Efficient note taking, concentration techniques, and time management are just some of the study strategies students attempt to use on a daily basis in school. This year, the board of education and the administration have created a Haiku page for students to develop and apply the skills for school.

According to Director of Curriculum & Instruction Robert Price, rather than integrating a mandatory program into the school schedule, the administration and board of education developed “an online opportunity that emphasizes flexibility so students can find strategies that are most appropriate to their needs.”

The Haiku page includes topics such as time management, note-taking, and communication skills to offer both teachers and students “a variety of strategies we hope that they will take some time to examine what works best.”

One student, junior Kelvin Choi, studies by “review[ing] notes taken every day so that [he] will not forget what [he] learned. It will just become short term memory; therefore, it is an essential step to pass.”

“I never had the chance to carefully read the ‘Study Skills’ page on Haiku for students, but if I have the time to do so, I would definitely read before I do anything else because I know I procrastinate a bit,” Choi said, “The good thing about this Haiku page is that I can go on it when I have the chance to and when I need it.”

According to Price, the main goal of the study skills program was to give students access to strategies related to learning.

“We [the administration and the Board of Education] are hoping that students will find the time to look at the resources and reflect and plan strategies to become more efficient and effective learners.  Some of the resources will help to understand ideas related to a growth mindset or the characteristics of personal learning styles,” he said. “I am well aware of the amount of work today’s high school student must do to maintain grades and engage in a variety of learning that is much broader than 10 or 20 years ago.”

With the support of the administration and the board of education, the outline for the program was developed last summer by the Office of Curriculum and Instruction. They started to research the information in August; a draft was created and shared with teachers, supervisors, and administrators at the high school. After many edits and updates, the staff included several questions at the end of each unit that are accessible on a Haiku course.

Science supervisor Jennifer Cusmano also hopes “that students explore the different strategies with this program and find the best one that works for them.”

The office is also currently working with all seven districts to get the study skills resources to middle school students.  “It is my hope that all freshmen entering the high school in September will be familiar with the Study Skill resources in the Haiku Course,” Price said.