Wellbeing

Parent Information Night

Kingston Youth Services are offering a free online presentation by Dr Michael Carr-Gregg looking managing young people's emotional and mental wellbeing in year 12. MGSC has hosted previous presentations by Dr Carr-Gregg. The information is relevant for families with students in their final years of secondary school. 

Tips for starting high school

Starting high school is a big change for year 7 students.  They might be feeling a bit (or very) nervous – which is OK and completely normal when starting something new. As part of the adjustment to high school, we recommend you try some of these tips to make your transition to high school easier.

Take care of yourself

• Be sure to get plenty of sleep, exercise and eat well (healthy and nourishing food and drinks). This will help you to stay focused, give you enough energy to tackle your school work and join in-class activities.
• Taking care of yourself will help you to build self-confidence, mentally prepare you for the changes ahead and equip you with positive vibes that you can share at school.

Try new things at high school

• Go into high school with an open mind. There will be many new people to meet and activities to try. You may want to get a kick start by trying some of the extra-curricular activities your school has to offer, like joining a sports team, playing a musical instrument, or taking part in photography or drama club.
• Trying new experiences will help you get to know your new classmates and find peers who have similar interests to you.

Keep up a routine

• A part of high school you may not have experienced before is doing homework. Take some time to set up a routine that includes time for study, and you’ll be better prepared to stay on top of your workload.
• Talk to your family about setting up a quiet, distraction-free space at home where you’ll be able to do your homework tasks.

Welcome to your high school years, have fun and enjoy it. There may be some challenges ahead, but remember the school is here to support you and your wellbeing. Reach out to your teachers, peers or family if you’re feeling uneasy or want to talk through some ideas to help you settle into school. Wishing you the best of luck and well done on making it this far!

Here’s a video link created by ReachOut with tips for the transition to high school: https://youtu.be/0ozTuK43bb4

Source: https://au.reachout.com/articles/tips-for-starting-high-school

The Wellbeing Team

Christine Fay, Leona Thomson and Miriam Bush