Students knuckle down for HSC exams
An ambitious 15-year-old Masada College student, Brad Neimann, is one of 69,383 students expected to complete their Higher School Certificate (HSC) this spring.
AN ambitious 15-year-old Masada College student, Brad Neimann, is one of 69,383 students expected to complete their Higher School Certificate (HSC) this spring, with English (Standard and Advanced) kicking off the exam period on October 18.
Neimann, who completed some of his HSC in 2017, has been busy preparing for Maths Extension 2, English and Software Design and Development exams, and plans to study a bachelor of science next year.
“Doing the HSC over two years has helped me refine my studying techniques. My teachers have been really patient and helped guide me in subjects like English, which are more of a struggle for me than subjects like chemistry and Software Design and Development,” he said.
Neimann’s father Larry commented, “We are excited for him that he is where he is, and appreciative that Masada College recognised that this is what Brad needs. We are grateful he has been given this opportunity to accelerate his HSC.”
This year, there is a strong representation of students undertaking Hebrew courses, although enrolment numbers have declined slightly over the last few years.
Twelve students sat Classical Hebrew Extension on Monday morning, while 19 completed Classical Hebrew Continuers on Wednesday, and 39 will sit Modern Hebrew Continuers on Monday, November 5.
“HSC Hebrew has been both fun and enjoyable,” commented year 12 Modern Hebrew Continuers student, Liahm Simon of Emanuel School.
“I felt a significant sense of accomplishment when I was able to converse about the intricacies of sport science in my non-native language. This added an extra element to the course that is unlike any other subject I am doing …
“There have been challenges along the way, mostly to do with understanding nuanced scientific language that was complicated in my first language, let alone second. I was able to overcome this with the help of my amazing teacher, Morah Harvey, who helped my class and me through all the ups and downs of the HSC.”
Ronnen Grauman, acting dean of Jewish Life and Learning at Moriah College, has noticed a slight decline in enrolments for both Classical and Modern Hebrew, despite noting “the excellent results we have achieved in the last few years”.
In 2017, students from Moriah and Kesser Torah College comprised the top five achievers in Classical Hebrew Continuers and Classical Hebrew Extension.
The same applied for Modern Hebrew Continuers, with the addition of a student from Reddam House taking out the fifth highest ranking.
Grauman remarked, “We have introduced the study of Classical Hebrew in the younger years in order to familiarise our students with the text and develop their skills in analysing various classical sources.”
The HSC finishes on Friday, November 9 and results will be released on Thursday, December 13.
SOPHIE DEUTSCH
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