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Senior School
Weekly
A Message from our Head of Senior School
Mrs Ramadan
Salam Alaykum dearest Bellfield community,
I am proud of our senior school students as they have demonstrated
great initiative and effort across a range of programs including
Wellbeing, Science and Physical Education. In addition to our display of
learning projects you will find this week's edition also addresses the
most asked questions of the week, such as Covid-19, digital classrooms,
teacher contact details, and Bellfield lunchtime clubs.
I am mostly proud of our Year 7 students who have just returned from
camp. We have shared photos on the College Facebook and the Year 7
Wats App broadcast throughout the week and can see their smiles are
priceless! The camp was an opportunity to create new friendships,
overcome fears and set some new goals. I thank the attending
teachers, Ms Dowley, Ms Derbas, Sheik Hamid, Sr Julie, Mr Nehme, and
Ms Bazzi for their outstanding commitment and for making the camp
a success.
The past five days were symbolic of Brotherhood week as we
celebrated the birth anniversary of Imam Ali (as). Students enjoyed
classroom activities and participated in lessons about 'Good Sense'. I
share with you as I did with my colleagues, a verse from Peak of
Eloquence; No individual is lost and no nation is refused prosperity and
success if the bases of their thoughts and actions rest upon piety and
godliness, and upon truth and justice. I hope that together we can pray
for Gods' nations to be one, and for global peace and tranquillity.
In this edition of the Senior School weekly, I have included the
article by Michael Gross – 2020 Parenting Trends you should know.
Enjoy !
We remain in close contact with the NSW Department of Education
and The NSW Health Department and will continue to provide
updates and reviews as per the published guidelines. Parents
should be assured that the College has not had any reported cases
of covid-19, and that Bellfield Senior Campus is prepared with
digital classroom capabilities. Students are currently using online
open forums across all subjects and in the event of a directive for
NSW schools to close, lessons would continue from home as per your
child's timetable. As usual, parents will be informed in advance of
all the necessary details regarding contingency plans.
Term 1, 2020
Coming Up….
Walk for your
Imam Mahdi (ajf)
“Colour Run”
Sunday 5th April
2020
Year 9 Elevate
Workshop
Thursday 19th March
2020
Year 7 Immunisation
Tuesday 24th March
2020
3to 12 Cross Country
Tuesday 17th March
2020
UWS Visit – Stage 6
Wednesday 18th
March 2020
Things to come…..
Digital Classrooms
All subjects are currently set up via google classroom thus allowing for an open forum
and interactive communication between the subject teacher and his/her students.
Student timetables can be accessed via the parent portal.
For more information please email your child teacher. Emails maybe accessed on page 29
of the weekly.
It is with great honour that Bellfield
College welcomed his eminence Sayyed
Mahdi Al-Modarresi on campus on Friday
13th March 2020. Sayyed Al-Modarresi
was given a tour of the College before
addressing Senior School staff and
students in a most informative and
inspirational speech on the meaning of life
and how to excel as Muslims in all areas.
Our Senior School captains Ali Chokr and
Rida Saif addressed two questions to his
eminence and listened to his comments on
the pursuit of excellence as Australian citizens and as students at Bellfield College.
The entire school was privileged to have Sayyed Al Modarresi join us on this day and enlighten us
with his words of wisdom especially during these hard times the world is facing.
CORONA VIRUS ALERT
Visible Symptoms If any person is showing flu like symptoms, runny nose, headache, fever, sneezing, muscle and joint pain please DO NOT ATTEND school for a period of two weeks, this includes the entire family. Please inform the school administration office immediately if anyone in your family experiences these symptoms. The College will organise work to be electronically delivered to you until you have approval from a health professional to return to school.
TRAVEL ISSUES Bellfield College requests anyone including their families who have travelled to the countries listed below to self-quarantine and please DO NOT ATTEND school for a period of two weeks. We reserve the right to restrict entry to anyone who may jeopardise the health of the school community. HIGHER RISK - SELF QUARANTINE Mainland China, Iran, Iraq - Ziyarat trips included, Italy and South Korea MODERATE RISK - SELF MONITOR Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and Thailand IT IS YOUR DUTY TO CARE FOR THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY It is your duty to follow the rules above and to protect the School community from illness. If you or your family are at any risk do not enter the school grounds until you have cleared all advised requirements by the NSW Health Department. HELP STOP THE SPREAD…….
Cover mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze
Wash your hands properly and
regularly Dispose of used tissues in the bin
Business Studies Presentation This week the Preliminary Business Studies students presented a Business Plan to a Board of a
Shopping Centre in the hope of allowing them to open in a
vacated spot.
They had to come up with:
- Business name and vision
- Goals
- Operation Strategies
- Marketing and Advertising Strategies
- Management style
- Finance and how much capital they will need to open and
operate the business.
Overall, the class did amazing and we had lots of special
guests come in and watch while they were presenting, and
they were all extremely impressed with the business ideas
and the knowledge the students had.
Regards
Wassim Hijazi
Term One in Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) has showcased the talent
and competitiveness of our senior students
as they embrace the wide range of
athletic activities offered across all stage
4 and stage 5 lessons.
The practical (sporting) and theory (in
class lessons) component of PDHPE are
interrelated and aid students to grow and
develop physically, socially and emotionally.
It also aims to encourage our students to
know how to enhance personal and
community health and wellbeing outside of
school.
The term one athletics programs offered
students the opportunity to demonstrate
the composition, performance and appraisal of movement in a variety of activities including, high jump,
shotput, aerobic circuits, long, short and relay running sessions to further push them outside of their
comfort zone and experience a wider range of physical activity.
Although some students were initially hesitant to manoeuvre their way over the high jump bar, it
didn’t take long for them to request an increase in height as they competed with their peers and push
their past through their mental barriers. The shotput contest was also exciting as they practiced
their strength, composure and focus to the test.
With the Annual Bellfield Athletics Carnival around the corner (Wednesday 1st April), these students
will be ready to use these skills to participate and enjoy a fun day out with the school community.
Moustafa Nehme
PDHPE Teacher
Year 11 Legal Studies
Year 11 Legal Studies class has almost completed the preliminary syllabus for year 11 and are in
the process of working on their second assessment task just before they sit their end of course
exams in just a few weeks!
The topics covered in term 3 were very
exciting and contemporary because we looked at
the law in practice with case studies involving
digital piracy, online security and terrorism.
The law in practice unit basically covers case
studies, each of which demonstrated to the
students how the legal system works in
practice and what issues it covers and the
processes involved in achieving justice.
We looked and digital copyright and file-sharing and the impact of technology on criminal
behaviour like fraud, cyber-bullying and a range of other punishable acts. We considered the
response of the laws in relation to the advancement of science and technology and how this
rapid development has led to significant changes and reform in the law.
We are currently studying the case of Dr. Mohamed Haneef, who was apparently the first person
in Australia to be charged under Australia’s Anti-Terror Legislation albeit under insufficient
evidence!
It has been an exciting term and year overall, and I look forward to teaching the HSC course
next term.
Mr. Mohamedali
Legal Studies Teacher
A handful of our Year 8 students began developing their green thumbs this week with their
very first gardening project. In these coming weeks our students will be helping create garden
beds at the school as part of their TAS classes. They will learn the basics of gardening
including weeding, sowing, and watering their plants before they begin growing their own
vegetables! This project aims to teach students about many key-learning areas of TAS
including growing their own food.
Working towards mastering Stage 6 Mathematics outcomes with our
Standard and Advanced Mathematics students. Students from Year 10 are
also invited as they are part of the acceleration pathways.
Stage 6 Mathematics Workshop in FF02 Room.
Every Thursday from 4:00pm to 5:00pm
Illuminations A World Teacher for Humanity
When I ponder over Ali bin Abi Talib’s world legacy (601-661 AD), I find myself in a face-to-face encounter with my
vulnerabilities. I go on figuring out a way to handle my disquieting fears – fears of being powerless to actualise my full
humane potential. Perhaps my self-realisation will one day prompt me to appreciate how much responsibility one must bear
upon following Ali (a.s). It is a prophetic calling from the oppressed people across the depths of history to us today in the
twenty-first century: start your struggle from where you live, with the small concrete needs right around you.
What makes Ali a world teacher for humanity?
An ideal teacher is able (and likely to try hard) to grow the human, all-too-human, capabilities under the most unpromising,
downright hostile circumstances. What a noble mission! One of the founding fathers of Sociology German sociologist Max
Weber (1864-1920) coined the term ‘life chances’ to describe the opportunities available to people in society. People with
different social-class locations have different life chances, including different opportunities with regard to education, wealth
and health. Most commonly, unequal life chances and economic inequalities translate as an everyday experience of social
distance; the elite becomes distant from the mass, the expectations and struggles of a truck-driver and a banker share
little common ground. Distances of this sort quite rightly make ordinary people angry; us-against them thinking and
behaviour is a rational result. This may explain Imam Ali’s sociological cry, “If poverty were a man, I would kill him.”
As individuals, we are not asked to eradicate poverty because this task is beyond individual capacity. Ali teaches us how to
be aware of social problems by resisting to be indifferent to the sorrows and pains of those around us. Ali is an ideal moral
example who took the side of the poor by empathising with them. He once said, “Look at me, I have so many patches on
my dress that I feel embarrassed to hand it over to somebody to add more patches on it.” Any relief is welcome when one
is in great difficulties, like sailors happy for any place of safety whatsoever when dangerous weather comes up.
But to extend help, we need to be mindful of our environment. As the British -Polish sociologist Zygmunt Bauman (1925-
2017) has it, “Human conditions do not exist until they are named but they are not named until they are noticed, and they
are hardly noticed until their existence becomes a matter of concern, of active search and creative efforts.” Imam Ali did
not possess the advanced systems we enjoy today. He possessed, however, basic social intelligence. Social intelligence is about
being intelligent not just about relationships but also in them. It is about knowing when to talk or listen, what to say,
what to do, and how to help.
We shouldn’t forget how Ali as a governor treated the poor Christian. The old man, a Christian by religion, had worked all
his life; but had not been able to save anything for his old age. Lately he had also become blind. Old age, poverty and
blindness had joined hands and he had no other way except begging. He used to stand at the corner of a lane for begging.
People had compassion for him and gave him some alms (charity) from which he ate every day, and so he continued his sad
life.
One day Imam Ali, passed through the lane and saw the beggar in that condition. Ali, out of concern for others, enquired
about the old man. He wanted to know the unequal life chances which led him to that condition. “Does he have a son to
support him? Or, is there no other way for him to live a respectable life in his old age?”
The people who knew the old man came forward and informed Imam Ali that he was Christian and had worked hard so long
as he had his vision, and when young and fit. Now that he had lost his youth as well as his vision, he was unable to do any
work; also, he had no savings, so it was natural for him to beg. Imam Ali replied, “That’s strange! When he had strength,
you exploited his work and now you have left him on his own? Go, and give him an age pension from the State Treasury
(Baytul Mal).”
In short, Ali invites us to go into a specific place with specific problems and needs. Our job is to figure certain things out:
What does this environment need in order to be made whole? What is it that needs repair? What tasks are lying around
waiting to be fulfilled? As the American novelist Frederick Buechner asked, “At what points do my talents and deep
gladness meet the world’s deep need?” Isn’t this the world legacy of Ali in the form of an igniting question?
Illuminations Coordinator
Mohamed Wehby
PHONE FREE SCHOOL
MOBILE PHONE PROTOCOL
Bellfield College Lunch time Clubs
Coding Club FF03
Environmental Club FF02
Quran Club Prayer Hall
Public Speaking FF05 (Tuesday and Thursday)
Community Hub Library
Drama Club Library (Monday and Wednesday)
Students are provided the opportunity to hand in phones every morning at roll call.
If a mobile phone is seen, heard or used during school hours they will be confiscated
immediately and held on campus for 2 weeks.
All students are aware of the 2-week protocol.
Students late to class will receive an Afternoon Detention. Late to class can be defined simply as
‘wrong place, wrong time’. If a student is late to class / truant an entire period they are
marked as absent on the Sentral roll marking system. This is then followed up by the class
teacher and the Pastoral Care Coordinator the next day. Continued late to class / truancy may
result in further action being taken.
Homework is sent home every night. Please contact your child’s class teacher for any concerns.
Assalamu Alaykum
We are now securing enrolments for our 2021 Kindergarten classes.
There has been a higher than usual demand for Kindergarten places and
before we offer interviews and placements to new families, we would like to
give preference to siblings of existing families currently attending the College.
To assist us with our numbers and to secure a position for your child, it is
essential for all families who have a child commencing Kindergarten next year
to contact the College before Thursday 9th April 2020 and register your
child’s details on our 2021 waiting list.
Please call the College on 9606 2666 or email
at [email protected] should you require further information.
Yours Sincerely,
Mrs Swaleha Mohamed
Enrolments Officer
Year 8 students learnt about the role of a Foley Artist in film. They learnt about the different ways artists
create sound and the process of sound effect creation for feature films. Students then applied their new
understanding through using ICT to create their own sound effects using voice recordings that will be
processed in iMovie to create sound effects for their chosen scenes. Students are commended for their efforts in
Music and their responsible use/engagement with ICT.
Students from 10A & 10B joined forces to put their understanding of values, characters and events of the novel
into practice. There were some impressive performances where students put themselves into character and
took on the values to act out their improvised scene. Students are continuing to read the novel at home and will
be analysing themes and ideas in preparation for their take-home assessment.
Bellfield College Winter Uniform All students Years 7 to 10 will change into the Winter Uniform in Term 2 and Term 3.
Senior Girls - Long teal skirt,
white long sleeve blouse, grey
stockings, black leather shoes
and College Blazer (all items
are compulsary)
• Teal scarf for Year 11
and Year 12 Girls
Senior Boys – Long grey pants,
white long sleeve shirt, grey
socks, black leather shoes, and
College Blazer. (all items are
compulsary)
• Tie for Year 11 and Year
12 Boys
The Uniform Shop is open on
Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Blazer orders need to be in by
the end of February as orders can
take up to 6 weeks to be made.
NOTE ** Our College uniform shop stocks open toe stockings suitable for ablution.
Permitted opaque stockings / socks
Opaque Grey Stockings Charcoal Grey Socks
Are your contact details up to date? Contact Administration to update your email, phone
number and home address
Add Bellfield College to your WhatsApp contact list
0430 842 666
Bellfield.sentral.com.au/portal2/register
Travel Policy
Please ensure that
prior to booking any holidays during term
time, that you seek approval from the
college. We only allow 10 school days leave
maximum during a calendar year. Any
families who are in breach of our travel
policy will be asked to repeat their
current grade.
Please note that students enrolled in the
Compression classes will not be granted
leave during term time.
Withdrawing from
the College If you are withdrawing a student from
the College, please be advised that 10
weeks’ notice is required
If you do not provide the College 10 school
weeks’ notice of withdrawing from the
college, a term’s fees will be charged to
your account.
If you have any further enquiries, please
don’t hesitate to contact the
administration staff.
Stage 6
Mathematics Workshop
Every Thursday from 4pm to 5pm in the College Library.
STEP UP TO THE CHALLENGE!!!!
It is that time of the year once again, The Premier's Reading Challenge has commenced, and
students can join and be rewarded for their efforts to gain knowledge and expand their literacy
skills. The Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and
to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each
student to read, to read more and to read more widely.
The Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) is available for all NSW students in Kindergarten to Year
9. If you need help using the website and the answer cannot be found on the PRC Support site,
please contact the PRC Support at [email protected] or speak with Bellfield College Librarian.
To enter the challenge, students must visit the following website and enter their username and
password. Here they can register the books they read from the PRC book list.
https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/studentExperience.html#/
Student Usernames and Passwords will be distributed at school by Tuesday the 10th of March and
students can start reading now.
Who:
Students from Kindergarten to Year 9
When:
Challenge opened - Monday 2nd, March 2020
Challenge ends - Friday 28th, August 2020
Certificates will be handed out after 11th September 2020
Ms Batoul Charafeddine
Bellfield College Librarian
Bellfield College Cross Country will be held next Tuesday 17th March 2020. Students will know what
time their races are by Monday 16th March and will attend races ONLY during their race time then
return to class. All students must bring their books for the whole day.
Friday sports update: This week, all grades will experience a new sport.
This week, years 7 - 10 students will experience the following sports:
Internal Sports:
External Sports:
Ninja warrior: Burns Outdoor Obstacle Training, 25 Dwyer
Rd, Bringelly NSW 2556.
9G
Basketball: Michael Clarke leisure centre, 2 Margaret
Dawson Dr, Carnes Hill NSW 2171
8G
Kind regards,
Mr Hussein Akil
Head of Department PDHPE and Sports Coordinator
FRIDAY SPORTS – WEEK 6
Softball: 7B1 v 7B2
European handball: 10B + 10G
Touch football: 9B1 v 9B2
YOGA: 7G
Volleyball: 8B1 v 8B2
Basketball (external): 8G
Ninja Warrior 9G
UAC Applications OPENING 1st of April Wednesday 1 April Students will be able to apply for:
• Undergraduate study
• Schools Recommendation Schemes
• Educational Access Schemes
• Equity Scholarships.
All semester 1, 2021 courses will be available from August.
Early bird applications will close at midnight on Wednesday 30 September.
Although not all courses for 2021 will be available, we encourage students to choose any 2021
course to complete their application and come back later to review and change their preferences as
courses come available.
Schools Recommendation Schemes will close earlier this year. Mark midnight on Sunday 20
September in your diary as the new closing date for SRS.
All important dates will be available on UAC’s website from 1 April.
Please visit https://www.uac.edu.au/ for more information.
For further questions please email [email protected]
Mrs. Haidar
Careers Advisor
UCAT Applications now OPEN closing 18th May 2020.
Entry into undergraduate medical degrees is highly competitive and the selection process is
rigorous.
UCAT is an admissions text required for entry into most medical, dental and some clinical
sciences degree programs.
Students interested in these courses need to check the course description to see if the course
they’re interested in requires UCAT.
Special entry requirements for medicine and medical science courses in 2021 at the University
of Sydney, UNSW Sydney and Western Sydney University for 2021 are now
available.
View the information on the UCAT website https://www.ucat.edu.au/ucat-anz/
For further questions please email [email protected]
Mrs. Haidar
Careers Advisor
A Word from College Chaplain
How stress influences future behaviour
For more than a century, scientists have known
that acute stress activates the fight-or-flight
response. When your life is on the line, your body
reacts instantly: your heart races, your breath
quickens, and a cascade of hormones sets off
physiological changes that collectively improve your
odds of survival.
More recently, scientists have come to understand
that the fight-or-flight response takes a toll on
the brain and the body—particularly when stress is
chronic rather than acute. Systems designed to
handle transient threats also react to stress that
occurs again and again, for weeks, months, or
years.
It turns out that poverty, abuse, and other forms of adversity repeatedly activate the fight-or-
flight response, leading to long-term effects on the immune system and brain, which in turn increase
the risk for an array of illnesses, including asthma, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and cardiovascular
disease. Pioneering neuroscientist Bruce McEwen called this burden of chronic stress “allostatic load.”
Ethnic studies scholar Jeff Duncan-Andrade has done a lot of thinking about how allostatic load plays
out in the lives of adolescents.
“What do students who’ve experienced chronic stress do in your classroom?” Jeff recently asked a group
of experienced teachers.
“Go to the bathroom!” “Right,” said Jeff. “They escape. They look for ways out.”
Longitudinal research shows that when adolescents are exposed to increased stress—in the form of
arguments between their parents, say, or a friend moving away—they feel anxious and overwhelmed,
which in turn predicts more impulsive behaviour.
After discovering allostatic load, McEwen dedicated himself to its undoing. Each time we met, he was
excited to share examples of how positive, supportive relationships with adults can protect against, or
even reverse, the effects of chronic stress.
Don’t assume you know what’s worrying the young people you care about.
Do ask. Jeff suggests making a two-column chart. List current worries on the left and available
resources on the right. I suggest you make your own list first and then invite the young people in your
life to do the same. Then talk. And listen. Why? Because what counters allostatic load
are relationships that make you feel seen, heard, and loved.
With grit and gratitude,
Angela Duckworth
Mrs Mouina Ramadan Head of Senior School [email protected]
Mr Hussein Akil Head of Department - PDHPE [email protected]
Mr Moustafa Nehme PDHPE and HSIE [email protected]
Mrs Jennifer Dowley PDHPE, Food Technology and
Pastoral Care
Dr Ken Silburn Head of Department – STEM [email protected]
Mrs Fatima Haidar Maths and Science [email protected]
Mrs Shweta Sharma Maths and Science [email protected]
Miss Sarah El Hourani Maths and Science [email protected]
Mrs Marwa Hijazi Maths and Science [email protected]
Mr Javid Karimi Mathematics [email protected]
Mrs Rana Chebli Information and Software
Technology
Miss Hayley Brown Lab Assistant [email protected]
Mr Wassim Hijazi Head of Department – HSIE [email protected]
Ms Mariam Bazzi HSIE and English [email protected]
Br Mohamed
Mohammadi
HSIE and Legal Studies [email protected]
Ms Zeinab Rammal HSIE/English/Technology [email protected]
Miss Ayah Balloot Head of Department – C.A.L.E [email protected]
Ms Chanel Jbarah English [email protected]
Mr Mahdi Hussain English [email protected]
Ms Riem Derbas English and Learning Support [email protected]
Ms Bayda Mahmood Arabic and Languages [email protected]
Mrs Sasha Hayes Technology and Visual Arts [email protected]
Mohamed Wehby Illuminations Coordinator [email protected]
Sheikh Hamid Waqar College Chaplain [email protected]
Shiekh Fadie Faitrouni Steaming Through Faith [email protected]
Mrs Mary Rudd Student Support [email protected]
Alee Mulham Mentor [email protected]
Hiba Safindi Mentor [email protected]
Batoul Charafeddine Librarian [email protected]
College Contact Procedures
Concern / Question/ Information Appropriate Contact
Academic progress of child Provided twice a year in Semester reports. If you’re concerned
about your child’s classroom progress please arrange a time to
discuss this with your child’s class teacher over the telephone
Welfare of your own child Arrange a telephone conversation with the welfare coordinator
(pastoral care)
Health issues – minor Notify the class teacher in writing
Health issues – moderate Provide a written Medical Action Plan from your GP or Specialist
and provide a copy to the Junior or Senior administration office
Medication at school (staff cannot administer
medication)
Medication to be brought to the Senior administration office in
original packaging. Advice from a medical doctor is required
Custody / Court Orders Arrange an interview with the CEO/Principal or his delegates,
Head of Senior and Head of Junior
Change of address or emergency contact details Contact the administration staff and provide proof if requested
Explanation of absence Explanation to the class teacher the first day your child returns to
the College
Travel For any travel leave a parent must consult the ‘Student Travel
Policy’ and fill out the appropriate form for approval by the
CEO/Principal
Student arrival at school The College provides supervision from 8.10am. Parents are
responsible for the supervision of their children prior to 8.10am
if on College grounds
Late Arrival to School - after 8.30am Students to proceed to either the Junior or Senior administration
office to obtain a late note prior to going to their classroom
Early leaver Parents are to contact either the Junior or Senior administration
office by telephone at least 30 minutes prior to collecting their
child. Parents must collect their child from either the Junior or
Senior administration offices and not enter College grounds
Child’s afternoon pick up If you wish to change the way your child travels home please
contact the Senior or Junior administration office prior to 3.00pm
Behaviour or actions of a student other than
your own child concerning the classrooms
Head of Department
Behaviour or actions of a student other than
your own child. School bus or in the playground
Contact our Pastoral care team in Senior School
Please note that you can arrange an appointment with your child’s class teacher by calling either the Senior
administration offices.
Private Buses
Students travelling to and from school via private buses should use the foot path along
the front driveway. When leaving school, students must use the Junior crossing and the
student exit pedestrian gate.
Afternoon Pickup and Morning Drop off
– Kiss and Drop
If travelling to and from school by car, pick up and
drop off is strictly via the school car line zone. Car
line may be accessed through the Junior school
gate, follow the road through to the senior school
library and wait in your car for your child. Children
must wait in front of the library until mum or dad
are seen to approach the library. Students are not
permitted to wait along the grass area, nor should
they be encouraged to cross carline to enter your
vehicle.
School Zones
Strictly no reversing and no u turn’s around school
zones. Police regularly monitor the area and we ask
you to uphold the Road and Traffic Authority road
rules.
2020 Parenting
Trends you should know
Parenting Ideas always keeps a close eye on parenting trends so we can help keep you ahead of the
curve. With this in mind Parenting Ideas founder Michael Grose will guide you through eight new
parenting trends for 2020.
1. The normalisation of anxiety
Amazingly, when Australia conducted the first Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and
Wellbeing in 1998 anxiety wasn’t listed in the list of disorders that impacted kids. It wasn’t on the
radar in the same way that major depressive disorders and ADHD were. With one in seven Australian
kids in the 4-18 age group experiencing a mental health disorder, it’s fair to say anxiety is on the
radar now.
The last few years have seen the rise in the normalisation of anxiousness across all strands of the
community. People from all walks of life are talking about it and there’s more knowledge about its
management. There’s so much to learn and Parenting Ideas have a lot to share about this parenting
trend, beginning with my Managing your child’s anxiety webinar in May.
2. Unearthing kids strengths
The Positive Psychology movement has been a strong influencer on school wellbeing practices for many
years, but it’s struggled to have cut-through with parents – until now. The huge success of Professor
Lea Waters’ book ‘The Strength Switch’ has seen parents start to embrace the strength-based
approach with their families.
The holistic nature of this approach appeals to parents who are able to use knowledge of their
children’s strengths to motivate, boost confidence and better manage their behaviour. We’re thrilled
to have presented Prof. Lea Waters in her webinar on this topic recently – Switching on your child’s
strengths .
3. Integrating digital technology into family-life
The rise of digital technology has been biggest game-changer in my three decades in parenting,
bringing problems to families such as cyber-bullying, online safety and kids’ overuse. We know that
parents want knowledge and information about children’s digital technology use beyond mere cease and
desist tactics that many experts present.
Successful integration of children’s technology use into family-life is trending as a topic. Parents want
kids to experience the benefits of digital technology, while staying safe. They also want to know
how digital technology approach can enriching family-life rather than detract from it.
4. Wellbeing as a way of life, not merely a fad
The wellness industry has been thriving for years now and it’s beginning to make its mark on families.
‘Find a balance’, ‘Don’t over do your studies’, ‘Make sure you choose at least one subject you enjoy.’ The
language kids hear is beginning to reflect the move toward mental health practices as a normal part
of life, for happiness and wellbeing, and not just for optimal school success.
Parents will continue this year to look for the latest research, information and strategies to support
the mental health and wellbeing of their families. Schools, as a trusted source of information, have a
significant role to play in educating parents about this trend.
The rise of digital technology has been biggest game-changer in my three decades in parenting,
bringing problems to families such as cyber-bullying, online safety and kids’ overuse. We know that
parent want knowledge and information about children’s digital technology use beyond mere cease and
desist tactics that many experts present.
5. Balancing extra-curricular activities
Has the student extra-curricular activity trend reached its nadir? Has kids’ busyness peaked? For
many years the benefits of kids being involved in extra-curricular activities has been spruiked, while
ignoring the cost in terms of overworked kids, frantic parents and stretched family time.
Now get ready to hear the word ‘balance’ replace the terms ‘benefits’ when extra-curricular activities
are considered. The potential stresses that student overload can cause on family-life and parent
wellbeing is now a common concern. In this increasingly competitive educational climate parents are
yearning for more balance. This year Parenting Ideas well-being expert Dr. Jodi Richardson is
conducting a practical webinar to help parents strike the right balance between kids’ activity, their
mental health and family-life.
6. Healthy rites of passage
As a community we’ve struggled for many years to create rites of passage for young people. Once a
young person’s first job, or their twenty-first birthday were significant markers of maturity, offering
a sense that they were entering into the adult world. Community changes have largely eradicated
these traditional markers, which makes it harder for a young person to know when they’ve become an
adult.
There are many healthy ways to recognise a young person’s growing maturity and mark their journey
into adulthood. Many families are now creating their own to mark events such as the end of primary
school, the move into the teenage years, and different stages of adolescence. This year Dr. Arne
Rubenstein will show parents how to create 21st Century rites of passage in a webinar he’s conducting
at Parenting Ideas. We hope this trend is here to stay.
7. Understanding the body clock
Sleep has been high on most school’s ‘must reinforce with parents’ lists for the last few years. And
rightfully so, as Australian kids haven’t been getting enough of this performance-enhancing, mental
health-boosting activity. Most sleep messages provided to parents have focused on the development
of good sleep habits, with regularity and routine being the major strategies. These are slim picking
indeed in the light of recent sleep findings from the world of neuroscience.
The 24-hour body clock (circadian rhythm) until now has been thought to regulate feelings of
sleepiness and wakefulness over a 24-hour period. Recent findings show that the body clock drives the
timing for so much of our bodily and brain functions as well. Working with the body clock means not only
does a child or teen get a good night’s sleep, but it also helps them maintain optimum body and mental
performance. Work against it and not only is their mental health affected but daily tasks are more
difficult to perform. The most remarkable finding though, is that we can reset our body clocks every
day. That’s exciting as it’s easier than we first thought for kids to get the proverbial good night’s
sleep. It’s a matter of making the body clock work with them, rather than against them.
8. Conversations that influence.
A decade ago the British did something simple yet profound. Realising that parents needed to converse
with their kids if they were to influence their behaviour and thinking they conducted a nation-wide
campaign to encourage parents to regularly share meal times with their children. So successful was
this campaign that it saw a significant increase in shared mealtimes, and has been attributed to
giving back to parents the ability to have influence, which was previously considered to be lost, over
their children’s behaviour.
In Australia, parent-child conversations have been promoted as a relationship-builders, rather than
ways to impact on children’s and young people’s behaviour and thinking. As our world is becoming
increasingly chaotic and fast changing, parents are once more seeing the benefits of two-way
exchanges with children about a range of issues. The meal-table, something so central to traditional
Australian parenting, and in later years somewhat neglected, is now making a comeback. And we’re
thrilled about that.
Awareness of trends influences our work at Parenting Ideas, and we believe it should influence the
reading and learning of parents. It’s our observation that the most savvy and confident parents are
those that keep one step ahead rather than always playing catch-up with what children and
teenagers are thinking and doing.
Michael Grose
Frequent hand washing is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick
and spreading germs and illness.
This week, all teachers will be reminding students of the importance
and procedure of good hand washing practice.
