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Dr Benn
Head of Junior School
JSA Walk-a-thon and Father’s Day Breakfast

Thank you to Junior School families for generously supporting the JSA Walk-a-thon last Friday! The girls completed the Olympic-themed circuit enthusiastically, and Years 5 and 6 enjoyed leading their Kindergarten and Year 1 buddies. The sponsorship forms have been returned to the girls, and it would be appreciated if donations are deposited by Friday 26 August. Any student who raises money will go into the draw for a prize. The girls are looking forward to the refurbishment of the Hudson Lawn area and equipment.

The JSA Father’s Day Breakfast will be on Tuesday 27 August at the Junior School Campus, beginning at 7:15am. Please be aware that students attending the Father’s Day Breakfast are under the supervision of their adult guest/s who will need to be responsible for any food allergies. Normal supervision will be available from 8:00am for girls who are not attending the breakfast. Thank you to the parents and friends who have volunteered to help with the BBQ and food service.

 

Parent Forum – Dr Leisa Aitken

Many Junior School parents attended the excellent Parent Forum about hope presented by Dr Leisa Aitken last week. Dr Aitken reminded us of the impact social media use can have on the developing minds of primary school children. She shared concerns that the use of social media can create issues of belonging, where children may feel excluded or pressured to conform. Dr Aitken spoke about the negative effect of social media algorithms prioritising unhelpful content and experiences of cyberbullying on children’s self-esteem. Her message resonated with the approach to social media taken at Meriden, as we advise Junior School girls to wait until they are older before engaging with social media.

Jonathan Haidt’s book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, provides a detailed analysis of the social media information presented by Dr Aitken. The book is available to borrow from the Parent Collection in Selim Library.