Within a school term, staff, students, and families are only ever five weeks away from a holiday. This rhythm aligns with the ebb and flow of our College, shaping the routines and rituals that form our community’s culture.
In schools, routines are reflected in the events on the school calendar, each student’s schedule, and the rituals of each family.
In the Early Years, we focus on promoting routines that support healthy living, social relationships, literacy, and numeracy, including language skills. This is mostly achieved through play-based education and curriculums that outline behaviour, learning milestones, and development goals.
As students transition to Senior School, many families struggle to maintain the connections made during the Junior School years. Jonathan Haidt, in The Anxious Generation, suggests that young people need real-life experiences, including manageable stressors and risks, to flourish. He identifies two main blockers for children aged 9 to 15: safetyism (overprotecting children and not allowing them to take risks) and smartphones (which reduce real-life experiences). Engaging in shared activities and community milestones can help counter these blockers.
At Swan, we provide opportunities for students to participate in sports, music, drama, exams, and assessments, as well as adhering to homework and uniform expectations. These experiences are designed to help students take calculated risks, follow norms, and learn self-management. These topics were discussed at our Parent and Connect morning tea on 11 June.
Our Year 12 students are especially aware of their time at school coming to an end. At a recent social event, they counted the minutes left in their school careers. They still have the Valedictory Dinner, Final Morning Assembly, Colour Run, and whole school farewell to look forward to, along with exams, assessments, and work experience. We wish our Year 12 students well as they enjoy these last few weeks of Term 2 and their final term at Swan. We have loved having you as part of the College and will miss you as you move on to adulthood and further opportunities.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13
Dr Darnelle Pretorius
Principal