And so it has come to this... The VCE experience is completely finished as of to-morrow Wednesday 22 November. God, it drags out, does it not? Especially for those of you whose final Exams are held in the last week. I'm so enamoured of the way you've conducted yourselves and dealt with the rigours of the Exam Timetable and the Examinations themselves. The vast majority of you seem to have relished in the Papers and exited the Exam venues happily and confidently. Exams to-morrow are, of course: * Japanese: 11.45am-2.00pm * Chinese: 3.00pm-5.15pm Ensure that you take into the Exam venue only those materials and equipment that is sanctioned by the VCAA, please, boys. It's always a bit of a nervous wait until Friday 15 December when the Study Scores and ATARs are released; but, I'd ask that you enjoy your newfound liberty - sensibly and moderately, of course. No doubt, I shall see many of you on Thursday for the boy Ryan's Remembrance Ceremony in the Smith Hall. Mr Russell has sent your parents and you an e-mail about Thursday's ceremony; so, do take the time to read what he has written. After that occasion, I shall see you at the Formal on 12 December at Melbourne Park, which is a wonderful event, and a fantastic way for us all to finish our time together so well. Boys, thank-you for all you have been and done this year. In terms of your academics, I really hope that each of you reaches your own goals and successes. I look so forward to seeing your results when they come to hand; I hope that we will be able to celebrate many, many individual and group achievements when that time comes. Thanks for all this, boys. Mr Jones

...and as each day passes, so many more of you finish your time at school. Congratulations to those of you who concluded to-day, and who showed great resilience in completing your Exams under trying circumstances. I respect you enormously. To-morrow (Tuesday 21 November), there will be two more cohorts of students finish. * Theatre Studies: 9.00am - 10.45am * French: 3.00pm - 5.15pm Refer to last night's post about materials that you are allowed to take into both Examinations, please, boys. Keep bringing your Photo ID and keep leaving all non-sanctioned devices and items outside of the Exam venue. After Tuesday, only two Exams remain. And the wonderful thing about that will be that you shan't have to read any more Facebook Updates from the Director of Studies. Keep looking after one another and being strong for one another, boys. Even though there will be fewer and fewer of you at Heyington from now on, I look forward to seeing you around and about the place. Regards, etc, Mr Jones

Boys, Friday was a very difficult day for so very many of you - all of you, I imagine. There is absolutely nothing easy at all about coping with the death of a friend and peer. My thoughts and prayers are with you all: with the strength and support of one another, you will all get through the sorrow and pain that comes with such a tragic circumstance. On Monday 20 November, we have boys sitting four Examinations, two of which are SKC Exams, while the other two are externally-studied subjects. The four Examinations are due to be held at the same time, from 11.45am until 2.00pm. The Exams scheduled are: * Chinese First Language * Global Politics * Greek * Religion & Society Aim to be at Heyington no later than 11.15am; and, ensure that you check the venue of each Examination. Do verify what you are allowed to bring in with you to your Examinations. I have added the link to this part of the VCAA's website below. Continue to have your Photo ID with you, and leave all mobile phones, Fit Bits and Apple watches outside the Examination venue. All boys should remember that the College Counsellors and members of the Leadership Team will be available to meet with any of you who need to talk about your own sadness. Feel free to come to school at any time of the work-day should you find that you need the support of St Kevin's. Thanks for all this, boys. Mr Jones http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vce/exams/authorisedmaterials.aspx

Boys, Sorry for the tardy message this evening! I've been out to dinner. To-morrow, there is one Exam scheduled: Studio Arts, which is due to start promptly at 9.00am and goes until 10.45am. Ensure that you are at Heyington at 8.30am with your Photo ID to show to the external invigilators on entry to the Smith Hall. Leave all of your mobile phone and other non-sanctioned devices outside of the Hall. A reminder to those who have Exams still to complete, the Albert Street Study Centre will be closed and unavailable for student use for the remainder of the Exam period. The Study Centre will re-open for Headstart Week. Best wishes to those of you who finish to-morrow morning; and, to those of you who have Exams in Global Politics, Religion & Society, Theatre Studies, French, Japanese and Chinese, don't lose sight of the bigger picture and the fact that you will be finished by Wednesday of next week at the very latest. I shall see you round and about the place, boys. Mr Jones

Boys, My heartfelt congratulations to those of you who finished your VCE Exams to-day with Physics and Legal Studies. Well done to you all! To-morrow is another day...which is all too obvious a thing even to have said...but, said it has been now. So, on Thursday 16 November, the Exams that will be held at Heyington will be: * Music Performance: 9.00am-10.45am in K503 * Geography: 3.00pm-5.15pm in the Smith Hall * Computing: Software Development: 3.00pm-5.15pm in Smith Hall For Geography, students may bring into the Smith Hall coloured pencils, water-based pens and markers. For Music Performance in K503, a pencil should be used for musical notation. For Software Development in the Smith Hall, students may bring in one scientific calculator. Always aim to be at your Exams at least 30 minutes prior to the starting time; bring your Photo ID; and, don't take in any mobile phones, Fit Bits or Apple watches to the Exam venue, please, boys. Again, as the days progress, more and more of you will finish your secondary school lives for good. My best wishes to you all for these three Exams to-morrow. I shall see you round and about the place. Mr Jones

It's Facebook Status Update Hour! Let's see if I can get to-day right. Pray for me! So, to-day we saw the Chemistry and Vis Comm boys complete their Exams, which must mean that, to-morrow, there will be... * Physics: 9.00am-11.45am in Smith Hall * Legal Studies: 2.00pm-4.15pm in Smith Hall Remember, for Physics, you are able to bring the following sanctioned items into the Smith Hall, which will be checked before entry: - one scientific calculator - one folded A3 sheet or two A4 sheets, bound together by tape, and single- or double-sided. Notes may be typed or handwritten, and from any source (including commercially available notes) Bring your Photo ID. Leave all mobile devices, Apple Watches & Fit Bits outside. Ensure that you are dressed well for the Exams, please. I know that a goodly number of you will finish your Exams to-morrow. My very best wishes to you all on this marvellous achievement. To those of you with Exams still to come this week and next, don't hit the wall (metaphorically...well, avoid hitting the wall literally, too...nothing good will come of that), and keep persevering with your study and revision for your Exams that will - very soon - be concluded. All the best, boys, etc, Mr Jones

Even brilliant people get things wrong. It's hard to believe, is it not?!?! And you think your brains have turned to mush. Let's go for another quote, shall we? “Men have called me mad; but the question is not yet settled, whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence– whether much that is glorious– whether all that is profound– does not spring from disease of thought– from moods of mind exalted at the expense of the general intellect.” I love this one from Edgar Allan Poe: he's a genius! TAKE TWO!!! Exams to-morrow are as follows: * Chemistry: 9.00am - 11.45am in Smith Hall * Visual Communication Design: 2.00pm - 3.45pm in Smith Hall Remember, for the two Exams, you are allowed to bring into the Smith Hall the following materials: - Vis Comm: coloured pencils, water-based pens and markers, set squares, protractors, compasses and circle and ellipse templates. - Chemistry: one scientific calculator. Be on time! Bring your Photo ID! Leave all non-sanctioned items, including cellphones, Fit Bits and Apple Watches outside the Hall, please. There we go. I think this looks far better than what was originally here. I shall see those of you who'll be at school to-morrow around and about the place. Regards, etc, Mr Jones

Boys, Happy Sunday! Congratulations to all of those fellows who, on Friday, completed their VCE Examinations. It was great to see you all looking so happy and confident following the Accounting and Ancient History Exams. To-morrow (Monday 13 November), there are three Exams scheduled. DO BE AWARE OF THE ROOMS FOR TO-MORROW'S EXAMINATIONS! * Product Design & Technology: 9.00am-10.45am in K503 * Literature: 11.45am-2.00pm in K503 * Specialist Maths Exam 2: 3.00pm-5.15pm in Smith Hall For PDT, you are allowed: - coloured pencils, water-based pens and markers - NO shape templates OF ANY KIND are permitted For Specialist Maths Exam 2, you are allowed: - one approved CAS calculator or CAS software and one scientific calculator - one bound reference that may be annotated - protractor, set square and aids for curve sketching Always aim to be at Heyington AT LEAST 30 MINUTES PRIOR to the scheduled starting time. Don't be late to your Exams! All students should have with them their Photo ID to gain entry into their Examinations. Leave all mobile phones, Fit Bits and Apple Watches outside the Exam venue, please. Best wishes for your Exams to-morrow, boys. I hope that there'll be more of you finishing. For those of you with other Exams still to come, remain diligent and conscientious with your studies. The more revision you do, the better you'll fare in your Exams when finally they come around. Thanks for all this, boys; I look forward to seeing you at Heyington to-morrow. Regards, etc, Mr Jones

Boys, It was great to see a number of Year 12 fellows finish their final Exam to-day with Physical Education. My best wishes to you all. Still, for those of you who are yet to conclude, the time will go swiftly; so, keep putting in the effort to reach the finish line in the best possible position. On Friday 10 November, there are Exams in 3 Studies as follows: * Specialist Maths Exam 1: 9.00am-10.15am in Smith Hall * Accounting: 3.00pm-5.15pm in Smith Hall * Ancient History: 3.00pm-5.15pm in Smith Hall Remember to be at Heyington 30 minutes prior to the start of the Examinations. For Specialist Maths, bring in only writing materials with you; and, that for all Exams, you will need a pencil for Multiple Choice Questions. Accounting students are allowed a Scientific Calculator. All students must have Photo ID with them to gain entrance to the Examination; and, no mobile phones, Fit Bits or Apple Watches are allowed to be brought into the Examination venue. I imagine that there will be more of you who'll finish your VCE Exams to-morrow. Well-timed for the weekend. For the rest of you, do remember that the very small social sacrifices that you will make this weekend, will pay off in the future when you sit your final Exams over the next days. I look forward to seeing you to-morrow, boys. Regards, etc, Mr Jones

Boys, Congratulations to those fellows who finished their VCE Exams and, therefore, their school careers to-day. Must be a wonderful feeling. As the days progress, there'll be more and more of you who will follow in these boys' footsteps. I hope that the Methods 1 Exam and History: Revolutions Exam were both favourable. Certainly, I don't recall so many Methods students coming out of the Exam 1 so happy (and relieved). On Thursday 9 November, the following Exams will take place: * Maths Methods Exam 2: 11.45am-2.00pm in the Smith Hall * Physical Education: 3.00pm-5.15pm in the Smith Hall Remember that for Maths Methods 2 you are allowed an approved calculator and your bound reference. Ensure that you have these organised before the start of the Exam. Bring your Photo ID with you, and leave all mobile phones and Apple Watches outside the Smith Hall, please. Methods students should aim to arrive at Heyington by 11.15am. Phys Ed students should aim to arrive at Heyington by 2.30pm. Continue to wear your full school uniform and to leave the Senior Jerseys at home, please. I look forward to seeing you fellows at school to-morrow where, no doubt, even more of you will finish your suite of VCE Examinations. Regards, etc, Mr Jones

Good Afternoon, boys! To-day saw two more Exams undertaken by a goodly number of students in Year 12 and, in the case of Business Management, Year 11. Well done to those of you who completed two Exams in the one day: I know that it's an onerous thing to have to do. NO EXAMS ON MELBOURNE CUP DAY!!! But, this shouldn't mean that you stop your study and revision, even though the nation might stop to watch the horses. Use the coverage on Channel 7 as a reward for your efforts to-morrow at your books. On Wednesday 8 November, there will be Exams held in the following subject areas at the following times: * Maths Methods Exam 1: 9.00am-10.15am in Smith Hall * Histrory: Revolutions: 3.00pm-5.15pm in Smith Hall For BOTH Exams on Wednesday, you are allowed to bring with you only writing materials. The first Methods Exam prohibits the use of any calculator or bound reference; so, bring nothing in with you that is disallowed. A reminder...and you've been excellent with this to date: * Always have Photo ID with you to gain entry into Smith Hall * Bring no mobile phones or Apple Watches with you into Smith Hall: these should be left outside in your locker, with your House Head or with me *Don't use the Library foyer as your locker area: keep using your lockers to store your bags, notes and mobile phones, etc, during the Exam period We can certainly dispense with the senior jerseys now. Wear them to Chadstone by all means; but, they can now stay away from school. I appreciate your adherence to this request. Best wishes to those of you who study Methods and Revolutions. I shall see you fellows on Wednesday. Regards, etc, Mr Jones

Boys, I hope you've enjoyed a productive weekend of study and revision, especially for those of you who will be coming into Heyington to-morrow (Monday 6 November) for the two Examinations that are scheduled. 9.00am-10.15am: Further Maths Exam 2 in Smith Hall 3.00pm-5.15pm: Business Management in Smith Hall Aim to be at school by 8.30am and 2.30pm respectively. For both Exams, make certain that you have all relevant and sanctioned materials with you, particularly for the Further Maths Exam. Apart from your writing equipment, you may bring with you into the Smith Hall: * one approved CAS calculator or CAS software and one scientific calculator * one bound reference that may be annotated Leave your mobile phones and Apple Watches outside. Under no circumstances should these be brought inside the Smith Hall. To-morrow, you can leave your bags in the bag-racks of the Library foyer if you so choose. If you would prefer to leave any valuables with me, that will be entirely fine: you can do so as you enter the Hall. Now...if you would like to wear shorts to-morrow (and for the remainder of the Exam period), you can. Just be aware that the temperature will range between 9 and 17 degrees on Monday. With respect to uniform, you can now keep your Senior Jerseys at home. There is no longer any need to wear these to school or at school or home from school. I think these garments are best left to your social occasions or around the house. To-morrow, the area for study and revision will be the Library; however, I won't be at school until 8.00am - or thereabouts. If you would like to study between the two Exams, the library will be the only place you'll be able to do so. Thanks for all this, boys. Keep your efforts up! There isn't long at all to go now. I look forward to seeing you to-morrow morning and afternoon. Regards, etc, Mr Jones