This year we launched our Enhancement Program, providing an opportunity to work with students on study skills and to further embed the principles of the Siena Learner.

In Term 3, our focus in these sessions was on building our students’ capacity to be effective learners at Siena. Our goal is to help students develop a positive mindset towards learning and provide all students with the skills they need to achieve success. Success is not just about attaining the highest result; it is about the effort and learning that come as a result.

Early in the term, all year levels completed a self-reflection exercise within the context of the Siena Learning Framework. They were asked to think explicitly about what they are doing to help themselves learn, what new strategies they tried in Semester 1 to support their learning, how successful these have been and to then set goals for Semester 2.

For students in Years 7 to 10, the focus has been on note-taking. As adults, we may assume that students instinctively know how to take notes, but we chose to explicitly teach this skill and provide students with techniques to help guide the process. Here, we have drawn on the work of Daniel Willingham and Tom Sherrington who offer excellent advice for breaking the process down into manageable steps. We also discussed what can be done outside the classroom to facilitate the process – such as pre-reading and organising materials – as well as the importance of being an active participant in class.

Students in Years 11 and 12 have participated in sessions to support time management for study and the use of revision strategies, such as retrieval practice to enhance learning. To illustrate the need for prioritising and managing time, we demonstrated the challenges of trying to squeeze table tennis balls into a bowl of rice – not an easy task! The rice represented the many demands on students’ time (work, sports, family, friends) while the table tennis balls symbolised the schoolwork that needs to be completed – a great visual representation of the challenges they face in their senior years. Students then had time to plan their study timetable, looking ahead to exams at the end of the year.

Senior students also participated in sports and had the chance to channel their inner Raygun in a breakdancing session – a great reminder of the importance of physical activity in helping to maintain balance in students’ lives even in times of stress.

In Term 4, we will continue to work with students to develop their learning skills with a particular focus on exam and assessment preparation, as well as revision skills. The program's goal is to build students’ confidence, as well as awaken and nurture their intrinsic motivation to achieve success in whatever form that may take, both academically and personally. We encourage you to speak to your child about what they have been learning and how they have been able to utilise this in their studies this semester.