DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

THE IMPACTS OF COVID-19

I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some resources that have been gathered by our College psychologists to help parents/guardians understand the impact of COVID-19 on young people. Finding the right resources to help you support your daughters can be difficult, so hopefully the information below will be useful.

Whilst North Queensland has, for the most part, escaped the lengthy lockdowns and restrictions seen in major southern cities, students and their families continue to be affected by COVID-19 indirectly. Almost everyone you meet has a story of how COVID has prevented them from celebrating weddings, new babies and milestones. There are those who have been unable to spend precious final moments with loved ones and the uncertainty with last minute changes for plans, travel and events has been difficult. For our boarding students, and particularly international students, their schooling has been significantly disrupted. Zoom has helped to close the gap for many of our students and families with interstate or international friends and family, but the yearning remains for real connection as the time between visits continues to grow. The pandemic has also shown just how resilient, flexible and creative we can be as a school community, finding new ways of working, learning and connecting. However, whilst we embrace these novel ways of working and have enjoyed a relative freedom in North Queensland, it is important to remember that everyone has a story and the emerging research shows us that these experiences are impacting the mental health of young people everywhere. The video and other links below provide some context of just how substantial these impacts have been nationally, as well as a reminder of some ways we can help young people in this difficult time.

  1. COVID Fatigue and Youth Mental Health

https://broadcast.schooltv.me/article/schooltv-special-report

  1. Foundation for Young Australians

Foundation for Young Australians | Local and Vocal Campaign Factsheets (fya.org.au)

  1. Beyond Blue – “Ways to look after your mental health amid the coronavirus pandemic”

Ways to look after your mental health amid the coronavirus pandemic (beyondblue.org.au)

 

Cameran Triffett

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL