Seminar for parents
Mr John Rodgers
Deputy Principal — Pastoral Care
Some of you will already know that Mount Lilydale Mercy College offers a new program at Year 9 called The Rite Journey. Created by Andrew Lines, it is a unique educational program designed to support the development of self-aware, vital, responsible and resilient adults. Andrew has worked with thousands of teachers in hundreds of schools to facilitate a process that honours the transition of children into a responsible, respectful and resilient adulthood.
On Monday 30 August, from 7.30pm, Andrew will be holding a free seminar dedicated to the topic of challenges parents face in raising teenagers. Parents and guardians can register HERE (or visit https://bit.ly/2WuJDmc) and then join in on Monday to hear Andrew share his insights on ways parents can raise responsible, respectful, resilient, resourceful adults.
Although many of you will dread more screen time, I have found Andrew to be a wonderful presenter and well worth a listen to. I recommend this seminar to all parents, not just those with children in Year 9.
Please know that the College is here to support families and assist where possible. Some of the ways we do this is through Homeroom, contact with the Year Level Leader or our Counselling team who during lockdowns use telehealth. The College also has an online check-in system called PULSE that allows students to indicate how they are feeling and reach out so staff can promptly respond to their needs.
A new initiative that has eventuated from the latest webinar from the College Counselling team is a Parent Support Group. The group was initiated by some parents looking for a forum to share ideas and check if what they are experiencing is what everyone else is going through. Shared, common experience is often easier to endure. If you would like to join this group, let me know and I will forward details to you.
Please remember if at any time you need support, the College is only a phone call away. Stay safe and stay in touch.
Supporting your child’s mental health
Mr John Rodgers
Deputy Principal — Pastoral Care
The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne has made a recording of a Wednesday 25 August webinar on how to support your child's mental health through the pandemic.
Click HERE to access the webinar recording.
The webinar was hosted by Dr Anthea Rhodes (paediatrician) with special guests Dr Ric Haslam (director, mental health), Dr Alice Morgan (clinical psychologist) and Professor Harriet Hiscock (paediatrician).
Click HERE to access a fact sheet shared by the Royal Children's Hospital.
Also, the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service has provided information regarding vaccinations for 12 to 15 year olds. Further details are in the flyer below.
Important dates
- Monday 30 August — parent seminar with Andrew Lines (details above)
- Monday 30 August — Year 7 2023 enrolment interviews via Zoom
- Monday 30 August–Friday 3 September — Health and Physical Education Week
- Friday 3 September — Student Progress Interviews (SPI) bookings close
- Tuesday 7 September — Student Progress Interviews (student free day)
- Thursday 9 September — General Achievement Test (GAT)
- Monday 6 September-Friday 10 September — Humanities Week
Parent forum
Mrs Tina Tasiopoulos
School Wellbeing Coordinator
The College's Counselling team is hosting an online forum in October to discuss issues such as anxiety, self-harm and depression. View the flyer below for further details.
Tips for parents
Mrs Tina Tasiopoulos
School Wellbeing Coordinator
The College Counselling team is offering the flyer below with some interesting tips about building resilience from parenting educator Michael Grose.
School crossings update
Parents and guardians are reminded that due to Stage 4 COVID-19 restrictions being extended, school crossings will not be operational until Friday 3 September (unless the restrictions are extended further).
