Middle / Senior School Bulletin Issue 2, 21 February 2014

Issue 02/ 21 February 2014

Middle & Senior School News

St Andrews Service in Action Students have been actively involved in a number of service activities already this term. From giving blood to giving time on the weekends, there has been no shortage of volunteers eager and willing to give back to the local and international community. In the last fortnight, the Leos have begun their weekly BBQ at Officeworks (Kortum Dr) to raise funds for local charities, The Going Into Business (Middle School Elective) has held a bake stall and raised funds for Cambodia and our Student Council sold roses for Valentine’s Day as their first fundraiser for 2014.

St Andrews is committed to providing a positive education for all students with a strong focus on developing young men and women of character who understand the importance of growing and sharing their gifts with others. The Mufti Day Tuesday 25 February – (Blue, Red and commitment to encouraging wellbeing and the pursuit of success; academic and otherwise, is what makes St Andrews White) Village Life in Cambodia Next Tuesday our first Mufti Day for the year (Blue, White such a special school. and Red for Cambodia) will see us asking students to bring in a gold coin donation to go towards improving health Over the past two weeks we’ve held awards assemblies standards for the people living in rural areas of Camboto celebrate academic excellence, improvement and effort dia. A number of our students will then also take part in demonstrated in Semester Two 2013. We also acknowlan ALWS Awareness Week student information session, edged our 2013 OP 1 – 5 recipients. Past students Mackenwhich highlights the work of one of the welfare arms of zie Edwards and Lani Carruthers were inspirational in their the Lutheran Church. Students are asked to revisit the dress addresses to the students about goal setting, maintaining expectations which are listed in the Student Diary (Page 32). a balanced approach to the demands of your studies and striving to achieve your personal best.

Homework and Study Tips: As we are currently in the ‘busy time’ of term and students need to complete assessments and study for tests, I’ve included study tips that can help students to establish good homework techniques and routines.

Since the start of the year our Year 12 students have been setting a stellar example for our community. Planning is well underway on a number of fronts where they would like to make a difference within the College and beyond. As a cohort, they have shown a keen desire to leave a legacy for future years to build upon and I am looking forward to walking alongside them throughout the year as their plans crystallise and come to fruition.

Inter-House Swimming Carnival, Thursday 27 February Next Thursday our Inter-House Swimming Carnival for all students in Years 7 – 12 will be held at Somerset Pool.

Student will travel to the pool by bus with the first event starting at 9.15am. Parents are welcome to attend.

1. Get yourself and your stuff ready.

Ensure that you are not distracted, thirsty or hungry.

Try to get settled quickly in a clean, well lit area where you can concentrate.

2. Prioritise your work and start with the most difficult tasks first.

Set up a priority list and work your way through the list, tackling the most challenging work first. It is a good idea to set a time limit. (Eg. Math Problems on Page 58 . . . . . 15 Minutes) When you reach the time limit move on to the next piece of work and return to the work that is incomplete after you finish the rest of the list.

3. Break down large assignments and activities into manageable chunks.

Meet all of the assignment deadlines for planning and drafting your work.

4. Take a break after every 15-20 minutes of homework.

This is good because you get stressed from doing large blocks of homework you can cool off and start fresh again. This will only be useful if you work hard without

distraction for the 20 minute chunks.

5. Always ask for help when you get stuck.

Teachers, parents or your peers are always on hand to assist you.

6. Don’t waste time!

There is absolutely no use staring at a page while your mind wanders. Make a real decision to keep your mind on the job. This might mean switching off electronic devices, as scary as that might seem.

7. Reward yourself when you finish.

If you give 100% then you are sure to be less stressed and you are likely to find you have more time for the activities you really enjoy.

to donate $1500 which amounts to a lot of sausages. Lollipop Radio is an organization that provides care, comfort, play and entertainment for sick children in the Children’s Hospital). Our Captains kicked off the after school tutoring session for our younger students in the CRC on Wednesdays. Community Service Captain, Anabel Lamburd recently ran our first Book Club for 2014 with 12 Middle and Senior school students attending and sharing their love of books and must reads - it was a highly enjoyable meeting (Book Club is every Tuesday A). Much of this occurred in a single week so I look forward to sharing many more ways our students are practicing PERMA (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment).

Parents & Friends Activities The P & F Association at St Andrews is an active group of parents who are committed to fund-raising and friendraising for the benefit of the wider community. While there is an elected Executive Committee of hard-working volunteers, all parents and friends associated with the College are in fact members of the Association. Attendance at functions such as the P & F Picnic in the Playground, on Friday 14 March (5.00 – 8.00 pm in the MPH grassed area), is an opportunity for parents to meet and establish firm friendships.

Captains Reflection on Enthuse (LYQ Student Leaders’ Workshop) On a scorching day in late January in Coolum, over 70 young leaders, from all over Queensland, gathered by the beachside for a leadership camp that would change their lives. Not knowing what to expect, Kelsey, Josh, John and I headed to Enthuse, a leadership camp for Lutheran Schools in Queensland, with thoughts of how and what we were going to get out of 5 days with people we did not know.

We were pleasantly surprised and found ourselves having a grand time. Through a combination of team-building activities, valuable lectures, fun games and meaningful conversations, Enthuse managed to go above and beyond any camp we have ever attended before.

Every blessing Virginia Warner Deputy Principal Head of Secondary School

Senior School News It is unbelievable to think we are nearly half way through Term One. The Senior School is flourishing with our students settled into classes, practicing acts of gratitude, giving back to the community, caring for friends and engaging in meaningful activities. How are they doing this? Recently, the Student Representative Council sold roses to celebrate Valentine’s Day raising over $300. But many of our students used this often commercialised day as an opportunity to buy a rose for a friend or teacher to say thank you. In a total act of random kindness, Ashley Hayes and Melissa Maessen wrote nearly 300 messages of inspiration, gratitude and positivity and taped them to each student’s locker in the Senior School. Already the Leos Club has run four BBQ’s raising around $500 for Lollipop Radio. (they’ve committed

Starting a new school year can be difficult, but Enthuse prepared us for any situation that we may cross and we left feeling psyched to share our experiences with the rest of the College. We also made friends sharing the same journey as us, who will last well beyond the end of school. In reflection, it is clear that we owe our thanks to the Facilitators who made our experience memorable and so enjoyable. We hope that the skills we learned at Enthuse come through in a leadership this year. It was definitely an invaluable week and we are all so grateful we had the opportunity to attend. (Virginia Guthrie – College Vice-Captain) Leader Reflection on Senior Leaders Workshop It was only last year that we were Year 11 students, excitedly looking forward to our final year of school, to be the graduating class of 2014 and the leaders of our younger students. We were certainly not expecting for it to hit us so suddenly that we were now the role models, and not just for younger years, but also for each other. With 22 of us receiving leadership positions this year, there was certainly an opportunity to guide us into tip-top leadership shape.

Luckily to assist us we got to attend an amazing leadership workshop run by LYQ Youth Officers to teach us how to be better leaders and to build our team work skills. Personally, I learnt that my communication skills need to be sharpened up and I’ve made that a goal to make my role as Community Service Captain easier. There were so many great activities and awesome people that by the end of the day we were all contributing and coming out of our shells. So it should go without saying, anyone can be a leader but what makes a great leader is not only being a leader themselves, but the team they have behind them. (Anabel Lamburd) Upcoming events: Week 5 - Year 11 after-school compulsory study session.

What a great way to develop those skills of peer support, team work as well as sharpen up assessment tasks.

Week 5 - Swimming Carnival - The Carnival is another opportunity to develop PERMA by building relationships in House Groups, achieving a sense of accomplishment through participating in races to support your House and to be positively engaged in the day.

the TimTams. I look forward to these occasions and to the opportunity to engage with members of the College community in order to facilitate the progress of your sons and daughters as they move through their middle schooling.

As always please feel free to contact me if I can offer any assistance.

In closing, I would like to share with you my 3 Good Things: 1. Working with the Student leaders as they balance their academic commitments with the task of leading the students in the College.

2. The SS Assembly where we talked about gratitude and 270 students wrote gratitude postcards – many to staff.

3. The hard-working staff at SALC who have the best interests of their students at heart often on a 24/7 basis.

Tom Casey Head of Middle School tomc@salc.qld.edu.au

If you have any concerns or queries please contact me on tanias@salc.qld.edu.au Tania Stewart Head of Senior School

Under our beautiful Queensland skies, the Year 7’s recently enjoyed a fabulous camp at the Christian Youth Camp, Burleigh.

Middle School News

Year 7 Camp

Two fantastic days were spent in and around Burleigh headlands and Tallebudgera Creek, with the students doing lots of walking, surfing, SUP, raft building, initiative games and tubing (everyone’s favourite).

The theme for Term 1 is Teamwork. This theme was reinforced throughout the entire time away. You could see everyone pitching in to give assistance and saying encouraging words.

Year 7 Camp Last week the Year 7 cohort had their annual Orientation Camp at Burleigh CYC. Over two days the year level participated enthusiastically in a variety of water-based activities from surfing to raft-building. There was a magnificent spirit amongst the group and their willingness to look out for one another and cooperate in group activities was a highlight. Whilst sleep may not have been high on the students’ priority list there can be little doubt that the time spent at the camp will benefit the year level for the remainder of 2014. Of course, special thanks must go to Mrs Lisa Roper and her team for their efforts in ensuring the camp was a success.

Academic Awards Assembly The morning of Valentine’s Day saw the first Middle School Academic Awards Assembly for 2014, celebrating academic success in Semester Two 2013. While I congratulate all recipients on their dedication toward improving their academic work at the College I encourage every student to ensure that by now they have set goals for their learning and planned how they intend to achieve those goals. I look forward to reading many of these plans in students’ diaries over the coming weeks.

Partnerships for Learning Thank you to those parents who have suggested ideas for our information/sharing sessions. The first session will be on the topic ‘Helping With Homework/Study Skills’ with ideas on how to best assist your child with their learning as they move toward their senior schooling. It will be held in the Seminar Room in the CRC on Wednesday 19 March from 7-8pm – no RSVP necessary and I will bring

A big thank you to all the students for getting involved in the activities. A big thank you also goes to the following people: Mr Schache for leading a devotion Tuesday night, the Year 7 students who played instruments and sung, the Year 12 leaders for visiting and running some fun, energetic games and finally to the hard working teachers who supervised the camp (Mr McGilveray, Mrs Hamilton, Mrs Tunkara, Mr Seasick Casey, Mrs Pett and Ms West).

Watch out for more photos etc in the next STAR magazine.

Lisa Roper Year 7 Coordinator lisar@salc.qld.edu.au

Student Development Making the Most of Study Whilst explaining the merits of daily diary use to some Senior School students last week a voice called out in indignation, ‘We’re not in Primary School anymore Sir!’ The individual who spoke out was not an organized student and was obviously reacting to my promotion of organization strategies that he may not have persisted with in the past and has not experienced success with. However, the student will need to persevere and hopefully will create some positive habits in the next few years.

The student diary offers students and parents a very simple and practical resource for focusing efforts. Please continue to peruse diary annotations and planning. Also be involved in reviewing and helping create support at home for your children’s goals. Whether this be, putting a reading lamp next to their bed so they can read for 20 minutes before sleep each night; negotiating small or limited access to social networking each night to ensure work completion; engaging in review and discussion of ‘3 good things’ each week.

Chaplains Chat The Getting of Wisdom….

David’s actions seemed anything but wise, three thousand years ago as he stood before Saul, the King of Israel and announced that he would face the giant Goliath. But the wisdom of his confidence was soon there for all to see as he confronted the giant and claimed the victory for God and so saving the Israelites from slavery to the Philistines.

God was the source of David’s confidence. David had been sustained by God in previous encounters with bears and lions and so he knew that if his God would protect him against such beasts, He would surely protect him against a lumbering, ungainly giant.

David went on into life trusting God’s leading in all he did.

God’s love sustained him but David also received untold help through the wisdom he found in sharing his life with God. Ultimately, it is God’s love that rescues us from our giants in life, as we trust His unwavering commitment to us. But there is great wisdom to be gained from sharing our life with the One who designed us and always has our best interests at heart.

Academic Expectations, including an explanation of why homework is important and should be attended to as a priority can be found on page 33 of the diary. Beyond Blue offers some support and advice through a range of fact sheets which are worthwhile to read and discuss with your children, if their attitude towards study and organization is negative: http://www.youthbeyondblue.com/wp-content/ uploads/2009/05/youthbeyondblue-fact-sheet-19-makingthe-most-of-studying.pdf James Nelson Director of Student Development jamesn@salc.qld.edu.au Senior/Middle School worship times have focused on wisdom and how it played out in David’s life. The truth we have discovered is that ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’ which for us can be translated to – living in a relationship with God that accepts His rule in our lives is the beginning of wisdom. David appeared silly to confront the giant as a boy and our society can look at us as Christians as being silly too, but we know just as David did that our God has provided for us in the past and that he is a promise keeping God and will continue to care for us in the future. Let us all continue to have open hearts, minds and hands to receive the promises of God’s care and love and share this with all whom we meet.

Graeme Schache Chaplain

Careers News Year 10 Destinations Next Monday morning (8.50am -12.40pm) all Year 10 students will take part in the first of specially designated careers events for the year. Each student will take part in four workshops covering Career Pathways, the Australian Tax System, Writing Letters of Application and Producing a Professional Resume.

Students are reminded that for the ATO session, they will need to bring in the following details: •

birth certificate number, state of issue and year of registration, or Australian passport number and date of issue.

students born overseas will need to provide their • overseas passport number and country of issue, or Australian citizenship certificate number and date of issue, or Australian passport number and date of issue.

PLEASE NOTE: Students do NOT need to bring these documents to school: they simply need the details and numbers.

YEAR 10 WORK EXPERIENCE: students are reminded that the Work Experience Employer Preference form is due back to Senior Administration by Friday March 7.

International Competitions & Assessments (ICAS) For Schools 2014 Your child is invited to take part in the 2014 Australasian Schools Competitions. A letter to all parents can be found in the TASS Parent Lounge. To book please follow this link to TryBooking http://www.trybooking.com/77036 or via the College Website. Parents have until Friday 4 April to register and pay. PLEASE NOTE: Entries cannot be accepted after this date.

COMPUTER SKILLS (Years 4-10) Tuesday 20 May, $9.20 per student SCIENCE (Years 4-12) Wednesday 4 June, $9.20 per student WRITING (Years 4-12) 16-20 June, $19.30 per student SPELLING (Years 4-7) Tuesday 17 June, $12.55 per student ENGLISH (Years 4-12) Tuesday 29 July, $9.20 per student Note that all Year 12 students will be entered for this with entry fees paid for by the College. All other years this competition is optional.

MATHEMATICS (AMC) (Years 7-12) Thursday 7 August, $6.35 per student MATHEMATICS (ICAS) (Years 4-12) Tuesday 12 August, $9.20 per student Note that all Year 8, 10 & 11 students will be entered for this with entry fees paid for by the College. All other years this competition is optional but highly recommended. Parents should note that prices include credit card and booking fees.

The competitions take place each year in schools throughout Australia and the South Pacific Region. They provide

opportunities for all students to gain a measure of their own achievement in an external assessment situation.

All students receive a Certificate and an individual Results Letter indicating which questions they answered correctly, as well as the average mark for their state. The documents are suitable for inclusion in a portfolio. The Results Letter is also useful for highlighting students’ strengths and weaknesses in Mathematics.

Certificates are awarded to each year level as follows: High Distinction - to the top 1% of entrants in the state Distinction - to the next 10% of entrants in the state Credit - to the next 20% of entrants in the state Achievement - to the students who are placed in the top 20% of their Year Level at their school, but do not qualify for one of the above state Certificates Participation - to all students who do not qualify for one of the above Certificates. Medals are awarded to the top student(s) in each Year Level in each state. Schools receive valuable statistics which enable them to compare their achievements with the rest of the state.

Please note that a large percentage of schools, like our College, make all of the papers optional. This means that students who demonstrate an exceptional aptitude in a disciplinary area are generally the ones who register to compete as it is a competition. Therefore when you receive and view your child’s results, the comparison to the cohort who completed the paper is not a true indicator of where your child is ranked in Queensland.

Christina Wrigley Director of Learning and Teaching christina@salc.qld.edu.au

Art News Getting Involved in The Arts at St Andrews There any many opportunities in both MS and SS for students to get involved in the Cultural Life of the College.

Below are a list of some of our groups and programs and the relevant teacher contact.

Choirs Mrs Kristine Dennis kristined@salc.qld.edu.au Semitones (Years 1 – 3) Wednesday 7.45am JS Music Room Golden Clefs (Years 4 – 6) Tuesday 7.45am JS Music Room MS/SS Choir Thursday 7.45am J17 Bands String Ensemble Kate Oakley-Grant kateo@salc.qld.edu.au Thursday 3.15 – 4pm Utilities Room

Mini Musos (Years 5) Matt Pearson mattp@salc.qld.edu.au Paul Oakley-Grant paulo@salc.qld.edu.au Wednesday 7.45am RBT Intermediate Concert Band (Years 5 – 7) Anthony Simmonds anthonys@salc.qld.edu.au Thursday 7.45am RBT Concert Band (MS/SS) Paul Oakley-Grant paulo@salc.qld.edu.au

their upcoming assignment. It is always wonderful to watch the Senior Students taking leadership and mentoring the younger students.

Annie Congratulations to Isabella Leary, Lucy Hourn and Anita Munro who are currently involved in Spotlight Theatre Company’s production of Annie (Directed by our very own Kim Reynolds and Vocally Directed by our PAT Singing Teacher, Mrs Kristine Dennis). In particular, special mention to Ebony Pitchers (Year 7) who is playing the role of Annie and Charlee Cosgriff (Year 4) who is playing the role of Molly.

It is wonderful to see our performers out in the Theatre Community and performing at such a high standard. Well done and chookas for a wonderful season.

Jazz Band (MS/SS) Anthony Simmonds anthonys@salc.qld.edu.au Wednesday 3.15 – 4.30 RBT Dance Troupes JS Troupe Paula Guild paulag@salc.qld.edu.au Thursday 3.10-4pm RBT Contemporary Troupe (MS/SS) Kim Reynolds performingarts@salc.qld.edu.au Wed Lunch RBT Jazz Troupe (MS/SS) Paula Guild paulag@salc.qld.edu.au NB Dance Troupe is by audition only College Musical (MS/SS) Cilla Scott priscillas@salc.qld.edu.au

Priscilla Scott Head of Arts priscillas@salc.qld.edu.au

Year 5 Drama Workshop Last week some of our Year 10 Drama students had the opportunity to work with the Year 5 classes – teaching them some of the fundamentals of stage craft to assist with

Uniformshop News Formal Hats - Recall Reason for recall: The ‘semper fidelis’ on some formal hat bands has been printed in reverse. If you have a formal hat with this problem please hold onto it, but email uniformshop@salc.qld.edu.au and we will arrange to have it fixed during the next holidays.

2nd Hand Clothing All 2nd hand clothing that was submitted up to Week 3 has now been processed and we are getting more 2nd hand items every week! If you are looking for 2nd hand clothing now is the time to drop in and check out our stocks, or email us and we can check for you. If you have submitted clothes, you should have received an email detailing the amount of credit you now have and notification of any items that were not accepted.

Volunteers A very big welcome to Fiona Guest and Kristine Merrick who have kindly volunteered to help us on Thursday & Friday mornings. Thank you ladies and welcome to our team!

the overall College education philosophy. The P&F is always looking for suggestions that may help raise funds to allow much needed capital projects to be completed for our childrens benefit. If anyone is interested please send us an email.

Jacqui Desfosses Uniform Shop Manager uniformshop@salc.qld.edu.au

During 2013 the P&F contributed towards new seating on the Village Green, water bubblers and painting in the Junior School, AFL goal posts, furniture, upgrading of the sound system in the MPH and a Year 12 common room as well as a number of other projects around the College. This year we are looking at a grandstand on the main oval, fitout of the new canteen and also a playground for the new Early Learning Centre.

Tuckshop News Just a friendly reminder, any IOU payments can be made on Flexi School. Go to www.flexischools.com.au once signed in, scroll down and find the IOU payment and click to open window. Click onto the denominations to make up the amount owed and confirm order. Once this is done a confirmation will be sent to you from Flexi School submitting your payment. Thank you for updating your child’s new class details on Flexi Schools, it has been greatly received.

We are after a volunteer who would be available to help out on Fridays. Duties will include; packing bagged orders, packing Tuckshop boxes and collecting ordered items. Time needed would be from 9.00am until 11.30am. If you are available to help out please contact me.

Progress on the new Tuckshop below:

If you would like more information about the P&F please contact either Daniel Renneberg (President) (0409 729 676) or Julieanne Andrews (Vice President) (0421 795 411). If anyone has any suggestions or comments and cannot make the next meeting please email the P & F at pandf@salc.qld. edu.au Picnic in the Park The annual picnic in the park will be held on Friday 14 March from 5pm to 8pm. There will be jumping castles for the kids, music for the adults and a relaxing atmosphere for parents to meet some of the teachers at the school. Further details will be provided in the next Bulletin. This is a great way to meet other families in a social environment. It is a BYO event.

Daniel Renneberg P&F President

Dates to remember February / March Tuesday 25 February Mufti Day - Gold Coin Donation - Wear white, red and blue to support Cambodia.

Thursday 27 February Years 7-12 Swimming Carnival, 9:15am - 2:20pm Somerset College Pool, Mudgeeraba. (Buses depart St Andrews at 8:15am) Monday 3 March Trina van der Kamp Regional Swim Carnival Tuckshop Manager Surfing Lessons Excursion Years 11 & 12 PE class tuckshop@salc.qld.edu.au Tuesday 4 March

ALWS Awareness Day Redeemer Lutheran College Selected Students Years 6-9 Wednesday 5 March Regional Swim Carnival Thursday 6 March AGCC Sport Starts Friday 7 March P&F News Year 12 QCS Workshop Years 7-12 Assembly 8.30am WC Welcome back to all families a special welcome to new Monday 10 March parents we hope you have settled into life at St Andrews.

Year 12 Hospitality Excursion P3&4 Currumbin RSL The General Meeting for Term 1 is on Wednesday 12th Tuesday 11 March March at 7pm in the CRC. We encourage any new parents SE Qld Secondary Futsal Titles Years 8-12 Boys to come and find out what the P & F is all about. If you have Friday 14 March any agenda items for discussion please email the Secretary at SE Qld Futsal Semi Finals - Ages 8-12 pandf@salc.qld.edu.au by Friday 7 March. Attending meetPicnic in the Park MPH grassed area 5.00pm

ings is a great opportunity to have input into school projects which the P & F fund are working on and find out about

by Michael Grose - No. 1 parenting educator

The pressures of being a teen today

It’s easy to think young people today have never had it so good, but they also live with stresses that past generations of teenagers didn’t have to endure.

There’s a phrase you should avoid if you want to maintain a good relationship with a child or teenager.

It’s a phrase that was so often on the tip of my tongue when my kids were younger. It was so tempting sometimes to blurt out...

“These are the best years of your life.”

Think it, but don’t say it.

Here’s why. (I wrote about it a recent blog post and I thought I’d repeat it in Happy Kids.)

Young people today are experiencing more pressure than ever.

The DOLLY Youth Monitor 2011 survey, for which I was a contributor and spokesperson, revealed that there has been a spike in anxiety and stress levels in 14-17 year olds.

Three in five young people felt a great need to reduce stress, with girls more likely than boys to be stressed.

The greatest source of stress for today’s teens is the pressure they put on themselves. Teen girls especially seem to believe that they have to succeed at everything they do, and seem to have created impossibly high standards: 75% of girls want to be fitter; 65% want to get better marks; and 60% want to be more confident. Fear of not fitting in and of social isolation is a big worry for girls. Boys also worry about not fitting in, but not to the same extent as girls.

Teens also worry about their families. One in five worry that their parents will divorce. This is obviously concerning when their safe refuge is unstable at a volatile developmental stage.

How do young people relieve pressure?

Young people relieve pressure in healthy and unhealthy ways.

More than one in four teenagers turn to music as a release, which is something that teens have always done. Sport, exercise and hanging out with friends are other healthy ways teens use to de-stress.

On the unhealthy side, some young people eat too much, some use alcohol even at this relatively young age, and others get totally lost online. (There’s nothing wrong with escaping but you need to be placed firmly in the real world).

Here are some others ways you can help young people maintain good mental health: 1. Maintain regular contact through family mealtimes. There is a correlation between families that have 5 to 6 meals together a week and good mental health. Mealtimes give you a chance to monitor your teenagers’ moods and also to talk, which is therapeutic.

2. Help them get plenty of sleep. We underestimate the impact of sleep. It’s vital for good wellbeing. Teens need plenty, but often get less as they get older. Learn more about good sleep hygiene so you can assist them to get a good night’s sleep.

3. Make sure they have someone to confide in. When life is tough, girls are more likely to talk to a friend, and boys are more likely to talk to a family member. Help them identity or find someone to talk with.

4. Let them do something unproductive every day. Doing nothing is good for your mental health. It takes many forms: surfing the net, watching movies, talking to friends, playing with a pet, strumming a guitar, listening to music...

5. Encourage volunteering. The Positive Psychology movement strongly advocates volunteering as a way of relieving stress as it takes young people out of themselves, letting them do things where they don’t have to excel. Helping releases endorphins, which are the feel-good chemicals which affect kids’ moods. The same thing happens when they are hugged. That leads me to a sixth idea...

6. Hug them. Being told by people close to you that you are loved and loveable has always been good for your wellbeing. Sometimes in the endless striving for good parenting strategy we sometimes forget that it’s the ‘heart things’ as opposed to the ‘head things’ we do that make the biggest difference.

Next time you feel like blurting out that your kids have never had it so good, stop and think again. Today’s kids have lots of advantages but they also live with pressures that kids of previous generations didn’t have to contend with.

parentingideas.com.au

parentingideas.co.uk

parentingideas.co.nz

Michael Grose Presentations PO Box 167 Balnarring Vic 3926 p + 61 3 5983 1798 f (03) 5983 1722 e office@parentingideas.com.au All rights reserved. For more ideas, support and advice for all your parenting challenges please visit our website.

2012 Michael Grose

facebook.com/michaelgroseparenting twitter.com/michaelgrose

Prep to Year 12

Picnic in the Playground Please come and join the College community for our Term 1 social event. Bring everything you need to have a BBQ or picnic - all food, drinks, chairs, plates, cups…..

Friday 14 March Multi Purpose Hall | Junior School Playground

5:00pm - 8:00pm

• Jumping Castle • Entertainment • Coffee Van

• Sausage Sizzle $2.50 • Undercover Area • Playground

St Andrews Lutheran College - P&F Association Please RSVP by Saturday 8 March pandf@salc.qld.edu.au