The global pandemic is having a profound impact on our adolescents with many being forced to miss out on so many rites of passage. Some are becoming more anxious or depressed which is completely understandable given the current situation. However, should your teen display any unusual behaviour that lasts for more than 2-3 weeks, it may be a cause for concern.

Happiness is a term that captures a huge variety of positive emotions such as humour, serenity, optimism, joy, pride, inspiration, love and hope.

Happiness means different things, to different people and is essential to your understanding of emotional literacy.

Coronavirus is an evolving international health concern. Around the world, people are being affected in many ways. Individuals of all ages from numerous nationalities are being diagnosed with the virus –– it doesn’t discriminate. Although children are considered at lower risk of infection, they are not immune to the multitude of news reports regularly seen or heard in the media.

The move from primary to secondary school is a social and educational shift that opens up new experiences. Students are likely to go through a range of emotions, display varying levels of confidence and feel a bit uncertain at times. Secondary school is a complex place
– usually a bigger school community with more opportunities.

Amid the excitement and media coverage with the release of Year 12 results, another story gathers more recognition each year… “you are not defined by your ATAR”.

The article below from Year13 unpacks that story in a sensible and positive manner.

Holidays can take students away from friends and their usual school supports. Changes to routine can cause some young people to feel stressed, isolated or alone.

There are many excellent online resources for parents. In particular, we recommend the resources available through Headspace and SchoolTV.

SchoolTV has prepared a 5-minute video with some simple and practical reminders about surviving Christmas.

Resilience is one of those skills that we all need. It refers to our ability to cope and adapt in situations when confronted with challenges such as adversity, trauma, tragedy, or even stress.

It is essential for the mental health and wellbeing of young people as part of their journey to adulthood.

The blended family is the fastest growing family dynamic in the world with one in five families now being a ‘step’ or ‘blended’ family. However, when families “blend,” it rarely progresses smoothly. Some children resist change, and parents become frustrated when the new family doesn’t function in the same way as the previous one.

As the Year 12 girls are completing their final preparation for the end of year exams, the following tips and resources may be helpful for families and students.

Top 5 tips are:

Have a good night’s sleep the night before each exam. It is counterproductive to study late into the night.

A reflection from Science Week 2019.

In recent years there has been a steady call for girls to be more actively involved in Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM).

Women are significantly under-represented in science and engineering disciplines with only 16% of STEM qualified people in Australia being female.