The end of Semester 1 is fast approaching and it has been wonderful to see the number of students who are utilising the Library to work in groups and individually during both their study periods and after school. Many staff members have made themselves available for extra support and many of the students are engaging in valuable learning conversations with them. With exams next week for those completing VCE units now is the time to focus on actively revising by completing practice questions, past exam papers and going over feedback already provided.

It’s also time for the VCE VM students to ensure they all have their requirements for their Unit 1 subjects completed, ready for the change to Unit 2 on 13 June. They have been busily preparing and recording podcasts which should be both entertaining and informative. I look forward to hearing them.

Recently, I was fortunate to be a part of the audience for the Unit 3 Drama ensemble performance. I was in awe of the clever ways they used the techniques of time change and different visuals to demonstrate the myth of perfection over the past 50 years.

Each day there is something to celebrate in our year level; be it the amazing Drama performances, sporting achievements, the sharing of resources when a student is absent or the random acts of kindness that I see each day as I watch the students walk past my office. I am so blessed to be able to travel with this group on their VCE journey.

The rest of term is busy with Unit 1 exams, the first external formal assessment for those doing a Unit 3 subject; the GAT, and for the lucky 40 students travelling to the ‘top end’; which we know will be a wonderful learning experience. I trust that the break will enable everyone to recharge ready for a wintery and busy Term 3.

Sue Dempster
Level Leader: Year 11

Motivational Speech

Currently, us Year 11 students are going into a busy period of our schooling, including our Unit 1 exams and assessments, and for some, coming to the end of our Unit 3 coursework. Recently, the Year 11 cohort came together for a year level assembly and the key theme of this was motivation. Our Level Leader, Ms Dempster, in recognising the stress and anxiety across the year level, put together a presentation about how we can stay motivated and care for ourselves during this time.

To begin, Ms Dempster shared with us some reasons why staying motivated is important in our senior years of school. She spoke about how we need to work hard to achieve our best and that it does not come easy. A quote from a former College Co-Captain resonated with us, it was, “hard work trumps talent when talent doesn’t work hard”. Most importantly, staying on top of schoolwork and turning tasks in on time, allow us to have more time to engage in activities we enjoy and prioritise our mental health and wellbeing.

Activities recommended by Ms Dempster included taking breaks during studying. You may like having a stretch and taking the dog for a walk. Ms Dempster’s personal favourite is putting on your favourite song and having a dance break, which she gave an incredible demonstration of!

She shared with us multiple quotes, the most memorable being one of Turia Pitts:

To conclude the assembly, we gathered in different groups to play some games that allowed us to let loose, create connections with the year level and have fun during this stressful time. The entire year level benefited tremendously from this assembly and we have all begun implementing these strategies into our lives.

Brooke Corcoran and Lola Martin
Year 11