We are well into the first term of 2022!
Despite the current weather obstacles and the presence of COVID, our students, whether Year 7 or Year 12, have settled themselves into learning and are focussed on the goals ahead. We do want each student to be responsible learners here at St Agnes and be aware of what is due and when.
The Assessment Handbooks have been issued to all students and I do ask that parents take some time to discuss upcoming assessments with their child. There are specific requirements around tasks, particularly in Years 10, 11 and 12. These students have been spoken to regarding the rules set by NESA and the importance of adhering to these.
A few quick points about how to be a successful learner:
Student Diary - this provides the best means by which students are able to organise their school life and parents and teachers can communicate with each other. Students are required to record each lesson’s daily home learning activities and assessment tasks in their diary. The diary is an important reciprocal tool of communication between home and school.
Student Study Timetable - this is designed with the intention to support a student’s home learning, assessment, co-curricular and personal organisation during each term. All students should be writing when their tasks are due and what activities they have organised in their life, as well as, looking at and reflecting upon the outcomes of their learning activities.
Compass - Parents are encouraged to log onto and use the Compass app - it is the school’s communication portal. Parents have been provided with a username and password. It is important to know your child’s timetable; when their tasks are due, when assessments are taking place and when ‘pressure points’ occur during the term.
Reading - All students should be reading for at least half an hour every night. Parents are encouraged to set aside a time each night to read with their child and/or to ensure that their child is engaged in reading as opposed to social media.
Regular Study Habits - Please read below for the instalment from Prue Salter.
Study Skills Tip: Prioritising using Rock, Pebbles, Sand
Do you ever find that you spend a long time doing little fiddly things then find that you have no time left for the larger tasks you need to get done?
Try this experiment. Take a jar, some rocks, some pebbles, and sand. What happens if you put the sand in first then the pebbles? The rocks won’t fit. But if you do it the other way, put the rocks in first, then pop in the pebbles around the sides of the rocks, then sprinkle in the sand it all fits in no problem at all.
What does this mean? It is an analogy for how to make the most of blocks of time. If you do the big tasks first (the rocks), you will find time for the smaller tasks (the pebbles) and you’ll easily sprinkle in the sand (the little fiddly things). So if you deal with the rocks first you’ll still find time for the other tasks to fit around it.
But it doesn’t work the other way. If you deal first with the minutiae, the small things, you end up giving short shrift to the more important tasks and deplete your energy on these little things. And the little things will expand to fill the time available.
If you find this technique too challenging, you can set yourself a strict half-hour or so to knock over as many of the little things as possible before you start. Once time is up, you then use the block of time to work on the big important tasks. So draw up a table with 3 columns and put all your work into these columns.
ROCKS are the important and urgent tasks.
PEBBLES are the tasks that may also be important but are not as urgent.
SAND is the little fiddly tasks that you can slot in anywhere.
Do the rocks first, then the pebbles, then the sand.
Another approach you might like to try is the Rule of Three.
Rule of Three Technique
- Circle the top 3 tasks that need to be done. What is most important and most urgent?
- Put them in order from 1 to 3.
- Start at the first task and complete it before moving on to the second.
- Once all three tasks are completed, look through your list again to choose the new top 3 tasks.
- Don’t cheat yourself – you have to complete fully the first task before moving to the second.
First, write a list of everything you need to do. Circle the top 3 tasks that need to be done. What is most important and most urgent? Put them in order from 1 to 3. Start at the first task and complete it before moving on to the second. Once all three tasks are completed, look through your list again to choose the new top 3 tasks. Don’t cheat yourself – you have to complete fully the first task before moving to the second.
There are many different methods of prioritising. You need to try different ones and see what works for you. You will find more in the Time Management Skills unit on www.studyskillshandbook.com.au
Learn more this year about how to improve your results and be more efficient and effective with your schoolwork by working through the units on
www.studyskillshandbook.com.au. Our school’s access details are:
Username: stagnes
Password: 24success
Mr Geoffrey Kemmis
Assistant Principal - Learning Transformation
