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Masada College Class of 2012 – Achievements & Honour BoardOver-all Results+ 22nd NSW+ 1st Co-ed in North Shore+ Over 12% ATARs over 99.00+ Over 50% ATARs over 90.00+ Over 75% ATARs over 80.00Non-selective Results+ 9th in NSW+ 2nd in Mathematics+ 10th In EnglishTop Achievers+ Iris Vayzer2nd in Modern Hebrew in NSW+ Farran Gordon2nd in Hospitality in NSW+ Stephanie Cemal3rd in Food Technology in NSW+ Dana Segall4th in Modern Hebrew in NSW+ Lauren Satill5th in Classical Hebrew in NSW+ Shir Dekel nominated for Encore+ 4 students selected for Art Express:Shir Dekel, Haydee Katz,Nicola Shear & Dana SegallAll-Round Achievers◊ Jay (Sang Hun) Jung◊ Shir Dekel◊ Deborah Karpel◊ Dana Segall◊ Joshua BurmanStephanie CemalHow did you manage your studyleading up to the HSC?I found that studying for the HSC washarder than studying throughout theyear because my energy was runningout. My study plan was to workbackwards so that I could spend moretime on the topics we hadn’t beentested on yet. I preferred to first learn my notes thoroughlyand summarise larger points. I would then make acronymsor sentences to help me remember my information. The nextstep would be to write as many past papers as possible inexam conditions for the correct amount of time. Past paperstrain you to manage your time, show your weaknesses,help you understand exam format as well as the amount ofinformation required for different types of questions. I wouldtake breaks every few hours so that I wouldn’t lose motivationand also ensured that I had enough sleep every night, which isvery important for memory and wellbeing.What are your plans for 2013?I would like to go to Israel on MTA, the Bnei Akiva ShnatProgram. This program is a mixture of travelling, hikes,Kibbutz, Army, Poland, volunteering and Torah learning.Can you offer any advice to the class of 2013?My advice is to have a balance; it’s important to make sureyou don’t solely focus on your work and studying. Exercise,eating and drinking well, and having time for yourself to dothe things you enjoy are all aspects for a successful year.I would advise the Year 12 students to make notes as they goalong to decrease their workload before exams. Another pieceof advice I would give is to always consult your teachers – theyare very helpful, committed and will happily give up their timeto help you. I also recommend doing past papers as they areusually set in the same format every year and will help enrichyour answers. And lastly, while the HSC is work-rich, it is stillone year in your life, so make sure you enjoy it!Joshua BermanHow did you manage your studyleading up to the HSC?After the HSC trials, leading up to theHSC I set out a timetable that outlinedany upcoming assessments and thesubjects that I would be studying orrevising each day. I found that by workingconsistently and revising between theHSC Trials and the HSC, I was able to minimise the amountof work and stress during the study vacation. Planning andallocating times to which I would study ensured that I stayedon track and completed all the necessary work that I had setout to achieve on any given day.In my study plan I ensured that I assigned ‘me time’, inaddition to my routine study breaks. During this time I wouldremove myself from the HSC by socialising, playing sports,going to synagogue, or by doing unrelated learning.Through managing my time I was able to maintain a healthybalance between work, friends and family that enabled meto tackle the HSC with minimal stress .What are your plans for 2013?I would love to spend time in Israel volunteering and meetingdifferent people.Can you offer any advice to the class of 2013?Year 12 is a very exciting, fun filled, challenging and rewardingyear. I recommend for every student to find a study techniqueand plan that works for them, whilst maintaining a healthyand balanced year. Lastly I urge everyone within the cohortto work together, as this will help every individual within thegrade reach their potential. I wish the class of 2013 the bestof luck for Year 12 and the HSC!
KarenMcEwenHead of EnglishWhat is your approachto HSC teaching?Teaching an HSC course thrusts you intothe role of teacher, advisor and life coach!Students need to be encouraged to keepfocused and have a plan! In all Englishcourses there is a great deal of content whichneeds to be covered and skills which needto be developed and honed. Commitment isrequired by all parties. The HSC experiencecan be summed up by the metaphorof travelling between two paths. Theassessment process is like traversing a minefield as students lurch from stressful situationto hopefully a safe place before they have tonegotiate the next task. Studying, revisingand consolidating characterises the other lessurgent and less stressful pathway, which ischaracterised by no land mines or IEDs butwhere the onus is on the individual to getout their machete and hack their own, yetsatisfying pathway. My role is to advise andmentor as students deal with the challengesof both paths.What can students expect fromstudying English for the HSC?English as a subject is challenging andengaging. It is not about regurgitation ofinformation but rather about thinking,formulating arguments and systematicallypresenting a viewpoint. Students experienceliterature from differing times and contextsand the opportunity to explore ideas aboutthe human experience which scholars havebeen grappling with for centuries!The opportunity to develop one’s owncomposing skills is another valuable aspectof this experience with students confidentlydeveloping their skills as communicators.What suggestions have you gotfor HSC students in their approach totheir studies?Preparing for the HSC is like training foran elite athletic event and students needto be prepared to embark on a rigorouscourse of training. Beginning with the endin mind, they need to effect practice in allcomponents both in the time limit of theexamination as well as the completion ofuntimed tasks. Take advantage of yourteacher’s time and expertise. They havetravelled this road vicariously many times!RyanGillSociety & CultureWhat is your approachto HSC teaching?Whilst the pressures of the HSC in terms ofthe time, rigour and effort are apparent to all,I believe that dynamic and enjoyable teachingand learning styles of the previous yearsshould not be adversely affected. EmbracingMasada’s Culture of Thinking and utilisingthe latest technology, tools and techniques,adopting a collaborative, autonomous andself-motivated approach in the classroom,as well as drawing on my experiences ofteaching in a range of schools and countries,I hope to instil a love of learning in all mystudents. My approach is simple; if I share mypassion for learning with my students theywill be inspired to have the same.What can students expect fromchoosing to study Society & Culturefor the HSC?The study of how we operate as individuals,within and outside of cultures and groupsis central to the subject. Combining thedisciplines of Psychology and Sociology,this multi-faceted subject also encompassesstudies of anthropology, philosophy, socialecology as well as cultural, communicationand media studies. The major work, thePersonal Interest Project (PIP), worth 40% ofthe HSC assessment, is invaluable preparationfor a university research project and thesis,integrating a student’s personal experiencewith public knowledge.What suggestions have you gotfor HSC students in their approach totheir studies?I often hear conversations about subjects,which scale well and/or those, which willenable a student to achieve the highestATAR. I think we all agree that marks areimportant and Society and Culture hasproven to provide just that, but what isequally as critical is developing a thirstand passion for learning. Determining apersonalised learning style will also enableyour study to be more efficient and effectual.Working consistently hard throughout thePreliminary and HSC course is key, developinga reflective approach to assessments, learningfrom successes and mistakes. Employing acollegiate and cooperative approach with allpeers in the class and grade is often underutilised but is also key to unlocking maximumachievement in the HSC.ElizabethIfflandMusicWhat is your approachto HSC teaching?In HSC Music it’s all about giving individualattention and guidance. I work closelywith students to find their strengths andwe choose electives and topics that bestsuit them. If students love the material thatthey are doing, the work is enjoyable andthe good results come from that. At Masadawe have a great team of music tutorswho are on board to help the studentswhere needed.What can students expect fromchoosing to study Music for the HSC?Music is such an enjoyable and rewardingsubject for students that love music.Studying Music requires many extra hours aweek, however, it seems to provides a goodbreak from other writing based courses.Music is divided into two courses. Music 1is a broad course where students chooseelectives based on performance, compositionand musicology (discussing music). Music 2 isa more specific course that is geared towardsstudents that have received formal musictuition. Music 2 students may also chooseExtension Music for the HSC year. Music isthe perfect subject to choose if you reallyenjoy creating music.What suggestions have you gotfor HSC students in their approach totheir studies?Utilise your teachers. If my students ask,I’ll run a marathon for them (given thatthey do as many laps as I do!).However, the success really lies with you.If you are willing to really engage with thecourse and if you put the hours in, you willachieve success. Also, in the summer holidaystake the time to revise the content coveredin Term 4. Make study notes, create a videoblog of your learning, stick post it notesaround the house, get your parents toquiz you, teach a little sibling, study with afriend from another school: get involved withyour learning.
Page 2 and 3: A message from the College Principa
Page 4 and 5: WHAT’S NEW IN 2013?New Initiative
Page 8 and 9: Children manipulate playdough to de
Page 11 and 12: At the start of 2013 Senior Schools

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