From the Assistant Principal Students
Welcome to the start of our second term.
It has been a good start to Term 2. I thank the students for their efforts to get involved with learning from the first day of term.
I would like to remind students and families that they are to be in full winter uniform including their hair styles as expected and their use of jewellery. It is important to start the day on a positive note. If you are organised for the day and are in the right uniform it means you have started the day well and it is easy to continue the positive streak. If you are unorganised, out of uniform or late it means you have started the day behind and it is more difficult to catch up and move in a positive direction.
What happens if I am sick or cannot attend school?
If you are sick you are not permitted to attend school. As the Flu season starts we need to be mindful of expectations with Covid.
- If your child has any cold or flu symptoms they must stay at home and get a Covid test. The results of the test must be sent to the school ASAP.
- Any student attending school with cold or flu symptoms will be isolated and sent home for a Covid test.
- If a family member has cold or flu symptoms the family must self isolate until a negative Covid test result is given.
- Students can work online if they are at home and should continue to work while they are at home.
Mental Illness
The stigma around mental illness has disappeared and people are more willing to say they have a concern and reach out for help. One complaint that I hear on a regular bases is that mum and dad don’t understand what I’m going through. Sometimes parents don’t have a lot of knowledge about mental illness and this prevents them from fully understanding the needs of the child. There are many websites, e.g. beyond blue, headspace, black dog, that have information on mental illness to assist families in understanding what is going on.
The College have 2 counsellors, Mrs. Castle and Sister Cristina, who are available to the students and their families if there are any concerns about mental illness. Starting a conversation about what is going on is the first step in helping the young person through their difficult time.
All students have access to information on Google classroom Wellbeing page. Leaders of Learning are also available to assist students to get any assistance they require. I have put a picture in this section, which identifies how a parent can assist with mental illness. I hope this is helpful. Please don’t hesitate to contact the College if you have any questions.
Social media
On a daily basis we are dealing with issues caused on Social Media. Many of these problems occur while students are online in their free time.
Are you aware of what your child is doing on Social Media? Many parents are not aware but they need to be as they are the ones who are responsible for the Childs online behaviour. As the person who pays for the device and the connection, the parent becomes responsible for the activity online.
It is very easy for young people to post whatever they like on line and unfortunately there is a lack of maturity with many young people and this can be seen in their interaction online. Many Social media sites are designed for adults and the content is adult in nature. Parents should check the regulations of each site their child is on.
All parents should be checking the online activity of their child to ensure that they are safe online and hat the content that they send and receive is appropriate for their age.
Please contact the College if you have any concerns with online activity and your child.
What’s in the Planner?
There are many wellbeing activities in the planner that you can look at and use while you are learning online. Building relationships with teachers has been proven to be an indicator of success at school. This can be difficult online but using the Google classroom, zooms and emails is a way to maintain the relationships.
While at home, being prepared for class, listening and completing tasks is the beginning of this relationship. Asking questions and discussing learning helps build strong relationships.
Students need to use the expertise of the teacher and staff at the College. Getting feedback from the experts is not criticism but a helpful way to move forward in your learning.
Negative mind chatter can cause self doubt and anxiety. Always be solution focused and have a growth mindset. Focus on what we can control and how we can move forward when we are faced with road blocks.
Key question is
What went well this week? And why?
If you can post on your Wellbeing classroom the answer to this question, I will give you bonus house points.
The focus over the next few weeks is:
WHAT’S STRONG, NOT WHAT’S WRONG
God bless
Nick Thrum
Assistant Principal- Students