Principal's News
Katrina Brennan
Principal's News
Katrina Brennan
As we go to press, we have been celebrating the release of the 2022 NAPLAN data. In the Junior School, we are the top bayside school in Melbourne, top 3 in the Southern Region and 12th in the State.
This reflects so positively on our outstanding teachers and leaders and the targeted literacy work we are undertaking from Prep, our exceptional teaching of mathematics, the support and enrichment for all of our students and our extraordinary care.
In the Senior School, our Year 9 cohort were 6th in the Southern region and we were 25th in the State. As we continue to focus on high impact teaching strategies and curriculum planning, we are so assured that every student, every day, in every lesson is growing and developing. Shelford girls thrive!
In the modern era, the role of social media in the life of teens is central. For teenagers, being online is to be connected, accepted and included. It allows young people to reach out to a broader circle and meet other teenagers from further afield, or to have more controlled social interactions with those they already know well. Not to mention, that various Apps are now the central way young people organise their social life!
A generation ago, the landline telephone, with its spirally long chord was taken into bedrooms for long, intense conversations with friends, scrutinising the day, feelings and allowing for deeper connection. Today, social media and digital devices reign supreme. As a parent, rather than asking the question should I allow my daughter to be online, it is increasingly a matter of when and how and what are the appropriate parameters?
No doubt there are risks associated with the virtual world, just as there are in real life. In the same way, harm minimisation strategies are best applied, rather than a “just say no” prohibition. Our students are educated about online safety. Parent involvement and oversight, guidance and support, is also crucial.
The real dangers in social media are more to do with social and emotional wellbeing and are more nuanced than predators lurking behind a paywall. There might be pressure to behave in particular ways, and conforming may be a better option for a young person then loneliness; so, a young person may find themselves influenced to relinquish ideas and values, in order to be part of the group online. This has always been a challenge of adolescence and of parenting adolescents, it is just taking place on a different medium.
Being online can also lead to disappointment, or a realisation that you are not a part of all that you thought; photos of a party you were not invited to and other students’ achievements, lives, and holidays, may bring feelings of despair. Airbrushed perfection may not help body image issues. It is worth discussing these points with you daughter – are they prepared for this and emotionally mature enough to deal with it?
Tips for parents in managing social media with their daughters:
Good luck with all of this.
My number one advice is all things in moderation; ensure your daughter is busy with homework, music, sport and other interests; that she has household responsibilities and tasks to do; that she is conversing with the family and able to speak to adults; and then, some online time can be a welcome break, connection and addition to her world!
Katrina Brennan
Principal