In the words of Mary MacKillop,

Have courage and patience and God will help you. 1899

Thanks to all families that attended Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences. It is important that we be brave and courageous and seek to do our best. Sometimes we can be impatient as we seek immediate gratification and answers in this world. Hopefully Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences have provided an opportunity for some conversations around growth and areas of strength.

MMADD Day

Much work is being done by the House Leaders and Year 12 and Year 7 students to ensure MMADD Day is a great day. It is fantastic to see the students working together to achieve some great results.

Open Day

It was a proud moment to see around 200 students volunteer to represent MSJ so well as ambassadors on Open Day. So many visiting families spoke about the students' confidence, passion and love of their school as they led tours or worked with families in the Domain areas. Our students enjoyed the day and look forward to participating next year.

Legally Blonde

The production is coming along nicely as the students stay committed to ongoing rehearsals. The students involved are achieving great results weekly. Make sure you book a ticket or two.

Attendance

I recently attended a Western Region MACS Wellbeing Network Meeting. The Victorian Government in 2023 stated that the rate of school refusal across the state of Victoria has grown by 50% between 2018-2021, impacting more than 12,000 students. I encourage you to reach out and touch base with your child’s Learning Mentor and the relevant Year Level Leader or House Leader if and when you are experiencing issues with your child missing school. The key is early intervention and seeking help and setting good attendance habits early in the years of both primary and secondary schools.

Attendance Project

As part of a project funded through Hobsons Bay Council, we were fortunate enough to have Dr Glenn Melvin (a practising clinical psychologist) lead a webinar for parents that addressed how anxiety can play a role in reluctance to attend school. Glenn was able to provide strategies for parents as they navigate anxiety when it starts to impact school attendance. A recording was sent to parents if they were unable to attend. I encourage you to reach out and touch base with your child’s Learning Mentor and the relevant Year Level Leader or House Leader.

Vaping

There is a free webinar called Peer Influences on substance use and mental health during adolescence. It is a 1 hour free webinar on Wednesday 31 May, 12:30 AEST via Zoom.

Click HERE to register.

Stacey Bourke - Deputy Principal, Student Wellbeing