Year 12 Quote of the Week – Noyal Saji: “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them” (Walt Disney)
This week at the College the boys have been surprised and excited with the anticipated return of Co-Curricular activities. Over the past two weeks, we have welcomed back the return of training for the Opens Rugby squad and the Under 16’s Soccer/Football, who have taken particular care in participating in good hygiene and social distancing practices during these sessions. The College is even more excited to announce the recommencement of co-curricular for the Junior and Senior School Bands, Basketball training, Chess Club, Debating, Football (soccer) training, Under 12’s to 16’s Rugby training and STEAM Club as of this week (Week 7). I encourage each of the boys to participate in these returning activities and cooperate with their coach’s instructions to optimise enjoyment, whilst following the COVID restrictions. Noyal, the O’Brien House Captain mentioned in his quote the reality of dreams if we have the courage to pursue them.
Many of the boys, particularly in Year 12, have been desperately awaiting the return of co-curricular this year because it could well be the last opportunity for some to compete in their chosen co-curricular for the College. Personally, it has always been something that I have looked forward to doing and is an extraordinary opportunity that is offered to us at school which I recommend strongly for all boys.
Also coming up in the near future is the exam period for our High School & Senior School students. For our Year 7 students, especially, this may be the first time they have experienced the pressure of an examination period. For this week, many boys will be looking to improve their grades for their subjects for Semester 1. This time can be overwhelming for some students and it is important to organise your time effectively. Some tips to succeed during the exam period are:
- Get enough sleep leading into exams. It is important to have a rested and focussed mind
- Ensure you eat a healthy meal in the morning
- Dedicate a minimum of 30 minutes per night to exam study
- Submit draft questions to your teachers for feedback
- Maintain a balanced life. You should take advantage of your free time to remove stress
During this period, teachers will often offer to go the extra mile for students in providing them with study resources and sample questions. Tutoring is offered by the College in the Library each Tuesday to Thursday between 3:30-5:00pm. It is vital that we, as students, do ourselves a favour and accept this help so that we may succeed in our final exams. Whilst study is paramount during this period, that doesn’t mean that we cannot have time for other things that we enjoy. Exercising and spending time with friends are still important in mitigating the nerves and stress that accompanies exams.
The staff and senior leaders are very appreciative of the way that the boys have adjusted to the return to school and we wish you luck in your co-curricular activities and final assessment items.
Patrick McFarlane
College Vice-Captain