Dear parents and guardians,

This week’s Head of Stanmore has a bit of a different feel as there are a number of administrative and homework matters I am seeking your assistance with.

Catch-up classes:

The boys have started off brilliantly and only a couple of boys have appeared on the catch-up list. Our expectations regarding homework have been made very clear and those who do not complete it will be placed on the catch-up class list and required to attend the next day. Catch-up classes take priority over all co-curricular activities. If the boys complete their work in the evening before catch-up class and show their teacher in the morning, they will be removed from the list and do not need to attend. Please support this policy and ensure your son prioritises the catch-up class. Club training is not a reason to be excused from catch-up classes.

Homework:

I recently wrote about home study environments. How is your son going with his study and routine? What was his response to his Meet the Mentor session? If you have concerns, please do not wait to see how things play out this term. If he has simply “rolled” through the last couple of years, 2020 is the time to start working with more intent and pride in his studies. Please do not hesitate to contact your son’s mentor; they will have already started their one-on-one meetings and although they may not have yet met individually with your son, they will soon.

Sickness

This is a simple one: if your son is not well, please do not send him to school.

Parking and driving around the school:

Please be careful and drive slowly when in and around the College and its surrounding streets. I also ask that you do not double park when dropping off or picking up your son/s and do not park across driveways. It won’t hurt your son to walk another 100m to the back gate.

Headphones in the car:

I will not embarrass the Year 12 student and his brother who arrived at school earlier this week and hopped out of the car with headphones on WITHOUT SPEAKING TO THEIR PARENT??. The next day they did not wear headphones in the car and instead spoke with their parent CAN WE SAY MUM OR DAD?. As parents we do not get this time back and while they may start off a little grumpy in the car, experience tells me they warm up with a well-placed question. I have spoken to new Year 7 parents and explained the value of those drives.  I also know of one Year 12 2020 parent who collected his son after his final exam last year – just so they could do the drive together one last time.

I would like to sign off with an introduction to our P&F click here.  If you are not a member of the P&F, it’s a wonderful part of the fabric of the school and I’d encourage you to put your hand up and get involved.

Have a great weekend.