Welcome to Term 4!!

It sounded like everyone had a fantastic break. I loved hearing about all the adventures that were had. Sounded like they were full of holidays and fun times. This term is a crazy one with lots of assessment tasks to be completed.

Organisation will be key this term to ensure a smooth ride through our final term of Year 7. I would recommend putting any assessment tasks into your phone calendar with alerts reminding you of the due date, or write them out on a monthly calendar. If you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, make sure you speak with your classroom teachers and the best piece of advice I can give, is just make a start.

We have a few big events to look forward to this term. During Week 7 we will have a Wellbeing Day where all of Year 7 will take part in several activities run in the MPC by myself and some guest speakers. This will be a day to unwind, reset and prepare for the final weeks of term. You will learn beneficial skills, similar to our Resilience in our Teens program, to deal with the roller coaster of emotions that come with being a teenager. On the same day it is our White Ribbon Day assembly and to support this cause t-shirts can be bought from the front office for $29.50 each. Later in the term Year 7 have their $20 boss day, where they become an entrepreneur for the day and run a small business. I am going to be there with you all day and I am very excited to visit all of the stalls.

I hope you all have a fantastic Term 4. I'd like to take this opportunity to remind Year 7 that it is free to be kind and ensure you are looking after one another. 🙂

Miss Chantelle Sanki

Year 7 Adviser

The beginning of Term 4 has been a busy one for Year 9, with many different assessment tasks due. This can be a stressful time for many students, and it is very easy to feel overwhelmed. Some hints to help with managing your assessment tasks include:

Read through all assessment handouts highlighting all the key points
Ask your teachers for clarification when you are unsure of requirements
Mark down on a calendar your due dates
Use the marking criteria as a check list
Do not leave your work to the last minute

Students also need to manage their mental health during this time, and it is important for them to look after themselves. Some hints to help them are:

Minimising screen time
Getting enough sleep
Going outside (when it’s not raining!)
Talking to friends in person not just via social media
Drink lots of water
Take breaks from study

Although this time can be stressful, I have heard many positive reports about the work they are doing and I love seeing the results of all their hard work.

Over the next few weeks the peer support mentors will be working with some of the students from Gosford Primary and Point Claire Public Schools. During the Star Program the Year 9 students will run activities and support the Year 6 students during their transition from primary to high school.

Congratulations to our Year 9 student Courtney Cottle, who won the Youth Award for her artwork “Pressure” for mental health that was held at the Central Coast Art Gallery.

Know your power, believe in yourself and don't let anyone dim your light.

Leigh-Anne Pinnock

Mrs Karen Hogan

Year 9 Adviser

The start of this term marked a significant milestone for the Class of 2023: the beginning of Year 12! Wow, hasn’t this happened quickly! This is the time for students to consolidate or begin implementing healthy habits and strategies to support their academics and wellbeing over the next three terms as they officially begin their HSC journey.

The first few weeks of term have been incredibly busy for myself and the year group, as we’ve hit the ground absolutely sprinting. This began with a presentation on Budgeting for Youth on the first Wednesday back, which all of the cohort participated in as they learnt useful information about financial aspects of adulthood, such as loans, superannuation, and tax.

On the first Friday back, twenty eight students participated in the SafeTalk workshop, delivered by LifeLine, which equips participants with vital mental health first aid training to keep individuals at risk of suicide safe. The two presenters are highly experienced and have given the same presentation to many school groups, as well as corporate and community groups, and both of them raved about how brilliant our students were, with one getting in contact the next week to tell me that they were the best group they’ve ever had. I could not be more proud of how mature, empathetic, kind, and respectful they were throughout the three hours of confronting content.

On the Tuesday in the second week, all students participated in the Year 11 into Year 12 interviews. Students dressed professionally with a resume and had a one on one interview with a member of staff to discuss their Year 11 experiences, their goals for Year 12 and beyond, and to discuss their course pattern changes. Once again, the year group were exceptional and conducted themselves so well.

Lastly, on Tuesday in Week 3, the HSC information night was held to outline important department policies for the HSC and healthy mental health habits for students. It was a great turn out and a wonderful chance to put lots of faces to names for the parents.

Well done to Year 12 for their excellent conduct throughout all of the events and their start of their final year of school!

Miss Sasha Fitzgerald

Year 11 Adviser

Canteen