As the end of semester approaches, it is increasingly important to maintain and improve your grades, especially with Final Demonstrations of Learning (DoL) replacing Bridge Week this year to round out the semester. For each class, the DoL could take the form of a reflection, exam, essay, project, portfolio, or any activity that shows growth and learning over the course of the semester. Following is the DoL schedule for first semester: 

Monday, January 22, 2024

Last day of classes (following the normal Monday Early Release Schedule

Tuesday, January 23, 2024 (DoL week starts)

8:30-10:00 – Period 1 

10:15 – 11:45 – Period 2 

12:30 – 2:00 – Period 7 

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

8:30-10:00 – Period 3 

10:15 – 11:45 – Period 4 

12:30 – 2:00 – Makeup period

Thursday, January 25, 2024

8:30-10:00 – Period 5

10:15 – 11:45 – Period 6

12:30 – 2:00 – Makeup period

Friday, January 26, 2024

No school for students – Staff grading day

Memorial is also offering support opportunities for students the weeks prior to DoL week (January 10-19). All activities are hosted in the Literacy Center from 12:15-12:45, with bringing a lunch encouraged (there is also hot chocolate). The schedule is as follows: 

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Study skills and time management – DoL portfolio preparation 

Thursday, January 11, 2024

Test taking strategies and managing test anxiety – DoL improvement and summative assessments

Friday, January 12, 2024

Stress and coping – Strategies for managing end of semester stress 

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Individual student DoL support – Recieve individual support in understanding your DoL schedule, along with DoL types for each course 

Friday, January 19, 2024

Individual student DoL support – continued from Thursday

Depending on the class, you may have to study for an exam, or spend time working on a project outside of class. As such, approaching the end of the semester, it is important that you spend your time wisely and efficiently while studying. Here are a few tips to help you out: 

Yes, it can be hard to put the phone away, especially coming off of winter break. However, it is really important to avoid distractions while studying. Try putting your phone in a different room and turning off notifications so you can focus on schoolwork and studying. 

1. Make a plan for yourself – With other commitments outside of school, it can be helpful to make a plan of when, what, and how long you are going to study, making up for time lost when you have other commitments on days that you are free. 
2. Make some time for yourself too – Don’t burn yourself out, especially being used to winter break still. Take 5 minute breaks every once and a while (not too often though) while you are studying. Go on a walk (bundled up of course), talk to family or friends, or just lay on the floor for a few minutes. 
3. Ask your teachers questions – If you are unclear of material, schedule, or even what the DoL is for a specific class, your teachers will be your best resource. 
4. If you are really struggling with a few concepts, talk to friends or classmates about them – learning from others the same age can sometimes make concepts more understandable, and a bonus is that teaching can be one of the best forms of learning, so you’ll be helping a friend study too. 

The end of semester can be stressful for everyone, but take advantage of these opportunities to learn, study, and really focus in these last couple of weeks to earn the best grades possible and demonstrate your learning throughout these last few months.