Term 3 Middle School Snapshot: #EMPOWHER
Our bespoke wellbeing program, #EMPOWHER, was developed specifically for the needs of our girls to provide them with a range of strategies to build confidence and resilience. We want to empower them to be positive and happy individuals who have the skills and knowledge to navigate the world around them.
Year 7
This term the Year 7 Cohort has focused on online safety and respectful online behaviours. Each Home Group has worked through the expectations of group chats and making them a positive space for all users. They have also engaged in Teens & Screens – a digital literacy program designed to support students to “develop healthy screen habits, manage their digital wellbeing, and engage critically with online content.” This program is developed by the The Black Dog Institute, which is Australia’s leading mental health research organization. With over 20 years of experience developing evidence-based mental health programs, they “connect studies, education, technology, and lived experiences to create evidence-based mental health solutions that drive real-world change.” Aligned with this program are a range of resources that are designed for parents or caregivers. These resources will support you in navigating your daughter’s screen time, online safety, and positive digital behaviours. ‘
Year 8
Examinations are a formative assessment experience in Middle School that is undertaken by Year 8s and Year 9s. Whilst they do provide a grade, this is not the only metric of success. They provide much more than this.
- They allow for the development of important learning skills – preparing, revising and then actually sitting exams helps students develop their personal organisation and planning skills, self-discipline, and stress management. These transferable skills are not only useful for this Year 8 Examination period, but also for the Senior years and beyond.
- They are a reflection tool for students to determine their strengths and areas for improvement in each of their subjects, and effectiveness in their revision strategies.
- They introduce students to high-stakes assessment, where time management under the pressure of formal testing conditions requires practice and exposure to develop the skills to succeed.
To support them in preparing for their first formal examinations, the Year 8s have learnt about perfectionism, procrastination and study skills. They have been exposed to the different ways they could prepare for their exams, and how to try to manage their time to achieve this. They have been challenged to see the link between preparation and productivity, and to realise that the process is just as important as the final grade they receive.
Year 9
The Becoming Program, which #EMPOWHER is embedded into, has focused on resilience through a range of engaging and insightful activities, designed to prepare the girls for examinations and Camp. Students have explored how perspective and reframing thoughts can help us to challenge unhelpful or negative thought patterns. They identified their own strengths of character, to allow them to see that when we are aware of our strengths and use them as much as we can, we increase our overall wellbeing and our ability to manage challenges. A constant throughout the term were journalling activities, used as a self-reflection tool to guide these shifts to help build resilience.
Through this bespoke program’s progressive approach across all year levels, our students are developing the essential life skills and resilience needed to thrive. The skills, strategies, and self-awareness developed through this program will serve our students well beyond their school years, laying the foundation for lifelong wellbeing and success.
Emma Smerdon
Head of Middle School