From the Leader of Learning Wellbeing Year 8

Dear Year 8 Parents,

This Year 8 Newsletter Article is a summary of their Wellbeing Lesson on Monday, 19th October. The Lesson was designed to help with preparation for the Exam Block in Weeks 3 - 5 of this Term.

The Learning Intentions were;

1. Students to know their Exam Schedule for Weeks 3, 4 and 5
2. Students identify their top five Character Strengths and think how they could be used when studying for the exams and completing them under test conditions.
3. Students to be able to set Learning Goals for Term 4
4. Students are able to revise at home for their exams.
5. Students to understand that there are different study skills when revising for their exams

The resource we used was the Student Learning Planner; as it has a wealth of information on study habits and study skills. The first learning activity was for students to record their Exam Schedule in their Learning Planner. On the Year 8 Google Classroom on Monday, 12th October, I posted the Exam Schedule. However here it is again:

Please note:
The Geography Exam has been moved from Week 4 to Week 5 due to PAT Testing in Week 4.

R.E:
Task 4: Ways People Pray - Reflection - Term 4- Week 3
Mathematics:
Task 3 - Exam - Term 4 - Week 3
English:
Task 4 - Exam - Term 4 - Week 3
Geography:
Task 2 - Exam - Term 4 - Week 5
PDHPE:
Task 3 - Term 4 - Week 1 - Risk Taking is it always Bad?
Music:
Term 4 - Week 2 - Group Arrangement - Performance Project
Visual Arts:
Term 4 - Week 3 - Body of Artwork
Japanese:
Listening and Writing - Term 4 - Week 4
Technology:
Pinball Project - Term 4 - Week 3.

The second learning activity was for students to identify their Character Strengths using pages 10 and 11 of their Learning Planner and to think how they would use them over the next few weeks to face their challenging exams. I encourage parents to talk to their children on what they have learnt about themselves and how they can be their best possible self during the Exam Block. Turning to pages 96 and 97 of their Learning Planner students completed their reflections and self assessment of Learning Goals for their subjects. I encourage parents to have a conversation with your children and discuss their goals for the future.

Activity Four was to help students revise at home. The College Learning Planner has a wealth of information to help with home revision. On page 94, it states daily revision creates and strengthens new brain pathways. The brain thrives on looking for new patterns and daily revising in the same place and at the same time creates these patterns, making learning better. It is strongly recommended that phones and televisions are turned off. Other effective methods of studying are the use of comfortable seating and quietness in the study room. The different Learning Styles are on pages 16 and 17 of the Learning Planner. I think the most important information on these two pages are the ways of learning new information. For example, students learn from using the following methods;

10% from reading over notes
25% from hearing eg lectures
35% from seeing eg watching videos
50% from both hearing and seeing
75% from discussing and that is why questions and class discussions are so vitally
important!
85% from experiencing yourself and that’s why it is vitally important that teachers
have learning activities that have a gradual release of responsibility
95% from teaching someone else.(It does not have to be a person - many of my past students would share what they
have learnt with the family cat or dog sitting on their lap, while studying!)

On page 88 of the Student Learning Planner, there is a great section on Procrastination and Engagement. Procrastination is often caused by trying to be perfect or lacking the skills and confidence to start. The brain can process 110 bits of data per second and when students are glued to their phone, they use 60 bits. The remaining 50 bits are quickly used up, leaving too few to get started. It is important for students to remember that they must be strong! Maybe students should write this message on a piece of paper and place it somewhere near their study desk;
“Be strong, YOU control YOU, not your phone!“

Students also designed their own home study timetable. I encourage all Year 8 students to put their Timetable where they can clearly see it in their study space. On pages 144 - 147 of the Learning Planner there is a variety of information on Study Skills; page 144 - deals with idea/ mind/ concept maps - which all students are familiar with as they use them constantly in class in all subjects. On page 145, there is an explanation of the importance of essay structure or persuasive writing; so vital for future academic years. Page 146 contains a list of the Glossary of Terms, which Examiners use to distinguish the verbs in various exam questions - even up to the HSC! Page 147 contains the various purposes of the six writing genres which include descriptions, expositions, narratives, persuasive arguments, poetry and
procedures. The Wellbeing Lesson was jammed packed with the above essential study information and I urge all students to revise what they did in Monday’s lesson.

Please do not hesitate to call the College or email me any questions that you may
have.

Melissa Blackwell 
Leader of Learning Wellbeing - Year 8