Deputy Principal's Report
A Message for all Students
How do I learn?
This article is Thanks to vark-learn.com
Cognitive science has identified a number of methods to enhance knowledge acquisition, and these techniques have fairly universal benefit. Students are more successful when they space out their study sessions over time, experience the material in multiple ways, test themselves on the material as part of their study practices, and elaborate on material to make meaningful connections rather than engaging
in activities that involve simple repetition of information (e.g., making flashcards or recopying notes).
Your learning preferences can be used to help you develop additional, effective strategies for learning and for improving your communication skills.
If you want to explore better ways to consolidate your learning you could access the Academic Helpsheets below.
Students can select their particular preference(s) to understand how they should:
a) take in information;
b) use information for effective learning; and
c) communicate more effectively.
Visual Strategies Aural Strategies Read/Write Strategies Kinesthetic Strategies Multimodal Strategies
A Message to all Parents (about Resilience)
A parenting expert was asked about how to teach your kids resilience. There's three key ways.
According to Parenting Ideas founder and resilience expert, Michael Grose, “resilience refers to children’s ability to cope and bounce back from hardships, frustration and difficulties that they face on a regular basis.” Michael says that building resilience within a child is definitely a “group based thing” that “is not just about the individual child but it is about building it within families.” He said that a “resilient kid = a resilient family”. He says there are three key ways parents can help teach the skill of resilience within their children:
1. “Don’t change the situation to help the child, help the child adapt to the situation.”
Because life doesn’t always give us what we want, as an adult or as a child, we should not fix all the problems in our child’s life. Michael said that “flexibility, to ‘go with the flow’ is a terrific resilience characteristic,” because it allows children to adapt and cope with situations that might make them uncomfortable or circumstances that may not be their preference but it gives them the tools (imperative for their life as an adult) to come through it. He also specified that there are of course “extreme” factors like bullying where it is totally suitable for a parent to take a more involved role.
2. Perseverance – “Keep having a go… push through and don’t give up.”
“A resilient learner perseveres,” Michael said. They are able to keep going even if they find something hard or if they make mistakes.
A child without resilience can often be disheartened when they make mistakes or don’t get things right the first time, letting it impact their entire day. Being able to try again and not letting it get to them is an important factor in life and a key characteristic of resilience that perseverance has.
“From the resilience perspective you are better off coaching kids through some of their more challenging moments and reviewing what they may have learned for next time,” Michael said.
3. “Give kids a chance to solve their own problems.”
“As a parent, you need to resist sorting out your children’s social problems for them; rather, you need to skill them up to solve their own friendship challenges. Sometimes parents can create problems by interfering in children’s disputes.”
Michael also noted that “not everything needs to be fixed”. Often children want parents to understand the problem or issue they are facing, they want parents to “get it”, they don’t necessarily want them to “fix it.”
“The easiest way to promote resilience is to offer your child unconditional love and support; do all in your power to provide a safe, predictable family environment; look for opportunity to build your child’s coping capacities and strengths; and build your family’s proprietary language around resilience.”
You can access more information and resources on resilience on the Parenting Ideas website.
Important Events
Twilight Open Evening and Student Futures Day at Catholic Regional College Sydenham on
Wednesday 31 July 2019
The Twilight Open Evening provides students and their parents with vital information about course selection and pathway planning. It is essential that all students and at least one parent attend the evening as vital course selection information will be provided. The following information provides an overview of the day’s events:
Wednesday 31 July 10.15 am – 3.30 pm: Student Information Sessions and Student Futures Day
In the morning Year 11 and 12 students will attend the Careers Expo in The Learning Common where representatives from a range of Tertiary Providers and Employment Services will offer advice and information. During the morning they will be given a pathways document and will need to gather information and complete pathways planning. This will assist Year 11’s with subject selection for Year 12 and Year 12’s with VTAC/ Course selection.
Year 10 students from Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs, St Albans and North Keilor will be transported to Catholic Regional College Sydenham for the afternoon. Students will be placed into groups and will be presented with information regarding the full variety of programs on offer at Catholic Regional College Sydenham. These presentations will provide students with information about the subjects available for study and the career options that these subjects can lead to.
The afternoon is designed specifically for students and will provide them with an overview of the options available to them at Catholic Regional College Sydenham.
Wednesday 31 July 4.00pm – 8.30 pm: Twilight Open Evening
The Twilight Open Evening has three elements.
Learning Area Displays in the College Hall: Families are urged to visit the College from 5.00pm – 8.30pm to learn more about the curriculum offerings provided in our senior secondary pathway options at Catholic Regional College Sydenham. Sydenham specialises in senior secondary outcomes and as a result offers one of the broadest range of options including many VET qualifications that can be used to gain access to University. Students will be able to speak with current students studying subjects in each Learning Area, find out what is involved and how much homework might be on the cards, meet with teaching staff to receive valuable advice about subject requirements and course selection. We recommend that families should allow at least one full hour in order to visit the range of subject displays. Current students will also be on hand to provide insights into subject and course selection
VCAL and Apprenticeship Presentation: This presentation will occur in the St Joseph’s Centre at 6.00pm and 7.45pm. These sessions will provide an opportunity for students and parents to hear about Catholic Regional College Sydenham’s very successful VCAL pathway program. The dedicated VCAL Team will be on hand with information regarding undertaking VCAL which can include employment, apprenticeships, traineeships, studying a day a week at TAFE institutes, Universities and both Government and Private Providers. Guest presenters include VFA learning, Integrity Business College and AGA – Apprenticeships Group Australia who will be available during the evening to help families consider their choices including the possibility of incorporating a School based apprenticeship into a VCAL program.
Formal Parent Information Sessions for Year 10 families and families new to the College: These sessions will be held in Study Hall at 5.30pm, 6.15pm and 7.00pm on the evening. These are ticketed sessions with families having to book a place. A mail out will be sent to Year 10 families directly advising of how to book these sessions.
Michael Flaherty
Deputy Principal