Mr Peter McLellan | Head of Secondary

We are now in Week 9 of Term 2; we are nearly halfway through the year.  It has been an unusual year which we have learnt a lot through.

Next week we will be running NAIDOC Week where we want to focus on valuing and learning about the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander peoples.

We are also heading into a very important time for Year 12 who need to remain focused and motivated.  The upcoming holidays are vital for completion of study notes, completing Major Works and catching up on any difficult areas.  Please keep Year 12 in your prayers.

Certain key practices will make life easier for everyone in the family when it comes to study time and study organisation.  However, some of them may require an adjustment for other members of the family. 

Turn off the Television. Make a house rule, depending on the location of the set, that when it is study time, it is “no TV” time.  A television set that is on will draw youngsters like bees to honey.

What about other audio devices?  Should it be on or off?  Contrary to what many specialists say, some youngsters do seem to function alright with their device tuned into their favourite music. 

Designate specific areas for homework and studying. Possibilities include the child’s room or the kitchen or dining room table.  Eliminate as much distraction as possible.  Since many young people will study in their own rooms, function becomes more important than beauty.  Most desks for young people really don’t have sufficient space to spread out materials.  A table that allows for all necessary supplies such as pencils, pens, paper, books, and other essentials works extremely well.  Consider placing a bulletin/planner board in your child’s room.  Encourage the use of a small book or pad for writing down assignments so that there is no confusion about when certain assignments must be handed in to the teacher. Keeping general supplies on hand is important.  Check with your child about their needs.  In fact, make it their responsibility to be well supplied with paper, pencils, note pads, notebook paper, etc.

Regularity is a key factor in academic success. Try to organise the household so that dinner is served at a standard time, and once it and family discussions are over, it’s time to crack the books.  If the student doesn’t have other commitments and gets home reasonably early from school, some homework can be done before dinner.

Consider your child’s developmental level when setting the amount of time for homework.  While Secondary School students can focus for over an hour, allow your child to take breaks, perhaps as a reward for finishing a section of the work.

Organise study and homework projects.  Get a large planner/calendar, one that allows space for jotting down things in the daily boxes.  Have your child use a bold colour felt tip pen to mark exam dates in one colour, reports that are coming due in a different colour, etc.  This will serve as a reminder so that things aren’t set aside until the last dangerous moment.

Teach your child that studying is more than just doing homework assignments.  One of the most misunderstood aspects of schoolwork is the difference between studying and doing homework assignments.  Encourage your child to do things like:

· take notes as they are reading a chapter

· learn to skim material

· learn to study tables and charts

· learn to summarise what they have read in their own words

· learn to make their own flashcards for quick review of dates, formulas, spelling words, etc

Note-taking is a critical skill and should be developed.  Many students don’t know how to take notes in those classes that require them.  Some feel they have to write down every word the teacher says.  Others have wisely realised the value of an outline form of note taking.  Well prepared teachers present their material in a format that lends itself to outline form note taking.

Should notes ever be rewritten?  In some cases they should be, particularly if a lot of material was covered, and the student had to write quickly but lacks speed and organisation.  Rewriting notes takes time, but it can be an excellent review of the subject matter.  However, rewriting notes isn’t worth the time unless they are used for review and recall of important information.

Help your child to feel confident for tests.  Taking tests can be a traumatic experience for some students.  Explain to your child that burning the midnight oil (cramming) the night before a test is not productive.  Better to get a good night’s sleep.  Students also need reminding that when taking a test, they should thoroughly and carefully read the directions before they haphazardly start to mark their test papers.  They should be advised to skip over questions for which they don’t know the answers.  They can always return to those if there’s time.  Good advice for any student before taking a test: take a deep breath, relax, and dive in.  Always bring an extra pencil just in case.

During a homework session, watch for signs of frustration.  No learning can take place and little can be accomplished if the child is angry or upset over an assignment that is too long or too difficult.  At such times the parent may have to step in and simply halt the homework for that night, offering to write a note to the teacher explaining the situation and perhaps requesting a conference to discuss the quality and length of homework assignments.

Year 12 Students

The new dates for our HSC Trial Examinations are 17 - 31 August 2020.  Our timetable is below for your information.

Please note the HSC Examinations have also been pushed back by a few days.  They will now start on 20 October and finish on 11 November 2020.

Beauty and the Beast Musical

Yes, we are back on for our musical, starting serious preparations for 14-16 October (Week 1 of Term 4).

This is such an exciting opportunity and while we have had to close down rehearsals for a whie, we are now starting up again.  There will be Wednesday afternoon rehearsals for Principals on Wednesday 24 June and Ensemble to join them Wednesday 1 July at 3.30pm - 5.30pm.

The school holidays will see us meet on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday – not everyone will be required every day, but we will be blocking some big numbers so the more we can get there, the better.

Stay tuned for a holiday schedule – it will be emailed and placed on Teams. It will of course, be dependent on MPC availability as we continue to observe social distancing and work within the Government’s COVID-19 guidelines.

Year 11 Biology class conducting water quality tests in preparation for their Field Trip.