Last Friday 23 May was a student free day which hopefully provided some valuable rest time for all our students. On this day, all staff engaged in Professional Learning. Please see some of the expert presenters our staff engaged with to continue enhancing student wellbeing experiences at Parade College. Some of the key area focuses were led by Dr. Tom Brunzell – Increasing Self-Regulation and Focus for Secondary Students, Self-Regulatory Strategies, and techniques for staff to promote focus and on-task learning, also empowering our students through consistent strategies. The Mancave Keynote Address by Lucy Barrat raised awareness of Boys' Challenges: Current issues faced by boys, including online influences.

Social Media and Digital Reputation

Social media has become such an integral part of a teenager’s life that it can cause anxiety and lower their self-esteem. Modern teens are learning to do most of their communication whilst looking at a screen instead of another person. They are missing out on very critical social skills. According to our staff survey and discussions with staff, the College’s updated mobile phone policy and procedures has benefited the engagement for students in their classrooms and social interactions on the yard. Further information regarding digital reputation can be found here

Reminder for Families: Charter Bus Safety Guidelines

If your child travels to and from school on a charter bus equipped with seat belts, please remind them to wear their seat belt securely for the entire journey. This is an important safety measure and legislation to help protect all students.

To ensure a safe and respectful environment for everyone on board:

• Seat belts must be worn at all times.
• No food or drinks are to be consumed on the bus.
• The 'hands off' rule applies at all times.

Staff members on duty at the bus bays will also remind students to buckle up as they board the buses each afternoon. Student Leaders and House Committee members also assist by reporting unsafe behaviours on the Charter Bus network to their House Leader/ Tutor Teacher.

Thank you for your continued support in keeping our students safe and respectful while traveling.

Supporting Our Year 12 as They Prepare for Life Beyond School

As our Year 12 students approach the end of their school journey, we are committed to supporting them through this important transition. Throughout the year, students will receive guidance and information to help them prepare for what is next - whether that’s study, work, or other pathways.

Later this year, Year 12 students will take part in seminars on safe partying and road safety, aimed at promoting smart and safe decision-making.

We also encourage students and families to explore resources offered by Headspace, which provides practical advice and strategies for navigating life beyond secondary school.

https://headspace.org.au/explore-topics/for-young-people/leaving-secondary-school/

Parents and carers can register for Headspace’s free online webinar to learn more about supporting young people through this phase.

Evolve Education Workshops

This month, we were pleased to welcome Evolve Education to address our Year 7 cohort, where they delivered an engaging and interactive workshop focused on online safety and digital wellbeing.

The session was designed to equip our young men with essential skills for navigating the digital world responsibly and confidently. Through real-life scenarios, group discussions, and practical strategies, students explored key aspects of digital citizenship, including:

• Protecting personal privacy and understanding the risks of oversharing online
• Respecting others’ rights and learning how to be an upstander, not a bystander.
• Recognising and avoiding cyberbullying, and strategies for de-escalating digital drama
• Building and maintaining a positive online reputation
• Understanding the impact of their digital footprint
• Evaluating their digital wellbeing and making healthy choices around screen time and online interactions

Workshops like these are a vital part of our commitment to student wellbeing and digital literacy. We thank Evolve Education for their expertise and for helping our students become safer, more respectful, and more thoughtful digital citizens.

Your Choicez Seminars

On Thursday 31 July, Year 10 students will be involved in an all-day seminar with Your Choicez. All Year 10 students at Bundoora and Preston will participate in this all-day school incursion. Preston students are to make their own way to Bundoora Campus on the morning of this seminar, as they would when they have trade-based subjects.

In preparation for the student seminar, parents and guardians have an opportunity to participate in a Your Choicez web event hosted by Dave Kobler on Monday 30 June 2025. Details to register your interest and a link to the seminar will be provided to parents closer to event.

The Your Choicez seminar is an important part of the development of our students at Parade College. We have hosted presenter David Kobler at Parade College over many years where he has spoken to parents about the issues covered with our students and provided advice on guidance around how parents can approach many of these topics. Through presentations, groups discussions and break out reflection sessions, the seminar will cover the topics of Relationships, Sexual Decision Making, Pornography, Consent + Sexual Ethics, Identity + Pressures and Love.

At the end of the day students will be able to:

• Describe the key ingredients within a healthy relationship and be aware of what to look for in an unhealthy one.
• Consider their online choices.
• Understand the impact pornography can have personally + relationally.
• Have a thorough understanding of consent and what it means within relationship.
• Be empowered to make decisions that are right for them despite pressure they may face from peers.
• Understand how to connect in a meaningful way with family and friends.