Transforming the Script

By Mr Callow (Principal)

I still remember her words.  The complete stranger who drew near in the shopping mall to admire our (then) young baby.  She made all the usual comments about cuteness, then straightened and said sadly “It’s a pity they grow up isn’t it?”.

I remember their expressions.  The commuters on the Belgrave line that looked up in dismay and annoyance when a group of young teenagers, full of life, poured on to the train.

I remember the puzzlement at my stated career choice - “You want to try to teach teenagers? … Why?”

Teenager years can certainly be full of sound and fury, turmoil and change, laughter and tears – for all concerned!  Teachers have been known to grimace and groan when faced with the challenges of taking a Year 8 class extra on a Friday afternoon, and even mutter “It’s a pity they haven’t grown up yet”

And yet … let me share some encouraging news.  

We’ve suspected it for some time, but we now have empirical evidence - our Year 8 students this year haven’t been following the script.

The Australian College of Educational Research have developed a survey tool that has measured the Social-Emotional Wellbeing of nearly 20,000 students across the country.  Individual responses to a wide range of questions are grouped into six main areas (Emotional, Social and Learning Skills and School, Home and Community Life) which are then aggregated into an overall score.

Our Year 8 results make for interesting reading.  The following table lists the percentage of students who scored in the highest category of Social-Emotional Wellbeing:

These results are most encouraging.  One of the biggest areas to highlight is the snapshot we see in relation to School Life.  90-100% of students recorded that teachers try hard to help them and respond to them positively, a majority saying that they feel the teachers go out of their way to do so.  We want to celebrate this dedication and the day to day hard work of our teachers at BHCS.

It is also encouraging to note that our students are valuing Learning Skills, with many describing themselves as persistent and hard-working.  Time management skills are being absorbed and channelled as the students learn how to manage their work loads.

Parents, take heart!  You are doing a great job as well, with almost 70% of students rating their Home Life as of a high quality.  The research shows that many of you are listening to your kids and helping them cope with stress.

There are so many great things to celebrate in this report.  All the categories are aggregated and all students are then placed in one of six levels of wellbeing.  It is greatly encouraging to see that the proportion of BHCS students in the top band of wellbeing is four times the national average, and around half of our students scored in the top two levels.

Although the adolescent years can be challenging (for all concerned!) …rejoice, for there is much to celebrate along the way.

If you are interested in reading a summary of the SEW report, please find it attached.