Academic Care and Wellbeing - Students
Watching our College community this year I believe we have coined a new word.
‘Peerserverance’
This is the ability to stick together, to dig deeper, fight harder, and generally give it everything you’ve got because you're with mates.
It can be seen in our Kennedy Day Tug of War and our Mater Dei Day Homegroup Challenge.
Congratulations to Carroll House for winning the tug of war, and congratulations in particular to Carroll 7 who won Mater Dei Day and Kennedy House who won the Challenge Cup.
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Tug of War video foundhere
Sherrin "Breakfast of Champions"
This year Sherrin House pulled off what has previously been impossible...they won ALL 3 CARNIVALS!
This week they celebrated their Breakfast of Champions.
Well done Sherrin House on a result that comes from your enthusiasm and your participation in all things Mater Dei. We hope your breakfast sustains you through the rest of the Homegroup challenges in Term 3’s Olympiad.
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This week our Police Liaison Officer, Senior Constable Tim Bourke spoke to our Year 8, 9, and 10 students. Constable Bourke spoke about the legalities of vaping and the misuse of devices.
Vaping is a rapidly growing issue in Wagga and in particular, with young people. Vaping is difficult to deal with because it is easily hidden and does not include the paraphernalia and powerful smell that comes with normal cigarette smoking.
Senior Constable Bourke gave a very clear message to our College Community about the legalities of vaping. Given that underage use and the sales of vapes are illegal, we understand that it is a Police matter and in the future we will be sharing information regarding vaping with Senior Constable Bourke. He is here to support our community and is more than happy to speak in confidence with any students or parents/carers.
Coming into this term Catholic Education Diocese Wagga has a number of resources available for parents to support student learning and wellbeing. The following options are available:
• Stay healthy, stay active and keep connected during the HSC using our resources for studying, self-care and staying informed. This government website contains practical information for parents and students. Website
• Term 3 PARENT ESafety Commissioner Webinars
Parents and carers can select from two topics – one tailored to parents of teens and one that is suitable for all ages. These webinars are full of practical tech tips, advice and strategies for parents and carers of primary and secondary school students.
Understand the risks when using apps like Tik Tok, Snap Chat, YouTube and Instagram. This webinar also covers strategies for staying safer on social media and how to report if something goes wrong.
eSafety’s parent guide to online sexual harassment and image-based abuse
• Term 3 Headspace Parent Information Sessions
Parents, Carers, and Community Members in the Riverina region are invited to attend a free mental health education session in Term 3. More information can be found here.
• SchoolTV - Special Report: COVID-19 Fatigue & Youth Mental Health
The physical impact of the pandemic has mostly spared our young people, however as the nation remains to be on alert and in various stages of lockdown, restrictions continue to be mandated. The pandemic has had a great effect on our young people with many paying a heavy emotional and developmental price. Psychological disorders are on the rise and emergency interventions have skyrocketed.
As hard as it is being a young person today, it's also draining being the parent of one. It has been reported that many parents are struggling to keep their child's mental health afloat, often proving it is difficult to juggle parenting responsibilities whilst at the same time providing much needed emotional support for their children.
Unlike the coronavirus itself, the emotional blowback of the pandemic cannot be vaccinated away. Psychologists are seeing more depression and anxiety across all age groups, but in adolescents it seems to be on steroids, with some choosing to self-medicate using alcohol or other drugs. When they look into the future now, they're looking at one that wasn't what they envisioned before.
This report explains the current state of youth mental health in a post-COVID era and offers guidance on how best to support young people today. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.
If this Special Report raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.
Here is the link to the special report
https://schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-covid-fatigue-youth-mental-health
Ms Melanie Cramp | Leader of Students