Year 10 Senior Education and Training (SET) Plans

This week Year 10’s and their parents have been engaging in SET plan meeting with members of the College Leadership Team. It has been wonderful to assist these highly capable students as they work towards their individual pathways. The process not only highlights the dedication of the school to individualised education but also showcases the commitment of students and their families to charting meaningful pathways.

Being an Upstander

This week in Senior Years we gathered as a Sector where we all celebrated the success of our peers in this academic achievements while also challenging us all to hold each other accountable for our own actions.

We spoke about setting ourselves up for success by not standing by and allowing the behaviours that negatively impact on our learning go unchallenged by our fellow classmates. We want to be the Upstander!

What Is an Upstander?

An upstander is someone who takes a proactive role in promoting positive behaviour and intervening when they witness harmful actions. Unlike bystanders who remain passive, upstanders actively seek to prevent harm and support others. Adair Donaldson, a seasoned lawyer and educator, emphasizes the importance of this role in various contexts¹.

Key Traits of an Upstander

1. Awareness and Empathy: Upstanders pay attention to their surroundings. They notice signs of distress, conflict, or unhealthy dynamics. Cultivating empathy allows them to understand others’ feelings and perspectives.
2. Courage: Being an upstander requires courage. It means speaking up when something is wrong, even if it’s uncomfortable. Whether it’s addressing disrespectful language or challenging harmful behaviour, courage drives positive change.
3. Intervention: Upstanders don’t remain silent. They step in to prevent harm. This might involve de-escalating an argument, supporting a friend in need, or seeking professional help when necessary.

Applying Upstander Principles to our own learning spaces

1. Active Listening

Learning thrives through effective communication. Upstanders actively listen to their peers, validating their needs. They avoid interrupting or dismissing concerns, creating a safe space for open dialogue.

2. Addressing Red Flags

Upstanders recognise warning signs early. Whether it’s controlling behaviour, disrespect, or failing to apply with directions they address these red flags. Instead of turning a blind eye.

3. Supporting Friends

In friendships, upstanders stand by their friends during challenging times. They offer emotional support, encourage self-care, and help friends seek professional assistance when needed.

4. Intervening in Toxic Situations

Upstanders don’t tolerate toxic dynamics. If they witness harmful behaviour—such as verbal abuse or coercion—they step in and seek support from the trusted adults in their lives.

Conclusion

Being an upstander isn’t always easy, but it’s essential for creating healthier learning environment. By actively supporting others, addressing issues, and promoting positive behaviour, we contribute to a world where everyone feels safe, respected, and valued, where learning can flourish. Let’s all strive to be upstanders in our lives and make a positive impact.

Adair Donaldson’s commitment to holistic solutions aligns with the upstander mindset. His non-adversarial approach at Donaldson Law reflects the same principles of empathy, courage, and intervention¹.

I’ve drawn inspiration from Adair Donaldson’s work and emphasised the role of upstanders in creating healthy relationships. I encourage you to read this article with your young person and visit @donaldsonadair to continue to foster healthy conversations aimed at being an upstander in a complex world.

Uniform

A gentle reminder, the expectations regarding the uniform will not change. We continue to emphasise with the students that the uniform is important in setting the tone for the College community. A student wearing the uniform correctly shows that they have pride in themselves and pride in the community they belong to. A school uniform reduces incidents of bullying and the stress of peer pressure as all students are the same. Uniforms do not distinguish between socio-economic backgrounds like free dress does.

The uniform also helps the students focus on their job at hand. They are students not fashion statements while at school. Wearing their uniform helps the student 'switch on' to student mode and it provides the students with a reminder of what the expectations of the College are and how they are supposed to behave and apply themselves to their learning.

A student wearing their uniform well in public shows they are proud of being a part of this community. When a member of the wider community sees a student who is proud of where they come from, it often reflects to the student in the way the member of the community interacts with them and their opinion of the school.

Assessment Dates

All assessment dates are available to the students and parents via the Sentral Portals, we also make these dates available to all from the college website Our Lady of the Southern Cross College, Dalby

The Term 3 Exam Timetable was published to our community last week and is available from the same location.

Please note that assessments cannot be rescheduled for family holidays or personal events. We encourage parents and carers to speak with their child to ensure they are aware of their scheduled assessments for the term.

Should a student be ill a medical certificate will need to be provided to ensure students are able to partake in a different (alternate) exam.

Study Tips for Students going into exams

Our Year 12 students are entering a busy time of the term with their final internal assessment tasks completed recently or in the next week. Now is the time where consistent effort will pay off during this peak in the assessment cycle.

Make a plan of attack

Before you even start studying, make and plan out how you are going to study. This will make your life so much easier.

There are a few things you may want to ask yourself when making a plan of attack, these are:

By asking yourself these questions, you figure out where to focus your efforts over the coming weeks. Now, you can structure your plan of attack based on how you are feeling about each of your subjects, and the tasks you want to get done (tasks could include practice essays/exams, touching up on sections of the textbook, reviewing flashcards, etc.). 

Start by catching up on anything you’ve missed out on. So, this means:

• Finishing off any notes you are missing for each subject (please don’t rewrite any of your notes, just fill in the blanks)
• Touching up on content you are struggling with (you can do this by going back over your textbook or by watching some YouTube videos that explain it — you can also check out QCE Together to find videos for various subjects). 

Next, start to study for the subjects that you are least confident in. Then, as the external exams get closer, focus on the exams that are the closest. 

While you are studying, keep in mind the tasks that you want to get done. I would encourage that, for your subjects, you complete practice papers or questions in the 1-2 weeks leading up to the exam. 

Time Management

Managing your time in the 4 weeks leading up to your exams will be key. There will be a lot to do, so getting through each task efficiently and effectively will be crucial to your success.

For example, on a Methods and Physics day I might’ve made a list like this:

As you can see, you have the morning and evening off to do whatever you want (hopefully getting a minimum of 8 hours of sleep!!) and you get plenty of breaks throughout the day. Now, these time restrictions aren’t hard restrictions.

For example, if you were really struggling with differentiation after the 30 minutes, move onto confidence intervals and potentially go back to differentiation.

The key things about managing your time are:

• Knowing what you want to achieve with your time (hence why making a plan is essential)
• Having time for fun. 

It is important that you still get to enjoy life leading up to your exams. Give yourself at least one day off a week where you can just have fun and get a break from studying.

Staying Motivated

Potentially one of the greatest challenges you’ll face throughout school, particularly in the lead up to your exams, is maintaining motivation. In moments where motivation is low, it helps to take a step back and look at the broader picture.

Remind yourself of what your goals are and the reason you are studying. If there is a certain subject score you want to get, think about that. It helps to make goals that you can think about when you need a motivation boost. 

Other ways to help you stay motivated are to:

• Ensure you have time for the fun things in life
• Get enough sleep and take plenty of study breaks
• Study in fun and engaging ways
• Rewarding yourself for your efforts 

Mr Rodney Spain

Assistant Principal Senior Years