Year 9 Pastoral Guardian

Since we last spoke, how have you and your daughter been? There was a mini COVID lockdown, Easter holidays, Mother’s Day, start of Term 2, and I am sure many other things. I hope that there have been pockets of moments where you have had an opportunity to connect with your daughter and to check in with her.

In the previous Parent Corner, I focused on the importance of adolescents finding their voice, to feel confident to speak out and to be connected to the Mount Alvernia community, and to enhance self-confidence and self-esteem. I also recommended an excellent parent resource - The Lighthouse Plan by Rebecca Sparrow. In this edition, I will discuss the essence of energy. Please stay with me as I explore this topic with you.

I take you back to Monday where the Year 9s gathered on the Rooftop Terrace for the inaugural Year 9 Picnic. Students shared food, played handball, sang, and danced along to music. It was a great event enjoyed by all. The week continued with NAPLAN, and I am very proud of how all Year 9s have conducting themselves and remaining positive throughout the experience. This has prompted me to not only share this positive news but also to explore the development of the adolescent (and everyone, for that matter) based on the fundamental nature of energy.

During the middle phase of adolescence there are many developments: they experience physical changes, become interested in romantic and sexual relationships, argue with parents more as they battle for independence, have a growing concern for their appearance and, finally, the frontal lobes of their brain continue to rapidly develop. The frontal lobes control complex decision making and impulsivity and, when it’s fully developed by the mid-twenties, decisions can be made by analysing options and the consequences.

So where does essence of energy fit into all of this? Energy is all around us. We can sense energy that is negative, positive, sad, happy, nervous, and calm. The environment with which we surround ourselves can have a profound impact on our mental health and the way in which we go about our daily lives. Navigating our adolescents through the middle phases requires critical support and an educated approach. I therefore present to you an approach that focuses on the energy within an environment (people and surroundings) and ultimately the energy we create.

Many parenting resources recommend parents to have positive conversations, create supportive and clear expectations and rules, to be a positive role model, and respect the need for independence and individuality. Energy created from all of this is positive, calm, and inspiring. It is also acknowledging change and respecting relationships. Together, let us guide adolescents to be with people who are positive and energising, and to reduce their time with people who are controlling, reactive, and negative. Let us guide them to be involved in community events - from sport on a Wednesday to joining an Outreach group, to taking to the stage in the Musical. Let us guide our adolescents to be in environments that give out positive energy. It is in receiving this positive energy that we will then be more likely to also give it back – the ripple effect.

My biggest recommendation to adolescents and parents is, when the feeling of nerves, negativity, and being overwhelmed takes control, steer to nature. Go outside and be with nature (plants and animals). Nature gives out calming vibrations of energy that can restore us and make us present in the moment. This is the essence of energy. It is simply one approach that can help adolescents regulate their emotions and that can lead to healthy decision making. I have provided a great link below to a resource by Linda Stade that explores Emotional Regulation; she provides some great skills that all teens should apply.

Please do not hesitate to share your thoughts and experiences as a parent. I am keen to hear about what works for you and maybe, in return, we could share this with the Year 9 parent community.

It takes a community to raise a child … and an adolescent. Please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns.

This week, we welcomed new student Indi Desmond to the Year 9 and Mount Alvernia community.

Tamara Richardson