Principal

Anxiety – How Schools’ Well-Intentioned Strategies are Not the Right Ones

Recent national media coverage, including the Sydney Morning Herald article “Skipping camp, public speaking: How schools have it wrong on kids’ anxiety”, has prompted an important conversation within education communities about how best to support young people’s wellbeing.

Across Australian schools, educators are seeing an increase in anxiety among children and adolescents. While some level of worry is a normal part of growing up, ongoing anxiety can affect learning, relationships and a young person’s confidence to participate fully in school life.

In recent years, many adults have understandably responded by trying to protect young people from discomfort – allowing them to avoid stressful situations such as camps, public speaking, assessments or social challenges. While these responses are well-intentioned and grounded in care, research and school experience are now showing that excessive avoidance can unintentionally reduce a young person’s ability to cope.

As an Edmund Rice school, we are called to educate the whole person – intellectually, spiritually, socially and emotionally. Our tradition reminds us that growth, dignity and hope are often formed when young people are supported to face challenges, rather than shielded from them.

From avoiding anxiety to building resilience

Psychologists and educators now emphasise the importance of helping students develop skills to manage anxiety, rather than removing every obstacle in their path. When young people are supported to face manageable challenges, they learn:

• that anxiety is a natural response, not a weakness

• that discomfort can be worked through

• to persevere, problem‑solve, and self‑regulate

• to develop confidence for the increasing demands of adolescence.

   

Anxiety is something a young person experiences, not something they are – and, importantly, it can be managed and unlearned.

Understanding what anxiety is

Students benefit from learning what is happening in their bodies when they feel anxious. Anxiety is driven by the brain’s “alarm system”, designed to keep us safe. When students understand this, fear becomes less overwhelming and more manageable.

Practical strategies such as breathing techniques, grounding activities, movement and reframing anxious thoughts help calm the nervous system and allow students to re‑engage with learning and relationships. These are lifelong skills that support wellbeing well beyond school.

Why the Years 5–12 matter

The middle and secondary years are a critical period for forming habits of thinking, coping and self‑belief. Regularly avoiding challenge during these years can unintentionally reinforce the message that stress is dangerous or unmanageable.

By contrast, appropriate challenge:

• builds independence and agency

• strengthens confidence and self‑belief

• prepares students for senior schooling, work and adult life.

   

In the Edmund Rice tradition, we strive to help young people become individuals of strength and compassion – able to face difficulty with courage, supported by their community and faith.

What parents can do at home

Parents and carers play a vital role in building resilience. Consistent messages between home and school make a powerful difference.

Ways to support your child:

• Validate feelings without removing the challenge“I can see you’re nervous — and I believe you can manage this.”
• Resist fixing things immediatelyAllow time for your child to think, problem‑solve and try.
• Encourage small, regular challengesConfidence grows through repeated practice, not avoidance.
• Normalise discomfortRemind your child that feeling nervous is part of learning and growth.
• Practise calming strategies togetherSlow breathing, walking, prayerful reflection or naming emotions can help.
• Model resilienceShare how you manage stress or uncertainty in healthy ways.

• Partner with the schoolWhen home and school send the same message — “You can do hard things” — young people feel supported and capable.

   

Above all, reassure your child that they are never facing challenges alone. With caring adults walking alongside them, young people can develop the resilience, confidence and hope they need to flourish.

Together, as a Catholic learning community grounded in the Edmund Rice tradition, we remain committed to forming young people who are capable, compassionate and courageous. We seek your ongoing support to push our boys when the going gets tough, so they learn to cope better with their emotions and better prepare them for the real world.

MMG Surveys 2026

As part of our continuous improvement process, I wish to offer all parents/carers, students and staff opportunities to share feedback on their views of the College across a wide range of areas.

The research is being conducted by MMG Education, a specialist education consultancy that works with schools on strategic reviews and stakeholder satisfaction. MMG's client schools include many schools across Australia.

Parents/carers will be invited to complete questionnaires over a two-week period commencing on Monday, 11 May 2026. Staff and students will also complete their questionnaires during this period.

On Monday, 11 May, MMG Education will email you an invitation to participate in the review and provide you with your confidential, secure access to your questionnaire.

To ensure confidentiality and to encourage frank and full expression of views:

• All responses will be de-identified.

• The data will be reported back in aggregated form only.

• All data collected by MMG Education will remain under its control and archived according to research protocols. The College will not be able to access it.

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At the conclusion of the research period, MMG Education will provide me with a report. I will then provide opportunities for members of the College community to receive feedback from the research.

If you have any questions regarding the project, please contact my Executive Assistant, Cristina Polito, at cristina.polito@spc.nsw.edu.au.

I look forward to your valuable contribution to this important project by completing your questionnaire.

Community News

• We wish Mrs Buda all the best as she finishes this Friday before commencing a period of parental leave. 

In Memoriam

We keep in our prayers: 

• Levi S (Year 12) and Old Boy Elijah Saiz-Smith (’21) on the passing of their grandfather, Mr Isidro Saiz

   

• Declan G (Year 11), Knox G (Year 9) on the passing of their grandmother, Mrs Mary Garnett who is also wife to Old Boy Tony Garnett (’61), sister to Old Boys Martin Malone (’57) and John Malone (’60), and mother to Old Boys Daniel Garnett (’90), Michael Garnett (’93) and Patrick Garnett (’94).  

Dr Vittoria Lavorato

Principal

SPC boys can do anything! 

**except divide by zero