Wednesday 5 March 2025
As we traverse into the first term there is a point where we find that the pace picks up and before we know it, suddenly we are halfway through. That would be the case right now as this week signals that we are already starting the second half of Term 1.
I mentor a number of students as part of our College mentoring programme, so I can attest to many students who are juggling assessment and testing opportunities. In the discussions that I have had around this, I find that students are often told to ‘study’ but are not really sure what that process might really look like. On top of this, students are also entering a new year level and experiencing an escalation of academic and study demands.
I often offer a session where students can spend some time with me, or other teachers, to help them understand the different preparations required for different subjects. I am offering that again this term, so if you or your child think that they might benefit from some advice about study and how to get the most out of every study time, then please email me at s.lamb@kingscollege.school.nz. I’ll collate these student names and coordinate a session for them at school, during a school day in the coming weeks.
Essentially, put in simple terms, subjects can be divided into two categories: those that demand high recall to be placed to structures like essays and responses; and others which are about skill acquisition and being able to respond to scenarios or situations which test skill. English, History and Geography might fall into the first category and Mathematics and some of the Sciences would fall into the second. Each category requires a different approach when it comes to ’study’ or preparing for an assessment. If any of this sounds interesting, please contact me directly or ask your child to do the same. If we can address some of these issues early, it can help set students up for success throughout the year ahead and beyond.
Thank you to everyone who attended the recent events, such as the Lantern Festival and Headmaster’s Garden Party. It was great to see so many turn up to these College events. I encourage you, as parents and caregivers, to come along to the first parent-teacher interview. These make for great opportunities for you to meet your child’s teacher and to get some feedback and advice from staff who are experienced and experts in their field of teaching.
I wish you well for the weeks ahead and look forward to seeing you at the various sporting, cultural and social occasions in the coming weeks, including our upcoming Friends Golf Day, tomorrow’s International Women’s Day Breakfast and my Cuppa in the City informal chats.
Kind regards,
Simon Lamb