Welcome to 2020
I wish to extend a warm Hillcrest welcome to new families who commenced in the SLC at the start of the year. I apologise that I was not around to greet you during O Day. I also wish to welcome back our existing College families, and I hope that your children have settled in well and that they feel cared for and supported. My start to the year has been personally very hard, as my father was diagnosed with, and passed away from pancreatic cancer, in less than a month. Thanks to Darren Rackemann, for stepping in and leading the SLC in my absence.
Meet the Life Group Teacher
To strengthen the unity in the SLC, we are providing an opportunity for parents and guardians to meet their students' Life Group teacher. The evening will provide give an overview of the Life Group program, outline some basic College expectations, as well as giving you an opportunity to ask questions. There will also be the chance for you to meet your students class teachers in the SLC Courtyard afterwards.
Goal Setting
At the start of every year, I encourage students to set academic goals. My experience is that students are usually pretty good at setting goals, but tend to struggle with developing the strategy to achieve their goal. When setting goals, I use the SMART goals criteria – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely, as depicted below:
A goal without a plan is just a dream.Dave Ramsey.
An example may be if a student wishes to improve their English report card result from a C+ to a B-. The first step is identifying what needs to be done to improve the grade, so that the goal can become a reality. Students should look at feedback on past assessment items, previous reports and feedback from their current teacher. to identify strategies for improvement. I recommend between 3 and 5 strategies for each subject. To support your student achieve their goals for each subject, can you please ensure that goals and strategies are written down for each subject. I also encourage you to discuss their goals and strategies regularly with them,
Blessings,
Jason Day
Head of Senior Learning Community