Year 8

Upcoming Events

Cyber Safety Awareness Week is next week. The eSafety Commissioner has put out conversation starters they encourage all families to be utilise at home to discuss safe decision making in various internet situations. Visit their website for further information.

The Secondary School Swimming Carnival is on 18 February. Thank you in advance for ensuring permission is granted and supporting your children in taking part in this day. Their participation is encouraged and the school spirit and team building opportunities on this day are invaluable. 

This Week

Students have returned to classes and seem to be settling in well to the new school year. The Yr 8 lockers are near the back basketball court and several students are taking advantage of this opportunity to play enthusiastic and friendly games during Recess and Lunch. The excitement around handball has also continued and it is wonderful to see students organising several games across the school grounds at their breaks. 

As students complete their first full two week rotation of Yr 8 classes, they have been reminded that the expectation this year (similar to Yr 7) is 1-1.5 hours of home learning per night averaged across the week. The new Yr 8 Assessment Book has been shared with students and Tutors will be working through ICT set up and the Wall Term Planner this week to help students in making a concrete plan to ensure students are supported and prepared to reach their Term 1 goals. Parents, please be looking for these term planners as students create them this week. 

Science Club

Science Club encompasses a number of the already existing activities offered by the Science faculty, such as Engineering Club and Titration Club, and expands to take in more opportunities with possibilities including Sleek Geek and the Young Scientist Competitions, as well as being a way of disseminating information about external Science based events for interested students. Science Club meets on Tuesday lunchtimes in R2.1.

Some students have already signed up for the Engineering or Titration Club and this is part of the Science Club. The Science Club will focus on particular events at different times. All students are welcome and we would like to hear their ideas of what interests them.

Dr Prue Salter’s Study Skills Tip

With the beginning of the new year, it’s always a great time to reassess your academic approach. The key to making the most of this opportunity is focusing on the things which will bring the biggest return.

Simplify Your Organisation System

The fewer decisions you need to make, the more your thoughts and energy can focus on things that matter. Consider these four questions to determine how simple your organisation system is right now:

• Do you have good systems in place to manage and organise both the paper and digital resources for school?
• Do you have a system to make sure that all assignments and due dates are marked on your calendar / planner?
• Do you have a system to focus on what needs to be done today and not just what’s due tomorrow?

When you can answer each of these questions without thinking, you’ll know that your organisation system is simple enough to be a major asset this year.

Break the “Cram Cycle” Before it Starts

If you want to stay out of this dreaded cycle, commit yourself to doing some independent learning at least five days a week, even when you don’t have anything due the next day. Use every day as a review day, spreading out your study sessions for big tests and projects across multiple days instead of letting them pile up. This approach takes more effort initially to create these habits, but you’ll reap the benefits when you’re free of the “Cram Cycle” and the stress that follows it come finals season.

Supercharge Retention with Scientifically Verified Study Strategies

One of the best things you can do is to take a break in the middle of your study sessions. In one study psychologists wanted to find out whether there was any difference in “spacing” a study session (this means to take a break in the middle) or “massing” instead (which means that you hammer it out all at once).

The researchers took two randomly chosen, equal groups of students, gave them the same amount of study time, gave them the same material, and tested them on the material afterward. The only difference was that one group took a short break in the middle and the other group didn’t. The results were incredible. The group that studied with “spacing” did 50% better than the group that studied with “massing.” That means in the same amount of study time, you could potentially boost your retention by 50% by just taking a ten-minute break.

Learn more at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au. Our school’s subscription details are – Username: redlands; Password: 68results

Ms Alissa Ynson
Yr 8 Advisor
9968 9863
aynson@redlands.nsw.edu.au