It has been a very busy start to Term 2 with many learning opportunities being given to our girls either in class or extra curricular. It is lovely walking through the playgrounds and into classrooms witnessing the learning and collaboration occurring, however, teenage years can be difficult with many changes taking place.

Please find below an article by Michael Grose from Parenting Ideas with some tips on parenting teenagers.

Helping teenagers manage Friendship issues

Having a supportive group of friends plays an important role in the life of young people. They can help your young person negotiate the journey from childhood, where they are reliant on parents, to adulthood, where they need to stand on their own two feet.

The importance of peers

To a parent a teenager’s friendships may seem all-consuming, taking precedence over family, school and even healthy leisure time. While peers may now begin to take a more prominent place in your daughter’s life, family is still an important source of belonging and safety for them. It helps if you get to know their friends and discuss any concerns you have about their choice of friends.

Managing peer pressure

We all experience some degree of pressure to conform to the behaviours and norms of our social groups, yet this pressure is heightened in adolescence, when the need to fit in with peers becomes paramount. Ostracism is unthinkable, which makes some teenagers susceptible to negative influence of some peers. You can help by talking to your daughter about peer pressure; helping her resist peer pressure while maintaining status and encouraging her to speak out rather than be reliant on the approval of others.

Encouraging more than one set of friends

It’s helpful to think of friendships as a series of concentric circles. Most young people will have a few close friends in their inner circle but are surrounded by many friends in the outer circles. Encourage your daughter to maintain friendship groups outside and inside of school to help insulate against any teasing or unfriendly behaviour that may occur at or outside school.

When you disapprove

Sometimes parents disapprove of their daughter’s choice of friends, because of behaviour, poor reputation or the adverse influence they may have on a young person. Young people take criticism of their friends personally so be careful how you handle these issues. If you have worries about your daughter’s choice of friends:

• Check that your concerns are real.
• Encourage diversity of friendships.
• Be available to take your daughter and her friends to outings, sports practice, parties and school formals, to familiarise yourself with her social groups.

Many parents have found that, when they get to know their children’s friends, many of their concerns were unfounded.

Differentiate between online and offline friends

In all likelihood, your daughter will communicate with her friends in real time or through digital technology. Help your daughter to understand the difference between the two, discussing how behaviours and norms vary between the real world and online. Discuss the ethics and behaviours appropriate to each format so they can enjoy healthy friendships in both the online and offline worlds.

Friendships can be a source of angst and also a source of joy for your daughter. Your role as a parent is to promote healthy friendships and encourage your young person to empathise with others, show they are worthy of trust and treat others with respect – all foundations of mature adult relationships.

Compass Student Attendance

To ensure that the College has correct attendance records for your daughter and that you are aware of your daughter’s absence, a text message (SMS) with a link will be sent to parents/carers in the primary household. Please click on the link to explain your daughter’s absence. Only one household parent needs to reply.

Using the link will alleviate the need to send a written note explaining the absence. Please respond the same day the text (SMS) has been sent as the link will automatically disappear resulting in the need for you to provide a hand written note for the absence.

Please contact Grace Labbozzetta, by email grace.labbozzetta@syd.catholic.edu.au or phone 9725 4322, if you require any assistance in the use of Compass. In addition to attendance information, Compass allows you to access your daughter’s School Reports and view what she is learning.

NSW School Vaccination Program – Year 10 (Catch up Year 11)

Each year NSW Health works in partnership with schools to offer the vaccines recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for adolescents as part of the school vaccination program. Details are as follows:

• Students: Year 10 and catch up Year 11 students who did not receive this dose in 2021
• Date:        9 June
• Vaccine:   Meningococcal ACWY vaccine
• Dose:       Single dose

Year 10 students received the Meningococcal ACWY vaccine forms on Monday 30 May. Parents are required to please complete and sign the forms. Students are requested to return the forms to Student Services by Monday 6 June.

Parents/guardians who wish to withdraw their consent can download the Procedure for Withdrawal of Consent form on the NSW Health website at www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation.

Lost Property

Please ensure student names are labelled on all articles of clothes. There have been some lost items that have not been labelled and are in Lost Property.

Thank you for your continued support of the College.

Mrs Christine Harding