Whole School News

P&F Events

Sunday 6 April - Afternoon on the Knoll

A family picnic-style event on the banks overlooking our picturesque Oyster Harbour. We’ll provide the music and some entertainment for the children. Just bring some nibbles, drinks, and a picnic blanket.

Saturday 3 May - Dads and Kids Sleepout - at school (near the vineyard), save the date.

Please reach out to me at jason.pages@iinet.net.au

Mr Jason Pages | P&F President

From the School Counsellor

Mental Health First Aid Courses

This 14-hour course for adults teaches participants how to provide initial support to a young person (aged 12 to 18) who may be experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis until professional help is received or the crisis resolves. Please check out this link for further information. MHFA_Youth-Instructor-Training-Course-Flyer.pdf

When:  Wednesday 30 April and Friday 2 May, 9.00am to 4.00pm

Where: Le Grande Motel, Albany Hwy, Albany

Cost: Nil – food, materials, training, and venue provided by sponsors

Sponsors: GSG and Palmerston (via WA Mental Health Commission)

To register, email sheryl.moncur@gsg.wa.edu.au

Older Persons MHFA

This 12-hour course for adults teaches participants- be they family members, professionals, carers and supporters, or curious individuals who want to know more- how to provide initial support to someone who may be experiencing a mental health problem or crisis until professional help is received or the crisis resolves. Course participants learn about signs and symptoms of common mental health problems in older adults >65 years and how to recognise and respond to the situation.

Please see this link for further information: MHFA_Older-Person-Instructor-Training-Course-Flyer.pdf

When: Wednesday 23 April and Thursday 24 April 9.00am to 3.30pm

Where: Le Grande Motel Albany Hwy, Albany

Cost: Nil – food, materials, training, and venue provided by sponsors

Sponsors: GSG and Palmerston (via WA Mental Health Commission)

To register, please email sheryl.moncur@gsg.wa.edu.au

Further to the information in last week’s Anchor regarding Adolescence

Michelle Mitchell and Steve Biddulph offer some food for thought in the rain shadow of this electrifyingly galvanizing series.

The brilliance of the series Adolescence lies in this central idea: “This could happen to any family.” That premise has powerfully pulled all of us — parents, educators, communities — into the conversation about how our kids are using technology. Jamie, the 13-year-old at the story's center, looks like your average kid. He’s childlike in appearance. His family feels familiar. That universality has worked. It’s got us all talking, and that alone is a huge win.

But here’s where I want to push back — just a little.

Because in real life, the stories of 13-year-olds who commit serious acts of violence are rarely rooted in ordinary, loving homes like Jamie’s appears to be. The dear kids and teens most vulnerable to the ‘manosphere’ are those who are not connected to loving, caring homes. And, of no fault of their own, they have been born into deeply complex stories.

They are very often surrounded by one or more of these risk factors:

• Exposure to domestic violence

• Abuse or neglect by caregivers

• Early exposure and use of drugs and alcohol

• History of crime or violence

• Mental health challenges

(This is obviously not an exhaustive list. Being socially marginalised is a risk factor, which Jamie’s group of three were.)

Even then, one factor is rarely enough. It’s the accumulation of multiple risk factors over time that increases the likelihood of a kid harming others. Bluntly, violence doesn’t just appear overnight, and rarely without warning — it comes from long-standing pain, fractured attachments, and unmet emotional needs.

I want to quote Steve Biddulph, author of the international bestseller Raising Boys, whose work I deeply respect. He recently wrote this on his Facebook page: One flaw in Adolescence is its “just plausible” premise — that a child from a loving, bonded home could take such a dark turn. In reality, children who kill are often marked by years of neglect, disrupted attachment, and exposure to violence.

While many of us do need a good wake-up call when it comes to the complexities of being a teenager, I also don’t want us to overly simplify things. Simply watching Andrew Tate or dipping into the manosphere is highly unlikely to turn an otherwise connected child into someone capable of killing another human being. As my own son wryly observed, “I think Andrew Tate is getting WAY too much credit. I think it’s parents’, teachers’, and sport coaches’ relationships with their kids that have way more influence.”

We stand between the manosphere and our kids – if we so choose. I want to be that encouraging voice that says, “We are pushing back. We are doing this – together.” Yes, this machine is powerful, but so are we. Human connection has always been the most critical piece in the story.

We need to focus our attention on connection, which includes straight talk, modeling, and boundaries. Our kids may wobble and be impacted by the awful toxic messages around masculinity, but when they have trusted adults to guide them and hold them accountable, they have a safe base. When they have a relationship with a mother and a sister who they love, they are emotionally invested in women and are only setting a kid up for success.

Parenting today is confronting. This series is designed to motivate us to be the parents we need to be in our kids’ lives. Delay as long as possible. Monitor what they do online. Use safety software. Notice when they aren’t right. Communicate, communicate, communicate, and then some. Show up and stay close.

If you are showing up as a respectful, decent human being in this world and role-modeling healthy relationships, THANK YOU. It is going to take a community effort to tackle technology.

What Matters?

Be your child’s primary attachment figure. Not TikTok. Not YouTube. Not any podcast host promising to unlock the secrets of masculinity or popularity.
How much screen time is too much? Here’s my answer. If it’s coming between you and your relationship with your child, or their wellbeing, it’s too much. It can be entertaining, informative, even fun — but it must never be our children’s emotional anchor or identity source.
When you are around his mates, be the voice they need. Boys take in more than they let on. You don’t have to be cool or clever — just real. A single comment, gesture, or movement of presence can shape how they see manhood and themselves.
If your son is looking to self-improve, take note. There are heaps of people (of all genders and sexes) on the internet ready to tell your boy how to be a man.
Boys need real-life experiences that help them feel their worth. That’s never just one person’s job. There comes a time in a young man’s life when he looks around and needs a community of good men to experience life with. My heart wants to leave no child behind. The community programs that are offering adventure and storytelling for our young boys are making an investment that I am eternally grateful for.

Suitable to watch with teens?

Only if they are interested in doing so. I don’t see any point in forcing this viewing on kids, either in schools or homes. There is no graphical visual content, which really helps this be used as a discussion tool. Please do watch it yourself first, as it has heavy themes and content.

The One Thing Netflix’s Adolescence Gets Wrong – And Why I’m Glad It Did | Michelle Mitchell

The following infographic from Lily O’Farrell may assist you in translating some of the short hand memes and codes used in the incel/manosphere world.

Everything I've Learned About Incels - Media Chomp

Here to chat about this with any curious community members.

Mrs Sheryl Moncur | School Counsellor / Teacher

Canteen Specials

Weekly Special - Week Nine

Recess: Scone - Served Warm with Butter and Jam

Lunch: Thai Beef Salad - Marinated Beef, Vermicelli Noodles, Lettuce Mix, Tomato, Red Capsicum, Cucumber, Red Onion and Thai Dressing

Monday:

Nachos
Nachos Deluxe

Tuesday:

Caesar Salad –Cos Lettuce, Red Onion. Egg, Parmesan, Croutons and Dressing
Chicken Caesar Salad – Caesar Salad plus Chicken and Bacon GF option - no croutons

Wednesday:

Aussie Burger - Burger Pattie, Lettuce, Tomato, Cheese, BBQ Sauce and Mayo Aussie Burger Deluxe – Aussie Burger plus Beetroot, Bacon and Fried Egg

Thursday:

Pizza - Hawaiian or Vegetarian

GF option available

Friday:

Pesto Pasta Salad – Basil Pesto, Pasta, Chorizo, Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, Olives and Feta

Uniform Shop

Week Nine opening hours

Monday: 8.00am to 11.30am
Tuesday: CLOSED
Wednesday: 8.00am to 4.00pm
Thursday: CLOSED
Friday: 8.00am to 1.00pm

Week Ten opening hours

Monday: 8.00am to 4.00pm
Tuesday: CLOSED
Wednesday: 8.00am to 4.00pm
Thursday: CLOSED
Friday: 8.00am to 1.00pm