HelperElfMissy 42 Posted November 8, 2008 Author Share Posted November 8, 2008 LOL The Southern Hemisphere school year is within a calendar year - it always makes me scratch my head the other way round when I hear of finals in April/May and Summer Break in the middle of the calendar year.... that said it would be awesome if the kids were in school in the lead up to Christmas, but alas all of December they are home! Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted November 8, 2008 Share Posted November 8, 2008 The scool year is aligned to the summer break in both hemispheres. In Oz, the summer happens to be (weird, I know) around Christmas. So the long holiday, and the school year end, happens at the end of the calendar year. In NSW (where I live, and have been a teacher for 30+ years) the school year is 4 "terms" of around 10 weeks each. So, start at about end of January, go until Easter, then break for 2 weeks and go again until mid year (usually mid-late June), break for another 2 weeks then return until September and final term until late December. Final year students complete their exams over a period from early October until late November. This Higher School Certificate (HSC) exam is the end of secondary schooling and the entry examination for university. Link to post Share on other sites
yamayamayama 2 Posted November 8, 2008 Share Posted November 8, 2008 How many weeks do they get Christmas/New Year? Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted November 8, 2008 Author Share Posted November 8, 2008 Depends on your state and your school. My kids are in private school in Western Australia - they break on Dec 5 and go back to school Feb 3rd. We also have 4 terms, most 10 weeks - but 4th term is always shorter. The other 3 terms have a midterm break where they get a Fri and a Mon tacked on to a weekend to give an extra long weekend - this allows country kid to go home for the weekend (it is also a boarding school). Year 10 (15yrs) go on Venture 18 Nov - they are away 10 days, then on holidays. Yeat 11 (16yrs) finish after thier exams which see's them finish about the end of Nov. Year 12 finish school commitments as of 28th October - they only attend the exams for subjects they are doing and not always at thier own school, once they are complete they are done. Last possible day for an exam is Nov 20. Must admit as someone who loves Christmas AND snow - I think it would be awesome to have summer holidays in the middle of the year and have it snowing and kid free in the lead up to Christmas.... maybe I need to relocate to the Northern Hemisphere... Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 DET (that's Department of Education & Training) schools in NSW, and most (but not all) private schools follow the same timetable. so for 2009 (all dates inclusive) ... 2008 Summer/Christmas break Fri 19 December - Mon 26 January (Australia Day) Term 1 :- Tues 27 January - Thurs 9 April Autumn/Easter break :- Fri 10 April - Sun 26 April Term 2 :- Mon 27 April - Fri 10 July Winter break :- Sat 11 July - Sun 26 July Term 3 :- Mon 27 July - Fri 2 October Spring break :- Sat 3 October - Sun 18 October Term 4 :- Mon 19 October - Fri 18 December Summer/Christmas break 19 December ---> This year, HSC Exams for Year 12 students at end of secondary schooling were held from 16 October until 11 November (yep, that's tomorrow!) Link to post Share on other sites
klingon 10 Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 Thanks JA. Thats a nice long Christmas / New year break there! Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted November 11, 2008 Author Share Posted November 11, 2008 Japanese Oral Exam - done, thrilled with performance. Calculus Exam - done, feels OK - hard exam, but feels was a solid effort. English Exam - done, not his area, but felt it was easier than any English exam ever done before... so happy with it. Chemistry - done! The little horror sent me a text message while I was at work to say he thought he failed and he almost passed out half way through! My heart sank for him!! But the little S.H.1.T. was just stirring - he did really well. I am not surprised - his Chem teacher is a Jamaican 'Billy Connelly' - very politically incorrect, hysterically funny, and seems to teach more chemistry than humanly possible to disinterested boys. Applic Maths- Wednesday Japanese Written - following week Thursday. Two to go.. Link to post Share on other sites
veronica 2 Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 With the Japanese study do they concentrate on oral or do they actually put much effort into the kanji and writing? Well done! Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted November 13, 2008 Author Share Posted November 13, 2008 Originally Posted By: veronica With the Japanese study do they concentrate on oral or do they actually put much effort into the kanji and writing? Well done! The Head of Japanese in the Senior School is really awesome - he cracks the whip on both written and spoken Japanese. The kids learn Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji, and there is always a Japanese "Renta" at the school. (JHS Graduate who is provided with room and full board in a school accomodation in exchange for parttime work at the school - in Japanese Renta's case it is purely to talk with students in Japanese - conversation practice). My son has done the Oral Exam, just the written to go now, and a full week to study up for it! Japanese Oral Exam - done, thrilled with performance. Calculus Exam - done, feels OK - hard exam, but feels was a solid effort. English Exam - done, not his area, but felt it was easier than any English exam ever done before... so happy with it. Chemistry - done! The little horror sent me a text message while I was at work to say he thought he failed and he almost passed out half way through! My heart sank for him!! But the little S.H.1.T. was just stirring - he did really well. I am not surprised - his Chem teacher is a Jamaican 'Billy Connelly' - very politically incorrect, hysterically funny, and seems to teach more chemistry than humanly possible to disinterested boys. Applic Maths- done, very pleased with his efforts. Last one to go: Japanese Written - following week Thursday. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 Learning kanji that is cool. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted November 26, 2008 Author Share Posted November 26, 2008 OK...he is all finished. Japanese written went well, no harder than any of the in school assesments - he was well pleased. Now the wait begins........ He is filling his day with playing computer games, helping out around the house (OMG!), going wakeboarding and doing LOTS of driving lessons. He has also somehow transformed from a grumpy cleanshaven and pimply teenager to a pleasant natured ginger bearded young man - amazing to think this is my little baby. Results out just after Christmas, first round of University offers come during January (will have to get Nanna to check the mail!). Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 good how they hold off 'til after Christmas. Link to post Share on other sites
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