Dear parents and caregivers
I have written previously of the challenges for you in supporting your sons with online learning. We know this can be for a number of reasons: their motivation, other distractions, quality of device or internet access, need to look after siblings – we understand that there are significant challenges across the community.
What is clear, the majority of boys – around 85% are accessing their online lessons regularly. The attendance is being monitored and followed up with you – the aim being to remove barriers wherever possible for access. Thank you to those families who have been extremely patient with this.
Engagement, however, actually doing some of the work set is less satisfactory – 70% approximately have completed or submitted some of their work. We have asked our teachers to follow this up initially with a call or email to establish the issues these boys are having. We want to know where your son sits in terms of the challenges listed above that our young men are having with online learning.
Solutions may be as simple as phone call or individual Teams video meeting to clarify a starting point – we know that the workload can seem large at first but the boys need to bear in mind that they have often been given several weeks’ work. Or it may be a case of guidance on how to ‘chunk’ an assignment into manageable parts with checkpoints. This is our work on for next week with you and your sons.
NCEA – some muddled thinking apparent from our young men – “She’ll be right” attitude
We are extremely worried about a number of boys who are sitting back with an expectation that NZQA (who run NCEA qualifications and exams) will announce a reduction in qualification limits or endorsement totals.
It has been made clear that we as a school and as teachers need to look for evidence in all student work to satisfy all assessments. This is called replacement evidence (the same as using your mock exam results at school for a derived grade in external exams in November). While the school may reduce the number of assessments we offer in courses to reduce workload, that will mean it is even more essential that you have produced work towards those assessments which remain.
All the NCEA students need to remember that the work they do now is potentially evidence of learning and understanding which may be called upon later. Do not have the mindset that you can just catch it up when you come back. Classes will need to move on.
How can you help?
- Where possible, please get over your son’s shoulder when he’s on his device and see what he can show you or where he’s finding the challenges.
- Reach out to deans (see the staff contact list https://www.nbhs.school.nz/about/staff-2/) or senior masters where you’re noticing real motivational or distraction issues.
- Reach out to our guidance team (wellbeing@nbhs.school.nz ) where your son is clearly anxious or depressed about their work or workload.
Parents and teachers are in this together. Please let us help you to keep your sons on track as best as possible.
Ngā mihi
Matt Bertram
Headmaster
