A time for Acknowledgement and Celebration

The School looks forward to celebrating the achievements of our Senior School students on Wednesday, 20 November, at our Annual Year 7-12 Speech Night.

An evening such as this is an essential opportunity to recognise the outstanding academic, co-curricular and service achievements of many of our girls, and duly celebrate their unique and diverse talents. On this evening, we particularly look forward to acknowledging the contribution of our Year 12 students at St Catherine’s, as they move forward in their journeys but forever a part of St Catherine’s School.

This year, Speech Night will be at the iconic Melbourne Town Hall, with all students in the Senior School required to attend. As such, I encourage all families to enjoy this splendid evening of acknowledgement and celebration.

Do’s and Don’ts of Studying for Maths Subjects

I wish our Year 9-11 students commencing their end of Semester 2 exams today the very best in the coming week. In my experience, the subject that often causes the most pre-exam stress is Mathematics. Students and parents may find the below information useful to assist in their preparation.

Whether you love working with numbers or avoid a Tan graph, the thought of sitting the final maths exam can easily make anyone nervous. While some may have a love and affinity for the subject more than others may, it does not remove from the fact that success in Mathematics opens up so many doors in a student’s career and life. Having said that, here are the top do’s and don’ts when it comes to succeeding in your exams.

DO: Practise as much as physically possible

Unlike many other subjects, mathematics is not forgiving when it comes to feigning knowledge. Examiners are only looking for the exact solution to a question; you are either correct or you are not. Due to the lack of subjectivity in maths, you cannot cut corners when it comes to studying. The only way to learn is to practise, practise, practise. Complete questions from every single topic area and focus specifically on those you struggle with and see the support of your teacher when required.

DO: Understand where you’ve gone wrong

An integral part of practising is not only making sure your answers are correct but understanding where you went wrong. It is essential to learn from your mistakes, so you do not keep repeating them. Re-reading the feedback from earlier assessment and making sure you clearly understand where you went wrong in the question and how you could have done it correctly. For even better understanding, try redoing the questions you got wrong after you have read the feedback. Similarly, when doing practice questions in your own time, always make sure to check the answers.   

DO: Believe in yourself

While it may sound silly, studies have shown that those with a high positive attitude performed better in exams than those that didn’t (The Trends in Mathematics and Science Study, 2007). Mental attitude is critical to performance in exams; if you arrive flustered, panicked and with a negative attitude, you are bound to achieve lower than your potential. Be sure to take appropriate steps to have a clear, focused mind and positive attitude before your next exam.

DON’T: Just practise easy questions

Another common mistake among students in maths is to selectively practise questions they find easy to do. This often gives a false sense of security. Constantly doing questions that you find easy and simple will not extend your knowledge or ability in maths. It is essential to choose questions designed to challenge you and push the boundaries of your knowledge. If you do not immediately know how to solve a question – still make an attempt! The more challenging questions you expose yourself to, the better equipped you will be for your exam.

DON’T: Leave it to the last second

As previously noted, maths is not something you can cut corners in. The more time you have to practise, the better. Instead of cramming just before an exam, do regular practice leading up to the exam. As always, the more the better. You will get out what you put in.

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Annual Thank You Evening for Volunteers

On the evening of Monday 28 October, the School acknowledged and thanked our many parents and community members who have been directly involved with volunteering at St Catherine’s in 2019. In attendance at the Annual Thank You Event were members of our School Council, and Council Sub-Committees, Committee Members of the PFA and associated Class Representatives, Committee Members of each of the Parents Auxiliaries, members of the St Catherine’s Old Girls’ Association and a number staff who also directly work with our many volunteers.

On many occasions this year, the success of our school activities is generated by the enthusiasm and energy of many parents; this commitment is so visibly demonstrated through the support provided to our sporting, performing arts and visual arts program; this time is greatly appreciated. I provide below a brief snapshot of the contribution of all the PFA and Auxiliaries generously giving of their time this year.

PFA

We look forward to a warm Spring evening on Friday, 29 November for our annual Christmas Fair, hosted by the PFA. The PFA Committee’s creative flair and high level of organisation is renowned and this evening promises to be a joyous celebration of the Christmas season. I acknowledge the work of 2019 PFA President, Sarah Low, who has so warmly galvanised the most amazing team of St Catherine’s parents, with the end-result, a spectacular evening promised for all. This annual event generates much wonderful community spirit with all School community members welcome to attend our beautiful School.

The PFA’s enthusiasm to coordinate the Second Hand Uniform Shop is also, greatly appreciated, and I personally thank Lisa James for undertaking this weekly task, together with parent volunteers who have given up their time so willingly to assist. I am sure our families appreciate the very personal touch of repairing, washing and ironing the uniform items to be sold.

The School is enormously grateful for the very generous PFA gift of $100K pledged over four years with the last pledge in April 2020, for the development of the Village Green in the new Junior School.

‘Creating a team spirit’ was high on your agenda and visible through each PFA event this year:  The Ruth Langley Lunch, Parent Welcome Evening in Term 1, Stalls for Mother’s and Father’s Day. As such, I wholeheartedly thank Sarah and all the committee members for their work this year:

Chloe Barry, Julie Caldecott, Alexandra Champion de Crespigny, Sophia Colosimo, Mandy Coupe,

Jill Cutchey, Lamei Davenport, Cathryn Dunlop, Susie Farrer, Jo Green, Georgie Handbury, Michaela Howitt, Crisoula Imam, Lisa James, Susannah Johns, Janene Krongold, Sarah Low, Renee Morton

Maggie Rodski, Marieta Ryan, Lara Stocco and Pauline Wang.

I also wish to extend the School’s gratitude to the Class Reps for their continued support of our families, and in particular, new families as they arrive in Melbourne. The work of Class Reps in creating closely connected parents for each cohort, certainly enables a community level of care for our girls. The support and strength of our parents in creating these events is greatly appreciated.

Heyington Club

Throughout the Rowing season, the Heyington Club, under the leadership of Lucy Fortey, welcomed supporters to the St Catherine’s tent at each regatta, including the fabulous weekend in Geelong Head of Schoolgirls (HOSGs).

Sports Auxiliary

This year the Sports Auxiliary, under the leadership of Jodie Cody, have enjoyed a number of Auxiliary hosted events. Namely the annual Sports Auxiliary Presentation Breakfast and the ‘Blue Ribbon Fun Run/Walk’ in May around The Tan was a great community event attended by many students, parents, brothers, sisters and dogs!

Creative Arts Auxiliary

The Creative Arts Auxiliary, a collaboration of the Music, Drama and Art Action Auxiliaries, continues to provide a high level of support to many functions across the Performing Arts Calendar. I wish to thank Alison Dennison in her role as President and the many parents who contribute to the success of the warmly hosted event at each School Performing Arts function and the VCE Arts Exhibition held earlier this term.

Snowsports Auxiliary

The Snowsports Auxiliary, with President, Tamsin Greig, were instrumental in coordinating the much-admired community-based event, the annual Snowsports Swap in May. The Committee worked hard to tag over 1,400 recycled items of Ski gear with the profits going to support the training sessions at Mt Buller.

PPFN

For the Year 12 parents departing this year, you can look forward to your membership of the Past Parents’ and Families’ Network, kindly coordinated by new Chair of this Committee, Lisa Steven and

Anna Field. In recent weeks, the Past Parents have hosted a warm and welcoming event in the beautiful grounds of Cranlana.  This highly effective network enables the friendships and engagement with St Catherine’s to continue.

SCOGA

This year, under the continued strong leadership of Chrissy Ryan, and her fabulous committee, SCOGA has engaged our alumnae and current students throughout the year.  The committee under Chrissy’s leadership is vibrant and full of ideas and preparedness to contribute in a different way. Our Prep girls proudly attached their SCOGA Welcome Gift, a Teddy Bear shaped bag-tag to mark their 100 days of School; the Barbreck graduates adorn their blazers with many badges, including the Red Steps Pin and the Year 12 girls are acutely aware of the role SCOGA can play in the lives of young St Catherine’s women beyond the gates.

Auxiliary Liaison Committee and School Council and Sub Committees

With the guidance of Jane Newton-Brown, Chairing the Auxiliary Liaison Committee, the School has endeavoured to strategically align the work of our auxiliaries, streamlining some our processes and events for next year.

I would like to also personally acknowledge the work of our School Council and Council Sub-Committees who generously provide their expertise, stewardship and commitment towards the governance of St Catherine’s School.

Volunteering is a two-way exchange. The skills, experience, friends, or the feeling of knowing your contribution has made a positive difference to the community are just a few of the rewards that volunteering offers. The efforts have far-reaching consequences, well beyond the ‘here and now’ that help transform communities like St Catherine’s and the lives of St Catherine’s in a positive way.

Thank you to all our volunteers who have given so much and helped shape and enrich St Catherine’s life in 2019.