The teacher simply wants the best for their student. By Year 12, we would expect that the student recognises their role in changing the narrative, to take responsibility, submit the work and of course the next lesson is a new beginning.
The lives of our young people have changed. In the classroom, technology is everywhere and has opened up different modes of learning. In social arenas, smart phones and social media are changing the nature of conversations between family and friends. Yet, there are core themes of wellbeing that transcend time and remain important for every child. One of these is the role of the bystander and, whether your child is 8 or 18 years of age, it is more important now than ever.
If a single image could conjure up ‘education’, it’s probably that of a child learning to read. Teaching reading is both the most researched topic in education and, probably, the most contested. Some decades ago, those disputes may have been more understandable, but the research base has now developed to the point where the evidence in favour of a particular, systematic approach is overwhelming. That body of evidence is now known in the profession as the ‘science of reading’.
Many of us have experienced the benefits of an active lifestyle and it is common for the habit of participation to begin at school. What you may not have considered in your own school days is the extent to which the sex of the participants or gender stereotypes might influence how the program was designed and the impact of this on participation.
As adults, we can all recall our own experiences as a teenager, including both moments that we would happily revisit and others we would like to forget. Could you imagine being a teenager today? Could you imagine if every one of these moments were recorded and shared on social media?
Life is busy! With memories of online remote learning still etched in memory banks, crowded family calendars and work schedules, it might seem insensitive or unreasonable to remind parents about the importance of spending time with their daughters.
Fresh eyes can see things we overlook or have become distanced from. Each year, new students and staff come to Queenwood and see it through a new lens. There will be new people, buildings, routines, priorities and rituals and it is natural to compare this to previous experiences.
When the Year 1 girls sang I Can Be Anything in a recent Assembly and each student went on to share the profession she’d like to pursue in the future, it seemed that nothing could get in the way of their goals. In a girls’ school and in a community where girls come from families where women make significant decisions and effect change (girls are very observant!), it is understandable that the girls are likely to feel confident about their future.
We are indeed fortunate to be able to offer our students the opportunity to choose either the HSC (Higher School Certificate) or the IBDP (International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme) for their senior studies at Queenwood. However, with opportunity comes choice and students and parents are understandably keen to make the right decision.
It has been a wonderful start to the term. We have gradually been resuming activities that have been suspended for nearly two years and, to quote Mrs Sandwell, ‘It feels like the School is coming back to life!’.
There is no doubt that your daughter thrives when she feels a strong sense of connection with her closest friends. Their experiences together teach them about honesty and trust and help to build their sense of identity and self-esteem. Yet our young people need more than their closest friends, and more than their “besties”.