Dear Parents/Guardians,

I recently found the article below that I used several years ago to write a school newsletter. I think that it is still pertinent today and I hope that, after reading the article, you might have some reflection and perhaps discussion with your children.

WHAT IS FOMO? FEAR OF MISSING OUT

Have you ever been with your child and seen the look of absolute terror on their face when they have realized that they haven’t got their phone with them? It is sort of scary and funny at the same time. Why is this the case? Why are kids so attached to this device?
FOMO is the fear of missing out. So, when the medium for keeping up with the ‘latest’ has been removed from them a feeling of panic sets in, as they may suddenly be behind the rest of their friends in knowing what is happening in their world.FOMO is an addictive state of mind that creates an internal pressure to have the latest fads, gadgets, popular opinion and information. In its extreme form it can create exhaustion, ultra competitiveness and sometimes compulsive behaviours.Each year we see the same scenario for the Year 12 students as they enter the HSC Exam Centre. The reluctance to relinquish their phones and leave them outside in their bags. The reliance is an unhealthy one and the term -death scrolling – is used to define the time young people spend looking at their phones and pother people’s posts, tweet and lives.
Does any of this sound familiar? Increasing volumes of research indicate that FOMO victims can lose a sense of self, of what a right relationship is and of getting lost in an unreal way of living their life. These things are the opposite of what a well-balanced young person should be experiencing in their formative years.
As a parent that wants the best for our children, we should be discussing topics like this with them. They may not like this and we need to avoid ‘lecturing’ them. In this way we can explore the questions and move the kids to a better understanding of the pressures upon them that could lead them to behaviours that are negative.
We need to ask our children, and walk with them, as they look deep into their heart and see the real essence of themselves, their original beauty and blessings that have been bestowed upon them.

Original source: article by Daniel O’Leary

We all want to help our children navigate the difficult formative years of their lives. It is a matter of offering support, negotiating the ways in which we can help and what help they will accept. Often, they know they need some help but won’t accept it. This can be hard as a parent but is where they are at in that point in time.

UGANDAN VISITORS

Last term during Refugee Week, St John’s welcomed to the school a small group of Ugandan refugees. Morris Mukasa led these visitors as they shared their stories as refugees through song, dance and storytelling for a group of students in Years 10, 11 & 12.

During this visit St Johns with the help of Corpus Christi Catholic High School and their principal Mr Robert Muscat, donated a number of laptops, calculators and other IT items. These items, no longer used by our schools, were to be used by student refugees in Sydney and by school students at a Catholic High School in Uganda.

On Thursday 3 August Morris Mukasa who works for many refugee organisations and is currently the chaplain for the Ugandan Catholic refugee community in the Archdiocese of Sydney returned to St John's to formally thank St John's and Corpus Christi for our generous donations of IT items to their organisation.

We also warmly welcomed Mary Kabanda from Uganda. Mary established a primary school and a high school in Uganda, these schools provide education to male and female students many of which are poor or who are orphans. It is at these schools that many of the IT items will be eagerly used by the students.

HSC TRIAL EXAMS