Category Archives: Community

Community, Principal's Blog, Wellbeing @ MHJC

Transition

SPECIAL REPORT: Starting Year 7

Starting Year 7 poses many new challenges, but also offers exciting opportunities. It comes with a number of mixed feelings. Unfortunately for many Year 6 students, 2020 was marred with school closures and remote learning due to the pandemic and the overall impact of this is still unknown.

For many students regular orientation activities at the end of 2020 were less than ideal. Therefore, many students may be feeling a little bit more anxious than usual about their expectations of starting Year 7. Grasping new skills and establishing new study practices can quickly become daunting and overwhelming.

During this time of transition, parents and carers need to be supportive, but also realistic in their expectations. This is an important milestone in your child’s life. There will be feelings of exhilaration, but also the fear of the unknown. Therefore it will be important for parents and carers to be vigilant in monitoring their child’s mood and mental health during this time. They could easily become overly anxious or even depressed.

In this Special Report, there are a number of strategies offered that can make this transition period smoother and start things off on the right foot! We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report https://mhjc.nz.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-transition-high-school

Community, Principal's Blog

This month on SchoolTV – Raising Boys

Many parents will attest to the fact that many boys are active, loud, rambunctious and prone to rough play, but this should not affect how a parent acts towards their son. Be careful not to pigeon-hole your son into gender specific behaviours or gender roles. The male brain is distinctly differently in its development. A boy’s physical maturity is often at odds with his mental and brain development.

Societal beliefs about how to raise boys can sometimes influence their adult carers. Although we are not determined by our biology, it is a factor. It is important to support boys in their natural tendencies and nurture their strengths and abilities. Teach them the skills they need for their future and to develop a healthy identity. It is important for boys to have a role model they can connect with and acknowledge who they are. One of the most important determinants for a boy’s development is how secure they feel growing up.

In this edition of SchoolTV, adult carers will gain a better understanding into some of the more complex issues relating to raising boys. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to this month’s edition https://mhjc.nz.schooltv.me/newsletter/raising-boys

Community, School News

MHJC community shows awhinatanga

One of our core values is compassion/awhinatanga and we are proud of the way our community responded to our charity drives recently and lived our values.

Our annual poppy day collections were disrupted by the lockdown however we had a mufti day and raised $1200 for the Howick RSA.

The Student Executive Council also started a Give a Little page which raised $500 for the Salvation Army food bank. This is in addition to the work of student leaders who collected cans for the Salvation Army and everyone involved in the World Vision 40 hour famine appeal which raised $10000.

Many thanks to everyone who supported these charity drives.

 

 

Community

Fund raiser for families experiencing hardship.

Our Student Executive Council has set up a Give a Little page to raise funds for the Salvation Army. This is their response to the hardship that many people are experiencing following lockdown. We realise that many of our own families may not be in a position to contribute to the page but hope that others might contribute any amount for this worthy cause. Please share with family and friends.

Here is the link: https://givealittle.co.nz/search?q=MHJC

Community, School News, Wellbeing @ MHJC

SchoolTV – SPECIAL REPORT: Coronavirus – The Transition Back

Here is the latest advice from SchoolTV

As lockdown restrictions are slowly being lifted to varying degrees, we enter a time of transition and adjustment. The circumstances of this situation have significantly impacted us all. For some it has been an opportunity to reflect on what is important, whilst others have embraced the opportunity to learn new things.

Many young people may be excited at the prospect of restrictions being lifted; others may feel mixed emotions. Reactions will differ depending on how well they cope with stress and change. Keeping a check on your child’s mental health and wellbeing as they adjust to new routines, will be vitally important.

There is still a lot of uncertainty ahead of us, so focusing on the things you can control or enjoy doing or even value, can help establish predictability and familiarity for the whole family. Adult carers need to provide young people with reassurance by acknowledging any concerns and fears they may have at this time. Consider this to be a normal reaction, however it may be best to focus more on their feelings and emotions, rather than the practicalities at this stage.

In this Special Report, we share a few ideas to help ease this time of transition and adjustment. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report https://mhjc.nz.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-coronavirus-transition-back

 

 

Community, School News

SPECIAL REPORT: Wellbeing – Checklist

A message from School TV our Wellbeing support team.

Schoolhttps://mhjc.nz.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-wellbeing-checklist-secondary

The global pandemic is having a profound impact on our adolescents with many being forced to miss out on so many rites of passage. Some are becoming more anxious or depressed which is completely understandable given the current situation. However, should your teen display any unusual behaviour that lasts for more than 2-3 weeks, it may be a cause for concern.

Research shows there are specific risk factors that increase the likelihood of teenagers developing a mental health problem. Some are set in stone, whilst others are modifiable. Adolescents are considered to be more at risk of anxiety and depression disorders which may affect their mood, thinking and behaviour. It can impact their ability to function and perform normal activities.

It is therefore vitally important for adult carers to remain vigilant during this time for any signs of distress, even though your adolescent may not have any prior history of a mental health disorder. Early intervention, diagnosis and treatment is more important than ever. In the current climate, one useful thing you can do is help your teen focus on the things that they can control –– such as their learning, diet, exercise and sleep.

In this Special Report, adult carers will be provided with a checklist that can be used a guide in determining if there is any cause for concern. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help. Our Counsellor is available for email or phone support:

Savita Kesry: skesry@mhjc.school.nz

 

Community

Special report from SchoolTV: Parenting Styles – What type of parent are you?

There are so many different opinions offered on how best to parent. New parents will often have firm beliefs about how they wish to balance love and discipline, but this ideal often goes out the window when a toddler throws their first tantrum in the supermarket!

Raising children can bring parents and caregivers great joy despite many learning ‘on the job’ and growing into the role through experience and understanding. Children will always flourish in a warm and loving environment, supported by clear guidance.

In this Special Report, parents and caregivers can gain a greater understanding of the four defined parenting styles by taking part in the quiz. It can guide parents towards deciding which style they wish to adopt and the effects it may have on their children.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report https://mhjc.nz.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-parenting-styles

Community

“13 reasons why”

It is perhaps timely to alert parents to the sequel of this controversial series as it is either available or soon will be available in New Zealand and your child may have access to it through Netflix. For those who do not know of the series, it is a fictional drama of the suicide of a teenage girl in an American school where she had been subjected to bullying and other social pressures.

Supporters of the series say it has been valuable as it has opened up a more public discussion of the challenges young people face. Critics say the show provides graphic, disturbing scenes and it does not go far enough in providing young people with advice on what to do if they or their friends are experiencing similar issues. It can be quite disturbing for children who are already experiencing mental health issues particularly relating to anxiety and depression so caution should be exercised by parents before deciding whether to allow their children to watch the series.

Shaun Robinson of the New Zealand Mental Health Foundation provides some good advice for parents regarding the the show. His advice can be found at: https://thespinoff.co.nz/parenting/20-04-2017/13-conversations-to-have-about-13-reasons-why/

Parents may wish to consider:

  • starting a conversation with your child about whether they have heard of the show, have they watched it or discussed it with their friends?
  • if you do allow your child to watch the show, watch it with them and talk about the issues the show raises;
  • educating yourself about suicide prevention and what support children and families can access.

Student wellbeing is important to us  as a school community. We promote resilience and discuss mental health issues that relate to teenagers in Health and PE. We also have several DEEP options that help students deal with anxiety, which will be particularly valuable around exam time later in the year. Recently five teachers went on a ‘Pause Breathe Smile” workshop which equips students with techniques to improve their wellbeing and promote a “flourishing” or feeling good and functioning well, state of mind. We are planning to integrate techniques and lessons from the course in the near future. 

Our counsellor skesrey@mhjc.school.nz is available to support students and the following web sites might be useful to parents:

https://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/home/our-work/category/34/suicide-prevention

https://www.healthpoint.co.nz/public/mental-health-specialty/whirinaki-child-family-and-youth-mental-health/

https://mindfulnesseducation.nz/pause-breathe-smile/

I believe we all have a collective responsibility to support our children and be aware of warning signs of anxiety or depression. If we work together we can help present a positive view of the future where students are valued and are well prepared to overcome the challenges they may face.

Growing greatness – Kia mana ake!