2018 HSC Results

HSC RESULTS 2018

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Year 12 Students at PLC Sydney Speech Day 2018

‘we are proud of the young women that our graduating class have become’...

All of us at PLC Sydney congratulate the Class of 2018 on their excellent HSC results. But who is it that we are congratulating? Is it just the 56% who achieved in the top 10% of the state? This is how our newspapers report the results. I say a resounding ‘No!’ We are definitely congratulating the students who achieved high rankings. This, however, is not the whole story. We are congratulating each student.

We are proud of the fact that three of the seventeen girls across the state who achieved the highest ATAR of 99.95 were PLC Sydney girls. As a Principal I want to be certain that a student can achieve the highest possible ATAR if they attend our school, however we are equally proud of students whose results give them ATARs that are not in the 90s but whose marks are much better than they were in Year 7 or Year 9. We are also proud of how healthy and positive they remained as a group over their HSC year.

These HSC results indicate the consistent hard work and thoughtful approach of students who have never walked across the stage at Speech Day. I was talking with one parent who said: ‘I never expected that my daughter would achieve 92% in Advanced English.

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She has never been in the top half of the year in that subject.’

If we dig deeper we find out that the average mark achieved across all examinations was 85%. This is a wonderful achievement by the Class of 2018. This means that the median ATAR was about 89.

We celebrate the hard work of each student. If for example we look at the subjects taught in The Croydon: Visual Arts, Textiles and Design, Design and Technology and Food Technology, we find that no student achieved a mark under 70% in any of these subjects. These are all wonderful results.

Finally, and more important than anything else, we are proud of the young women that our graduating class have become. As their Principal I am impressed by their grace and their diligence. Watching them interact at our morning tea in early December was a joy. We will follow their future vocational choices with great interest.

Dr Paul Burgis Principal

HIGHLIGHTS CONGRATULATIONS TO SALINA AI, REBEKAH KANG AND ELEANOR LAWTON-WADE WHO ACHIEVED THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE ATAR OF 99.95. WE ALSO CONGRATULATE SABENA BHADRI, JASMINE CHEN, LINA CHO, SHIRLEY HONG, SIYING (SARAH) HUANG, LAUREN MCGRATH-WILD, KATARINA KIEW, RHIANNON KUMAR, HINGIS LI, LAUREL LU, SHERIE PAN, JESSICA ROMITI, BELINDA THOMAS AND JENNIFER XU, WHO ALL ACHIEVED ATARS OVER 99.

OVERALL RESULTS • 56% of PLC Sydney students were in the top 10% of the State • 14% of PLC Sydney students (17 students) were in the top 1% of the State • 10% of PLC Sydney students were in the top 0.5% of the State • PLC Sydney ranked 17th in the State (SMH rankings - up from 21st in 2017) • 11 student were named in the Top Achievers List (i.e. they earned top 20 places in individual subjects) • 17 students were named in the Premier’s All Rounder Achievers List (i.e. scored over 90% in every subject)

TOP ACHIEVERS IN COURSE LIST The following students gained places in the Top Achievers in Course List (placing in the top 20 students in the State in their different subjects): • Salina Ai: 13th in Chemistry

• Katarina Kiew: 2nd in Chinese Extension

• Angeni Bai: 11th in Mathematics (Yr 11 accelerant)

• Elena Koskinas: 8th in Visual Arts

• Sophie Douglas: 7th in Drama

• Eleanor Lawton-Wade: 7th in Chemistry

• Siying (Sarah) Huang: 3rd in Chinese and Literature

• Eleanor Lawton-Wade: 3rd in Geography

• Katarina Kiew: 20th in Business Studies

• Claire Shi: 14th in Mathematics (Yr 11 accelerant)

• Belinda Thomas: 3rd in Music 2 Another two PLC Sydney students who studied languages at other institutions also achieved excellent results, They are: Weronika Golos: 2nd in Polish and Mariana Ioannou: 5th in Modern Greek Beginners.

PREMIER’S ALL ROUND ACHIEVERS LIST • Seventeen (17) students were recognised on the Premier’s All-round Achievers List (achieving more than 90% in all their courses ie the highest band possible in at least 10 units) • Congratulations go to: Salina Ai, Sabena Bhadri, Jasmine Chen, Lina Cho, Shirley Hong, Rebekah Kang, Katarina Kiew, Rhiannon Kumar, Eleanor Lawton-Wade, Hingis Li, Laurel Lu, Lauren McGrath-Wild, Sherie Pan, Jessica Romiti, Bernice Tang, Belinda Thomas and Jessica Wang.

PLC SYDNEY OUTSTANDING OVERALL RESULTS • Our school mean, per unit, was 42.5 out of 50 (which means that the average mark received by PLC Sydney students in the HSC was 85 out of 100, gained across all courses) PLC SYDNEY HSC RESULTS 2018

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• Band 6 results (marks over 90) or equivalents in Extension courses were achieved in 41% of all examinations sat by PLC Sydney students, in all subjects.

ENGLISH • PLC Sydney’s Year 12 collectively finished 5th in NSW in regard to their English results • 48% of our students achieved a mark over 90 in English (Advanced) • 91% of our students achieved a mark over 80 • In Extension 1 English, 90% of students achieved over 90 and 100% achieved a mark over 80 • In Extension 2 English, 29% achieved over 90.

MATHEMATICS • 41% of our students achieved a mark over 90 in Mathematics and 78% were over 80 • In Extension 1 Mathematics, 52% of students achieved over 90 • In Extension 2 Mathematics, 31% of students achieved over 90 • Eighteen students (90%) of our Year 11 Mathematics accelerants achieved excellent Band 6 results in the 2 unit paper • Fourteen students (70%) achieved E4 (the top band) in the Extension 1 paper.

The 2018 HSC cohort has achieved superb results across the board with marks up on our 2017 scores as well as being some of the highest results in the school’s history. Students have excelled in academic subjects, in the creative arts, in languages as well as in major works and performances. Our highly skilled and dedicated staff have supported, encouraged and challenged the students every step of the way. PLC Sydney is very pleased and proud of all our students and their achievements.

PLC Sydney students attained particularly fine results in English and Mathematics. In English 48% of students achieved over 90% and in Mathematics 41% of students achieved over 90%. The accelerated Mathematics program has continued to grow from strength to strength with 90% of our 2 unit students achieving Band 6 in the 2 unit Mathematics course and 70% achieving the highest band, E4, in the Extension 1 course.

Ancient History, Chemistry, Drama, English as a Second Language, Geography, Modern History, Textiles and Design, and Japanese Continuers were subjects where our examination mean was over 10% above the State examination mean.

Students were on the Top Achievers list in Business Studies, Chemistry (two students), Chinese and Literature, Chinese Extension, Drama, Geography, Mathematics (two students), Music 2 and Visual Arts.

The 2018 cohort is the second cohort to have studied some Cambridge Assessment International Education courses when students were in Years 9, 10 and 11. IGCSE Physical Science, Global Perspectives and AS General assisted many students to develop a greater depth of content and better research and writing skills. We saw the positive effect of our programs in our results in the sciences where our Physics results improved from 12.5% Band 6 results (a mark of 90 or above) in 2017 to 33.3% Band 6 results in 2018 and our Chemistry results improved from 20% Band 6 results in 2017 to 30.3% Band 6 results in 2018. Similarly, in the humanities, our English results have been our best results in many years with 48.4% of our Advanced cohort achieving a Band 6 (up from 41% in 2017). As well, Geography results improved from 22.2% Band 6 results in 2017 to 37.5% Band 6 results in 2018.

Outstanding language results were achieved, in particular, in Chinese Extension and Chinese and Literature. Music students were nominated for Encore, Drama students were nominated for OnSTAGE with one student selected, Design and Technology and Textiles and Design students were nominated for SHAPE and Texstyle with one student’s major work being publicly displayed at TexStyle and also at the Powerhouse Museum. Visual Arts students were nominated for ARTEXPRESS with two students selected to display their Visual Arts Body of Work.

All our student’s results have been outstanding and we are very proud of the cohort of 2018.

Ms Trish Pollett Head of Curriculum PK-12

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BAND SUMMARIES IN 2018 The following table is an analysis of the PLC Sydney HSC results according to the Performance Bands achieved as compared with the State averages. HSC marks are awarded according to the standard demonstrated by students.

Each decile of marks over 50 is designated as a Band between 2-6 (Band 6 is the highest Band and represents marks between 90 - 100 etc.) Extension Courses are marked out of 50. Band 4 (E4) is the highest.

PLC SYDNEY CANDIDATES

% PLC SYDNEY BAND 5

% STATE BAND 5

% PLC SYDNEY BAND 6

% STATE BAND 6

PLC SYDNEY % AVE. ABOVE STATE AVE.

STATE CANDIDATES NUMBERS

English (Adanced)

91

43

49

48

14

6.93

26,172

English (Standard)

13

31

14

8

1

8.66

30,745

English ESL

16

69

22

13

3

10.88

2,327

Ancient History

6

50

27

33

10

11.84

8,262

Modern History

20

60

31

20

10

10.3

11,197

Mathematics

59

37

29

41

22

7.59

17,859

Mathematics General 2

25

24

20

28

7

9.42

31,104

Biology

27

41

28

19

9

5.97

18,198

Chemistry

33

52

33

30

9

10.76

11,175

Physics

24

29

24

33

10

8.42

9,48543

Business Studies

33

42

29

18

8

7.13

17,819

Economics

17

47

33

29

13

9.67

5,209

Geography

8

50

35

38

8

13.14

4,480

Legal Studies

22

36

32

41

12

9.1

10,433

Chinese and Literature

12

50

58

42

13

5.69

628

Chinese Continuers

3

67

42

33

45

3.1

174

Chinese in Context

6

33

49

67

45

4.02

123

French (Continuers)

8

50

35

50

29

7.25

636

Italian (Beginners)

6

33

22

17

19

4.94

319

Italian (Continuers)

8

50

35

0

21

1.08-

242

Japanese (Beginners)

5

20

31

60

14

9.35

722

Japanese (Continuers

6

0

32

83

29

10.37

680

Music 1

6

50

44

50

21

6.9

4,486

Music 2*

2

0

50

100

42

9.65

735

Textiles & Design

7

43

32

57

14

11.48

1,457

Food Technology

10

30

22

30

10

8.53

3,219

Design And Technology

11

36

35

55

12

9.29

3,315

Visual Arts

27

37

41

41

12

7.07

8,772

Drama

12

33

29

67

14

14.09

4,226

PDHPE

21

38

26

19

7

7.93

16,152

Community & Family Studies

9

56

25

0

4

5.08

8,171

Studies of Religion II

4

50

34

0

7

6.87

6,225

SUBJECT

PLC SYDNEY HSC RESULTS 2018

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EXTENSION COURSES PLC SYDNEY CANDIDATES

% PLC SYDNEY BAND 5

% STATE BAND 5

% PLC SYDNEY BAND 6

% STATE BAND 6

PLC SYDNEY % AVE. ABOVE STATE AVE.

STATE CANDIDATES NUMBERS

English Extension 1

20

10

58

90

38

4.26

4,076

English Extension 2

7

71

55

29

17

4.54

1,531

Mathematics Extension 1

40

37.5

47

53

33

6.16

9,049

Mathematics Extension 2

16

44

52

31

33

3.70-

3,169

History Extension

5

0

55

100

24

6.13

1,793

French Extension*

7

57

44

43

38

1.95

151

Japanese Extension

4

50

48

50

42

3.28

154

Italian Extension*

2

100

52

0

41

0.50-

61

Music Extension*

2

0

29

100

67

2.71

451

SUBJECT

* Subjects marked with an asterisk (*) have very small PLC Sydney candidatures and therefore may appear anomalous.

Courses where there is only one student are not listed in the table for reasons of privacy.

HSC SHOWCASES AND EXHIBITIONS • OnSTAGE Individual Drama Performances Nominated: Sophie Douglas, Zara Khan, Lucy McSwiggan and Annabelle Moore Individual Drama Performance Selected: Sophie Douglas Group Drama Performances Nominated: Sophie Douglas, Lucy McSwiggan and Karli Musarra • ENCORE (Music) Nominated: Georgia Galanos, Belinda Thomas and Jennifer Xu • ARTEXPRESS Nominated: Maeve Kelaher, Elena Koskinas, Noa Doyle and Donna Tsang Selected: Maeve Kelaher and Noa Doyle • SHAPE (Formerly DesignTech) Nominated: Cate Caldis, Elena Koskinas, Holly Garner, Penny Yee, Olivia Beck and Chelsea Tran Selected: Cate Caldis • TEXSTYLE Textiles and Design Exhibition Nominated and selected: Cate Caldis

MAEVE KELAHER Maeve Kelaher was nominated and selected for the 2019 ARTEXPRESS exhibition, with her wonderful work Time’s Relentless Melt.

In Time’s Relentless Melt, Maeve has explored through still and time-based photomedia, the idea of Memento Mori (reflections on mortality) from her contemporary context; and how we are surrounded by reminders of decay and the passage of time.

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CATE CALDIS Cate Caldis was nominated and selected for both Texstyle and Shape exhibitions.

Cate’s textile art piece consists of an overlay of coiled cotton cording, and an underlay organza dress. Utilising both traditional and contemporary textile techniques, Cate was inspired by the historical influences of the 1970s period of architecture, specifically Jorn Utzon’s Sydney Opera House. Contemporary inspiration stemmed from Issey Miyake’s optical illusions, which is reflected in the creative processes of the garment’s construction ie the coiling technique. Traditional African basket weaving techniques are also referenced in the basket-like coiling construction method used. The result is an extraordinary haute couture garment.

SOPHIE DOUGLAS Sophie Douglas was nominated and selected to perform her riveting piece, Rhinoceros, within OnSTAGE, the HSC showcase for individual Drama Performances.

NOA DOYLE Noa Doyle was also nominated and selected for ARTEXPRESS exhibition in 2019 for her work, Thilafushi (Garbage Island) drawing.

Using the example of Thilafushi (Garbage Island) in the Maldives, Noa has explored the paradox between wealth and poverty, as seen in her striking drawings of rubbish, to highlight the socio-political impact of materialism in our modern world.

Rhinoceros, a play by Eugène Ionesco, written in 1959, explores the themes of conformity, culture, fascism, responsibility, logic, mass movements, mob mentality, philosophy and morality. Sophie, who performed the piece at PLC Sydney’s 2018 Speech Day to rapturous applause, plays Bérenger, the central character, a flustered ‘everyman’ who becomes paranoid and obsessed with the rhinoceroses.

PLC SYDNEY HSC RESULTS 2018

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HSC SUCCESS STORIES SABENA BHADRI

HYE RIN (LINA) CHO

PREMIER’S ALL ROUND ACHIEVER

PREMIER’S ALL ROUND ACHIEVER

What contributed to your HSC success?

Definitely the incredibly encouraging teachers who understood how hard it was to stay positive and motivated during the HSC year, and who truly cared about us as individuals, not just as students. My family also played a large role in supporting and helping me to stay on track towards my goals.

What is your fondest memory of your time at PLC Sydney?

Being a part of the orchestra for the PLC production of Les Mis in 2015, and experiencing the kind of magic that comes with performing and most of all being part of a community sharing the experience with you.

The most valuable lesson learnt at PLC Sydney?

I learned from the role models I had including teachers and older students that it is your character that matters, not your achievements. PLC Sydney fostered participation, mateship and kindness above all and it taught me that it is more worthwhile to strive for goodness rather than accomplishments.

HSC advice for younger students?

Make sure you know what drives you, because when motivation comes from within it becomes the most effective.

Don’t be scared of the HSC because people before you have gotten through it unscathed and there is a huge cohort going through it alongside you. More practical advice would be to stay on top of notes and content throughout the year and come up with a routine so that closer to exam time the revision becomes formulaic, and to not feel guilty for taking breaks because they are well deserved.

Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?

Hopefully finishing off my degree and interning at an engineering company of some kind, working on designing new technologies and systems. I also hope to still be meeting up with my school friends regularly.

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What contributed to your HSC success?

I’m not sure if I’d quite call it “success”... but I certainly survived it! For me, the biggest challenge was staying motivated and productive throughout the entire HSC period, especially my very long final exams, which stretched out over almost four weeks. I would try to find a sensible balance between study and rest - I took frequent breaks, went to the gym, watched some TV and got plenty of rest each night. The HSC is like a long, ten-course meal - rush too much at the beginning, and you’ll be too exhausted to finish eating everything!

What is your fondest memory of your time at PLC Sydney?

There isn’t one single memory, but the times I’ll always remember with a smile are the rare occasions when my entire group of friends didn’t have to rush off to their various cocurricular activities and instead, we all sat down and had lunch together. During these lunchtimes, we’d chat and laugh and relax, covering a vast span of topics from the most mundane to the most philosophical subjects, with plenty of jokes and giggles in between.

The most valuable lesson learnt at PLC Sydney?

Ultimately, some things are just out of your control. Learning to accept that made me a stronger person with a clearer vision of my own priorities; rather than measuring myself based on material achievements, I started to really listen to the more subtle indicators of my own success: my satisfaction with my quotidian life, my sense of belonging with my friends, and my own happiness.

HSC advice for younger students?

Pace yourself, eat and sleep well, and don’t make every stumble into a fall - dust yourself off, and keep going! At the end of the day, everyone else is in the same boat as you, and it’ll be worth it at the end.

Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?

I’d really love to be wrapping up my degree in law and on the cusp of diving into my career. As I have been accepted into Law at Oxford University, I hope to see myself standing up and speaking in court, passionate about improving and adding to our justice system.

GEORGIA GALANOS NOMINATED FOR ENCORE What contributed to your HSC success?

The teachers. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without their constant positive energy.

What is your fondest memory of your time at PLC Sydney?

Definitely spending time at the Croydon and the AKT, as well as my many great relationships with the teachers. I really enjoyed my time there.

The most valuable lesson learnt at PLC Sydney?

Follow your heart and push yourself so you know that you did your best, and you know you can never go wrong!

HSC advice for younger students?

Be open to any suggestions when teachers tell you about things - they’re there to help you! Stay motivated because it all goes by so fast and you’ll blink and it’s all over!

Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?

Hopefully finishing a degree in Design at Uni.

REBEKAH KANG SCHOOL CAPTAIN HIGHEST ATAR 99.95 PREMIER’S ALL ROUND ACHIEVER What contributed to your HSC success?

I think I’d define “success” in the HSC slightly differently to how it’s normally seen. I believe success in the HSC is about how much you’ve grown as an individual and how you’ve learned to confront challenges and manage stress. What helped me was the support of my family, friends and teachers as well as being able to really enjoy the process of learning. The HSC is a long process and the most important thing is to keep it consistent the whole way.

what you’re studying! It’s the best way to stay motivated and maintain consistency.

Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?

Probably still studying! I hope to study medicine, which is a five or six year process, so if that happens I will be partway through a uni degree!

ELENA KOSKINAS TOP ACHIEVERS’ LIST: EIGHTH IN STATE VISUAL ARTS What contributed to your HSC success?

Maintaining a balance between life outside of school and studying.

Whilst I always ensure to put 100% into everything that I do, I would not have made it through the HSC had it not been for the downtime I made sure to include in my life. Allowing myself to recharge, maintaining my hobbies, exercise and friendships outside of school, all contributed to the large amounts of effort I was able to put into my studies and my major works.

What is your fondest memory of your time at PLC Sydney?

My fondest memory of PLC Sydney would have to be my year as Art and Design Captain as I was able to develop such meaningful relationships with everyone in the Croydon, both staff and students alike. I have never felt more accepted, valued and supported in any environment at PLC Sydney. I will miss lunchtimes and all my lessons in the Croydon very much.

The most valuable lesson learnt at PLC Sydney?

The most valuable lesson I learnt was to have faith in yourself and your abilities, opinions and thoughts. Although it might sound cheesy, being able to keep your head in situations where others are trying to pull you down is invaluable and being 100% authentic, honest and true to yourself is something that I have developed during my time at the school.

HSC advice for younger students?

There are so many, but I’d have to say the entire final week of Year 12 - the celebrations and the tears.

Pour your time into things that you love to do. Passion and enthusiasm are essential keys to success, especially with study and learning. Developing an interest in the subjects you do and picking subjects that you love will allow you to remain engaged, passionate and dedicated to your work, and the results will come. Take your failures in your stride; a bad mark does not mean that you are not smart. Always be aware of your abilities and celebrate your talents that you know you have. Good luck!

The most valuable lesson learnt at PLC Sydney?

Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?

To assume the best in other people and their intentions.

I hope to be working in the design field, either freelancing with graphic design work or doing creative direction and styling in fashion. I hope to be well-travelled, independent and driven in the work that I am doing, completely surrounded by my passions of art and design.

What is your fondest memory of your time at PLC Sydney?

HSC advice for younger students?

It might sound a bit crazy, but try to find a way to enjoy

PLC SYDNEY HSC RESULTS 2018

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ELEANOR LAWTON-WADE HIGHEST ATAR 99.95 TOP ACHIEVERS’ LIST: THIRD IN STATE GEOGRAPHY, SEVENTH IN STATE CHEMISTRY PREMIER’S ALL ROUND ACHIEVER What contributed to your HSC success?

I realised that the HSC is not a measure of who is the smartest or who gets the most things correct but a measure of who is willing to fight the hardest and get back up when knocked down. I found the HSC really hard at some points, but I am passionate about learning and pushing myself to achieve. To me, HSC success is really a measure of resilience.

What is your fondest memory of your time at PLC Sydney?

My fondest memories are the interactions with the people I was lucky enough to attend school with. Whether it was the girls I went on international tours with, those who brought cookies into the common room or anyone who joined me on a sporting field or a musical stage. I had the privilege of growing up with a group of kind, intelligent, humble and hilarious girls.

Their smiles, advice and the experiences that I shared with them are the memories that will stay with me forever.

The most valuable lesson learnt at PLC Sydney?

PLC Sydney taught me that the most powerful thing you can do as a woman of the 21st Century is to be yourself.

Through the emphasis that PLC Sydney places on charities and community engagement and the opportunities provided for international service, the school taught me that each of us are blessed with gifts that should compel us to make the most of them and give back to others.

HSC advice for younger students?

I would probably give three pieces of HSC advice to younger students.

1. Failure is to be expected, it is how you respond to it that is the true measure of success. No one completes high school or the HSC perfectly. To me, those who perform at the highest levels or who are proud of their results are those who respond to failures and setbacks with maturity, resilience and an increased sense of determination.

2. Run your own race. It is easy to think that the HSC is a competition between everyone in your school or the state.

However, I believe that success is actually a measure of how effectively you achieved your own personal goals. Don’t worry about what other people are doing. Set goals that you, not anyone else, will be proud of.

3. Ask for help. No one is born with the ability to comprehend an entire syllabus or manage all emotional burdens on their own. The world is filled with people who are willing to lend a helping hand as long as you have the emotional intelligence to put your hand up.

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Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?

I am hoping to begin studying medicine in 2019, so in five years time I would be over the moon if I find myself studying and about to begin my clinical placement. Also, I have grown up and completed high school in a politically and socially volatile world. I hope in five years time I find myself in a world that is more tolerant of diversity, remembers that compassion should be at the heart of any human endeavour, puts down its guns, admits climate change is real and empowers children to make the world a better place and life a worthier thing.

HINGIS LI PREMIER’S ALL ROUND ACHIEVER What contributed to your HSC success?

Working hard throughout the year, but not too much so as to be burnt out at the start. Support from Fuel and friends was also important, as well as rest.

What is your fondest memory of your time at PLC Sydney?

Spending time at Fuel in God’s word with fellow sisters in Christ.

The most valuable lesson learnt at PLC Sydney?

That friendships and circumstances always change.

HSC advice for younger students?

To space out your workload and don’t study too much at the start otherwise you’ll be too burnt out. Group notes or finding some online to study is more efficient than wasting time and making your own. Slow and steady is better in terms of learning content throughout the year, rather than all at once.

Where do you hope to see yourself in five years time?

Still studying Psychology at university and leading Christian groups, with a wide variety of friends.

LUCY MCSWIGGAN NOMINATED FOR ONSTAGE: INDIVIDUAL & GROUP DRAMA PERFORMANCES What contributed to your HSC success?

I developed a deep love for learning and doing my best (not always of course because I’m only human) but this influenced me to stay on track with my studies. I believe that it’s close to impossible to excel in something you aren’t passionate about. When it comes to subject selection for example, you need to listen to yourself, not what others say (take advice always with a grain of salt), because in the end if you’re made to take Italian and you don’t actually

want to learn Italian, then you will struggle greatly to do your best in that subject.

What is your fondest memory of your time at PLC Sydney?

Doing the school musicals and plays. I’ve never experienced as much fun as during the process of rehearsals, opening night and performing in front of an audience - such amazing memories. The Drama department has allowed me to learn about musical theatre, and the production and commitments related to running a show.

The most valuable lesson learnt at PLC Sydney?

The most valuable lesson learnt at PLC Sydney?

I think that the ability to be confident and communicate effectively with people and audiences, has been something really valuable that I have learnt from PLC Sydney and will use for life, whether it be in daily interactions or in the workforce.

HSC advice for younger students?

My advice would be to work and study consistently throughout the year, especially in the lead up to assessment tasks and exams. Rather than procrastinate, if you can make an early start on tasks and revision, it will help you feel more prepared before the exams and reduce stress.

To be grateful. It’s easy to complain and be angry at certain aspects of the school, no school is perfect, but what I’ve learnt is that PLC Sydney provides girls with a more supportive and beneficial education than most schools. I’ve learnt to be grateful, and I showed this gratitude through involving myself and really using all the school’s facilities and help. I think gratitude is a lesson everyone can take into their everyday life, in every aspect great or small.

Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?

HSC advice for younger students?

TOP ACHIEVERS’ LIST: THIRD IN STATE MUSIC 2 PREMIER’S ALL ROUND ACHIEVER NOMINATED FOR ENCORE

In the end it doesn’t matter what ATAR you get, if you are proud and content with the amount of study/effort you put into your HSC, then you have succeeded. On another note, take every opportunity the school gives you! There is something for just about everyone and if there are no clubs or opportunities for your passions, then create a club, the school is more often than not supportive of new initiatives.

Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?

I hope in 5 years time I will be well travelled for my age, have a passion, a job, plenty of close friends, be healthy in all aspects of the word and be constantly seeking new adventures.

SHERIE PAN PREMIER’S ALL ROUND ACHIEVER What contributed to your HSC success?

I think that the strong academic foundation I built in the earlier years helped me manage the demands of the HSC. By establishing a good grasp of important skills (e.g. analytical thinking, clear expression in writing) in the years before, this made it easier for me to handle the leap between Year 11 and Year 12 as I could spend my time strengthening rather than developing those skills, especially for subjects like English and Maths.

What is your fondest memory of your time at PLC Sydney?

I would like to work in business in the future, perhaps with a background in STEM , so hopefully I can be exploring the world of entrepreneurship and startups in five years time.

BELINDA THOMAS

What contributed to your HSC success?

Getting into gear around Trials time; being able to treat this exam block as if it were the real HSC eased the pressure when it came to the real deal. Completing so many majors and creative subjects earlier also allowed me to ease the pressure by separating my HSC exams into two main chunks.

What is your fondest memory of your time at PLC Sydney?

Participating in so many (particularly musical) opportunities!

The performing arts facilities are a dream and the staff are so welcoming. Being a part of these large-scale productions, particularly Beauty and the Beast, has opened up a part of my life I never would’ve imagined.

The most valuable lesson learnt at PLC Sydney?

You get the most out of life by simply saying ‘yes.’

HSC advice for younger students?

Know yourself and pace yourself. Know what works best for you, and trust yourself.

Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?

I’m not exactly sure, but at the moment, something creative, invigorating and challenging, where I rise to the occasion.

Having been at PLC Sydney for 13 years, it’s a bit hard to pinpoint a certain event since there’s been many highlights, which include the Evandale sleep overs, the East Timor trip, surprising our Maths teacher for her birthday each year, and all the laughs I have shared with friends and staff.

PLC SYDNEY HSC RESULTS 2018 11

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