Deputy Principal

 

Year 7 and 10

As the year draws to a close and families plan their school holidays, we as parents and teachers need to remember that, navigating the years of adolescence can present a significant challenge for all. We must allow our students time for themselves, not to play their computer games for the 27th hour in a week or watch the 8th replay of a movie, but time to meet up with mates and socialise, face to face. 

With the allure of social media and online gaming ever-present, setting limits and boundaries on screen time can feel like a constant battle. Hopefully the new laws around social media restrictions for under 16s that start on December 10 can empower some parents to address issues regarding access to inappropriate material, overstimulation before bedtime and reduce screen time. Perhaps we may even see more kids out on the street catching up with mates, riding pushbikes and going on adventures beyond their neighbourhood. Sometimes misbehaviour and disengagement are a sign that needs to be noted and acknowledged. It may be time for a change, a new focus, planning for what lies ahead. It may mean that the initial plan or pathway is no longer suitable, and we need to reset and remodel a new plan. 

School, academic study, Year 12 and University is not for everyone. Working combined with study, traineeships and apprenticeships may be a pathway that leads back into engagement with learning, better relationships at home and connection with the ‘Real World’. 

Boisterous behaviour and challenging boundaries are all a part of growing up and poses challenges for us that can result in tension, frustration and that sense of not getting anywhere. This will continue for a while, but please parents…do not give up on them. They simply want to be heard, loved and reassured that all is going to be ok as they continue this road of adolescence and fight for acceptance or a sense of belonging. 

They do, however, still require you to be the parent, the adult and the guide to assist in this navigation. It's a delicate balance of setting expectations, providing guidance, and offering support as they test boundaries and fight for independence. Despite the occasional frustrations and exasperations that may arise, both teachers and parents play a vital role in steering these young individuals towards responsible decision-making and growth. 

I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude to all parents and carers for their support through this challenging assessment period. Together, we have fostered an environment of growth and positivity, and I am grateful to be part of such a good community. 

Congratulations to: Marcus J, Dean K, Umar Y, Hashem K, Eddy Z, Charles Q and Max Y for an excellent adventure story which won them a free lunch. Story below

Seddique Martin

Deputy Principal Year 7 and 10

Adventure Story: Marcus, Max, Eddy, Charles, Hashem, Dean, Umar

Part 1 - Playing at Waterloo park: On the 28th of September, we planned to go fishing, but the plan wasn't successful. So we met at waterloo park at 12 o’clock. Then we played basketball together.

The teams were Max’s team and Marcus’ team.

There were Eddy and Max on Max’s team and Dean, Charles, Marcus and Hashem were on the other team. Eddy and Max’s team won and the score was 24-16.

After basketball, we also played soccer together. This time the teams were me (Marcus) and Eddy versus Hashem, Charles, Max and Dean. The area we played in wasn’t shaded so we were sweating a lot. Marcus and Eddy won the soccer match and the score was 5-1. We are also planning to go fishing for part 2.

Hashem arrived shortly after Charles some time after 12 PM and they played some ping pong while waiting for the others to arrive. Around 5 minutes later, Dean showed up, but left something and went back to get it. While he was gone, Max, then Marcus showed up and played doubles in Ping Pong till Dean arrived. We began to talk about what we’d been doing for the holidays and shortly afterwards, Eddy arrived, Max and Eddy then left to play Basketball while Me and everyone else played Frisbee. Afterwards, we joined their game of Basketball and when the score started to even out we played some soccer by the grassy field nearby. A few minutes later, we decided it was time to leave so we said our goodbyes and left the park.

Part 2 - Fishing at Brays Bay Reserve: On the 9th of October, Umar, Charles, Hashem and I (Marcus) arrived at Brays Bay Reserve in Rhodes to go fishing. Me and Umar decided to meet up at Macquarie Centre to go to Rhodes together. We met there at about 9:40 am to catch a bus and then a connecting bus to the fishing spot. We wanted to leave earlier as the tide and wind was higher, making it easier for us to catch bigger fish, and also because it was my (Marcus)  first time going fishing. The plan was that we (Charles, Umar, Dean, Hashem, and Marcus) would meet up at Brays Bay Reserve at around 10 am but unfortunately Dean couldn't show up. Anyways, Umar and I decided to set up while we waited for Hashem and Charles to arrive. Umar took out a piece of Yakka to cut for bait while I threw bread into the water to try lure fish towards us. After that Umar set up his rod and gave it a cast. While he was waiting for his rod to get bites, he helped me catch my first fish. Which was a toadfish.

After that, I caught a couple more toadfish and later, Umar set up his phone to record a Youtube video. A few minutes later around 11 am Hashem and Charles arrived. Later, Umar got a BIG bite on his rod and he started reeling it in. Little did he know it was a 26 cm bream. 

 After that, Umar helped Hashem catch his first fish, which was a toadfish.      

One of Umar’s mates met us by coincidence and joined us for fishing. Then, I wanted to set up a rod for mullet fishing so I asked Charles to set up for me. He handed me his rod and I gave it a cast. I waited about 2 minutes and after a bit of jigging the bait, I felt something pull drag really hard from the rod. That’s when I knew I was on something. I started reeling in and told my friend that I was pulling in a fish. They first thought it was just snagged and I wasn't able to reel in. But, I knew for sure that I was about to catch a BIG fish by the way it was pulling. I reeled in some more and then, we saw it. A 30cm bream right in front of our eyes. Umar went in to net it as the rod couldn’t handle the weight. 

After a while we went to a spot a few metres away and fished for a while. The rod I was using got stuck on a rock and I tried to pull it, but when I did, the top half of the rod(it was a two piece rod) fell off into the water. I tried to get it but scratched my leg and failed. Charles, who owned the rod, did not want it to get lost so he went in and luckily grabbed it out of the water with some help. 

(the picture does not show it properly, but you can still see the line and rod)

At around 2:30pm we were getting ready to leave and just a few minutes before leaving we caught a small crab.

We left at 2:40pm.