms are places of effective learning.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement. Let’s keep working together to make our school a place of learning, compassion, and growth.



Acting Principal

Emma Reynoldson