CAMP

Year 7 Camp was held from 3^rd to 5^th March at Point Wolstoncroft. The camp provided an opportunity for students to learn new skills and make new social connections. The weather was mostly fine and students enjoyed themselves. Some of the activities included:

• Stand up paddle boarding
• Canoeing
• Archery
• Rock climbing
• Sailing
• Rogaining

We held a beautiful Ash Wednesday Liturgy on Tuesday evening that recognised and formalised the start of the most important season of our Catholic calendar: Lent. We enjoyed visits from Mr Beckett, Mr Fuller and Mrs South.

The camp staff mentioned numerous times that the Year 7 cohort were the most respectful and responsible group they had the pleasure of hosting and working with in some time. Congratulations Year 7!  A massive thank you to the staff who accompanied Year 7 on the Camp, your enthusiasm was well noted and we are very appreciative of you staying away from your family for the duration.

A TIME OF CHANGE

Parents, Year 7 is a time of big changes, with growing independence and responsibility, however, it is easy to forget that even though your child is growing up, they still require support, guidance and lots of love.

You may have already noticed some major changes in your child’s social and emotional development. Socially, the big areas your child may encounter are seeking to establish an identity, wanting more independence and being influenced by their peers.

Emotionally, you may notice your child being highly sensitive, being self-conscious and displaying strong feelings or having ‘up and downs’. These are all completely normal ‘teenage’ issues or reactions. However, it is the way parents, caregivers and adults react to them that makes all the difference.

The best thing we can do for our children is to be a good role model and display the behaviours we want our children to embody themselves. Children learn a lot from good relationships that model and uphold, respect, empathy, genuine care and concern, and positive problem solving.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is a big part of daily life for lots of teenagers. Online sharing within social media sites helps many people stay in touch with friends or connect with new ones. That may be more important for teenagers than other age groups. Friendships help teens feel supported and play a role in forming their identities. So, it's only natural to wonder how social media use might affect teens.

Social media doesn't affect all teens the same way. The use of social media is linked with healthy and unhealthy effects on mental health. These effects vary from one teenager to another. Social media effects on mental health depend on things such as:

• What a teen sees and does online.
• The amount of time spent online.
• Psychological factors, such as maturity level and any pre-existing mental health conditions.
• Personal life circumstances, including cultural, social and economic factors.

Sometimes, social media platforms help teens:

• Express themselves.
• Connect with other teens, conversely

Social media use may have negative effects on some teens. It might:

• Distract from homework, exercise and family activities.
• Disrupt sleep.
• Lead to information that is biased or not correct.
• Become a means to spread rumors or share too much personal information.
• Lead some teens to form views about other people's lives or bodies that aren't realistic.
• Expose some teens to online predators, who might try to exploit or extort them.
• Expose some teens to cyberbullying, which can raise the risk of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Parents I really encourage you to be very aware of your child’s online presence and what they are doing online. You can take steps to help your teens use social media responsibly and limit some of the possible negative effects.

Use these tips:

• Set rules and limits as needed. This helps prevent social media from getting in the way of activities, sleep, meals or homework.
• Manage any challenging behaviours. If your teen's social media use starts to challenge your rules or your sense of what's appropriate, talk with your teen about it. You also could connect with parents of your teen's friends or take a look at your teen's internet history.
• Turn on privacy settings. This can help keep your teen from sharing personal information or data that your teen didn't mean to share. Each of your teen's social media accounts likely has privacy setting that can be changed.
• Monitor your teen's accounts. The American Psychological Association recommends you regularly review your child's social media use during the early teen years.
• Have regular talks with your teen about social media. These talks give you chances to ask how social media has been making your teen feel. Encourage your teen to let you know if something online worries or bothers your teen.
  Be a role model for your teen. You might want to tell your child about your own social media habits. That can help you set a good example and keep your regular talks from being one-sided.
• Explain what's not OK. Remind your teen that it's hurtful to gossip, spread rumors, bully or harm someone's reputation — online or otherwise.
• Encourage face-to-face contact with friends. This is even more important for teens prone to social anxiety. 

WORKING TO KEEP SCCC A SAFE SPACE

At San Clemente we work diligently to uphold the variety of policies and procedures that keep our community safe. We do not – and will never - tolerate violence, bullying, aggression, racism or intolerance. Our playgrounds are active and vibrant with appropriate supervision to guide students who may, at times, bring unsafe practices to our community. Often unsafe behaviour may not be deliberate and young people can lack the understanding of the consequences of their actions. It is hoped that through quality restorative conversations, clear consequences and boundaries young people can have the opportunity to learn from mistakes, grow and continue to work toward reaching their potential.

Till next fortnight

Mrs Kate Tolfree Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement Year 7