Developing confident, individual, young women with a love of learning and life.
Mental Wellbeing
Recent international research has identified an alarming decline in adolescent mental health, soaring rates of anxiety and depression and unrelenting pressure to achieve perfection. Click here to read about Nicky Whitham-Blackwell’s recent research into school life in New Zealand and the mirroring of these international concerns in our own students.
We acknowledge that transitioning into secondary school can be challenging and encourage you to engage with your daughter about how she is feeling and how we can all best support her during this time.
Attached is an article from the Raising Children Network for your reference. Please do not hesitate to contact your daughter’s year level Dean with any worries or concerns.
Social media is frequently in the news as experts increasingly question the impact it is having on the wellbeing of today’s youth.
Click here to read Sherri Gordon’s thought on ‘5 Ways Social Media Affects Teen Mental Health’.
During exam times, it is important for us to consider how we can support students with any exam stress they are feeling. ReachOut provides advice on how you can best assist your daughter during his time. For further informaion, click here to view the ‘Seven steps to stop NCEA study stress’.
Online Safety
- Netsafe have recently updated their online safety resources for New Zealand parents. This includes a new downloadable parent guide to Instagram. To access these resources please use the following link.
- The Cyber Safety Organisation, Safe on Social (www.safeonsocial.com)
Self Compassion
During our parent seminars, Marcelle Nader-Turner talks about the importance of self compassion. Follow this link to see what the recent research from Dr Kristin Neff says about how learning self compassion can change your daughter’s life for the better.
Further Readings
Sheila Achar Josephs (PhD, psychologist in Princeton, New Jersey) talks about how we can help to address perfectionism tendencies in teens, reducing anxiety and allowing them to live healthier, happier lives. Click here to read her advice.
The Guidance Team have attached a very informative brief titled Enough As She Is: “When girls know why they matter inside, they become more resilient in the face of stress”.
St Hilda’s Guidance Counsellor, Marcelle Nader-Turner, talks about why vulnerable teenagers need good examples and support. Read her recent ODT article about how we can better support our teens here.
Grief - Please click here for some advice about how you can support your daughter if she is grieving.
