Senior School

Welcome back to the Senior School for what promises to be an exciting new year!

I love the start of each new year. I love seeing our new Year 7s arrive in their over-sized new uniforms (and seeing their tearful parents swoop back for one last hug). I love seeing our new Year 8s stepping up in the realisation that they are no longer the youngest! I love seeing our Stage 5 students undertake their own elective classes for the first time. I love seeing our new Year 11s don their white, senior shirts for the first time and begin the “serious” part of their education. I also love seeing our Year 12s realise that they have only three terms left before they will leave us to begin their new adult lives. It is both an exciting and poignant moment in time. 

As we begin the new year, I draw the attention of both parents and students to our amended approach to mobile phones. We have given a great deal of thought to the purpose for which we as a school exist, and the kinds of young people we aim to grow here. At heart, we want to be a place where our students can become the kind of young people who are fully present in their attention to what they are learning and doing, and fully present in their relationships. Phones are not inherently evil (in fact they can often be very useful), but their ubiquity in our lives as adults can often mean that we are only half-present in our jobs and in our relationships, as we are distracted by social media, messages and pop-ups. The extent to which this is true for children and young people (who have grown up in the smartphone age) is only amplified, and research suggests that limiting the use of phones in schools to specific educational tasks has a range of positive outcomes in the academic, social and emotional domains. 

For this reason, we are actively discouraging Year 7 parents from providing their children with phones (unless absolutely necessary), and will be banning the use of phones on campus between 8:30am – 3:00pm. Where students do bring phones to school, they are to remain locked in lockers throughout the day unless teachers specifically ask students to bring them to their class for an educational purpose (such as movie-making in Drama). Should students disregard this rule, phones may be confiscated and parents asked to attend the School to collect them. Please note that we are offering a short (one week without express notice from Ms. Haines or a Head of House) grace period where students may use their phone to pay at the Canteen. 

To make our amended approach work, we are seeking the support of parents and caregivers. Specifically, we are asking you NOT to text or call your children throughout the school day. Should you need to contact your child for any reason, please call Student Reception on 4757 9000, and we will be sure to pass on any message. Should your child call or text you during the day (or should you note in your own scrolling that they appear to be active on social media), please encourage them to put their phone away and if they need help, to go to Student Reception. 

I am looking forward to a fabulous year with you all, and wish each and every member of the Senior School Community a Happy 2023! 

Mr Owen Laffin

Deputy Head - Head of Senior School