This document provides information for parents and students about learning in Year 8 at Loreto, including: - Key skills students will develop like note taking, critical thinking, and using the internet for research. - An overview of 21st century learning skills like collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking. - Some key terms students will encounter and their definitions. - Homework expectations of 2-2.5 hours per night, 5 times a week. - Tips for students on things like asking questions, managing time efficiently, and using marking guidelines. - Ways parents can help like assisting with organization, encouraging curiosity, and discussing current events.

1. Learning @ Loreto
Year 8
Mrs Denise Hillier
Dean of Learning Year 7 – 9
Email: learning@loretonh.nsw.edu.au

2. General Learning Skill Development Across the
Year
During Year 8 teachers will be developing
our students’ skills in the following areas:
 Note Taking
 Collaboration
 Critical Thinking/Analysis
 Judicious use of the internet as a research
tool
 Scan and Skim Reading
 Analysing Errors
 Examining perspectives
 Bibliography and Referencing
 Deconstructing Questions/Problems

3. The 4 C’s of 21st Century
Learning
Collaboration

4. Communication, using
21st century tools

5. Creativity

6. Critical Thinking

7. Some Key Terms your daughter
will encounter this year
Compare Show how things are similar or different
Evaluate Make a judgment based on criteria; determine the
value of
Investigate Plan, inquire into and draw conclusions about
Justify Support an argument or conclusion
The full glossary appears on page 41 of the Student Handbook

8. Homework
 2 or 2½ hours a night, five times a week
 Develop a routine
 No such thing as “I don’t have any homework”
Revising
Memorising (still necessary)
Preparing Summaries
Reading different text types (not just novels)
 Mark and correct errors in Maths
 Watch the news
 Good thinking is not necessarily pretty – real learning is
often messy

9. Learning Tips for Students in Year 8
 Ask thoughtful questions and listen to the answers
 Read widely, including non-fiction (the news!)
 Request help early, not last minute
 In assignments and tests, keep checking that you are
answering the question, not just filling space
 Efficiently manage time – ask your Advisor for tips
 Use the marking guideline, it works
 Concentrate on the concept, not the marks
 Get some good learning friends, who motivate one
another

10. How can a parent help ?
 Assist your daughter to organise herself to meet
deadlines
 Model curiosity and a thirst for learning
 Encourage her to accept offers of help from her teacher
 Discourage plagiarism and procrastination
 Read drafts to help identify problems but don’t solve
them
 Discuss world events, suggest alternate viewpoints
 Encourage your daughter to tell her teacher about
difficulties
 Send her to bed if she is over-tired, write a note in her
diary