Supporting your daughter during exams
Morning Tea with Year 6
The job of Principal is different from day to day and one of the best parts of my role is spending time with students. I am grateful to have this opportunity to enjoy conversations with students from different year levels. Last week, I hosted separate morning teas with our 6A and 6B students in the beautiful Cumbooquepa Dining Room. Mrs Claire Reynish and Mrs Tammy Gregg also attended the morning tea and joined in conversation about the history of Cumbooquepa. We learned about the highlights of the Year 6 tour to Canberra, and the names of pets (including chooks!). Our Year 6 students also identified the things they are looking forward to with regards to their transition from the Junior School to Senior School. Members of the Leadership Team are hosting student morning teas for girls in Years 7 to 12, throughout 2020.
Policy Updates
The Staff and Student Password Policy has recently been reviewed and updated. Parents can find the revised copy on MySomerville. Please be advised that passwords must be changed every three months to enhance security.
Exams Looming
Our Years 11 and 12 students are about to embark on exams, with the external exams next week for 2020’s most resilient and tenacious Year 12 students. There is some great advice for Year 12 parents on ways to support your daughters through the October/November external exam block. The best way to encourage and support your daughter throughout this period, include regularly checking-in and encouraging them to balance study with sleep and exercise.
The authors advise “to ensure your child prioritises self-care and help them put together a routine… This may involve scheduling specific times for exercise, meals and downtime each day, and breaking up blocks of study time with short breaks”.
The article’s authors also suggest that while it is important to regularly check-in, parents are advised to resist the temptation to take over or swoop in with solutions, as this may signal to the young person that their parent doesn’t believe in their ability to cope. Further, they advocate, “It is important to remember teenagers are often more resilient than we think... Research consistently shows parental monitoring that supports the autonomy of the young people is linked with their better psychological adjustment and performance during difficult times”.
In summary, ask how they are coping, listen to their answers and ask if they need your support.
“Let your actions be guided by their response,” the authors write. “If they say ‘I’m very stressed,’ ask if there is something you can do. You could say, ‘Tell me what you need to do and we’ll work it out together’”.
If parents are seeking more information, please refer to these links:
- Raising Children Network | Top tips for exam stress
- The University of Queensland’s Queensland Brain Institute | Factors affecting learning
- The University of Queensland’s Queensland Brain Institute | ‘Boost your learning’ poster
- The Conversation | Study habits for success: tips for students
- The Conversation | Studying for exams? Here’s how to make your memory work for you
Mrs Kim Kiepe
Principal