Secondary News
- Jun 5
- 4 min read
T2, Week 7
Technology - It’s a Partnership
Spending the last two days in Sydney at the EduTech conference has been both challenging and rewarding. As I looked into the latest ways technology can enhance our students' learning I was reminded of the partnership between families and school.
Navigating the digital world can feel overwhelming for parents and educators alike. It does take a village to raise our teenagers, and when school and home work alongside one another, we can continue to create a safe space for our kids to grow, learn and thrive online.
How we are caring for your children at MCS:
Addressing safe online behaviours throughout the PDH curriculum
Engaging an online safety system called Saasyan, alerting the school directly if a student searches for or accesses unsafe content on our network, allowing us to further support them
Helping students stay focused and secure by blocked access, including VPNs
Access to Pulse - our Wellbeing Platform - where students can reach out for help
Brainstorm Presentations - a drama presentation highlighting the effects of bullying, online bullying and taking care of their mental health
Ysafety Seminars - Year level sessions providing practical information on preventing negative online experiences.
What can families do to help keep their children safe online:
Keep the dialogue open and judgment-free, encouraging your children to come to you if they are unsure
Co-design a family technology agreement
Continually revisit our Online Safety Hub (link below) to stay current with new technological developments
Set age appropriate parental controls on your children's device
Monitor your child's device regularly
Keep devices out of bedrooms
Enabling lock down/ screentimes to allow children to wind down in preparation for healthy, rejuvenating sleep to help learning at school the next day.
We also encourage our families to revisit our Online Safety Hub to access the most recent up-to-date information on social media, apps and strategies.
As we continue to work together, we pray that our young people will continually be educated about the online world, using it in a safe manner to build up others, learn well and glorify God.
Image by freepik
Mrs A Neale
Head of Secondary
Chess
This week our Secondary Chess Team hosted the Round 3 match against Irrawang High. It was a tightly fought contest with both teams each winning two games. As a winner has to be decided on the day, the result on board 4 doesn't count, meaning MCS walked away as the winners, and will now progress through to Round 4
Our next match should be played before the end of term 2, so we'll keep you posted! Congratulations to our successful team - Ted, Lucas, Danny and Navrin.
Mrs C Coates
Mathematics Teacher
A Three-Part Series on Anxiety
Part 3: Helping Children Build Confidence Through Anxiety
When a child is anxious, it is natural to want to make the fear disappear as quickly as possible. However, one of the most effective ways to support anxious young people is not by removing all discomfort, but by helping them gradually build confidence in their ability to cope.
Supportive responses can make a significant difference. Some helpful approaches include:
Stay in control of our own emotions. Children often look to trusted adults to judge whether a situation is safe. Remaining calm can help communicate safety and stability, even during emotional moments.
Acknowledge feelings. Validation helps children feel understood. Phrases such as: “I can see this feels hard for you,” “That sounds really overwhelming,” or “It makes sense that you’re nervous,” can help young people feel supported without reinforcing fear and help them understand that there is nothing wrong with their feelings - we just need to regulate and navigate through them better.
Encourage gradual challenges. Confidence grows through experience. Supporting children to take small, supported actions can help.
Focus on coping rather than avoiding. Instead of immediately removing the challenge, it can be helpful to encourage: “What might help you get through this?”. This shifts the focus toward problem-solving and coping skills. Praise effort and bravery.
Recognising persistence, courage, and attempts to cope can help strengthen confidence. “I’m proud of you for trying.” “You handled that really well.” “You stayed with it even though it felt uncomfortable.”
Remember that progress takes time.
Managing anxiety is a gradual process. There may be setbacks along the way, and that is completely normal. Patience, consistency, and supportive relationships are important parts of helping young people build resilience.
Above all, children benefit from hearing the message: “You are supported, and you are capable.”
Mrs A Lai
School Counsellor
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Secondary Key Dates: | |
Wk 7 & 8 | Year 10 Subject Selection Interviews |
Wk 8 10th Jun | Elevate Session #2 Year 11 and Year 12 |
Wk 8 11th Jun | Secondary Athletics Carnival |
Wk 8 12th Jun | Starstruck Excursion Stage 5 Music |
Wk 9 17-19th Jun | Years 7-9 Camp Details and Permissions sent via email |