Year 7 Pastoral Guardian

We are only 2 weeks away from the end of term and your child will have completed their first term of High School. It has been an interesting term that has thrown challenges we could not have imagined. But, as I said to the students at our recent Year level Assembly, they will have unique stories to tell about their start to High School.

One of the foci this week on the SchoolTV platform is around Happiness and Gratitude. In our Home Rooms, the personal wellbeing practice we have looked at this week is an “Attitude of Gratitude’. Studies have shown that when we are grateful, we can be more optimistic, successful and healthier and gratitude is seen as a “mega strategy for happiness”. Students were encouraged to identify 3 things they were grateful for and what made those things possible. It is a great practice to start at home, sitting around the dinner table and identifying something everyone is grateful for from their day. Here is the link to the information around happiness and gratitude on SchoolTV:

Happiness & Gratitude

https://mta.qld.schooltv.me/newsletter/happiness-gratitude

Another focus on SchoolTV is around raising girls. Raising girls can be a challenge but there are many ways to help your child develop into a well-balanced, resilient person. Canadian psychologist, Dr Lisa Damour, says that how parents respond to a girl’s distress has the power to make things much better – or much worse. In her book, “Under Pressure Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls”, Lisa suggests some ways to ease the pressure of raising girls by looking at avoidance, meltdowns, and putting some slack in your life.

Between the ages of 12 -14 the brain’s emotional centre undergoes a full upgrade and this can result in an upsetting situation turning your normally rational daughter into a sobbing puddle on the floor. It is essential to let the turbulence in your daughter’s brain subside as they have lost perspective and are incapable of being objective. If you respond in a calm reassuring manner, then this shows your daughter that you are taking the situation in your stride and not panicking. In this way you are responding to the meltdown, not reacting to it. Many parents employ a 24-hour rule, after which they address the problem and employ some problem-solving strategies.

Avoidance feeds anxiety and makes it worse. It is a parent’s gut instinct to rescue their child from a difficult situation, but you are urged to resist acting on that instinct and, instead, turn your attention toward helping them approach the source of their anxiety. In this way you are helping them to move towards the threat rather than retreating from it. Studies have shown that if you want to get rid of a worry, you must earnestly engage it. As a parent you can model the ability to tolerate a bad situation and figure out a way forward. This results in your daughter feeling calmer and more in control. Your measured and calm response has a very powerful, positive effect on girls’ immediate and long-term distress. 

With the busyness of our lives, it has been shown that the stress of minor hassles is actually resulting in the same stress levels as stress from true calamities. Studies have shown that we tend to try to make the most of our time by filling it with structured activities that have clear goals and when something minor happens to upset that balance stress levels rise disproportionately to the event. We are encouraged to make the most of time just by having it. Under scheduling family activities is a great strategy for reducing the strain we are experiencing in our lives and, thereby, increasing the joy. You can find more information about raising girls on the link below:

Raising Girls

https://mta.qld.schooltv.me/newsletter/raising-girls

Due to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions we have finally been able to have a formal welcoming ceremony for the Year 7 students. Today the Year 7 students were called by name and presented to the College community. At Mount Alvernia College all staff and students wear a name tag. It is an expression of the importance we place on community. By wearing their name tag, everyone can learn your child’s name, get to know them, and make them feel part of our community. It was a lovely moment - and we hope all Year 7 students remember their welcome for years to come. I invite you to share in the memory of this event by viewing the below photos. 

We were also lucky to hear from some of our Year 7 music students. They are currently learning about music from all around the world. They composed their own African welcome song and played this for us - I welcome you to view some photos from their performance below. 

I hope you and your family are safe and well. Please reach out if you have any concerns or worries (goodc@staff.mta.qld.edu.au).