From the Deputy's Desk

From one parent to another

For many of you, I am an invisible face, which sits in the Deputy Principals office and with whom you may not have had much interaction. 

You may not be very aware of the other life roles I currently have and have had, that shape who I am and where my experience comes from. 

As a parent, a step-parent and a grandparent, and having been a single parent, I recognise the challenges of getting kids organised, motivated, and prepared for school every morning. 

I recall the angst of hearing their stories at the end of their school day - the good, the bad and the ugly. I still shudder at the phone calls from the Deputy Principal that caught me unaware of the issues that my child was involved in at times and am grateful to the head teacher who reminded me that for the most part, my daughter wasn't a bad kid! 

Our children all need to be encouraged and reminded that school is one of the best periods of their lives. It's the one time when they get to be with their friends each day for hours at a time. 

And yes it is hard, and challenging and not always easy, but if it were, what would they benefit from that? Growing the brain is just as difficult and painful as growing new muscles. The more our children exercise their brains, the bigger and stronger they will be. And just like many of you help your children to get better at sport or dance or playing an instrument, you can help them strengthen their brains by asking questions that reinforce their daily learning, like "What did you learn after lunch today?" or "What question did you answer in class today?". This helps students to recall what they did at a specific time of the day and is more likely to start a conversation about their school day, than the usual "nothing" response that you might get to your "what did you learn at school today?" question. (I remember it all too well!)

So as we approach the Global Day of Parents on 1 June 2021, I want to encourage all of our parents and carers to step back and reflect on the tough job that parenting is and pat yourselves on the back for doing your best as a parent/carer. It certainly isn't easy. 

Remember too, that we are here to support you to help your children to be the best learners that they can be and our doors are always open. Hope you have a great fortnight. 

Ms Chris Hawkins I Deputy Principal (Acting) I VET Hospitality Teacher