LIVE A LIFE OF CHOICE, NOT CHANCE

At times, school can be daunting for all involved, staff, parents and especially our students. When we start as bright eyed youngsters in Year 7, it is exciting and new and we are ready to take on the world. In Year 9 and 10, we begin selecting electives and finding where our passions lay and when we get to Year 11 and 12, we are essentially preparing ourselves for life after school, whatever that may be - for some it may be university, full time employment, TAFE, an apprenticeship or a mixture of all four.  If you are one of the fortunate ones, you may know exactly what you want to do after you graduate and have your path already set out, however, for the vast majority, this is still yet to reveal itself. 

This can be tough for some of our students as they try to navigate the world around them and engage in their studies and do their best without a clear understanding of who they want to be or where they want to go. While research states that those who have completed Year 12 are more likely to continue with further education or training and have a more successful transition into the workforce and life after school, it is at this time that motivation can waver, that focus can shift and students start to ask themselves, is school really worth it. My response is always the same. School is not about extended responses, trigonometry or Shakespeare, school is about doors. It is about opening doors for yourself well after you leave us, you get to choose which path you take and not be forced to take one that circumstance dictates. Whether you are someone that knows exactly what you want to do in life or someone that is still unsure, school is about living a life of choice, not chance and I believe it is our job as educators and parents to help you achieve this.

Over the next few weeks, our Year 8 and 10 students will engage in an important part of their school journey, the subject selection processes. They will start to map out their interests, passions and pathways of study into the future. While we have a great support process here at St Johns, where we speak to all students about the amazing subjects on offer, encourage them and their families to attend information nights and, specifically for our Year 10's, engage in one-to-one interviews where we encourage them to ask questions, and explore the choices they have made, I am often asked by parents, “How can I help my child in their learning or their subject choices. It is different from when I was at school.” As parents, we all want the best for our children or the young ones in our care. We want them to be better than we were, to be the best versions of themselves and ultimately, we want them to be happy in their lives. 

The simplest and easiest way to help them through school, whatever phase they are in, is to be genuinely interested. To speak with them about their future, about what they may want to do, about the choices they want to make and why. About the importance of selecting subjects that they are interested in, not ones that allow them to wear their sport uniform more often, subjects they have passion for, not ones they think are easy and subjects that they will be successful in, not ones that their friends are choosing. Support them in making choices that will open doors for them and lead to a life of choice, not chance. 

If you need any support in doing this or are unsure of the processes in place please do not hesitate to reach out and contact the school to speak with your son, daughter or person in your care’s PALS teacher. They may be able to help you and provide support or, depending on your questions, direct you to the most appropriate support person. 

Mr James Eirth