Welcome back to Term 3. Students have returned looking rested and refreshed and all staff are looking forward to a term of learning. Making your way through secondary school can be difficult for many teenagers and at times parents may question how to navigate these years.

The information below is taken from Michael Grose (founder) of Parenting Ideas, one of Australia’s leading Parenting magazines.

1. Communicate with school

Communication with the school is important in aiding a successful school year for your teenager. Familiarise yourself with the names of your child’s subject teachers, year level coordinator and pastoral care/homeroom teacher. Be sure to communicate early any information that your have regarding your teen’s needs. It is important that parents let us know of any issues before they become big problems.

2. Organisation tools to support success

We like to believe our teenager will naturally develop strong organisational skills and be a self-motivated young person. However this is not often the case. As parents we often need to model organisation tools and strategies. Ensure your child uses her school diary on a daily basis to record homework, assessment tasks. Take a look at it regularly and ask questions if there are weeks of blank pages.

3. Create and support a homework plan

Many teenagers find homework an inconvenience. However, if homework is set for your teenager it is better to set them up for success rather than ignore the issue. Ensure your daughter has a well-lit space where they can complete homework each night, ensuring they also have the tools they need. Ensure their social media devices are somewhere else and keep healthy snacks at the ready. Encourage your teenager to get into the habit of creating a ‘to do’ list to keep them focused on two or three tasks in a session.

4. Encourage your teen to find their spark

The school year is long and can be exhausting at times, and it is not the be-all and end-all. Encourage your teenager to find their spark by being involved in extra curricular activities that bring them joy. Examples are sports, music, dance, art or anything else they have a passion for. Having an interest outside of school that encourages socialising and developing friendships is also great for resilience.

5. Prepare for a successful day ahead

Preparing for a successful day starts with getting plenty of sleep. This is becoming increasing difficult as an unprecedented number of teenagers are reporting sleep issues as a concern. Most teenagers require 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night, but many report getting less than 5. Young people often lack the self-control to avoid engaging online when they should be sleeping. One strategy for improving this situation, which may require you to develop your ‘digital spine’, is removing internet-enabled devices from the bedroom. Insist devices are placed in a central charging area in the home, away from bedrooms, at a nominated time each evening.

6. Make time to chat about school

Finally, keep the lines of communication open with your teenager about their school experiences. While you may be met with an awkward grunt when you ask about their day at school, don’t give up on asking. Often a teenager will chat more in the car or in a café. Keep reminding your child that you are always available to listen – listening being the crucial point here. Many adolescents don’t want you to fix their concerns but they may need you to just listen. Talk about the positive experiences you had during your own high school years and reassure your teen that it will go by quicker than they can imagine.

Winter Uniform Reminder

We commend our many students who wear their uniforms correctly with pride every day. I would like to take this opportunity to remind our community of the College’s expectations in relation to the uniform.

The winter uniform expectations are:

• All students must wear the College Blazer to and from school. The blazer is the outer garment.
• Any clothing worn under the College shirt must not be seen.  All undergarments should be neutral in colour.
• The College Jumper is not part of the Sports Uniform.
• Due to WHS requirements, hair needs to be tied up.
• College skirt is to be worn at the knee (not rolled at the waist).

Compass

Are you on Compass? Does the College have your correct email address? If you require any assistance with Compass, please contact Mrs Grace Labbozzetta at the College on 9725 4322.

If your daughter is absent, an explanation needs to be added by the parent onto the compass portal.

Thank you for your continued support. If you require any assistance please do not hesitate to contact the College.

Mrs Christine Harding