Middle Years 

Give teenagers room to process what they’ve been through

On reflection, I now beginning to feel students are settling back at school but there is more to do to adjust to the to school routines. I have been taking note of how students have been settling, and note:

• Students’ concentration is quite low, and this will take time to improve. 
• Talking is too prevalent in class, the time to be social is in the yard; the time to learn and review is in the classroom. Class chatter affects everyone’s learning, so class routines are important at this time. 
• Work output is lower than normal; during remote learning some students’ effort dropped and this has carried on into the classroom. This needs to pick up.
• Students are finding it challenging being back with their peers, and normal social re-integrating is occurring. This takes time, and can be unsettling. 

I am acutely aware that our community is in a post covid recovery phase and we are seeing this is the classroom. 

I found this perspective by Lisa Damour quite refreshing. Her article is in the New York Times, in June 2021. She noted that after working for two decades as a psychologist she has never seen teenagers so worn down at the end of an academic year.

“The pandemic has been the psychological workout of their lives. The next few months can be a time of recovery. I have never seen teenagers so worn down at the end of an academic year as they are right now. Whether classes have been online, in-person or hybrid, young people are dragging themselves to the finish line of a frustrating year of school.

What should they look to make of it? For me, the answer is not ‘recover lost ground,’ or even ‘put the past year behind them.’ With the stress and constant adaptation of the pandemic now largely in the past, young people can enjoy the payoff of converting that experience into increased maturity and psychological strength.

To that end, it’s important to remember that building psychological muscle is a lot like building physical muscle. Any kid who has spent time in a gym knows that you gain strength when a period of exertion is followed by an interval of sufficient recovery.

For most teenagers, the pandemic has been the psychological workout of their lives. To put that workout to use, they need time for recovery so that they can enjoy increased emotional resilience. Give teenagers room to process what they’ve been through” 

We also need to be mindful of students reintegrating with their peers. There was an interesting article in The Age on Friday 5 November. Dr Christine Grove, an educational and developmental psychologist and researcher at Monash University, said despite schools reopening, students are still very much living in and coping with the pandemic. “What we’re seeing on the ground now is students struggling to reconnect with friends and struggling with that social aspect of being back in the school environment,” she said.

I encourage all parents to talk to their children about how we can support them and enhance engagement. 

Finally, accepting that is has not been a normal year is important, and we are still juggling lots of different factors. The aim is to finish the year well and recognise that we need to take small steps as our children bounce back.

Year 7 Orientation Days

At this stage we are planning to run our Year 7 Orientation Days, on Tuesday 7 December. This day gives students the opportunity to meet new students and learn more about the transition process to the Senior School. Our aim is to make transition seamless, where students feel welcome. Please contact me if you have any queries jwintercooke@hamiltoncollege.vic.edu.au. Orientation Day Information will be emailed to you from Mrs Holcombe. Thank you to families who have returned the Transition Snapshot Form.

Mrs Julia Winter Cooke

Head of Middle Years