In the final edition of VCE Insights for Term 1, you will find valuable study tips for VCE students from the Heads of Year 11 and 12, as well as details on key dates and academic schedules for the upcoming fortnight.

I wish you a safe and relaxing break and I look forward to seeing the VCE students return in Term 2 reinvigorated and motivated to learn.

  • Senior School Easter Service: Wednesday 3 April at 2.00pm
  • Last Day of Term 1: Friday 5 April.

Below is a list of subjects with SACs and Outcomes scheduled over the coming weeks. Please note that subject teachers will communicate with your daughter regarding the specific date their SAC or Outcome will run.

Term 1 Week 9

Year 12 SACs

  • Japanese SL
  • Literature
  • Psychology
  • EAL
  • Specialist Maths
  • Global Politics

Year 11 Outcomes

  • Chinese SL/A
  • Business Management
  • Psychology
  • Studio Arts
  • Economics
  • EAL
  • Japanese
  • Specialist Maths

Term 1 Week 10

Year 12 SACs

  • Physical Education
  • Theatre Studies
  • Physics

Year 11 Outcomes

  • Chemistry
  • English
  • 20th Century History
  • Legal Studies
  • Maths Methods
  • Theatre Studies

Tips to Study Smarter, Not Harder
Studying is not necessarily about working harder, but studying smarter. Now that SACs and Outcomes have begun in earnest, we thought it timely to provide some tips to help your daughter use her time wisely.

  1. Study in short chunks rather than long study sessions. Avoid studying late into the night. Complete fifty minutes of ‘laser focused’ study then take a break.
  2. Create a conducive study space and limit distractions by staying off phones and social media.
  3. Good sleep and exercise helps your brain absorb information.
  4. Get up and move during your study breaks.
  5. Writing flash/cue cards helps your brain better store information.
  6. Setting study goals and ticking them off when completed helps with motivation and gives you a sense of achievement. This will help you feel in control of your studying and hopefully reduce any study stress.
  7. A calendar with non-negotiable dates helps students work around commitments.
  8. Daily ‘to-do’ lists help establish a good routine of organisation.
  9. Practice tests and examinations are a great way to ascertain what you know and where you are at.
  10. Teaching someone else what you have learnt is a great way to absorb and recall information. Parents, please be available when your daughter needs to teach you a concept.
  11. It is important to read your summaries or cue cards aloud rather than reading silently to yourself.
  12. Do not always read from your computer screen, rather read from a textbook or paper. Some research has shown that it is harder to remember what you have read when reading from a screen rather than reading from hand written notes or from a textbook.
  13. Your daughter’s teachers are her best asset. Making regular meeting times to ‘check in’ can assist students with staying on track and gaining valuable feedback they will not find elsewhere.
Mrs Melissa Braddy, Head of Year 12 and Ms Lilly Dusting, Head of Year 11
Mrs Tracey McCallum, VCE Coordinator and Acting Head of Humanities