1. Wollemi College, Key Parent Function

2.  Ian Mejia – ianmejia@wollemi.nsw.edu.auianmejia@wollemi.nsw.edu.au  Class Secretary – Matthew Seecy  Class Sub-secretary – Jeremy Benacer

3.  Academic Goals  Regular study, routines, and habits.  Professional presentation and communication  Increasing time spent studying  Decreasing distractions  Starting assignments early  Effective use of the diary

4.  Formational  Our best work at all times  Do the small things well  Leadership and example  Impulse control  Embracing responsibility ▪ Over their results, their time management, their decisions.

5.  Spiritual  Mass, and its importance  Regular use of confession  Reflection  Prayer  Virtues  Year of faith

6.  Assessment booklets have approximate dates.  Also includes assessment policy and procedures for misadventure and malpractice.  Encourage them to plan for the whole year.  Essential for them to build this skill going into year 11.

7.  The expectation is 2.5 hours per night.  Build up to it, difficult to suddenly do this amount.  Be wary of students who have never studied before and guide them.  A quiet room to study with minimal distractions

8.  Make them create a study timetable and be responsible for it, catching up on lost time.  Have the timetable displayed in a prominent place in the home.  Check their timetable, make them accountable.  These habits will be vital for the following years.

9.  Necessary for most assignments  Monitor and limit their access  Have computers in a well trafficked area of the house.  They can be huge time waster and distraction if they don’t learn how to manage their own usage.

10.  Talk over choices with your son.  Try not to push them into a subject they do not enjoy.  Give them big picture guidance over their future goals.

11.  In the library at lunchtime for incomplete homework.  As well as a note in the diary for you to see.  If there is a genuine reason for incomplete homework please make a note in your sons diary.

12.  Swimimng Carnival 14 th of February  Hillzone swimming carnival 5 th of March  Football registration 9 th of March  Cross Country 19 th of March  Term 1 ends April 12 th  Term 2 commences Apirl 30 th

13.  In term 4 students will undergo a week of work experience.  This should be meaningful and in line with what they want to do in the future.  Avoid organising everything for your son, give them the initiative.

15.  80% of what you learn is lost after 24 hours if you do not revise it.  Know how you learn best. But take advantage of ALL ways  Maximise the brain’s potential to cut down on wasted study time.

16.  Study in blocks with small breaks in between. Schedule these blocks around your normal day.  Encourage them not to “wait” until they feel like studying. You never FEEL like studying.  Get off the internet. Using Facebook while completing a task makes the time taken to do the task up to 5 times longer.  Turn off all distractions! This will give you MORE time to do what YOU want to do.

17.  Visual  Auditory  Kinaesthetic Even if they are one of these, why not try all three? What are some of the techniques they can use for each of these learning styles?

18.  Myth 1: Listening to music helps me study Studies have shown the ONLY music that helps retention of information is music with NO lyrics at no more than 65 beats per minute. E.g. Baroque and classical.

19.  Myth 2: I don’t have anything to do when I get home. 80% of what you learn is gone after 24 hours. You need to keep this information fresh in your mind.

20.  Paste in sheets, organise work from the day  Complete homework.  Look through the day’s work and highlight key ideas  Work on assignments and test preparation  Make study notes, review difficult work,  Do some extra reading, extension work.  Practise extended response writing  Create posters, charts, mindmaps

21.  Myth 3: I can learn it all before the exam 30 minutes per night for each subject is 2.5 hours a week (5 subjects). 2.5 hours over a 10 week term is 25 hours. They will not cope trying to do 25 hours of cramming before an exam.

22.  Myth 4: I know how to study for exams How many of students simply copy out notes over and over again. This may have helped before, but it is not the most efficient or effective way to study. Ask your sons how they are studying, take a look at their notes.

23.  Myth 5: I work best under pressure and last minute. They may work more productively under pressure or last minute, but this is not necessarily their best work.

24.  Myth 6: Diaries are just for due dates Their diary should have not only when things are due, but when they will work on them. They should only need to open their diary to one page to know what they need to work on that week.

25.  Study  Sporting activities  Social events  Recreation  Chores  Rest time

26.  Alternatives to “what mark did you get?”  How did your exam go?  Are you happy with how you went?  Was it your best?  How was your preparation?  Which parts did you go well in?  What do you need to work on?  Do you think you can improve?

27. “Don’t be so concerned with raising a good kid, that you forget you already have one.” - Anonymous