Magazine 2019

111 SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENTATION BY EMMA SADLEIR SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT skills such as mind maps, note taking and summarising. Learners are also provided with general revision tips to help them suc- ceed in their formal assessments and exami- nations. SELF HARM & SUICIDE INYOUNG PEOPLE In an attempt to reduce stigma and raise awareness about the importance of mental health, a local psychia- trist,Dr Rene Gunter visited our school on 19 October to host a talk at our Mental Health Awareness Assembly. At the assembly, learners were provided with valuable information about self harm and suicide and were given practical handles about what to do if they were concerned about their own or a peer’s mental health or well-being. The Secondary Faculty once again continued to support the Western Cape Blood Transfusion service by hosting quarterly Blood Donation Clinics on our campus. Under the guidance of Trudy Clayden, the clinics have become a highlight on our calendar and are well supported by senior learners, parents, staff and other members of the community. Thank you to those who have donated this year. You have made a difference and saved many lives! STUDY SKILLS BLOOD CLINICS but may not have been something they thought they could pursue at a higher level in education. The session also covered interesting information about the growing service economy and the link between that economic shift and a job market hungry for new skills. Learners interested in pursuing tertiary studies in the United States of America, were invited to a talk on 15 October by representatives from the exclusive Bentley Univer- sity, Syracause University and Colby College. In December 2018, our School Counsellor, Michelle, was invited to visit the New York University (NYU) in Abu Dhabi. It was a great privilege to experience, first hand, the tertiary opportunities and attend professional development sessions in the field of career guidance at this world class university. NYU Abu Dhabi has some wonderful scholarship opportunities for deserving African candidates and we are hoping that one of our learners will be awarded with the honour of at- tending this university in the near future. What an honour to have well known social media lawyer and author, Emma Sadleir, present at the Secondary Faculty on 19 February. Emma offered a dynamic and eye opening presentation where she gave real life examples of the legal implications of irresponsible use of social media. Learners, educators and parents alike were encouraged to manage their social media accounts responsibly to ensure that we all leave good digital footprints on the Internet. Emma strongly encour- aged learners to stop and think before posting anything and make sure they would be comfortable to share the message or post with people like the police and their principal before pressing send. A sobering thought indeed! “On Tuesday, 19 February, our school had the privilege of listen- ing to an amazing talk presented to us by a truly exceptional and inspiring lawyer, Emma Sadleir. She gripped us with in- teresting law cases that she has had to deal with in the past, and really got us thinking about our lives on social media, as well as the potential consequences behind the choices that we make and how they can end up drastically affecting our lives. Emma spoke very well, and managed to carry the entire school through a legal journey that demonstrated just how important it is to remain safe when using so- cial media, and to look out for each other whilst doing so. She inspired many of us to consider a change in the way that we use our communication and social plat- forms, avoiding cyber bullying, rude remarks or simply just the follow request sent to you by someone you are unfamiliar with. We all took many valuable les- sons away from this experience, and ultimately, all of our perspectives on social media were challenged. I, personally, am so grateful that we could have expe- rienced Emma’s passion and love for this subject and for her work, it definitely was contagious.” - Jade Bremner Learners who need assistance with study skills are able to have one on one ses- sions with any of the school counsellors to improve their study methods. Learn- ers in Grades 7, 9 and 11 also attend group workshops by Elevate Educa- tion where they are taught study