Sally Cheah-Johnson
Assistant Principal

Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome back to JMSS for another Term of learning. I hope that everyone was able to have a restful and relaxing mid-year break.

VCE Parent Forum

After strong expressions of interest from JMSS parents, we held a VCE Parent Forum at the school on Thursday 26 July.

The evening’s program was a Q&A (Questions and Answers) Forum. We had a panel on the evening to respond to the many questions raised by parents and students who attended on the evening. The Q & A Forum ‘Road to Success” focused on learning strategies, the importance of maintaining good health and effective study habits that will help our students to achieve success.

The Q&A session was vibrant and the evening was very well attended. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the PFA for providing refreshments on the evening.

I would also like to thank the Panel members who supported this Q&A Forum with their most candid reflections, sharing their stories and imparting strategies with great wisdom.

The Panel members were:

Mrs. Narelle Vella (Parent of 2 Alumni students).

Ms. Bronte Alston (2017 Alumni)

Mr. Benjamin Kim (2017 Alumni)

Mrs. Adriana Abels

(Flannery House Leader, Humanities Teacher)

Mr. Colin Shnier (Mathematics Teacher)

Dr. Ben Green (Science Teacher)

Ms. Evelyn Xu (Mathematics / Science Teacher, 2012 Alumni)

Mr. John McCormack (Student Counsellor)

Below is a summary of some of the ideas that were shared on the evening (from the Handout):

Parental Role in Student Wellbeing

Andrew Fuller (Adolescent Psychologist) states that parents have a vital role in helping their teenager:

Manage time;
Manage energy;
Manage stress;
Managing to get everything in at the right time and in the right place.

In addition, Andrew Fuller makes a very valid point that parents/care-providers also need to manage themselves. Parents need to be involved with their teenager but at the same time be very aware of times when their involvement might not be accepted.

It comes of no surprise that regular planned times for study and preparation throughout the year creates better results. In Andrew Fuller’s words “short regular sprints of learning are more effective than long study marathons”.

Constructing a Schedule

A negotiated schedule is not only beneficial but can also be bonding for those involved.

Factors to consider in a Study Schedule:

Balance – making sure that there are ample opportunities to play sport, pursue artistic activities (drama, art etc.) and spend time with family and friends;
Routine – smart study habits need to be practised regularly and do not develop automatically;
Study friendly home-environment – help to eliminate distractions and provide conditions that help concentration;
Scheduled study time – mapping out an ideal week:
1. Times for sleeping (at least eight hours a night);
2. Times for unwinding and relaxing;
3. The best times for study;
4. The best time of the week for consolidating notes and extending memory;
5. Time to catch up with friends;
6. Required school hours; and
7. Time for part-time work (less than 10 hours a week);

Study sessions should never be longer than 50 minutes, with a ten-minute break between study sessions.

It is often good to talk with your teenager about things such as how to handle invitations around exam times, any family commitments that are expected and how often you should remind them of the schedule when they don’t seem to be following it.

Managing Exam Stress

Along with the Study Schedule there are some simple ways to help your teenager manage the stress of their exams. A little stress can be a good thing but feelings of losing control and being overwhelmed are detrimental.

Good Nutrition.
Eating enough protein can help with learning, memory and mood, and retaining information for the long term. The brain also needs energy and nutrients to repair and maintain brain cells. Complex carbohydrates – found in wholegrain cereals, breads, pastas, fruits and vegetables – are absorbed slowly in the bloodstream, which means energy is released and is available over a long period. Complex carbohydrates keep teenagers more alert and able to concentrate better for longer. The best drink for the brain is water. Avoid ‘traditional’ study foods like energy drinks, highly processed foods, chips and lollies.
Exercise can be energizing and refreshing. Encouragement to exercise regularly is vital to keep young people alert and focused.
Rest and relaxation gives muscles a break, relaxes the brain and aids concentration. Different relaxation techniques include:
1. Mindfulness
2. Visualization
3. Breathing
4. Muscle relaxation
Importance of Sleep. Regularly not getting enough sleep leads to chronic sleep deprivation. This can have dramatic effects on a young person’s life, impacting their mental wellbeing, increasing their risk of depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. It can also affect academic performance. Sleep research suggests that a young person needs between 8 and 10 hours of sleep every night.
Use of a ‘study buddy’ or setting up a study group. This can help with motivation and engagement.

If you have queries or would like to discuss the wellbeing of your child, please feel free to contact me on 9905 1002.

Parent Opinion Survey

Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of randomly selected parents.

It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.

Approximately 30 per cent of parents have been invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 23 July to Sunday 26 August, 2018.

This online survey will be reported back to the school at the end of September. The survey results will be communicated to parents through our Annual Report. Last year we used the survey results to further plan our school’s Annual Implementation Plan.