Welcome Back to Another Term: Fostering Resilience and Positive Growth in Our Students

A very warm welcome back to another exciting term! We hope that you and your child enjoyed a well-deserved Easter break, full of rest, rejuvenation and special moments together. As we step into the new term, we’re looking forward to all the opportunities for growth and learning that lie ahead for our young people. It’s always a fresh start, and we’re excited to continue supporting your child’s academic and personal development as they embark on another chapter of their educational journey.

Managing Low-Level Friendship Conflicts: Building Resilience in Our Students

One key area that often comes to the forefront as students navigate the school environment is the inevitable conflicts that can arise within friendships. It’s completely natural for young people to experience disagreements, misunderstandings or hurt feelings among their peers. While these moments can sometimes be challenging, they also offer valuable opportunities for personal growth and emotional development.

Learning to manage low-level friendship conflicts is an important skill for our students. It’s important for them to understand that disagreements or tension in friendships are a normal part of life. The way we handle these situations can have a lasting impact on our emotional well-being and ability to build strong, supportive relationships. Here’s where we as a school community play a role in helping students navigate these experiences.

One of the most important lessons students can learn is how to move on from conflicts in a positive way without excessively dwelling on the past. This involves teaching them to address the issue at hand, express their feelings constructively, and then take steps to let go and move forward. Encouraging resilience – learning from setbacks and choosing to focus on the present and future – is a powerful skill that will serve them well in all areas of life.

Another aspect to consider is the importance of not being overly sensitive to minor slights or misunderstandings. While it’s natural to feel hurt when a friend says something unkind, it’s equally important to understand the bigger picture. Not every comment or action warrants a strong emotional reaction. Helping students recognise when it’s time to let go and not take things personally can empower them to maintain a more balanced, less reactive approach to their relationships.

At times, students may also benefit from understanding that friendship dynamics can shift and evolve. Just because there’s a moment of tension doesn’t necessarily mean the friendship is over. Encouraging them to give their peers space, communicate openly, and reflect on how they can work through challenges can help them navigate friendships in a more emotionally intelligent way.

Fostering a Supportive Environment Together

As parents and caregivers, your role in this process is invaluable. Your support, guidance and communication with your child can reinforce these positive habits and skills. Encouraging open conversations about what’s happening in their social circles, listening with empathy, and offering advice on how to approach conflicts with maturity can be powerful tools in fostering resilience and emotional growth.

We look forward to continuing to work with you in ensuring that your child not only excels academically but also develops the emotional intelligence to manage challenges in a healthy and positive way. Together, we can help our students thrive both inside and outside the classroom.

Here’s to another fantastic term of learning, growth, and resilience.

Key Information

Cards/Cash for the Canteen

At Recess and Lunch we encourage face-to-face social interactions and ask students to not use phones. Face-to-face social connection is important for teenagers as it fosters emotional development, improves communication skills and strengthens peer relationships.  These connections create a sense of belonging and support, helping teenagers navigate challenges both academically and socially. Face-to-face engagement also reduces feelings of isolation and strengthens wellbeing. 

We welcome your support by ensuring that your daughter has cash or card as an alternative to use for payment when purchasing from the canteen to avoid the phone from being confiscated.

Parent Survey

To continuously enhance our support and services, we are reaching out to gather valuable feedback from our parent community. Your insights play an important role in shaping the educational experience we provide to your daughters.  All responses will be kept confidential and used solely for the purpose of enhancing the educational experience at Kilbreda College.

Please access the survey here.

Parent Resources/Events

Parent Breakfast: 8.00am – 9.00am 14 May

Topic: Managing Anxiety

Our counsellors will hold an informal talk and discussion on managing anxiety. 

Please register for this free event using the below link.

https://events.humanitix.com/wellbeing-breakfast-term-2

Toolbox Education Parent Information Evening (Online) – 22 May

Topic: Managing Conflict

Information and booking details to be published in the next newsletter.

Dr Justin Coulson Parent Seminars

Kilbreda has subscribed to the website https://happyfamilies.com.au/ .

Dr Justin Coulson has a PhD in psychology, is the co-host and parenting expert and founder of happyfamilies.com.au.  He will host a series of online presentations this year.

The next topic is: Emotional Regulation: A Heart-Centred Approach to Supporting Your Child, which is available to view on the on the website now.

Upcoming topics:

• Carrots & Sticks: Better Ways to Build Boundaries With Your Kids (Wednesday 18 June)
• Anxious: Helping Your Child Navigate a World of Worry (Term 3)
• Entitled: Raising Responsibly, Respectful Kids (Term 4)

SchoolTV

The SchoolTV platform provides schools with an extensive range of wellbeing resources for parents. See https://kilbreda.vic.schooltv.me/ for more info.

Jane Delahunty

Acting Assistant Principal: Wellbeing and Engagement