Wellbeing Corner

With the school year now having come to an end, students will be very happy to be having 6 weeks of holidays ahead of them. They certainly deserve the break, after surviving all the things that students have to contend with, including academic pressure, navigating friendships and rapidly changing bodies. School holidays provide a very important opportunity for students to take stock of their year and recharge in preparation for the next school year.

However, as parents, this can often be a challenging time looking after children, keeping them entertained and trying to avoid them from picking up bad (sleeping/gaming/binging) habits. A number of organisations have useful tips to help parents and children get through the long summer break, including Headspace (https://headspace.org.au/assets/Uploads/Corporate/Support-your-young-person-during-the-holidays-web.pdf) and ParentLine NSW (https://www.parentline.org.au/10-tips-for-surviving-school-holidays/).

Fortians are spread across Sydney, so it can be a challenge to keep them connected during holidays, especially with the social media ban potentially affecting the ways students prefer to interact. With this in mind, please do encourage your child to plan and organise ways to catch up with their friends, create opportunities for your child to be physically active to maximise physical and mental growth, and also help them maintain some kind of routine, so that your child returns to school rested and ready.

In 2026, please do not hesitate to share with the school any concerns about your child that may have developed during the summer break, so that we can help make the transition back to the school year more successful.

Hugh O’Neill

Head Teacher Wellbeing (Relieving)