Seniors have just completed their parallel examinations and will be receiving their marked work back over the next week. It is extremely important that the girls spend time going through their returned work, reflecting on the feedback received and identifying what they need to do to be successful in the external NCEA examinations which begin in early November. 

Teachers are available to help the girls with this and a programme of tutorials will begin next term in the lead up to the examinations. It is essential that the girls take responsibility for their own learning if they are to achieve to their potential. Seeking feedback, completing practice questions, actively studying the material to be mastered and bringing questions to ask their teachers are all ways the girls can be active learners. The website created by Alana Donkin and Vanessa Sinclair has many great tips and links to support the girls as they study. With only five weeks of teaching time remaining for seniors this year students need to be in study mode now, especially if their examination results were not what they need to be. A summary report detailing the results of internally assessed standards completed and results of the school examinations will be available via the parent portal on Edge from Friday 23 September.

Over the past two weeks I have been interviewing students who will be coming into Year 9 next year. As well as talking to the girls and their parents about their learning and activities they would like to be involved with during their time here at Otago Girls’, I have also been asking about their use of social media. We are living in an ever changing world and one that is hugely influenced by technology. As a school we are grappling with how we can best prepare our students to take their place as effective global citizens in the information era, while still ensuring they are developing the physical, social and emotional skills to be happy and healthy. These things do not always sit comfortably with each other. On the one hand we are requiring that all students in Years 9 to 11 next year bring a suitable digital device to work on at school while on the other hand we are warning parents about the need to limit their daughter’s time spent on social media. We are stressing the importance of keeping their devices out of their bedrooms to ensure they are getting sufficient sleep and a break from the constant interactions with peers. This is particularly important around examination time and no less significant for girls in their senior years than it is for those in the early years of secondary school.

After a very busy term I know you will all be looking forward to a well-deserved rest. I would like to thank the huge number of parents who have supported the school throughout the past term. Winter sports, fundraising activities, cultural activities and learning support have all benefited from your help. The recent Sports Awards highlighted some of the achievements made possible through your support of the girls, with the Spanish trip to Argentina and Chile that departed today being another example of the commitment you as parents make to the learning of your daughters. With your continued support for the girls in relation to their academic achievement I am confident we will see great success in the final term of the year.