Principals Report

Dear Fortians, Parents and Guardians,

As we approach the end of the school year, students are fully immersed in their end of year assessments, diligently completing tasks and assignments that showcase the knowledge and skills they have acquired throughout the year. Semester 2 academic reports will be available in the coming weeks through the Sentral Parent Portal. If you do not have access to the parent portal, please contact the school for your log in details. The Year 11/12 assessment period is fast approaching. This is the first assessment period for the HSC course, and we encourage students to be using effective assessment preparation strategies in the lead up, to manage the stress that can be the product of facing these challenges. Parents of Year 11, I would encourage you to re-visit the rules and procedures outlined in the HSC assessment booklet to ensure that your child is clear about the expectations around completing these tasks.

Higher School Certificate Showcase Nomination

ARTEXPRESS is a showcase of exemplary HSC Bodies of Work and celebrates student achievement in the visual arts. Congratulations to Kosta Giitsidis whose series of oil paintings ‘For my Grandparents’ has been nominated. This is a huge honour, and we wish Kosta, the best of luck for selection.

Australian Constitutional Convention

Auryn Griffiths (Year 11) was selected to represent the Fort at The NSW Schools Constitutional Convention, where students discussed the topic “Do we need to revise how we go about constitutional change?”. At the conclusion of the day, Auryn was chosen by his private and public school peers to be part of New South Wales delegation at the National Constitutional Convention (NatSCC) to be held in Canberra in March 2024. The NatSCC is a prestigious annual flagship event exploring the Australian Constitution and our system of government for senior school students in Years 11 and 12. Congratulations Auryn.

Brisbane Volleyball Championships

From the 3rd till the 10th of December, selected students from years 9 and 10 will be travelling to Brisbane to compete in the The Australian Volleyball Schools Cup. I would like to thank Tali Ezekiel for organising this wonderful opportunity for the students and to her and Carol Fentoulous for giving up their time to supervise our team. We wish the team the best of luck in the competition.

The Fortian 

Our yearly chronical ‘The Fortian’ is well underway. Congratulations to Lucas Cheung, Abigail Ouw, Gina Hong, Kit White, Owen Druery and Aria Pettinato who have been selected as our editorial team. We look forward to seeing the fruits of their labour when the magazine is printed early in 2024. Every year The Fortian is a wonderful celebration of the incredible work and achievements of our school community and I have no doubt that the 2023 edition will continue this long tradition.

Upcoming Events

Whilst the year is drawing closer to the end, there is still lots of exciting events happening at the Fort. Make sure you add these dates to your diaries.

November 20 – Year 7 Charity Committee are holding a mufit day for Indigenous Literacy Foundation

November 23 & 24 – Year 8 will take part in the Slum Survivor/Vinnies Sleepout program.

November 25 – 27 – our Silver Duke of Ed students will be out completing their qualifying hike.

November 28 – we are excited to welcome our 2024 Year 7 students to the school for their orientation day.

November 28 & 29 – M.A.D night will be a wonderful opportunity for parents to see students shine in all things Music, Art and Drama.

November 29 – Year 10 Charity Committee are holding a Crazy Sock Day.

December 11 – Year 7 Picnic Day

December 13 – Year 9 History Dance

December 14 – Kennedy Cup Winners Picnic

December 15  – The last day of term; Year 12 2023 ATAR Breakfast & annual Talent Quest.

The Year 7 Charity Committee – Mufti Day 20th Nov

On Monday November 20 (World Children’s Day), the Year 7 Charity Committee will be holding a mufti day to raise awareness and funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

Students are encouraged to wear something blue and to bring a gold-coin donation on the Monday with all funds donated to the foundation.

The Indigenous Literacy Foundation is a national charity working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities across Australia. The Indigenous Literacy Foundation is Community-led, responding to requests from remote Communities for culturally relevant books, including early learning board books, resources, and programs to support Communities to create and publish their stories in languages of their choice.

We are hoping you can support us by raising awareness and funds for this cause.

If you have the means, please consider donating to the Fort Street fundraising page in the lead up to Monday’s event!

Fundraising page: https://fundraising.ilf.org.au/fortstreethighschoolyr7charitycommittee

Thank you,

The Year 7 Charity Committee

German Master Chef Competition 2024

Mahlzeit! As a part of a unit of work about food, 8R have been learning about all about German cuisine. And on Monday, 13 November, it was time to put theory into delicious practice. Students researched and made a dish at home to bring and share with their classmates. It turns out they are all impressive cooks. After tasting home-baked pretzels, authentic Flammkuchen, various biscuits and three different apple strudels, students voted online for their favourite dishes. A big thank you to our special guest judge, Ms Salisbury.

Congratulations to the following master chefs:

• Best savoury dish – Currywurst (Deanne and Miranda-Chelsea)
• Best pastry – Nutella Berliner (Charlie, David, and Lucas)
• Best cake – Käsekuchen (Ashmit)
• Best strudel – Equal 1^st place Anne and Boris

The absolute all-out Gewinner were Luisaidh and Sophie for their beautifully decorated Maulwurfkuchen (mole cake) with a cute mole sticking its head out of its chocolate molehill.

M.A.D Night

MAD Night is happening in Week 8 – a celebration of student achievement in Music, Visual Arts and Drama! Come and check out the amazing talents of our Fort Street students. There will an art exhibition followed by music and drama performances. In the school hall from 5:30pm onwards, Wednesday 28^th and Thursday 29^th of November.

Second Hand Uniform Stall

It’s been another great year for the Second Hand Uniform Stall. It’s very much a collaboration between parents, SRC, P&C, the school and Gladys who all come together to provide families the opportunity to donate uniforms they no longer need, keeping clothes out of landfill and raising money for the SRC. 

This terrific service was set up by Sal McCausland about 7 years ago and it’s grown into a regular, once a term event with uniforms being donated throughout the year, thanks to the office staff accepting donations. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank Sal for setting up such an important service and passing on her knowledge and experience before her time as a Fort St parent ends this year.

The SRC helps out with setting up and packing away and helping customers. Charlie and Joe did a great job as our SRC reps this year and it was lovely to meet Miranda and Grace and the other SRC volunteers at our Term 4 stall a couple of weeks ago.

Gladys comes to every stall and is quick to help out when we need help with a payment or to answer questions about uniform and co-ordinates the equipment we need.

As with all things, it’s the people that volunteer that make it so much easier. A big thanks to Robyn and Monica, Jenny, Tracey and Silvana for helping out this year.

16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence – FSHS Fundraising Event

The ‘Girl Up’ leadership committee at Fort Street High school are working to promote the UN Women’s campaign ‘16 Day of Activism against Gender-Based Violence’. This campaign is linked to ‘Safe. Everywhere. Always.’ a free walking/running/rolling event that aims to raise awareness and funds to support programs around the world working to put an end to gender-based violence.

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. We, along with both campaigns, recognise the importance of activism around gender-based violence 365 days of the year, not just 16 days.

‘Safe. Everywhere. Always.’ is a call to action to come together and commit to meaningful change. Participants select the distance they intend to walk/run/roll and aim to meet their goal in the 16 day period (25^th Nov – 10^th Dec). Even if you commit to the distance you travel to and from school/work each day, the larger the group the better!

We are hoping that you will join the Fort Street community team to help us raise awareness and funds for this campaign. Joining this team is open to all friends and family members (they do not need to be a member of the school community). If you are keen to join our fundraising team or to donate, please use the link below:

https://www.safeeverywherealways.org/fundraisers/fortstreethighschool

For more information about ‘16 Day of Activism against Gender-Based Violence’, please see the following link:

https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/unite/16-days-of-activism

For more information about ‘Safe. Everywhere. Always’, please see the following link: https://unwomen.org.au/get-involved/safe-everywhere-always/

For more information about the Fort Street High School ‘Girl Up’ leadership committee, please see the following link: https://girlup.org/

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Louise Nolan via: louise.nolan@det.nsw.edu.au

Year 8 Parent Feedback Questionnaire Results

Recently all parents of Year 8 students were invited to complete a feedback questionnaire about some wellbeing issues that Year 8 commonly experience. I would like to firstly thank all the parents who completed the questionnaire. The information is very helpful in helping us to look out for any issues as they emerge and to tailor our Fortunae wellbeing lessons accordingly.

66% of students were represented by the survey responses.

Contentedness

The best news is that parents overwhelmingly felt their children enjoy or are enthusiastic about coming to school at Fort Street. Anxiety, depression and other wellbeing or mental health concerns often start to arise in early adolescence and we are very mindful of identifying this early to direct students to help. Not wanting to come to school can occur for a variety of reasons, but it is an early warning sign that there may be a bigger issue.

Peer Friendships

It is also quite normal for students to re-evaluate their friendship groups at the end of Year 7 and through into Year 8. This can be a dramatic process. Friends are a very powerful force in the lives of adolescents. The presence of a trusted circle of friends can help build resilience in young people and provide emotional support when needed.

Behavioural Changes and Mood Swings

It is normal for adolescents to experience mood swings as part of their changes into adulthood, however, having trouble coping with everyday activities, frequently seeming down, being frequently tearful or lacking motivation or interest in things they once enjoyed can all be signs of a mental health concern. There are links to a number of government funded services at the bottom of this article that are specifically established to help students. In addition to a GP or counsellor, students or parents can also contact myself or any of the school executive if they are concerned about their child’s emotional wellbeing. Any teachers working as part of the school’s wellbeing staff will ensure students are connected to people who are qualified to help.

Bullying

Thankfully, there were only 5 parents who expressed some concern in regards to bullying and only 1 parent who was aware of an experience with bullying. Bullying is taken very seriously at Fort Street and the teachers and wellbeing team work hard to prevent bullying and put in place disciplinary and restorative actions which will reduce it in the future. However, we cannot act if we are not made aware of events of bullying. If you become aware of any bullying issues, I would encourage you to report this using our bullying reporting form or encourage your child to do so.

Student Workload

Nearly 20% of parents indicated some concern about their child’s ability to manage their time to complete homework and assessments. This is concerning and will need some further investigation. Fort Street recommends that Year 7 and 8 students aim to complete around 1 hour per night. While Year 9 and 10 students aim for around 2 hours per night. There are also certain times in the term which may be busier or less busy than this. The results indicated that around 23% of students work for less than 30 minutes per night, while 26% of students work for more than 1.5 hours.

Screentime

Around half of parents were a little concerned or concerned by the use of screen time in their child’s schooling. With mobile phones and social media causing most concern. Several parents noted the use of games, YouTube and Social media being used by students in classrooms. I would strongly urge parents to report this to the teacher, Head Teacher or myself so it can be addressed as this is not permitted at Fort Street.

The eSafety Commissioner recommends a number of parental control methods to monitor online content. The DET wifi network will block most malicious content, however, students can access content through their mobile phone’s internet connection. Teacher’s will monitor this in a classroom, but the only 100% effective change is that students do not have mobile phones in classrooms.

There were also a number of important pieces of feedback about school policies, classroom behaviour and assessment tasks. These were all insightful into the experience of our Year 8 students and the information has been passed to the senior executive to begin a discussion about teaching and learning strategies used at Fort Street.

If you would like any advice about any of the topics raised in the questionnaire or would like to talk to someone about your child’s experiences during Year 8, please feel free to contact me at david.latimer@det.nsw.edu.au or (02) 8585 1600.

Kind regards

David Latimer

Year 8 Year Advisor

Important Links

Parentline  — 1300 1300 52

Beyondblue — 1300 22 4636

Headspace —1800 650 980

Kids Helpline — 1800 55 1800

References

Health Direct (2021). Emotional changes in puberty. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/emotional-changes-puberty

World Health Organization (2021, 17 November). Mental health of adolescents. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health

Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne. (n.d.) Mental health – adolescents. https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Mentalhealthadolescents/

eSafety Commissioner (n.d.) Parental controls. https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/parental-controls

ReachOut (n.d.) How to communicate effectively with your teenager. https://parents.au.reachout.com/skills-to-build/connecting-and-communicating/things-to-try-effective-communication/how-to-communicate-effectively-with-your-teenager

Year 11 Modern History Annual Museum Exhibition

On Monday 19th June, Year 11 Modern History students held their annual Museum Exhibition in the Flexible Learning Space for their Term 2 Assessment.

After many weeks of research and preparation, we were extremely excited to present our museum exhibits on the theme “Racist Regimes”. Our task was to analyse our chosen regime’s ideology, and assess the extent to which racism affected the leadership policies and lived experiences of those within the regime. 

We were honoured to visit the Sydney Jewish Museum as part of our study of the Holocaust as a racist regime. A particularly interesting part of the workshop was examining the ways Jewish resistance was warped by anti-Semitic historians, as we learnt that museums have to continually reassess secondary sources to reduce historical bias and the selection of certain information out of context. The Museum provided us with valuable information about not only the Holocaust and the impacts of it, but ways museums are important to preserving and reconstructing history and making it accessible to a wider audience.

Some regimes explored by students included Rwanda, the British Raj, the Congo, Islamophobia as a result of 9/11, and Yugoslavia. The room was transformed into creative exhibitions with meticulous hand-made designs and interactive opportunities. 

Not only was our assessment mark based on our displays, there was also an esteemed award: the People’s Choice, voted on by the parents and carers who visited on the night. We were honoured to receive this award, and of course the exclusive bragging rights, as well as breaking Ms Wark’s three years in a row record! Victory for Mr Galvin at last!! 

We’d like to thank all the parents and carers who took time out of their evenings to visit our exhibition, and the work of Mr Galvin and Ms Wark with their invaluable guidance they gave to us all throughout the process. We’d especially like to recognise Ms Wark’s fabulous baking skills that provided delicious treats for visitors of our mini-museum! 

It was an amazing and enriching experience that we are sure future years will enjoy as well! 

Year 11 Winners of People’s Choice,

Kalanie, Daniela, Ingrid and Charlotte

Geography Fish Markets Excursion

Since the start of the term the newest cohort of Fort St HSC geography students have been studying aquaculture. Aquaculture is the cultivation of marine life, including fin fish, crustaceans and other organisms that inhabit water. As part of our investigations into the economic, social and environmental impacts of aquaculture the two classes of Mr. Latimer and Ms. Jenkyn traveled to Sydney Fish Market, one of Australia’s key hubs for aquatic economic activity. On two separate days Fort St students were given the chance to see behind the scenes into how small businesses and larger corporations buy their seafood. At the crack of dawn every morning, hundreds of fishermen, Sydney Fish Market workers and business owners/delegates are part of quite the spectacle for the average geography student.

On entry to the warehouse the classes were met by a pair of very welcoming tour guides, Amelia and Mandy and a not-so-welcoming smell of freshly caught fish. At centre stage, three large screens displaying the current batch of seafood being sold, the source and the auction price. The rapidly moving clock-like structure displayed merely the price to us Fortians, but to the auctioneers it displayed opportunity. On the first day of the excursion it was relatively quiet with not much product available compared to the average day. This was due to the weather not being best suited to fishing activities. The second day on the other hand was “one of the busiest days I’ve ever seen” according to our tour guides, due to the excursion being the day before the Melbourne cup (us Aussies love our Melbourne Cup seafood). Ms. Jenkyn’s class was blessed with the sight of hundreds of kilos of marine life ranging from small crabs to some whopping 80 kg tunas. As each class ventured onto the auction floor where the product was, we all got to see the beautiful marine life which would eventually travel to someone’s plate. Cute green shrimps, ginormous tuna, beautiful fin fish and some rebellious crabs turned escapees as they scoured the market floor, were only some of the intriguing products on display.

After we were ushered out of the warehouse due to the accumulation of runners moving product, we were treated to a tour of the rest of the Fish Markets. We saw a handful of stores that sold the delicious produce, the dock where boats came in and a very large pelican scoping out the area from above. To finish off the excursion we roamed the fish markets for some much needed fish and chips, of which some chose to pair with a coffee due to the early 6:45 AM start. We later recouped outside the markets to discuss our individual findings as we were treated to some delicious Sydney rock oysters by Mr. Latimer and Ms. Jenkyn. Never would we have thought that as part of our Geography HSC course we would be given the opportunity to see behind the scenes of one of the most crucial fish markets in the Southern Hemisphere, and what an adventure it was. On behalf of the cohort, we would like to express our gratitude to Sydney Fish Markets for hosting us, and a special thanks to our kind tour guides Amelia and Mandy, as well as our beloved teachers Mr. Latimer and Ms. Jenkyn for the organisation of this excursion.

Written by Michael Rodriguez and Finn Hetherington

Volleyball NSW Schools Cup

On Monday, 6 November 2023, the Opens Girls Volleyball Team from our school participated in the Volleyball New South Wales run Term 4 Schools Cup at Genea Netball Central in Sydney Olympic Park. This is a term-by-term competition that brings teams from schools across the state together for a day filled with exhilarating volleyball games. In spite of the fact that our team consisted of only Years 9 and 10, we played up and ended up winning gold in Year 11 Division 1.

In our division, there were 2 pools totalling 6 teams, including strong competitors such as the Tempe and Sydney Girls High School opens teams. For our first game, we started off strong with a 3-0 win against St Scholastica’s College. Continuing this impressive start, we also won 3-0 against Beverly Hill Girls High School. After topping our pool, we went on to play against Sydney Girls High School in the semi-finals, continuing our winning streak with a 2-1 victory. For our final match of the day, we played against Mitchell High School for the gold medal. Despite the initial anxiety of playing in a higher division our team defeated the opponents 3-0, ending the day strongly and bringing home the gold medal undefeated.

Congratulations to the following students:

Captain Caitlyn Lu (Year 10)

Koharu Seino (Year 10)

Ashley Huang (Year 10)

Livia Zhen (Year 10)

Joan Jung (Year 10)

Abby Norman (Year 10)

Ashley Kim (Year 10)

Sophie Kilburn (Year 10)

Clarissa Memita (Year 9)

Jade Sokol (Year 9)

We would also like to thank Ms Ezekiel and Ms Cove for organising, supervising and giving us this opportunity.

Special thanks to Bianca Dodd, Mirabella Shang and Jacinda Vitolio who gave up their own time in order to coach us on the day.

Caitlyn Lu

House Musical Chairs Competition

Through the addition of House competitions for Halloween this year, we have also seen the implementation of a musical chairs competition. Last week on Friday, a junior and senior musical chairs competition was organised for any student who wanted to join. The event itself was a great success, with many students participating and cheering on their friends in both competitions. Thanks to all those who were involved and congrats to the following students for winning house points for their respective houses!

JUNIOR MUSCIAL CHAIRS

1^st – Jack Jiang (Sheikh)

2^nd – Miranda Leighton (Kirby)

3^rd – Alexander Jacquot (Sheikh)

4^th – Francis Neild (Kirby)

5^th – Anna Kepert (Mawson)

SENIOR MUSCIAL CHAIRS

1^st – Jai Dingess-Dunphy (Joshi)

2^nd – Melody Rivard-Hyde (Kirby)

3^rd – Brian Jiao (Kirby)

4^th – Juliana Nguyen (Preston)

5^th – Charlie Dey (Sheikh)

By Ali Elrifai

House Mixed Netball Competition

Across recess and lunchtimes in Week 5, the House Mixed Netball Competition took place. There was a Junior competition for Years 7-9 and a Senior competition for Years 10-11. The Houses played-off against each other in a Round Robin on the outdoor courts. With high participation across the whole week and plenty of House spirit, the culmination of the competition was the Grand Finals at lunchtime on Friday. With a large crowd looking on, there was a great atmosphere at the courts. The Junior Grand Final was between Mawson and Preston. With some strong play by Henry Wakeling and Ollie Panagakis, Mawson were too good, winning comfortably and remaining undefeated for the competition.

Preston and Joshi then played in the Senior Grand Final. This was a tense back-and-forth battle, played at a high intensity. Experienced Preston players Chloe O’Keefe and Lucy Atkin Bolton worked well together and ended up leading their team to a hard fought victory (9-6). Well done to all the Houses for their participation. Thank you to the staff and students who volunteered to referee and score the games! Thank you especially to the House Captains for organising the competition!

JUNIOR MIXED NETBALL RESULTS

1^st – Mawson

2^nd – Preston

3^rd – Joshi

4^th – Sheikh

5^th – Kirby 

SENIOR MIXED NETBALL RESULTS

1^st – Preston

2^nd – Joshi

3^rd – Mawson

4^th – Sheikh

5^th – Kirby

Student Achievements

Congratulations to Emily Wu in Year 9 who won the Best in School Australian Maths Competition Award, Intermediate Division.

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Congratulations also to Mrunmayi  Nargundkar in Year 8 who achieved Bronze Medal in South East Asian Mathematical Olympiad (SEAMO). She ranked 11th in the Australia region.

USYD Leadership Program Networking Breakfast

On the morning of Thursday 26th October, members of our school’s student leadership team attended the University of Sydney’s Leadership Program Networking Breakfast at the Refectory on Science Rd. Kalanie Prabhakar, Savannah Pradhan and Anne-Sophie Hegi from the 2022/2023 SRC, along with our Careers Advisor Ms Salisbury, had the wonderful opportunity to meet other student leaders from other selective schools in New South Wales. 

Over breakfast, we spoke with other student leaders and shared experiences about our leadership styles and brainstormed about how we will utilise our “leadership for good” in the next 12 months to make things happen.

We networked with current University of Sydney students, and also listened to guest speaker Adam Evans, a recent graduate of the university as he shared his core messages as a leader in his student life and career.

It was an extremely rewarding experience – and we are looking forward to our next meeting for the USYD Leadership Program in January 2024 !!

Kalanie Prabhakar

Student Support Office – Small Group Program Opportunity

SRC News

Induction Assembly

Last Friday (10th November) was the Remembrance Day and SRC Induction Assembly! This year’s SRC members dressed up in their blazers and ties to deliver the Statement of Commitment and receive their badges. Kalanie and Savannah, the outgoing President and Vice President, hosted the assembly, and Kalanie gave a great speech recapping their incredibly productive and successful year as Execs. Dante Diaz (Vice President) and I also introduced ourselves and our vision for the year ahead. 

Afterwards, the school provided a delicious morning tea for teachers, SRC members, and their parents. It’s a privilege to be part of Fort Street’s SRC and the new members should be congratulated! Here are some photos from the day:

End of Year Events

The SRC is currently planning two events before the year is over: a Candy Cane Drive and the Talent Quest. The Candy Cane Drive will run from Week 8 to Week 9, with candy canes delivered on Monday Week 10. The Talent Quest will be held on the Friday of Week 10, with plenty of prizes for all entrants as well as winners. Make sure to keep an eye out for more information on these events!

Eleanor Alonso Love (she/her)

P&C news

The P&C held it’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday November 8. As part of the AGM our Executive team for 2024 was voted in.

Congratulations and thank you to all the people who volunteered to be a part of the 2024 team.

• The need for more volunteers for the uniform shop fittings. Please sign up here if you are able to help out https://signup.com/go/kMwQbJL
• Also on the agenda was a welcome event for next years Year 7 families. If you would like to help in the organisation and running of this event please email us at info@fortstreetpandc.org
• Funding was approved for the P&C’s contribution to Speech Day next year.
• A committee has been formed for next years Fort Fest and includes Elizabeth Kenyon, Helen De Wolfe and Emma Pearce.
• It was agreed that the P&C would organise an end of year “Thank You” collection for the staff, as has been done in previous years. This will be setup using Group Together and parents will be sent the details via an email from school. Funds raised are used for the staff lunch held during the Staff Development Day at the end of Term 4. Contributions are voluntary.

Please note that due to changes with the P&C Federation we have had to change our email provider. The new contact details have been updated on the school website but are also listed below:

The new P&C email address is info@fortstreetpandc.org

The new uniform shop email address is uniformshop@fortstreetpandc.org

If you would like to be able to vote at any future P&C meetings it is important that you please pay your membership fee. If you wish to be come a member, please fill out the linked membership form and email to the P&C via the address above or submit to the school office. Note that the fee for joining the P&C is $1, which can be paid to the P&C bank account via direct deposit (please ensure that you supply your name with the deposit).

The P&C bank account details are:

Fort Street High School P&C Association

BSB: 032-267

Account: 247674

To keep up to date with all P&C news some along to our regular meetings or join our Facebook page. Meeting agendas and minutes are also available on the school website.

Special Report: Gambling & Young People

The digital era has made gambling more accessible, and certain factors are elevating the risk of problematic gambling among young people. A new grey area is emerging, with smartphones at their fingertips blurring the boundaries between gambling and entertainment, especially within the realms of video games and social media. The current generation of young people are growing up in an unprecedented time and research highlights that a significant percentage of adolescents are involved in gambling activities.

Reports of young people gambling are frequent with many experiencing adverse consequences such as diminished academic performance and strained relationships. Today’s youth are growing up in a digital age characterised by constant connectivity, and the gambling industry has evolved significantly during their formative years. Simulated gambling, such as in video games, can further increase the likelihood of teenagers transitioning to real-money gambling and developing future gambling-related problems.

It’s crucial to foster open discussions about positive media choices to help children navigate through responsible online gaming and gambling. By encouraging a balanced approach to screen time and promoting alternative activities, will help set some clear boundaries to avoid potential gambling-related issues.

This Special Report provides guidance on how to empower young people to make responsible choices in this digital age. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please consider seeking medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report https://fortstreet.nsw.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-gambling-young-people-au

Work is available maintaining schools

RSPCA Holiday programs