PRINCIPAL'S PEN

Dear members of the Saints family

Welcome to Term 4.

The weather is getting warmer, humidity is increasing, and the wet season threatens. 

The weather this time of year signifies that, while things are certainly heating up, especially in light of external exams and assessment, we are also heading towards a time of celebration. The term has begun smoothly, and the boys seem relaxed and settled. We have had a number of significant events already, and our Year 12s head towards significant milestones in their lives.

2023 Prefects Announced

Congratulations to our 2023 college prefects who were announced during a wonderful assembly yesterday. The new prefects, listed below, are outstanding young men who will be fine leaders of St Augustine’s. You can watch the announcement of our prefects hereat the 23:22 mark.

COVID-19 Update

National Cabinet has ended mandatory COVID-19 isolation periods in all states and territories, including Queensland, from today. Of course, please keep your sons at home if they have any flu-like symptoms.

The Chief Medical Officer said that the advice supporting the decision was time and context specific, based on current community case numbers and low hospitalisation and ICU admission rates.  The CMO stated it also reflected higher rates of hybrid immunity within the community.

Goal Setting  

My thanks are extended to all staff for the professional way they undertook mid-semester reporting for your sons at the end of last term and the start of Term 4 – this includes parent-teacher-student interviews for Years 10  to 12. At our first morning parade for the term last week, I encouraged your sons to look at this written and verbal feedback and set goals. There will be time in the pastoral program in coming weeks for these goals to be formed in conjunction with their homeroom teachers. I encourage  you to talk to your sons about their goals and what they hope to improve and achieve throughout Term 4. 

Getting Ahead of Assessments and Tests

I have included advice below for exam preparation that was published last year. The advice puts into perspective assessment and may help to alleviate stress.   

This may sound counter-productive and strange. Ease exam pressure by helping them to understand that, while an exam is important, it is only one event.

a)  You can’t adequately prepare the night before so encourage your children to revise in advance. See if they can access past exams, complete end-of-chapter reviews and refer to their notes (hopefully they are well organised!).

b)  Understand the type of exam. Ensure they are familiar with the type of questions that will be on the assessment: is it an essay? short answer? response to an image? multiple choice?  This will really help to reduce test anxiety.

Short, half-hour breaks are great to decompress and reset the mind. Examples include helping prepare dinner, kicking a ball, going outside, drawing a picture. A short activity will act as a circuit breaker for the brain so that your children return to study refreshed.

TV, social media, YouTube, mobile phones and music – these are all distractions that interrupt the flow of study. Encourage self-discipline whereby they prioritise study revision. Most teenagers will argue that listening to music helps them when revising but several studies show that students who listen to music while completing tasks such as reading and writing tend to be less efficient and don’t absorb as much information compared to those who don’t listen to music.

This is tied to the above ~ distractions. The temptation to check messages from peers and on social media is often too hard to resist. I suggest that your children only check messages after an hour of solid study. A quick five-minute check of messages should be seen as a reward for study effort.

Children who sacrifice watching TV/gaming/social media for two to three hours each night to study can be rewarded for their choice. Help your children to see the purpose of study and the benefits of forgoing TV etc. Find their reward "currency" – is it going out with friends on the weekend? extra gaming time over the weekend?

The debate over the need for homework continues, but how can we ease some of that stress for our children? They will engage if they can see the relevance of the task (although not all homework will fall into this category). If your children can see a purpose for the activity, they will buy into the task.  

Ensure, where possible, that there is support for homework. For example, if an English assignment is set, make sure that your children seek feedback on their drafts. This will help them to take positive, constructive steps to improve their final copies. Also, refer to the grading/marking criteria for every assignment as this will clarify what they must include. Does your children's school offer free tutoring or study groups?  

It’s natural that your children may become anxious leading up to important exams, but the key is not to let that stress overwhelm them. As a parent, aim to be calm, positive and put the whole thing into perspective for them.

Parent Forum

Monday 24 October 2022 at 5:30pm

Parents are welcome to join me at the upcoming Parent Forum. This is a great opportunity to meet you and provide you with information and updates in a wide range of areas. The session will run for about an hour, and bookings are not required.

Tell Your Friends About Our Principal's Tour

Don't miss your opportunity to tour St Augustine's College with our College Principal, Mr Glen Seivers. Saints warmly invites parents, prospective students and boarders to join our exclusive Principal's Tour.