Year 10 Pastoral Guardian

Please Say "Hi"

We are coming to the end of Week 4 and the transition phase to Learning from Home has passed.  I am hoping that all Year 10 students are feeling settled and confident with their daily routine, and are enjoying the calmness to their days.  Like any significant change in life, there comes that initial doubt and stress, and when we first entered COVID-19 the clouds of uncertainty loomed over us and we struggled to understand the concept what life in isolation would be like.  However, as our TV and news feeds are now filled with the positive news of the restrictions lifting and the possible return to school for all students, there comes the next transition phase.  This is going to bring mixed emotions and, while some students will be elated with the prospect of normality, it is important that we enter this next transition in a similar manner to which we entered the Learning from Home situation here at Mount Alvernia, and that is by being calm and connected.

I would like to share with you some tips on how you might want to support your daughter through this next transition phase:

1. Write down the positives that have come from home learning and the positives that will come from returning to school.  Hopefully what you will read is that change presents opportunities to grow and acknowledge how things have, and can, become better as a result.
2. Talk it out:  Through conversation can you pinpoint why your daughter does not want to return to school?  Identifying the root to the issue can help everyone plan the best way forward.
3. Routine:  Slowly bring back the normal school routine of earlier rises and other habits, such as making lunch.  This will help the whole family on the first morning when school does resume.
4. Eat well:  When change happens, human beings can easily resort to eating foods that are high in sugar, known as comfort foods.  When stressed our body depletes serotonin – a brain chemical that helps us to regulate mood and sleep - and we turn to carbohydrates like chocolate to soothe ourselves. 
5. Self-love:  The focus for Year 10s this year is to make wellbeing a priority; over the next couple of weeks encourage your daughter to take extra care of herself by doing the basics well – good sleep, eating well, and exercise.
6. Wisdom:  The other focus for Year 10s this year is to apply the wisdom of others and themselves. Encourage your daughter to re-enter school as a 'braver' version of herself, knowing that she has the resilience to work through any challenge.
7. Connect/reconnect:  Be in touch with friends at school or connect with new friends.  This is a great opportunity to make new friends online.
8. Seek support:  Do not hesitate to contact me if you feel your daughter needs support to returning to school.  Please email me (richt@staff.mta.qld.edu.au) and we can arrange a time to discuss this. 

I have missed not seeing the Year 10 students and feeling the energy they bring to my life.  Please say "Hi” to them for me and tell them that I am proud of how hard they are working.  Thank you for all your wonderful guidance and support during this time.  I hope that you have been able to build a stronger connection with your daughter and have gained a deeper insight into her academic life.

Tamara Richardson