Year 11 Class Given Early HSC Boost by St Vincent’s College Role Models
Elise Whiley (centre, in black) with Sally Gerrard, Scarlett Odgers, Ruby Doyle, and her Year 11 PDHPE class.
At the beginning of each school year, Year 11 students inevitably become acutely aware that the closing chapter of their time at St Vincent’s College is nigh. For students and teaching staff alike, such times are usually marked by intense study preparations with an acceleration of assessment activities and exams, which can be fraught with much anxiety.
This prompted Head of Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) Elise Whiley to bring in some reinforcements early on for her Year 11 class. And few could argue that there are none more qualified to speak on the topic than three of our brightest and most recent HSC graduates: Ruby Doyle, Sally Gerrard and Scarlett Odgers, who all achieved an impressive Band 6 in PDHPE for their HSC results.
The three spoke candidly of their own experiences to an attentive audience keen to tap into their best tips for surviving this grueling academic period – from creating effective, individually streamlined study guides, to preparing answers adequately for anticipated questions, to devising relaxation exercises and coping mechanisms that include inspired music selection and feel-good, guilt-free rewards.
A great take-away advice was the importance of preparing as early as possible. “This is a good time to figure out how you want your study guide to look like. HSC rewards consistency…keep it up for this year and the second one gets easier”, suggested Sally.
For those who are concerned about emulating similar results, Scarlett confessed that she didn’t get there right away. “It took much hard work, and you need to find what works…it’s all trial and error”, she finishes.
Ruby ended the discussion with a timely reminder for the girls: “Everyone’s in the same boat, so be kind to one another”.
It’s clear that despite having moved on to pursue their chosen tertiary fields of study, the three girls have kept personal links with the College, receiving a warm welcome from some of the students on their arrival.
Initiating this beneficial exchange in a casual setting is an important means by which Elise Whiley can achieve her goal to Inform, Transform and Empower those in her care; it’s just another way of extending the lessons taught in class into the practical realm as students learn about maintaining self-discipline and the rewards of applying consistent diligence, adapting good study and lifestyle habits to achieve personal targets, taking responsibility for their own well-being and showing empathy for their peers to reflect the true Vinnies spirit.