Welcome to Aquinas CollegeTutor Group 6B1

a.k.a. the tutor group that rocks!(Or insert your preferred phrase)

Your Tutor & Senior Tutor

Tutor: Babette Newsome-Verhoeven

Email: bnestaff@aquinas.ac.uk

Website: www.aquinasenglish.com/babette-newsome.html (password: 2014)

Your base room: F54

Where you can find me: English Office or F54 (please don’t interrupt if I’m teaching).

In case of “serious issues”:Senior Tutor: Cath Legg

Email: clestaff@aquinas.ac.uk

Where can she be found?• Business Office• Classroom F60 (down

Business corridor)

What you can expect from us:Group Tutor:

• Any questions about college life, your lessons etc. Ask me first.

• Write references for UCAS (end of L6), references for Apprenticeships, also for part-time jobs etc. BUT please ask before you put me down as a referee.

• Contact with your parents in case of any issues / problems.

• Hopefully, a friendly face & shoulder to cry on (if it all gets too much) – if you want to talk about anything that is causing you problems.

Senior Tutor:

• A bit like the Head of Year in school.

• You will see Cath at Assemblies most weeks.

• If you have a timetable issue that means changing your timetable, only ST can do this. Talk to me first & I’ll refer you on.

• If you do not attend / cause problems… you will see much more of Cath than most students.

The tutor group stuff (Core) on your timetable

Always need to attend:

Registration: Mon - Thu 11.15-11.25am in here – news, important info, opportunity to speak to me / for me to speak to you. Friday is my day off - registration will not happen – check the screens around college for bulletin.

T1: 9.00-9.30 in here (F54). Then we go to Assembly in the Lecture Theatre (finish by 9.55).

Ethics: Part of your timetable – 1 lesson a week as a tutor group.

By arrangement:

T2: A slot on timetable when both you and I are not having any lessons so we can meet.• Personal tutorial – how you are

progressing, career planning, advice on your studies etc.

• Can be just you or you with 2 or 3 friends.

• Informal “chat”.• Normally I make appointments, but

YOU can ask for an appointment if there’s something you like to discuss.

• We can arrange to meet at alternative time, if T2 slot is not convenient – sometimes I do a quick chat in registration or T1.

Study Periods / Lunch on Timetable• For every AS / BTEC (single) course that you have

signed up for – there are 5 periods of lessons a week. Aim to spend about 5 hours per week of your time studying, revising, organising notes, reading around topics etc.

• Use the Study Periods on your timetable for this. You can work in Learning Centre (quiet room / study rooms; WIFI & computers available).

• THIS WEEK ONLY: no Core apart from Registration – so no Ethics this week. Everything starts properly next week.

Attendance• Attend all lessons on your timetable (incl. T1,

Ethics etc.)• If you are unable to attend:1. Get your parents / carers to call in:

0161 419 3624 after 8.00am.2. If you know in advance (e.g. doctor’s

appointment), let Student Information know.3. Talk to the teachers about the lessons you have

missed to make sure you catch up.

“Thumbscanning”• You have your thumb print scanned to allow

you to register using the scanners in classrooms to register for every lesson / registration. Your responsibility to make sure you are registered!

• If your thumbprint is not working, you can ask for a pin code instead. Talk to Julie Hern at Student Information Desk on ground floor.

Using College PCs & MyAquinas• MyAquinas is our Student & Parent portal – it

has useful information on it, such as timetable, attendance, and guided study.

• The login for MyAquinas (via the www.aquinas.ac.uk website) is the same as logging into any network PC:

Take your student ID number (on timetable) & pass word is your dob.e.g. aq142311@aquinas.ac.uk & 01/01/1998

College’s Library & Gym

• You will have an induction for the gym (tba).• You will also have a library induction during

one of your T2 periods (tba).• You will get your library card from me – asap.

You can get a student bus pass – bus companies know that you won’t have your student id yet.

You’re 6th form students now…• Attendance, punctuality and attitude really

make the difference to your studies.• Have the right equipment with you for every

day (diary, pen, paper, books, handouts etc.).• Meet homework / coursework deadlines.

AS levels & BTEC / CTEC with exam units

• Your courses will have exams in May / June 2015.

• Results will come out in the middle of August.

• You will have lessons after exams in June, before the summer holidays.

Enrichment

Why do it?• Opportunities to learn new

things, add to your CV (good for UCAS & other applications);

• Fun• Meet people with similar

interests

Watch out for:• Taking on too much;• It must fit on your

timetable.

Useful People in CollegeStudent Information – the font of all knowledge in Aquinas

• Sue “Snoo” Snelson

• Julie Hern

Careers : Gaz & John

Any questions?

• Sorry about the information overload. This ppt will be on my webpage under the tutor group heading.

• The 6B1 notice board in F54 will also have most of the useful information.

• Please don’t hesitate to ask any member of staff if you’re unsure about anything to do with college.