Year-end exams: Words of wisdom for parents
As spring fills the air, the countdown to the end of the school year begins. But for many students, one last obstacle stands in the way of their carefree summer: ministry exams.
Parents tend to have a lot of questions about these exams:
Is this type of evaluation really necessary when my child is only in Grade 4? Are these exams absolutely mandatory? As a parent, do I need to make a huge deal about preparing my child for their exams?
I get these questions quite often, and all it takes is a bit of clarification to ease the parent’s—and their child’s!—anxiety.
Allow me to share two anecdotes from my days as a school principal that demonstrate the importance of communicating with parents and working as a team.
School vs. extracurriculars
I remember a father who once came to see me to explain that his son, a student in Grade 6, wouldn’t get into a certain sports program if he didn’t pass his ministry exams.
Unfortunately, his son was also scheduled to play in an out-of-province hockey tournament on the day of the writing exam . . .
He was convinced I had the power to exempt his son from the exam.
I took the time to hear him out and see things from his perspective before explaining the purpose of ministry exams and the limits of my authority. He was then able to make a more informed decision about whether to let his son skip the exam.
Inconvenient vacation dates
I also recall a mom who spent every summer in Morocco with her kids to visit family. Before I’d had the chance to sit down with her to discuss the school’s expectations at exam time, she’d already booked flights on dates that didn’t work with Quebec’s school calendar. Naturally, her kids’ teachers weren’t thrilled.
I took it upon myself to arrange a meeting with her, and we ended up getting along swimmingly!
She got into the habit of calling me before booking her travel dates.
Schools are aware of exam dates in advance. It’s important to share them with parents so that their kids don’t miss their year-end exams
So, what should a parent’s role be? Parents should understand that ministry exams only test material that has been covered during the school year. In other words, nothing should come as a surprise to your child. The amount of preparation they need to do will vary depending on the subject.
Here are my top tips!
What you can do:
- Emphasize the importance of going to class and being on time
- Aim for consistency in your child’s routines
- Maintain a healthy family lifestyle (i.e., hours of sleep, physical activity, and diet)
- Trust the school’s staff to provide your child with support and guidance during this busy time of year
Lastly, try to think of evaluations as a snapshot of what your child has learned. Ideally, they give students a chance to show off their knowledge. Your number one responsibility is to help your child feel as prepared and confident as possible. After that, it’s up to them to smile when it’s time to take that photo!
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