Boarding Update

Study time at MITS – Why is it important and what is it fostering in our students?

This year MITS has introduced a more structured Study (Homework) routine in the Senior Houses. 

Monday to Thursday, Year 8 MITS students are expected to sit down together as a group to complete assigned homework and assignments together under the supervision of either boarding staff or volunteers.  The work that is sent home to students by MITS teachers in Year 8  is geared towards all students being able to consolidate in-class learnings, and set up healthy study habits prior to them starting their educational journey at one of our Pathways Schools for Year 9.

When our students leave the MITS school program, homework and assignment work increases significantly.  Each school also has different expectations of the work that our students need to complete so that they are fulfilling their individual educational goals.  This may mean that students have varied amounts of homework to do each week, depending on their subject choices.  At MITS we want our students to understand the importance of allocating a set amount of time each day to complete assigned school tasks, and foster a love of learning.

The A-Team tutoring service currently provides support to our Year 9 and 10 students on a Monday and Wednesday.  Our A-Team goals for Term 2 are to have all students ready to start Study on time at 5pm with what they need, and to politely greet A-Team staff as they arrive. The A-Team understand that establishing trusting relationships with students is paramount to students feeling safe enough to ask for assistance with their work tasks.  It is student choice whether they need the help of the A-Team tutors on the evenings they are in Houses.

Our MITS volunteers are also integral to the success of our Study program and we feel very grateful for their ongoing support of our students.

It is so great that we are starting to see some of our students actively engaging in Study independently in their rooms on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Routines and high expectations reap rewards, well done to Boarding staff who are encouraging our students every day to value their schooling opportunities here in Naarm by doing a set amount of Study during the school week.

We look forward to seeing healthy Study habits contributing to positive student educational outcomes at all of our schools now and in the future!

Lia Bartholomew

Head of Boarding and Wellbeing