Deputy Principal

Monitoring Progress – Student Dashboards

In the busyness of the school day and working week, I am mindful of the ways we can keep ourselves on track. From a student and parental perspective, our learning management system, SIMON, offers some useful options. Asking your son to display his dashboard provides a great overview. As a parent/carer and student, you can identify the number of tasks currently being undertaken and if there are any outstanding. It is a great resource for answering the questions, “Have you got any homework?” or “Do you have anything due at the moment?” A quick check of your son’s dashboard will provide immediate answers to these questions.

SIMON: Parent Access Module (PAM)

Continuing with the theme of monitoring progress, PAM provides great insight into the final products produced in class. With the option to see the work submitted by your son and to read the feedback provided by the teacher, PAM offers valuable information. Far too often, the teenage mindset goes straight towards the associated mark or grade. Reading the rubric carefully prior to commencing the task, as well as post-submission, allows students to see areas of success and growth. Conducting attendance/absentee updates and getting in touch with teachers are also key features to be utilised within PAM. If you are experiencing any technical issues with your access, please get in touch with our admin staff to reissue login details.

Maximising Our Time

With the term quickly slipping away and our sights becoming drawn to Term 4 and all the wonderful end-of-year arrangements, it is a timely reminder, especially for our Senior School Students in Years 10-12, to maximise the time they have remaining to finish positively. Some key takeaways and reminders for our young men include:

• Exam revision and preparation should be occurring now, with the most valuable resource being class time.
• Communicate with your teachers: Ask, ask, and ask some more about how you can improve.
• Be organised: In-class work/tasks, major assessments, and key resources should be organised in a manner that makes them accessible to you.
• Routine: After-school dedicated time should be structured into your busy week.
• Ask for help: If you are feeling overwhelmed or struggling, please communicate so we can put things in place to support you.
• Focus on the present: Sometimes we can focus too much on what is happening next, without focusing enough on the here and now. Focus on staying up-to-date and on top of your current demands. This will better prepare you for what is around the corner, like exams.

As discussed with a number of Senior School students last week, commitment and character are at the forefront of achieving successful outcomes. Next year is not the focus, as exciting as it may be. We live in the present, and working through one day at a time with a high level of commitment will set our young men up for success in the future.