Dean of School – Paul Hughes
This newsletter article finishes our investigation into the topic of resilience.
Adolescence is a particularly challenging period for developing resilience due to a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors. Here are some reasons why many adolescents might struggle with resilience:
Brain Development: During adolescence, the brain is still developing, particularly areas involved in impulse control, emotional regulation, and decision-making. The prefrontal cortex, which helps with executive functions like planning and managing stress, matures later in adolescence. This developmental stage can make it harder for adolescents to handle stress and bounce back from setbacks.
Emotional Turmoil: Adolescents often experience heightened emotions and mood swings due to hormonal changes. This can make it harder for them to manage stress and navigate challenges effectively.
Social Pressure: Peer influence and social media play significant roles in adolescents’ lives. They may face pressures related to appearance, social status, and fitting in, which can impact their self-esteem and ability to cope with adversity.
Limited Experience: Resilience is often built through facing and overcoming challenges. Adolescents may have had fewer opportunities to develop coping skills compared to adults who have had more life experiences and practice in handling difficulties.
Support Systems: The quality of support systems, including family, friends, and school, can significantly impact resilience. If adolescents lack a stable and supportive environment, they might find it harder to develop resilience.
Mental Health Issues: Conditions such as anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues can affect an adolescent’s ability to cope with stress and setbacks. These issues can make it more challenging to develop and use resilience skills effectively.
Educational and Socioeconomic Factors: Adolescents facing economic hardships or educational challenges may have less access to resources and support systems that promote resilience. These external stressors can exacerbate difficulties in developing coping skills.
Many of the factors listed above play out during the time your daughters are at school learning. The developing nature of adolescence leads to challenges often being construed as the worst thing that could’ve possibly happened. When, in most cases, supportive measures outlined in the week 3 newsletter are very helpful in building a student’s capacity to navigate any problem that arises with logical reasoning and confidence.
Encouraging adolescents to view challenges as opportunities for growth and helping them build strong, supportive relationships will contribute to greater resilience.
Student and Parent Term 4 Reminders
Uniform
- Summer uniform is compulsory for Term 4 and the remainder of the year. College scarves can now be packed away as they are no longer permitted.
- If your daughter has grown between the uniform changeover and you have some difficulty in taking the hems of skirts or dresses down we will have support available at school to help with this. All garments are worn to the knee.
- The change back to simple sleepers (10mm in size) has been well adopted. Safety is always paramount in a school community and smaller/simpler earrings helps us to ensure this.
- Sports uniform is only worn on Thursdays and during PDHPE Practical lessons. Shoe choice is important for support (no skater styles vans, converse or Sambas). Additional garments/jumpers are not to be worn.
- There are to be no long sleeve undergarments worn with the sport uniform.
Parking and dropping off around the College
- Please respect the surroundings of the college when arriving and departing the school each day. We do ask that you especially consider our neighbours houses and properties during these times. We have a strong relationship with them
I hope students and families have a wonderful vacation period and we look forward to the final term of the 2024 school year.
Paul Hughes, Dean of School