Angelique Sanders, Director of Student Wellbeing/Acting Deputy Head of Senior School

Dear Parents and Caregivers.

As we come to the end of the term, it’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect on what the students have achieved over the past 11 weeks. Year 7 have had a fabulous start to Senior School, showing courage by trying new activities and subjects, making new friends, and completing their first CITF. We will welcome Year 9 back from CITF tomorrow, and no doubt they will have many stories to share and most likely a desire to sleep for a few days.

Encouraging your sons to reflect and learn from this term’s experiences, including both their successes and the valuable lessons learned from any challenges faced, is a vital part of their development. Adolescence is not smooth sailing and poor decisions and failures are learning experiences that help with personal growth. Please take some time to sit with your son and review their report to celebrate their successes and discuss how they can make improvements in areas that need attention.

The holidays are an essential time for students to rest and recharge, especially our Year 12 HSC students who have just completed their assessment block. Please ensure they maintain healthy habits. Research shows that getting 8-10 hours of sleep each night is crucial for adolescents’ overall health and academic performance and holidays are a time for them to catch up. Encouraging time spent outdoors doing physical activities can significantly boost physical and mental wellbeing. Additionally, limiting screen time is vital. The temptation for our students is to spend large amounts of time gaming and staying up late. All this does is make it harder for them to return to school after the holidays. By setting boundaries on gaming time during the holidays, you can create a healthier environment that promotes rest and recovery.

We wish all the students who are embarking on tours either overseas or with in Australia safe travels as these opportunities are not to be taken for granted. We also hope you enjoy quality family time over the break.

Angelique Sanders
Director of Student Wellbeing/Acting Deputy Head of Senior School