A record number of 277 Virtual School Victoria (VSV) students sat VCE exams this year.
VCE exams are often a source of angst for students. But combined with a pandemic, it’s fair to say that nerves were high this year.
To help our students better prepare for exams this year, VSV entered a partnership with the Skyline Foundation. This partnership provided all VSV students undertaking a 3/4 sequence with free access to exam revision lectures during the term 3 break. The initiative was enthusiastically embraced by students with 81 students attending 159 revision sessions.
Over the recent three week exam period, VSV’s Exam and VASS Coordinator, Angelo Filev, worked diligently with his team to implement Covid-safe practices to ensure 179 VSV students could sit a total of 556 examinations at VSV.
The team also organised for 73 VSV students who lived in regional or rural Victoria, or in Melbourne’s outer suburbs, to sit 227 examinations at various examination centres around Victoria.
Moreover, they organised for 25 VSV students who reside interstate or overseas to sit 78 examinations. These exams were not just conducted in different locations, but in some cases, different timezones.
Angelo pointed out that all students need to sit their VCE exams at the same time as those in Victoria.
‘This year we had students sitting exams in 13 countries – ranging from Egypt to the Ukraine. For students in Europe, this often meant that they were sitting exams between 2.00-4.00 am. Most of these exams were taken at the exam supervisor’s home; the supervisor is independent of the student,’ he explained.
Principal Fiona Webster praised the efforts of Angelo, Catherine Tsekouras – who is Head of Senior School – and the VSV VCE team.
‘A large cast of people were involved in a wide range of tasks before, during and after the exams and I would like to thank each and every one of them for their care and dedication. I am full of admiration and respect for the leadership of our wonderful VASS co-ordinator, Angelo Filev.
Special thanks to the Senior School leadership team, the wellbeing team, admin team and teachers who kept the good ship VCE floating day after day,’ she said.
Photo by Akshay Chauhan