From the Director of Student Learning (11-12)

Year 12 2023 – Holiday Consolidation

In my presentation at the Senior School Evening last week, I suggested some questions that can prompt a rich conversation with students around assessment tasks. Hopefully these have been useful as students are receiving their tasks back.

  • What did you learn from this task?
  • What good strategies/practices did you use that you will repeat next task?
  • What strategies/practices will you change next task?
  • What feedback/comments did you receive and how could you apply that feedback?
  • How would you like me to support you?

Students have been working so hard this term and should be incredibly proud of the seamless way they have transitioned to Year 12 and the responsibilities that come with being the leaders of the College. They need to have a mental and physical break so I would strongly advise taking time off over Christmas. Having time to recharge is very important so the students can bring their best and most productive self to the HSC year in 2023. However, it is also a good opportunity to consolidate everything from the start of Year 12 in Term 4.

But what does it mean when we ask students to ‘consolidate their learning’? This should involve –

  • Ensuring that all class work is up to date – practice essays, worksheets, experiments, research and homework assignments.
  • Reviewing concepts that are not yet fully understood by accessing class notes, videos and other resources on the VC, Edrolo (for some subjects) and textbooks.
  • Reviewing and taking note of feedback on the first assessment task and class work.
  • Making study flashcards, mind maps or notes which can be used for retrieval practice throughout Year 12. The next time students may revisit this work may be just before trials so regular revision will keep these concepts in their long term memory.

Completing this consolidation as well as having a good rest, plenty of exercise and time with friends and family will enable a confident start to the new year. 

Illness/Misadventure Procedure REminder

Please refer to the instructions in the HSC Assessment Booklet if there is a situation arising at the time of an assessment task. Students can download this booklet and the Illness/Misadventure Form from the Senior School VC and parents can access both documents on My Pymble in the Curriculum section.