Productive Activities for the School Holidays
We are at the end of an enormously busy and productive term. It is important for our girls to take time to rest before moving on to Term 3. However, it is also important to maintain academic momentum. This time next term, our Year 12 students will be completing their mock external exams. For students studying mathematics or science subjects, they will be examined on Unit 3 and 4. This means they will need to be independently revising and practising work from Term 4 of 2020. For all other subjects, only Unit 4 work will be examined. We wish our senior students all the best in their preparations over these next few weeks.
Other students in the secondary school may be working on some assessments, or on home properties but otherwise girls may find themselves at a loose end. Below are a few suggestions for parents of primary and secondary girls for activities that might help in keeping them productive and academically ready for Term 3.
Reflect on Semester 1
Answer these three questions:
What did I do well in the past semester?
What did I not do so well in the past semester?
What will I do differently in the coming semester?
Set personal goals for Semester 2
Set personal goals for the coming semester instead of performance goals. Personal goals are what you intend to do. Performance goals are what you intend to achieve, and we will do this in Care Group early in Term 3.
Watch educational YouTube videos
MinutePhysics (all kinds of cool physics)
CrashCourse (history, chemistry, astronomy, and much more)
AsapSCIENCE (science topics ranging from biology to psychology)
Watch documentaries
You can watch thousands of high-quality documentaries for free on the internet or television.
Improve your physical health
You have more time during the school holidays. This is a great opportunity to start sleeping well, exercising regularly, and eating healthily.
Learn a new skill
You could learn skills like:
Cooking
Drawing
Self-defence
Read
Reading helps improve your vocabulary and creativity as well as being great fun.
Take an online course
Build or fix something
Fix a broken piece of furniture or make a table. These are skills that will come in handy in the future.
Learn to manage your money
Money management is a valuable life skill.
Pick up a new hobby
You will probably feel bored at some point during the school holidays. That’s the time to pick up a new hobby like:
Juggling
Gardening
Playing a musical instrument
Dancing
Photography
Stargazing
Sell the things you aren’t using
You probably own many things you aren’t using, which other people would be willing to pay for. So hold a garage sale, or put the items up for sale online.
Achieve an athletic goal
Here are some examples:
Do 15 pull-ups in 30 seconds
Do 50 push-ups in 1 minute
Do 60 sit-ups in 1 minute
Run a kilometre under 5 minutes
Hold a plank for 2 minutes
Improve your writing skills
Writing skills are important for academic success, and they’re even more important for career success. So work on your writing skills this school holiday.
Declutter
Give away books and throw away notes and files you no longer need. In addition, clear your desk and get organized. This way, you’ll set yourself up for a fruitful upcoming semester.
Develop healthy habits
These are possible habits to develop this school holiday:
Daily reflection
Reading for 15 minutes before bed
Keeping a journal
Getting on a regular sleep schedule
Drinking more water
Improve time management skills
Get started with these three resources:
Clear your email inbox
Over the past semester, your email inbox has probably become flooded. You may even have hundreds of emails that have yet to be processed or organised.
Talk to as many adults as possible about career options
It’s never too early to start thinking about your future career. Reach out to your relatives, family friends, teachers, and neighbours. Set a goal for this school holiday of talking to at least one adult a week about career options.
Increase your typing speed
Explore these three websites to increase your typing speed:
Create checklists
For the tasks you perform repeatedly, create checklists so that you’ll save time in the long run. For example, you could create a checklist for the things you ought to do:
Every day when you get home from school
When you start preparing for an exam
Every weekend as you prepare for the upcoming week
When you’re packing your bag
Before you take an exam
It’s impossible to do all things described in this article. Besides, it is important to have plenty of fun this school holiday. Develop a realistic plan. As you follow your plan, you’ll have a meaningful, productive and fun-filled school holiday.
This article is primarily based upon: https://www.daniel-wong.com/2015/11/09/productive-things-to-do-during-school-holidays/ Updated on May 6, 2021 By Daniel Wong
Dr John Fry
Deputy Principal - Studies
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