“We had 11 Merits List nominations –  the Band 6 list – across seven subjects by nine students, and 55 Band 5s across 42 subjects,” Mrs Dixson said.

”Corey Cutler came 3rd in the State in Automotive and Tristan Steele came 4^th.

“Jack Sharkey was selected for Shape 2018 for his Tech Project: the Walking Bike. Shape is held at the Powerhouse Museum and only 20-30 pieces are selected statewide for this display, it’s an elite showcase.”

Students came back to school on Monday for a barbecue breakfast celebration with the staff.

“There were tales of where to next and how to get there - which was great. The mood was positive and buoyant,” Mrs Dixson said.

The top two students, Alena Hardinge and Corey Cutler emailed messages to the school (see below).

Alena is currently in Sweden on exchange and Corey left on a cruise on Monday with his extended family.

The honours roll includes all-round achievement, best in course and all Band 6/E4 results.

Distinguished Achievers are students with a mark of 90 or above (Band 6) in specific subjects.

Top Achievers are students who gained one of the state’s highest places in a HSC course or VET examination and also achieved a result in the highest band (Band 6 or Band E4).

Akashya Summer Leopold – Distinguished Achiever: Music 1

Alena Rose Hardinge – Distinguished Achiever: English Extension 1, Modern History

Corey William Cutler  – Top Achiever: 3^rd in Automotive Examination (Vehicle Body). Distinguished Achiever: Music 1, Automotive Examination (Vehicle Body)

Jack Owen Sharkey – Distinguished Achiever: Industrial Technology

Jordan Neville – Distinguished Achiever: Music 1

Oscar Walter Schellhorn – Distinguished Achiever: Music Extension

Thomas Edward Ruming – Distinguished Achiever: Mathematics

Toby William Churches – Distinguished Achiever: Industrial Technology

Tristan Steele – Top Achiever: 4^th  Automotive Examination (Vehicle Body). Distinguished Achiever: Automotive Examination (Vehicle Body)

This year has been an absolute whirlwind of deadlines, midnight cramming and early morning alarms. I was so humbled to receive my final result. I am so proud of everyone in the class of 2018, regardless of marks, for completing this year together - a huge congratulations!  I am so thankful for the support of my teachers, who in a small class environment were able to provide an attentive and intuitive learning space. 

I am writing this from Sweden, where I am currently enjoying a Lions Cultural Exchange with my beautiful host family. My exchange, generously supported by the Bellingen High School P&C, will go for 6 weeks when I will also visit London. On returning home, I am deferring university study until at least semester 2, 2019 so that I can be working full time before travelling some more!

Year 12 is an extremely strenuous and demanding year, during which it is so easy for a student to align their self worth with the success of their grades. In a very competitive and tense environment, our final year can feel very draining. To all students commencing their final year and to their families and support network, I don't want to wish you just luck, I want to wish you perspective. In the midst of the stress, take a breath. Allow yourself a sleep in or the afternoon off, spend time with your family or walk along the beach, and don't feel guilty doing it. Whilst this is a not a free pass to procrastination or laziness, I really wish to encourage balance. The moment I learnt to balance school with time off, was the moment my productivity increased and my general wellbeing soared. 

When approaching study, I liked to be transparent with my peers and as organised as possible. Contributing to a class space that is supportive of one another and where everyone feels that they can get help is crucial - all of you are experiencing the same strain, study and workload. I lived off of palm cards, and I would strongly encourage taking the time at the completion of each term to summarise your topics. Any work you do early on will relieve so much of the mounting pressure towards the end of the year. Stay aware of due dates and implement a realistic study timetable which will not overwhelm you. But most importantly - your teachers are your greatest resource. They are here to help, and I know my teachers are all too familiar with receiving countless drafts and late night emails. Receiving as much feedback as possible from your teachers and peers is an absolute must!

Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes an amazing support network to get a student through to the end. Thank you to my amazing family, peers, dedicated teachers and supportive school community. To both my fellow classmates and upcoming Year 12 students, all you can do is your very best, and even then you will still be worth so much more than a final score!

The Class of 2018 are glad to see this year draw to an end. Hours of tireless study and assistance from teachers motivated us to achieve our best. Without this personal support received by students, a consequence of small classes at Bellingen High, I am sure our results may have been different. However, year 12 is not all about study, many memories were made in the final moments of high school we spent together, ones that we will remember for the rest of our lives. Whilst parties and music festivals are enticing, an even balance between socialising and study is important and is what allowed me to achieve high results. After school and holiday classes were also very beneficial kindly provided by our teachers without the usual school time distractions. Whilst support from peers and teachers assisted us at school, our parents who cooked and cleaned up after us during the late-night crams and put up with our attitudes during exam times are also to be given credit. Now with the HSC under our belt, we are ready to embark on the next chapter in our life, whether it be Uni, apprenticeships or work, we will be thankful for the opportunities Bellingen High provided us and the lifelong friendships we have established. Here is some advice to oncoming year 12 students, all you can do is your best, work hard and follow your aspirations. A FAIL is only a First Attempt In Learning. The more effort you put in the more, you will get out of it. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and if you pursue a path you enjoy and love, you will succeed.