Junior School Report – February 4, 2016

The school year has started smoothly in the St Patrick’s College Junior School. The new Year 7 students have entered the College with a good degree of enthusiasm and eagerness to get involved in the College and all it has to offer. Our teachers have worked for many hours to ensure that curriculum, class groups, timetables and materials are ready to go so as we can provide quality learning experiences for the students in our care.

The many Year Sevens that I have spoken have indicated that they are enjoying the many things that St Patrick’s has to offer. I encourage every Year 7 boy to become involved with some activity around the College, whether it be sporting, cultural or in the social justice sphere. By becoming involved in a co-curricular activity it is an excellent way for the boys to get to know other students and members of staff.

Please be aware that from time to time your son may well feel uncertain or anxious about some aspect of his schooling. This is normal and natural and every student will feel this way from time to time. It is important that parents support their sons and enable them to deal with issues without necessarily fighting their -battles- for them.

Parents can assist by ensuring that the school timetable is posted is a prominent place and that are reminded to refer to it to assist with planning and the organization of study and materials.

If you do have any concerns regarding your son’s transition to secondary schooling please contact your son’s Pastoral Tutor as a first port of call.

Pastoral Tutors:

Our Pastoral tutors (homeroom teachers) are the first port of call for any issues or concerns that parents may have regarding their son, here at St Patrick’s. All students have been issued with student diaries in which homework and other items are recorded. They will be checked weekly by Pastoral tutors and are an excellent means of communication between home and school.

Pastoral tutors are easily contactable via email and this means of communication should ensure a timely reply to any queries. All staff email addresses follow the same format e.g.: Gerard Willis Webb- gwillis@stpats.vic.edu.au, Jacinta Burge- jburge@stpats.vic.edu.au etc-¦

For a list of the Junior School Pastoral Tutors please refer to the table below:

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Year 7 Pastoral Tutors	Year 8 Pastoral Tutors
7A – Jenny Willis	8A – Luke Corden
7B -“ Jarrod Ryan	8B – Victoria Moore
7C -“ Maria Richards	8C -“ Nathaniel Winfield
7D – Nic Joosten	8D -“ Peter Brady
7E – Juri Kaczkowski	8E – Ursula Bridges
7F -“ Katrina Bird	8F -“ Melissa Delaland
7G – Tom Ferguson	8G – Louise Klopak
7H – Brett Earl	8H- Brad Murray
7I – Margaret Dodd	8I -“ Laura Fazzalari
7J – Rachel Leighton	8J – Liam Young

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iPads

The St Patrick’s College iPad program is underway and seems to be running well. Boys in Year 7 have been through a rigorous training program to skill them in the use of the device. There have been a few teething problems along the way, however there has been a great amount of support for the boys from our staff in particular, Mrs Nikki Hexter and Mr Mark Holland.

If your son is experiencing some issues with his device, please encourage him to attend one of the trouble shooting sessions conducted by Mr Holland in TRE101 each lunchtime.

A few reminders:

• Devices should be fully charged by the start of the school day. This should take place over night at home.
• During the school day devices should be stored in the student locker during recess and lunch breaks. They should be kept in the neoprene cover unless they have been asked to use them during class time.
• Students may use the iPad to check timetables and homework diary before school and between classes.- They are not to be used to play computer games at these times.
• Devices are to be taken home overnight. They must not be left in the locker at overnight.
• Students are reminded to authenticate their device (log on) when they arrive at school each day as this will enable updates and apps to be pushed to their device.
• Devices are not to be used for the playing of games or general web browsing during recess and lunch breaks.

Homework:

One of the greatest challenges facing students commencing their secondary education is the ability to manage and plan their study program. According to College Policy, it is recommended that boys in Years 7 & 8 set aside 1-1.5 hours per weeknight for study and completion of homework. An expectation of 1-1.5 hours of homework over each weekend is also a recommendation.

The development of sound study habits is of utmost importance to your son’s development as a student. It is important that your son has:

• A designated area in which to study away from distractions such as Television and computer games etc-¦
• A designated study time each night- it is of vital importance to establish a routine.
• The foresight to manage time effectively. To work around sporting and other commitments throughout the week
• The ability to record tasks for completion in the App4 Student Diary on the iPad. This takes the guesswork out of what needs to be completed on a nightly basis.

If you have any queries or concerns regarding homework or assignment work please contact your son’s subject teacher to clarify the situation.

Year 7 Camps

Year 7 camps were underway this week with boys and staff from 7BE 7F, 7H, 7D, 7G and 7J attending the log Cabin lodge near Creswick. During the camps the boys have participated in activities such as canoeing, confidence courses, leadership and teamwork activities as well as learning the College song and the College War Cry.

The camp is a very important stage in the induction process into St Patrick’s. It is an opportunity for our boys to get to know the other boys in their pastoral group, to make new friends and forge positive relationships with their teachers.

The remaining Year 7 groups will complete their camps next week:

• 7A and 7I: Monday, February 8-Wednesday, February 10
• 7B and 7C: Wednesday, February 10- Friday, February 12

Items of Value

All boys in the Junior School are reminded that any items of value should be stored in their lockers whilst at school.

Items such as phones, iPods, wallets, money and suit coats should be placed in lockers at the commencement of the school day and only removed when required.

IPads should be stored in lockers during recess and lunch breaks and only removed for classes. They must be taken home at the end of the school day.