Year 10
School TV
Earlier this year we launched SchoolTV.
For those parents yet to explore the resources available on this site, please can I recommend that you do so. There are some great resources on Positive Parenting and other relevant topics. If you scroll down the web page there are a number of short grabs (ideal for the time poor) and these are delivered by leading specialists on a range of topics including Should parents be saying “no” more often and What is the most effective discipline when dealing with teenagers.
It must be said that Yr 10 can be a difficult time for parents as we watch our children developing into young adults. We can witness them grow from children who once valued and sought out our counsel, to young people who are now eager to assert their place in the world and with this, of course, comes inherent challenge. Our collective focus with our Yr 10 students is to encourage them to continue to make good decisions and to stay true to their values. Together, we must all encourage them to consider their increased personal responsibility; in the choices they make, the language they use and the relationships that they forge and maintain.
Yr 10 can also be a time of experimentation and this can come in many forms. One such form is experimentation with drugs. As our students become more independent, their exposure to drug behaviours will be increased, whether that be as participants or as bystanders at parties and gatherings. One of the reported misconceptions related to marijuana, and a perception that some young people hold is that marijuana is a “safe option.” I believe that perhaps this misconception has been aided by the increased media coverage around medical cannabis and its legalisation. The most recent scientific research continues to maintain that marijuana is harmful, particularly upon the development of the adolescent brain.
Vaping, Marijuana, and the Effects on the Adolescent Brain with Dr Ruth Potee is a clip of Dr Potee speaking with middle school students in America. Dr Potee is a medical doctor with a specific interest in addiction and provides well researched talks to students and parents.
More Australian centric resources can be found on SchoolTV.
Redlands supports a harm minimise approach and we continue to educate our students around the effects of alcohol and illicit drugs. In mid-July we welcomed Paul Dillon and his talk was very well received by our Yr 10 students. Paul Dillon aims to help students to make informed and measured decisions, to take increasing responsibility for their behaviour and to consider the consequences of their actions. Please could I ask, that as families, you continue to have these very important conversations with your sons and daughters.
Ms Sarah Matthews
Yr 10 Advisor
smatthews@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9908 6494