Parent Support

In this section:

• How to support your Year 12 child during exams
• Thunderstorm Asthma - be prepared this pollen season
• Scholarships to support students
• Social Media Safety & Survey - State Government

How to support your Year 12 child during exams

After a whirlwind week of graduation ceremonies and fun activities to mark the end of their high school years, Preston’s first ever Year 12 cohort are preparing to sit their final exams. While the idea of finishing high school forever is exciting, this can also be a very stressful time. Here are five things you can do to support your teen through the exam period. 

1. Bring a positive mindset

Positive encouragement from parents can go a long way to help settle pre-exam nerves. Instead of nagging your teen to study more, try offering positive encouragement. Stress can be contagious, so if you stay calm, they’re more likely to feel calm too. Tell them you’re proud of the effort they’re putting in. Ask how you can help. Offer to quiz them on what they know about a particular topic or have them explain a subject to you. This not only helps them review the material but is also a great confidence boost because it helps them realise how much they already know while identifying areas to focus on more.

2. Give them a break

Consider adjusting their daily responsibilities during exam time. If your teen normally does household chores or looks after siblings, give them a break. Encourage them to pause any part-time jobs during the exam period. Small gestures like letting them eat in their room while they study or not stressing about the mess on the bedroom floor can reduce pressure. If they’re a bit grumpy or snap at you, try to let it go - exam stress affects their mood, and a little patience can go a long way.

3. Feed them

Nutrition plays a big role in exam performance, so ensure your teen has a good breakfast before each exam. Even if they’re nervous and don’t feel like eating, encourage them to have a light breakfast like some toast, yoghurt or even a banana. This can help them stay focused and avoid the distraction of hunger midway through the exam. Remind them to take a water bottle – hydration is key and may actually boost exam performance.

4. Make sure they sleep

Sleep is equally important. Cramming the night before an exam isn’t as helpful as a good night’s sleep so encourage them to go to bed at a reasonable hour. Set multiple alarms on the morning of the exam and make sure they wake up on time. Even if your teen usually handles waking up alone, this extra support during exam time can prevent the panic of running late. Keep a family calendar with exam dates visible so everyone knows when they’re happening. Be their personal assistant for a while to help manage their schedule and their stress. The exam timetable is already set and you can see the official Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) schedule via the link below.

5. Be proud

Finally, prepare them for the possibility that they may not get the results they want, and remind them that it’s okay. Let them know that their value isn’t defined by a score, and even if things don’t go as planned, there are always alternative paths to their goals. Be proud of their hard work, and make sure they know it. If they need help exploring different options, our school career advisor can provide guidance and support.

Want to read more about helping your child through exams? This article from The Conversationhas some useful advice.

Thunderstorm Asthma - be prepared this pollen season

Grass pollen season, which typically runs from October to December each year in Victoria, brings an increase in asthma and hay fever symptoms. It also increases the risk of thunderstorm asthma. For people with asthma or hay fever, especially those who experience wheezing or coughing with their hay fever, thunderstorm asthma can be sudden, serious and even life threatening.

Preston High School will implement a range of measures to keep our school community safe as the risk of thunderstorm asthma increases.

Many of our staff are trained in asthma first aid, and we will monitor the VicEmergency app to receive thunderstorm warnings, and, where appropriate, keep students indoors when weather forecasts identify greater risk.

During the season, there are some things you can do to prepare and protect yourself and your family:

• If your child has ever had asthma, talk to your doctor about what you can do to help protect them from the risk of thunderstorm asthma this pollen season, including updating your asthma action plan. Taking an asthma preventer properly and regularly is key to preventing asthma, including thunderstorm asthma.
• If your child has hay fever, see your pharmacist or doctor for a hay fever treatment plan and check if you should have an asthma reliever puffer. These are available from a pharmacy without a prescription.
• If your child has hay fever and experiences wheezing and coughing, it is important to make sure they don’t also have asthma. Speak to your doctor about an asthma action plan.
• Where possible, avoid being outside during thunderstorms from October to December, especially during the wind gusts that come before the storm. Go inside and close your doors and windows. If you have your air conditioning on, turn it to ‘recirculate’.

Protect yourself this pollen season – managing asthma and allergies matters.

For more information, speak to your doctor. You can also visit the Better Health Channel 

website.

Scholarships to support students

Scholarships are available for students who complete Grade 4 to Year 11 in 2024, and for students enrolled in Year 12 in 2024 who plan to do tertiary studies in 2025.

Student scholarships

The Department of Education administers a number of scholarships available to eligible students who are enrolled in Grade 4 to Year 12 in 2024.

Applicants for these scholarships will be evaluated on their:

• participation in school activities
• community involvement
• academic achievement.

Scholarships are either one-off payments or cover the duration of the student’s course or annual study.

Many of these scholarships have specific eligibility criteria, so please refer to individual applications for more information. Applications are now open, and close on Saturday 1 February 2025. 

For information on how to apply, refer to Student scholarships.

Social Media Safety & Survey - State Government

Parents and carers play an important role in supporting their children to be safe online and on social media. You can help your children safely navigate their digital world and educate them to avoid harmful online experiences. You can explore websites, games, apps and social media together and set some rules and boundaries. 

Your support and guidance can give your children the knowledge to make sound decisions online and confidence to ask for help when they need it. It is also important to stay informed about online safety.  

The Department of Education recognises this important issue and has developed fact sheets about supports to help keep students safe online and what to do if they are involved in an online incident. 

The fact sheets contain links to evidence-based information on supporting positive and safe online experiences, signs a child or young person might need support, what to do if something unsafe happens online, and where to reach out to for more support.  

To access the fact sheets, refer to the Safe Socials webpage. The fact sheets are available in 19 community languages.   

The government is also launching public consultation on age limits for social media. 

You and your children can share your experiences to inform proposed changes via an online survey, before 5 pm on Friday 1 November 2024. For more information on the survey and to take part, refer to Proposed changes to social media age limits on the Engage Victoria website.

If you have any queries about this information, you can contact the department by email: bullystoppers@education.vic.gov.au