The Mazenod Gazette

From the Executive

A principal that I previously worked with would often quote these words of Peter Ustinov:

"Parents are the bones on which children sharpen their teeth. And the same can be said too of principals and teachers. And of what use are these bones if they are too soft?"

 

There will always be a healthy tension between young people seeking to exercise self-determination and those who feel that young people still need more guidance. This would indeed resonate with anyone that has had the responsibility of organising the end of year celebrations for Year 12. All parents and teachers at some stage feel ‘gnawed at’, sometime or other, as children test the limits and feel out the boundaries. At some stage we are made to feel like an old bone, if not a total fossil!

 

Some tension, and give and take, is an inevitable part of every relationship. Young people experience this as they grow up with their parents and at school. Most parents would be able to resonate with the following observation.

 

Children are very adept at comprehending modern statistics. When they say, “Everyone else is allowed to, it is usually on a survey of one”.

 

When the tooth sharpening comes to an end, and teachers are no longer a guiding or goading influence and parental authority is relaxed, how should the young adult react? Teachers now have no say and parents have diminished control. Parents are now trusting their emerging adult child to make good decisions. In today’s world no doubt parenting and teaching young emerging adults is becoming more and more complex. The world changes quickly and in the past we may have reminded children to be careful of the cars while playing cricket in the street, now it is when they are navigating online and via social media. Hopefully they don’t have their earphones in and hear our advice!

 

With freedom comes responsibility. Some young people will demand freedom but may not be ready to accept the corresponding responsibility. Most will be. The pitfalls of social media continue to trip up young people (older people are not immune either) and pose further challenges to us all in how to best deal with this issue.  The best thing to do is to be ready to talk openly about it. When we do observe young people make mistakes, it is well to recall the advice of that wonderful pontiff, John XXIII: "See everything, overlook a great deal, correct a little."

 

I take this opportunity to remind parents of School TV, a valuable resource that we subscribe to, and in the context of the challenges I have written about, there is a new release this week on Having the Alcohol Discussion https://mazenod.vic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-having-alcohol-discussion-au  

 

Also with exams for Year 11 and 10 along with some final assessments for students in 7-9 another resource parents may find useful is Exam Jitters  https://mazenod.vic.schooltv.me/newsletter/exam-jitters

Some Reminders

As we have been back a few weeks and students have hopefully re-established their routines, we ask your assistance in reminding your son to sign in at student counter if he arrives at school late, and upon presentation of a note from home requesting an early departure that he signs out at student counter.

 

 If students are feeling unwell they present themselves at the health centre and are assessed by the nurses. The nurses will contact parents if they are required to be collected. 

  • Students are not to contact parents independently requesting to be picked up from school.
  • Mobile phones are banned during school hours. Students that need to contact home urgently can do so with their year level coordinator.

Thank you to parents that have ensured their son has adhered to the presentation standards and have communicated with their son’s year level coordinator when there has been an issue with uniform so a pass could be organised.  We appreciate your support.

 

 

 

Mr Tim Ford

Deputy Principal (Student Welfare)