Positive schools
On Thursday and Friday last week, Mr Pritchard and I attended the Positive Schools Conference in Melbourne.
Positive Schools is a Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference attended by educators from around Australia and overseas.
Many highly-regarded presenters took sessions and lectures on a number of key issues effecting students.
Presenters included Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, a regular on morning breakfast show Sunrise.
In his talk Dr Carr-Gregg spoke about the impact of sleep on our young people.
Lack of sleep and over-exposure to a variety of technology is now dramatically effecting the brain function and health of our students.
Ms Thea O'Connor spoke about Body Image and how we educate students on this issue in a context of a society which also has a rising rate of obesity. Young people these days have many mixed messages coming from the media, their friends, families and, especially, social media.
Another highlight was the presentation by acclaimed author Ms Kaz Cooke, who spoke about the impact great teachers can have on students and the need importance of creating a relationship based on trust and respect.
Kaz has written the book 'Girl Stuff' which is an excellent book for any parent looking a guide to dealing with young women.
Finally, a passion of my own is the effect of movement on mental health and brain function and we attended a session which provided sensational ideas for the classroom to ensure students remain active, engaged and learning.
Mr Pritchard and I are looking to implement some valuable knowledge, ideas and activities into the College from Kinder to Year 10.
In particular, we will assess implementation this year in the 7-10 EMPOWER Program.
Mr Aaron Davey - 7-10 Coordinator of Pastoral Care
A Catholic School in the Salesian Tradition