Dear Parents and Students

Although the end of the academic year is approaching English Mastery will be facilitating holiday and end of year intensives and will be open right through Christmas, but closed later in January for holidays.

Bookings are advised for Holiday Intensives.

Both 4 unit English students and 4 unit Maths students attend English Mastery. These students in particular, for quite diverse reasons, need to get ahead by using the December/January period as a fulcrum to ease pressure later in the year.

One approach is students may choose the 3 sections (there are 6 in total for Advanced and Standard) of the HSC exam paper around which they require most support and teaching. Five lessons will be offered over a negotiable time period. The intensives are available from the end of term through until 14 January. English Mastery then closes for 2 weeks for holidays and re opens the first week of Term 1 2007.

Naturally the tuition will be 1:1. This is the only real way to tutor in terms of a clear development of English students’ skills and to cater for individual needs. In 2006/2007 HSC English Mastery will be giving particular attention to:

1) Teaching students how to prepare essays for exams yet convincingly manipulate their essays to fit the question at hand in the exam paper. Examiners in the 2006 HSC were determined to discourage students from merely ‘regurgitating’ a totally prepared essay. The same syndrome is likely to occur in 2007. English Mastery wishes to avoid its students being vulnerable in this area.
2) Year 12 students need to develop dexterity when commenting about the differences and similarities in texts. I do not want to see students lacking the necessary skills to comment in a way that segues and juxtaposes an argument or intellectual position that is held back to the question asked in the exam paper. This is not as complicated as it may sound.
3) Each student will be given a lesson summary and “next step” in their program at the end of the lesson. This not only reassures students that they are doing work relevant to the exams but allows parents to gain at least some insight into our program..
4) In 2006/2007 students will be pushed with rigour to pursue the highest of standards, to ‘own’ their commitments and any work needing to be completed.
5) Feedback to parents is available on an on going basis.

English Mastery does not double up on work.
Tuition will always cover one of the following areas
a) Assistance with class work
b) Support with assessment tasks
c) Exam preparation.

Students of this generation are remarkably articulate. Parents please do not be seduced into thinking this always translates into essay writing particularly under exam conditions.

And now a “shameless plug” for English Mastery notwithstanding the fact that actions speak louder than words for both students and teacher.

English Mastery is the only independent operator that offers a qualified and experienced English teacher and HSC marker as well as skills incorporated in 10 years of working and training as a school psychologist. Fees include reasonable time spent marking and giving feedback to students. The plethora of texts chosen by a huge range of schools in Standard and Advanced English have either all been read or will be read, if need be. This is a claim to fame and makes a massive difference to students.

Check English Mastery’s website in January to see unsolicited comments and results from students for the 2006 HSC. Currently if you wish to look you will find results and comments from 2004 and 2005 HSC. For further information on English Mastery please refer to the website www.englishmastery.com.au

Please also find attached an attendance and cancellation policy.
English Mastery sincerely wishes all students and their families a refreshing and fulfilling experience over the summer break.

Warm Regards

Jonathan Hardy B.A. B.ED; Masters of Psychology. Member of the Fellowship of Australian Writers, The English Teachers Association, The Australian Tutoring Association

54 McIntyre Street
Gordon 2072
0402 825 824