The senior school student’s year has started with a bang! All year 12 students took part in a “Deep Dive into 2025” which involved a day spent together forming relationships, team building and motivating them for the year ahead.
Our starting session was with Daniel Merza, a speaker who travels the world talking to students about being leaders of their life. He also talked about the monkeys we all have on our backs and students got to identify which monkey was holding them back from experiencing success for 2025.
Following this, students enjoyed some lunch of pizza and fish and chips before dividing off into single smaller sessions to that were focused on Mindfulness, Wellbeing or Study Skills. Students got to choose which two sessions they wanted to experience and saw to many of them developing themselves for the year ahead.
We have also welcomed Year 11 VCE and VCE VM students back with two sessions Elevate. These sessions saw our students develop Time Management and their own Elevation of themselves. We wrapped up the day with some interhouse competition to which Darrang House landed on top. The jump from year 10 to 11 has been made apparent and it is good to see all senior students making the most of their study time and utilising Club 3/4.
We celebrated the success of the Class of 2024 in a general assembly, by inviting the top 10 students to speak at the assembly. Congratulations to Liam Price, Daniel Harrison, Natsha Rowe, Jesse Johnston, Jackson Reid, Belle Gavin, Natalya Wheeler, James Flewellen, Harry Cathie, Saskia McPherson.
We are now settling into the first of many SAC-heavy weeks. Some advice to all our VCE and VCE VM students:
1. Balance is important
Senior school years are hard work! Keep up your hobbies and leisure activities and talk to someone if things are getting overwhelming. All staff at Mooroolbark College are here to support you through these two years
2. Find YOUR best way to study
VCE and VCE VM is all about independent learning and finding out how you learn best. This means discovering how you study. You might learn best by drawing pictures and diagrams, making up songs with matching dances, or you might learn by simply writing things down.
As well as experimenting with different methods of study, try studying at different times of the day. You might be sharpest of an evening, rather than the morning! If you know yourself and how you study, learn and remember, you will have a better chance of knowing your coursework.
3. Time Management is key
Learning how to use your time effectively is crucial in building personal and school life balance, reduce stress, handing in assessments on time as well as being prepared for all your SACs and exams.
4. SACs are intended to prepare you for exams
School Assessed Coursework (SACs) is the closest you’re going to get to an exam situation throughout the year, especially with regards to time constraints. Use your SACs to practise completing assessment tasks in allocated times. That practise is absolutely essential and will give you an advantage in the exam. It will also help you to feel at ease and less pressured when having to write a lot in such a short amount of time. Treat every SAC like you would an exam
5. Consistency is key
No one can cram a unit of work in one or two nights before a SAC. Give yourself every opportunity to succeed. Regular study sessions every night will pay off in the end. Whether you are doing VCE or VCE-VM, keeping up-to-date with your coursework as it is due, is the best way to stay ahead of the game.
