Term 3 is traditionally a very busy time for senior students as they finish internal assessments and shift to studying for external examinations. There can be a lot of pressure on students at this time of the year. Please actively check with your child how they are coping with their studies and see what you can do to assist them. There is also a lot of wellbeing information available on the school website.
I am often asked how much time senior students should be spending on their studies at home and how they can access help. Well organised study time can help students to balance their time so that they are not working into the early hours of the morning, finishing assessments at the last minute. Hopefully, the information below will help with planning.
How many hours of homework should senior students be doing?
This depends on the year level and type of course. However, most senior students should be aiming to complete, on average, two to three hours each day outside of school hours. In the senior school, this should include revising notes, completing work, and working on assessments. It should equate to about three to four hours per subject per week, although this may vary based on assessment/examination load and is likely to be higher around examination time. It is unlikely to be less than this, as revision of learning should be continual. It is a good idea for students to take short breaks every 45 minutes or so to move around before returning to study.
Please support your child with a quiet space to complete their work. Our school library has a dedicated ‘Quiet Room’ where students can work until 5pm each evening and from 7.30am in the morning, to help meet this need. It can also be useful to plan a study schedule with them as the senior examination period approaches.
Your child’s teachers are an excellent source of knowledge about your child’s learning. If you would like to check on their progress or find out specifically what they should be doing at home, please email the teacher. We value the contribution parents make to successful learning as part of our learning partnership with you.
Preparation for Senior Examinations
Study Skills Seminar: Preparation for NCEA Examinations
NCEA Derived Grade Examinations are taking place in Week 8 of Term 3. Students should be studying for these now.
Patrick Sherratt from Innervate Education will be visiting the college on Tuesday, 30 August to work with our students. Year 11 and 12 students will attend a ‘Passing Exams’ seminar aimed at helping them to develop their study skills prior to their NCEA examinations.
This year we are pleased to announce that Patrick Sherratt will also be coaching our ‘Pathway to Excellence’ Year 13 students to help them maximise their performance at the very top levels of NCEA.
Subject Tutorials for Examination Preparation
Most subjects will be running tutorials for students who need additional help, from Week 7 of Term 3 to Week 3 of Term 4. A tutorial schedule will be sent out to students and parents via email.
Option Selection
The 2023 Option Booklet and instructions for course selection have recently been sent out electronically. Hopefully, by now you have had a chance to discuss option choices and course prerequisites. Course selection has just closed at the publication of this newsletter. However, if you have not been part of your child’s course selection or would like further information please get in contact with your child’s dean.
