Finding Your Brave

Welcome to this special edition of Parent Corner. The theme for this issue is Finding my Brave, a topic that has been presented to the students this term during Assembly and in ongoing conversations such as SET Plan. The term ‘brave’ has also been part of the overarching theme for Clare School this year.

You will enjoy reading the responses formulated by Year 10 students based around the topic of ‘brave’. Two Year 10 students have shared their thoughts on how parents/guardians can help their daughters ‘find their brave’. Four students share their experiences about their current involvement in community programs with the Brisbane City Council and, finally, students briefly reflect on the SET Plan process.

Tamara Richardson

What does it mean to be brave as a teenager and why is it important for me to find my brave? To be honest, I’m not really sure. As I have grown up, my perception on what being 'brave' is has changed greatly. I used to think that I was so brave for trying a new food, or for watching a movie without being scared, but now I know that being brave is so much more than what five-year-old Jemma once thought. For me to feel as though I am in an environment where I want to find my brave, I need to be encouraged and, most importantly, I need the people around me to be optimistic, yet not unrealistic. However, I’m not ruling out the 'tough love' approach as I do feel that there are times when I need to be pushed out of my comfort zone.

As for what I want from my parents, well, I just want them to be my parents. I don’t want them to be like a teacher getting mad at me or a life coach. I want them to be calm and supportive so I feel like I can be honest and communicate with them. I think that I can speak for most of the girls in my cohort when I say that I don’t respond well to being yelled at or feeling like I’m being judged or not good enough. Sometimes, I feel like I don’t want to say things to my parents because I’m afraid that they will react in this way. I know that, most of the time, this isn’t the case, yet I still manage to talk myself into thinking that they won’t approve of what I want to say.

Overall, I would say to parents that, at the end of the day, we just want your love and approval. We want you to be proud of us and be there for the times when we try something new and achieve success. As we begin the transition into Elizabeth Hayes School and start to peruse a potential career pathway, I think that it is important for parents to know that we want them to be a warm, friendly face and, if we need to rant, or have a cry about school, sport, or relationships, that they will be there for us at the end of the day.

Jemma Keefe

Franklin D Roosevelt once said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear”.

Truly understanding the word bravery is something that takes life experience. When asked, "What is bravery?", what comes to mind? Superheroes, protagonists, and large acts of triumph are often at the forefront of people’s minds. However, an act of bravery is much simpler than this. Growing up in a world that largely revolves around comparisons and achieving perfection, just being yourself can be one of the bravest things to do. The concept of going against the crowd, regardless of criticism, is something teenagers struggle with every day.

As parents, guiding your daughter along a journey of self-acceptance is so valuable. Establishing a core set of morals can be vital in helping her find her brave. In many situations, having that grounding of morals to draw upon can make dealing with a challenging situation so much easier. Whether these values stem from religion or personal beliefs, helping your daughter understand the importance of intuition can aid her along her journey. Additionally, showing genuine investment in your daughter's opinions and beliefs is incredibly powerful.

Throughout teenage years, the question of “Who am I?” is thrown around a lot. This question has many different angles and challenges teens to reflect deeply upon themselves. This is a time when fundamental opinions are formed on themes such as: who do I want to be, with whom do I want to surround myself, and what difference am I going to make? These queries ultimately shape who we are as people, although creating answers to these questions is extremely challenging. As parents, to share life experiences and your own journey of self-discovery can support your daughter in answering these life questions. Through having a set of primary morals on which to rely and by starting to answer life’s big questions, standing up for who you are and what you believe in becomes easier. Being a teenager in a society that is ever-changing, finding our brave can be tough but, in the words of Gandhi, “You must be the change you want to see in the world”, and our parents can help us do just that.

Maggie Roche

Lord Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council

This year, I was presented with the opportunity to be a member of the Lord Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council (LMYAC). LMYAC is comprised of student representatives from each school throughout Brisbane, and aims to receive feedback and ideas on the City of Brisbane through the perspective of young adults.

So far, I have been able to actively contribute on a large variety of projects, ranging from local community issues to larger city-wide projects. One of the larger city-wide projects the Council has been planning is ‘The Vision of Victoria Park’, where the Victoria Park golf course is being transformed into a park that embraces the natural geography of Brisbane, improves active travel to the city, represents indigenous communities, contracts local businesses to improve employment rates, connects local residents of Brisbane through community gardens and live performances, and provides great opportunities for school excursions.

As we all know, this year has been quite the roller coaster, and many of us have had to move online for classes and gatherings. Whilst it was a strange experience seeing the Lord Mayor, Adrian Schrinner, freeze and glitch about on screen whilst he outlined the functions of the online council, it was fantastic to see that people were still actively contributing to our society, despite facing the obstacles of social distancing and isolation.

This council has been a fantastic opportunity for me to actively contribute to our society and build great connections with people of similar interests and ideas. I am very grateful to have had this opportunity and I hope to continue making a positive impact on our society in the future.

Lucinda Poy

Student Environmental Leadership Network

Earlier this year, we had the privilege to join the Student Environmental Leadership Network (SELN), working alongside the Brisbane City Council to maximise environmentally friendly practices in our college. Our role in the Council is to develop a project to better our college’s environment. After realising how eco-friendly Mt A already is, we found an environmental issue with the incorrect disposal of soft plastics. Our initiative is to combat this problem by implementing soft plastic bins around the College.

We are currently facing some challenges in attaining these bins but, with the ongoing support from Mr Cameron West and the Brisbane City Council, we have devised some strategies to overcome this. Sadly, COVID-19 has impacted our opportunity to attend the meetings in at City Hall; however, we have been able to connect online. Fortunately, our next meeting is scheduled this term and we are looking forward to attending.

Genevieve Maguire, Lara McDonald, and Bridget Petersen

Set Plan Reflections

I was very excited and nervous when I went into my SET Plan meeting, but my mentor made me feel at ease and comfortable. She helped me to explore different career paths I can take, and encouraged me to take part in the subjects I enjoy and do well in. Now I am very excited for my senior schooling and confident I have chosen subjects that will allow me to excel and succeed.

Daisy Lacanau

Going into my SET Plan meeting, I was very nervous and unsure about how I would walk out of it. I was worried that I would have to change my subjects and do something that I didn’t want to do, but my mentor made me feel really great about what I had chosen and the other options that I could choose. I did end up changing one of my subjects but I feel great about that decision, and deep down I knew that is what I should have done at the start. I am glad my mentor made these other options aware to me and supported, no matter what I chose. Leaving my SET Plan meeting, I felt really confident in myself and my abilities, and felt motivated to keep going and conquer Years 11 and 12.

Alessia Miano

My SET Plan this year gave me structure and piece of mind in knowing exactly what my near future holds. I am also now aware of the expectation for myself in Years 11 and 12, which gave me the confidence to know that I will succeed.

Lisa Gardiner

I am a pretty well-rounded student and had little idea of what my senior life could potentially look like; this is why I think that starting SET Plans now was highly beneficial. I had a genuine discussion with my mentor, and together we mapped out strategies and steps that I could take to ensure that I'm as successful in Senior as possible. The advice I was given was specific to me and is more applicable for my goals rather than if Year 10 was addressed as a cohort; it provided with a broad guideline. Overall, I'm glad that I was able to have a one-on-one chat with my mentor.

Jess Hynes

My SET Plan experience was a hands-down positive experience. I went in to the process a little bit nervous and worried; however, during my interview I found a lot of strengths academically, and my subjects chosen are suitable for setting me up for success after school. I am very excited about the health pathway that I have selected!

Tanna-Lai Hornung

I went into the SET Plan meeting feeling nervous yet excited to be choosing my subjects for my Senior years. I did not fully know what I wanted to do after school or what subjects I wanted to choose. However, my mentor helped me to gain a greater understanding of all the subjects and helped me choose subjects in which I perform well. I am super excited about the subjects I have chosen and am keen to start Senior Schooling, with a great pathway ahead of me.

Rosie Nicholls

Before going into my SET Plan, I was slightly worried that I could not accomplish the carrier I had chosen. During my interview with my mentor, he made it very clear that there are multiple pathways, and identified which one best suited me and my end goal. I am now confident in the direction I am heading and eager for the future to come.

Poppi Wilson

I went into SET Planning with a great idea of what I was going to be doing in Years 11 and 12. This was because my mentor had great ideas for a successful pathway. I am very excited to undertake new opportunities, such as the Mater program, as I am a very hands-on individual. I have many hopes and dreams that, in two years' time, I will be able to say I'm off to uni to study towards my career.

Zoe Parkinson

Leukaemia Foundation Light the Night