Wellbeing
Spotlight: Mentor Program
This pre-recorded Spotlight can be viewed on HT Connect.
Limiting Mobile Phone Use in School: Fostering Focus and Connection
As recently communicated to families, Huntingtower has revised its Student Mobile Phone Guidelines. This has been done through careful consultation with staff, students and families and serves to promote more positive and personal engagement and interaction during school hours.
In today's digital age, mobile phones have become ubiquitous, serving as both a convenience and a distraction, particularly in educational settings. However, it's essential to recognise the impact excessive phone use can have on students' learning and wellbeing. Research has shown that constant phone use can disrupt concentration, hinder academic performance, and impede social interactions. By limiting mobile phone use in school, we aim to create an environment conducive to focussed learning and meaningful connections.
When students are not constantly tethered to their phones, they become more engaged in classroom activities, participate actively in discussions, and develop crucial interpersonal skills. Moreover, reducing phone usage during instructional time fosters better time management and improves overall productivity. Setting boundaries around mobile phone use encourages students to be present in the moment, fostering deeper connections with their peers and teachers. Face-to-face interactions are essential for building empathy, communication skills, and a sense of community.
As educators and parents, it's our responsibility to promote healthy technology habits and teach students to use their devices mindfully. By implementing policies that limit mobile phone use in the school setting we can create a more balanced and enriching learning environment for all.
To assist families to understand the impact of inappropriate device use on young people, please take the time to view the following reports from SchoolTV on technology use:
Mobile Phone Separation Anxiety
We appreciate your ongoing support.
Mr Dean Owens
Head of Wellbeing and Learning Enrichment
Trauma Recovery
A SPECIAL REPORT: Trauma Recovery
Trauma in children significantly disturbs their sense of safety and normalcy, leading to substantial emotional and behavioural changes. Such disturbances often result from exposure to traumatic events, which may be exacerbated by continuous media coverage. This exposure can trigger stress, anxiety, and trauma, with varying recovery timelines due to the unpredictable nature of trauma's impact. Observing young people grappling with these effects can be highly distressing for parents and caregivers.
It's important to establish a nurturing environment to help restore a child's sense of security to help promote resilience. Active involvement in their recovery is essential, as is recognising the unique, personalised needs of each child in responding to trauma. Depending on their age, children may present with different symptoms, such as regressive behaviours in younger ones or withdrawal and agitation in older children and teens. It is important to monitor and manage the type of information children may access to reduce their emotional distress.
The brain stores traumatic events as powerful emotional memories, influencing behaviour through mechanisms beyond a child's conscious awareness. By providing young people with support and equipping them with coping mechanisms to handle uncertainty, parents and carers can greatly enhance a child's capacity to recover and build long-term emotional resilience.
This Special Report will help you identify a child experiencing trauma and how you can support them to overcome it.
If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.
Here is the link to your special report: https://huntingtower.vic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-trauma-recovery
Mrs Jaynie Gorander
Psychologist/Student Counsellor
Elevate Education
We’re excited to announce that Elevate Education will be hosting a free webinar for our parents on motivation on Wednesday 8th May.Elevate works with our students, delivering high-impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation. By tuning into their webinar series, you’ll learn how you can help support your child at home by reinforcing the skills they’re learning at school.
Their upcoming webinar on motivation will give you some easy-to-implement strategies to help your child stay motivated as we approach the mid-point of the school year.
How to Get (and Keep!) Your Child Motivated
Wednesday 8th May 6:30-7:30pm (AEST)
Here’s what Elevate will be covering on the night:
- Using praise and reassurance to motivate your child
- Setting relevant and effective goals for your child
- Helping your child to stay motivated long-term
Mr Dean Owens
Head of Wellbeing and Learning Enrichment