Middle Years

Year 8 YOLO Day and After-School Academic Assistance

Last week the Year 8's successfully completed their first YOLO Day, surfing and stand-up paddle boarding. Mr Horne, Mr Monk, Mrs Malseed and I all observed the Year 8s in both activities and it was noticeable the way they worked together and made each activity fun. We encouraged the Year 8s to reflect upon their experiences, to learn from these out of classroom activities and identify what skills/ideas/strategies they could apply to the classroom. In their reflections, students mentioned, “valuing teamwork,” “keep on going, even after you fail,” “listening to others’ opinions,” and to “remember sunscreen, even on an overcast day!”  

Allowing the students time to reflect on their experiences makes the learning process more conscious and efficient. The Year 8s became active learners through the reflective process, which is often quite private, being made more specific and explicit. I was really proud of the Year 8s last week and look forward to their future development as part of the YOLO program next term and beyond.

Also, a reminder that at the Senior School, each Monday to Thursday afternoon we offer Academic Assistance in the library. This is run from 3.45-5.30 pm and is a supervised study session. This is available to all Senior School students (Year 7-12). On Monday afternoons, a Maths teacher is onsite to offer help and each Thursday afternoon an English teacher is available. Students are free to work on any homework they need but may choose to focus on a specific subject. 

Some of the Middle Years students have been using this after-school Academic Assistance, but it would be good to see more utilising this resource. For Middle Years students this can be a useful time to complete homework and/or seek help for a specific subject. The teachers on duty are there to support all students, please just go up and ask for assistance. 

If students plan to use Academic Assistance, they must make sure they sign in (using the barcode on their record book) at the start of the session and sign out when leaving (departure can be anytime up until 5.30 pm). If students are departing early, a note from their parent in their diary is required. 

All students are welcome to attend Academic Assistance. If they would like specific help in a subject, it is worth students pre-organizing this with the specific teacher during class and then attending on the day that works for the teacher. 

Ben Hawthorne 

Head of Middle Years