Welcome back after the weekend. We trust that everyone is safe, and ready for another busy week.
The BIG question! ”What do you want to become one day? ” A pilot! An engineer! A doctor! Such beautiful dreams, But it can become a nightmare if you do not know the who, what, where, when and how!On Monday we had a visit from Nomsa, a lady representing Varsity College. Varsity College is an educational brand of The Independent Institute of Education (IIE)It was a very informative session and the Grade 11 and 12 learners had the opportunity to ask questions and get more clarity on career choices, requirements and ways to get funding. Nomsa will be returning to our school to follow up on her visit and inquiries she received.Varsity College is one of the institutions visiting our school to give advise and information about career choices and options. In the past, we had visits from Tukkies and also Twane University of Technology. Informative visits from higher educational institutions are highly appreciated by both learners and staff members.
Foundation Phase Gr RR – Gr 3 had their annual cake sale on Friday, 4 March. It was a very hot day, but the children enjoyed every minute of it. We put up the stalls with all the different sweets, cakes and food that was for sale. Thank you to each and every parent who helped with contributions and donations, this day would not have been such a huge success if it wasn’t for the parents who helped us out. “Thank you, we could not have done it without you.
My food for thought this week concerns teens (children) and the use of cell phones. This is a look at a contract that some parents have set up between them and their teens/children for the use of cell phones. It is entitled “Teen Cell Phone Contract – Healthy Boundaries for Teen Cell Phone Use” by Josh Shipp.
When it comes to your teen’s first phone, the question isn’t a matter of ‘if.’ It’s a matter of ‘when.’
If you’re a parent, you know that this seemingly innocent decision is BIG. Essentially, you’re extending an invitation towards independence—to become a well-rounded person who can co-exist with technology, rather than be ruled by it.
The goal is to help children become well rounded people who can coexist with technology, NOT be ruled by it. If you’re feeling a little freaked out, you’re not alone. After all, it’s unnerving to think about your kid having the entire internet in their back pocket (read: cyberbullying, porn, creepy strangers, oh my!?!?!).
We can’t, however, let fear rule our decisions as parents.
At the end of the day, our children are good people who we love and trust (well, most of the time). What we need to do is empower our children to make good decisions with this new gadget—to help them understand that a cell phone, like all privileges, is a responsibility. Inspired by a segment I did with Good Morning America. The segment featured Janell Burley Hofmann, who created an iPhone Contract for her 13-year old son. Here’s a teen cell phone contract to help you spark this mission-critical ‘cell phone responsibility discussion’ with your teen. It’s designed for you to give to your teen directly, but I encourage you to make it your own.
This teen cell phone contract is designed to create an open line of communication between you and your teen regarding their cell phone. Again, the goal is to help your kid become a well-rounded person who can coexist with technology, NOT be ruled by it. The Yale Stress Center conducted research that found empirical evidence that self-control is a renewable resource that can be increased through suitable “exercise.” Self-control is like a muscle that can be strengthened and improved. Technology is a great tool to strengthen self-control.
DOWNLOAD PDF: THE TEENAGE CELL PHONE CONTRACT
