Helpful hints to help your child cope with the transition to Creagh College.
Encourage reading every day for at least twenty minutes.
When they bring home their completed timetable, make several photocopies. Stick them around the house, talk to your child about what will happen at school the following day. Make sure they have all their equipment and books packed the night before. Have a timetable in the bedroom so your child can see it first thing in the morning. Colour code the timetable, if a particular subject requires equipment give it colour to help the student remember.
Make sure they leave plenty of time to get to school as they need to get to their lockers before classes start. Tell them to stick a copy of their timetable inside their locker door.
Use your childs journal to communicate with the school. Teachers write notes in the journal to alert you of any problems.
Check the homework journal every night. If they tell you there is no homework or that they have “it all done”, probe further. Most students feel if they have their written assignments done, then they have completed their homework. Many students will leave out their learning assignments. Students are expected to go over class work each night. Look at their timetable, see which subjects they had that day, ask them to spend 10 minutes reviewing each subject whether or not they have a written assignment. During the first term of first year the recommended time to be allocated for homework is one hour each night.
Set up a homework routine every night. Set aside a quiet place with no access to mobile phone, games consoles etc. Encourage them to spend one hour studying including homework; it can be broken up into two half hour periods. Insist they spend this time each night whether or not they say they have any written homework.
Do homework the day it has been set. Students will find it easier to remember the assignment and it will stop a build up of work. If for any reason your child could not complete the homework, write a note in their journal explaining the problem.
Creagh College also offers supervised study for students after school. Application forms can be accessed here
