I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our staff, students and parents for another great term and wish them a very well deserved break!

As we come to the end of this very busy Term, we reach the halfway mark of the academic year for Years 7 - 10. Traditionally this is a time of formal reporting on the progress of the students to their families and a time for positive feedback and reflection. 

I would like to share with you a personal mantra of mine that I have developed over the years; “the past is the past, there is nothing we can do to change what was, we can only focus on changing what will be.” It is important at this time to support our young people in their learning as they move forward in their educational journeys; taking pride in and celebrating their successes, supporting them with identified areas of improvement and helping them set direction for further development in their learning for the rest of the year. 

A simple yet effective approach can be sitting down with your child or young person in your care, looking over their reports and getting them to reflect on their work in Terms 1 and 2.  Some questions to ask could include:

1. What is it that I want out of St Johns?
2. What are three things that really worked well for me in Terms 1 and 2?
3. What are 2 things that didn’t work well for me?
4. What steps could I take to turn those two things around?
5. Who are the people that could help me with this? And, 
6. How and when will I know if I am successful?

Once these reflective questions have been asked and answered, I have always found it a great exercise to have our young people write these in their diaries as reminders. Another great follow up exercise is to work with them in creating specific check-in points in Term 3 to see how they are travelling with their goals. This helps to create and sustain momentum and shows genuine care and interest.

Research shows that students who have a family that is supportive and interested in their studies, perform better than equally talented students with no home support or interest. 

It’s not about doing the work with or for your child, it is about the time and presence that is generated by genuine interest and care.

If at any time you need additional support or information, please do not hesitate to contact your son, daughter or person in your care’s PALS teacher or classroom teacher via the school number. 

Again, I wish you all a safe and peaceful break and look forward to seeing everyone bright eyed and ready to go in Term 3. 

Mr James Eirth