Senior School Report – February 23, 2017

February 22, 2017

The annual St Patrick’s College Swimming Carnival, was held on Wednesday at the Eureka Pool. The weather was perfect, warm and no rain and all the boys in the Senior school entered into the spirit of the event. Thank you.

Study skills-¦ Let’s focus on organisation.

An integral part of being a student is being organised. This is often reflected in whether or not they have a meaningful home study plan or timetable. Parents and teachers can more effectively support and mentor the boys to prepare a home study plan if we adopt a common approach.

– The steps used with the students in the senior school to prepare a home study plan are:

  1. Determine when the best time for a student to study is. Remembering you should have no other commitments during this time. So work out when you work best -“ morning, afternoon, or evening.

    – – – – – – – – – – – Warning, the best study time is the worst telephone, SMS or MSN- time!

  2. List all the activities, which cannot be changed. Include meals, favourite TV show, family time, work etc. What is left is how much time can be set aside for study. Remember boys may need to blow off steam so chill out time may also be needed, but not too much!!!

    Further, it is important to monitor the balance between part time work and study to ensure that your son’s primary focus is on the successful completion of his studies.

  3. Identify blocks of time for each subject,

  4. Set achievable targets. Set oneself a goal to achieve each session. Remember take a short break each hour (remember 50/10 rule).

  5. Although we strive to stick to the study plan one needs to be willing to be flexible and adapt it if necessary.

    Finally, if your son is getting stressed about managing the workload, he may access the range of support services available at St Patrick’s College. (Pastoral Care teachers, subject teachers, Librarian, student counsellors, Year level coordinators and myself.)

    Parent Teacher Interviews

    Parent Teacher interviews in the Senior School will take place on Tuesday February 28 and Thursday March 2.

    I encourage all parents to book in (via PAM) and arrange a time to touch base with as many of your son’s teachers as possible. This simple act is a powerful demonstration to your son that you do care, are informed and will ask questions about his academic progress. It also ensures that the partnership between the College and the parents is well and truly alive. I look forward to catching up with you all next week.

    Best Wishes

    Elizabeth Ryan