Senior School Report – August 10, 2018

August 9, 2018

Our Year 10’s are finalising their subject selections and our Year 11’s should already have submitted theirs.- This can be a difficult time as boys navigate their way through selecting subjects that interest them and will allow them to achieve and develop, as well as helping to prepare them for life after St Patricks College.- It is important to find the balance between choosing something that will be difficult enough to provide students with growth, and yet being realistic and not choosing something to which you are not suited.- – Boys are encouraged to talk firstly with parents, to be guided by teachers and to converse with older students.- Many Year 10’s attended an interview with a staff member on either August 6 or 8, and there will be some more tomorrow morning, Saturday August 11 -“ in Lower Wilding.- You book these as you would a parent teacher interview.- It is hoped this will help students make good choices.- Students should arrive at these interviews with most if not all of their subjects selected, and use the interview as a checking process.

A couple of weeks ago I met with the Year 12’s and talked about the value of their ATAR and what is known to work best in regards to studying.- On Tuesday I will meet with our Year 10’s and 11’s and do something similar.- I have listed a few dot points below because these study techniques are relevant for all students.- As parents, we obviously try to encourage our students to do well.- It is known to be more effective to encourage efforts rather than results, to focus on the processes and effort, and to understand that ability develops and grows as the product of our efforts.

Congratulations to all of our Chris Nolan Award and Headmaster’s Excellence Award recipients on Tuesday.- It is worth noting these awards, particularly at Year 12, are the result of effort.- -Raw talent- alone does not go far without time devoted to improvement.

Last night our Year 10’s enjoyed their social with Loreto.- The music was interesting -“ I was not expecting to hear John Denver’s -Country Road-.- All students appeared to have good time.

On Saturday our 1st XV take on St Kevin’s in the Rugby final.- The following Saturday our 1st XVIII will play against St Bernard’s in the Herald Shield football final.- We wish both teams and support staff well in their endeavours.

Some – study Hints

  • Use your teacher’s knowledge and every class and extra session to improve

  • Encourage your peers to do well

  • Learn from your classmates

  • Use the small amounts of time when they present (it is worth doing 20 or 30 minutes when there is a gap before-¦..)

  • Have a break for 10 minutes per hour, but stick to the 10 minutes.Best to get up and move in this break

  • If procrastination is a problem, -make a small start- , then it is easier to continue later on than still have to -start-

  • Stay off social media (especially while studying)

  • Look after your 5th subject, you may need it to be your 4th subject

  • Establish a routine and stick to it, because most of the time you won’t feel like studying

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What the research tells us about learning and improving

  • Teach others

  • Completing practice questions is better than reading and highlighting

  • Do and go over past exams

  • Space out your study-e.g. doing an hour of maths, and an hour of English, and an hour of science each day for 3 days is more effective than doing 3 hours of maths day 1, 3 hours of English day 2 and 3 hours of science day 3.

  • Do a little exam revision each day in Term 3 on Semester One work (maybe one day per subject for exam revision)

  • Eat well, especially breakfast

  • Get 8 hours sleep per night, have a regular bedtime

  • Studying without your phone gives a 20% improvement

  • Studying without music is better than study with music

  • Study without computers if they take you off task

  • Study in a quiet place

  • Less computer games the better

  • Get some exercise every day

  • Setting and sticking too short term goals that are about process will help you achieve long term goals (that you should set).