Middle & Senior School News

Issue 12 / 22 August 2014

Learning to do and be the best we can be! Each and every one of us, working with God’s gifts and grace, are called to do and to be the best we can be. Over the past week, I’ve come across many examples of our stu-dents ‘doing’ and ‘being’ the best they can be. On Wednes-day I had the great pleasure of joining Senior School students for a chapel service led by our College Captains, around the theme of gratitude. The Leaders encouraged students to reflect on how being grateful promotes wellbe-ing. Showing gratitude helps us to be at our best.

The Middle School Expo on Monday night was indeed a wonderful showcase of the learning opportunities on offer at the College and I relished the opportunity to listen to students sharing their learning with the wider community. To me it typified the whole notion of PERMA in action. Students when Positive and Engaged in Meaningful work feel that authentic sense of Accomplishment that comes from knowing they have done and been their best! The R of PERMA stands for Relationships and is well placed at the centre, because relationships are at the core of all that we do. Our students ‘doing’ and ‘being’ the best they can be, is encouraged through the relationships they have with their teachers and peers.

The Secondary campus celebrated National Science Week this week and a range of activities have been on offer that encourage our students to see how scientific development

can provide service to those in need both in Australia and around the world. A particular focus of chapel on Monday was on how we might grow high-quality food without increasing deforestation, in order to combat the problems associated with malnutrition. Tuesday Evening we had a record 11 teams compete in the Griffith Science Trivia chal-lenge. The Year 6 team placed 3rd, a Year 8 team finished 2nd out of 40 teams, and our Year 11 team placed 7th out of 80 teams.

Last weekend, a number of language students took part in the annual MLTAQ language competition and achieved commendable results both in the Japanese and the German competitions. (More details to follow in the next Bulletin).

Listening to the Intermediate Concert Band rehearsing in the courtyard was yet another highlight for me over this past week. This year we sent a record 4 bands to Eisteddfod and the Performing Arts is yet another area where students continue to flourish and grow in number. The Eisteddfod participants have done exceptionally well across a number of areas and more detailed results can be found later in the Bulletin.

On Wednesday afternoon our Year 11 cohort had their after school study session for Term 3. There is no understat-ing the value of having students engaged in collaborative study and accessing the staff on hand to review their work and extend their understanding of the material covered in class. The study session was held in the Cecile Ryan Cen-tre (Secondary Library) which is open until 5.00pm each afternoon and is a great place for students to study and complete work. I strongly encourage students to take ad-vantage of this facility and the opportunity to learn collabo-ratively with their peers on a regular basis.

Middle/Senior School Bulletin

On Friday our Year 12 students had their final QCS prepara-tion day, and I hold every confidence in them and their pre-paredness for the testing which will be held on the 2nd and 3rd of September. For them and for all year levels, Week 7 onwards tends to be a busy assessment time of term, so I encourage families to sit together and to review goals and to plan for the busy time ahead. We continue to hold all of our students, and in particular our Year 12s, in our thoughts and prayers during the busy assessment period.

Like our students, our intention as a College is to ‘do’ and ‘be’ the best we can be and to ensure that the foundational belief that ‘every child matters every day,’ is nurtured. We value your feedback and our partnership. To that end, I encourage parents to please get in touch with me or any member of College staff if they have any questions, con-cerns and/or points of praise they would like to share. We are blessed with teachers who take great care to know their students and to connect with them as people and learners. They place the individual needs and learning of students first and go the ‘extra mile’ to provide support to each student in hopes that they will flourish. And it goes without saying our students are special too! What a privilege it is to work in this community!

Every BlessingVirginia Warner Head of Secondary School virginiaw@salc.qld.edu.au

Chaplains Chat

The Greatest GiftWhat is the best gift you have ever received? What is the best gift you have ever given? Max Lucado shares the fol-lowing short anecdote in his book “Dad Time”.

My dad repaired oil-field engines for a living and rebuilt car engines for fun. Dad loved machines. But God gave him a mechanical moron…a son who couldn’t differentiate be-tween a differential and a brake disc. My dad tried to teach me. I tried to learn. Honestly, I did. Machines anaesthetised me. But books fascinated me. What does a mechanic do with a son who loves books? He gives him a library card. Buys him a few volumes for Christmas. Places a lamp by his bed so he can read at night. Pays tuition so his son can study college literature in high school. My dad did that.

You know what he didn’t do? Never once did he say, “Why can’t you be a mechanic like your dad and grandad?” The greatest gift you can give your children is not your riches, but revealing to them their own!

When we read an account like this it encourages us to re-flection – what might be the greatest gift we have blessed our children with?

We have been celebrating Faith as a concept in Chapel this term, exploring how it impacts our life and provides us with a new lens to view life through. Mr Nelson conveyed to us that Faith is a gift we receive from God. Our eternal safety is assured due to God’s Grace. Which is God’s goodness to-wards us despite us being completely underserving of it. As we act in Faith we are freed from all our fears. We are freed from having to prove ourselves all the time. We are freed to love with hearts that are true. All of this is a Gift from God as we live by the Faith he grants us.

Perhaps the greatest gift I received from my Dad was of forgiveness and mercy. On one particular occasion when I stuffed up and expected significant retribution, I received acceptance and compassion. In hindsight this may have shaped my outlook on life more than I realise. As we humble ourselves before our heavenly Father our lives are shaped by his love too. I pray this might be true for all of us as we receive the wonderful gift of Faith from Him.

Graeme SchacheChaplain

Senior School News

Year 11 Leadership CampRecently, 77 brave Year 11 students boarded the bus for Emu Gully, the ANZAC inspired leadership camp in He-lidon; 4 even braver teachers went with them. The ANZAC themes the camp centres around are courage, mateship, sacrifice, and endurance, concepts the St Andrews students are familiar with considering the College’s regular involve-ment in the Gold Coast Kokoda Challenge. All the activities focus on building trust within the team, leadership qualities, communication skills, and RESPECT. From mud to tunnels to date night, the camp formed strong relationships within the cohort, relationships that will stand them in good stead for the challenges of Year 12. Thank you to Mr Garrett, Mr Wecker and Miss Yeo for their care of our whole group as we faced the challenges of three days and nights away from our phones.By Jacinda Pagels, Year 11

Positive PsychologyAs we head towards the second half of the term where deadlines loom and sleep becomes a little more scarce it is important to remember that there are a myriad of ways for our students to get support and to stay on top of their workloads. For example, lunch time and after school tutorials are an excellent way to get a little more one on one time with a teacher. Attending the CRC after school

is a good idea to get some serious work done rather than going home to face the distractions that may exist in one’s bedroom. Make the commitment to turn off Instagram, Fa-cebook, phones and other online sources so that real work can be achieved. Remember, that each time you stop work to check a message or respond to a post it takes 15 min-utes to get back into the zone (flow) and if you do that four times over the course of a study or homework session that is an hour lost. Make sure you get quality sleep and avoid too much sugar, caffeine and fast foods. Take some time to de-stress and switch off. Take a walk, do some exercise, catch up with a friend, have a nap or do something crea-tive. If nothing else, ask for help. That’s what your teachers are here for. Lastly, don’t forget to feel and think about all the things you are grateful for.

Leadership PositionsOver the next couple of weeks our Year 11’s will put together their leadership applications for 2015. This is a very exciting time. It is really important that any students interested in a leadership position carefully read through the application process booklet so they are aware of the requirements for each position and the deadlines. There will also be an opportunity to speak with the current leaders.

If you have any concerns or queries please contact me on tanias@salc.qld.edu.au

Tania StewartHead of Senior School

Year 12: QTAC university, college and TAFE online applica-tions for further study in 2015 are now open. Visit www.qtac.qld.edu.au Students are able to attend regular QTAC information sessions run by Mrs Wrigley. Students and par-ents are invited to have a meeting to finalise the six prefer-ences that should be placed by 12 September. Up until 30 September. The cost of applying is $35. From 1 October the cost of applying is $130.

Griffith University: New DegreesGriffith have a number of new courses commencing for the first time in 2015:Bachelor of Science (Gold Coast & Nathan)Bachelor of Industrial Design (Gold Coast)Bachelor of Design Futures (QCA South Bank)Bachelor of Education - Secondary (Maths & Science) (Gold Coast)Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Gold Coast)Bachelor of Engineering (Electronic & Biomedical) (Gold Coast)Bachelor of Engineering (Electronic & Energy Systems) (Nathan)http://www.griffith.edu.au/newgriffith#new-degrees

GUARANTEED ADMISSIONS SCHEME for GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY: As a Valued Partner school, our Year 12 students are eligible to apply for entry to selected degree

Careers News

courses through the Guaranteed Admissions Scheme. Full details of entry requirements and the online application process can be found at https://connect.gu.gji.com.au/

GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS: Deadline for all GU scholarships is Friday 19 September.

Information regarding these can be found at http://www.griffith.edu.au/scholarships

The Deans’ Sir Samuel Griffith ($60,000) and the Sir Samuel Griffith Scholarship ($24,000) is an online application. The student will only need to put one application in for both schemes. Fro more information visit http://www.griffith.edu.au/scholarships/categories/deans-sir-samuel-griffith-and-sir-samuel-griffith-and-griffith-honours-college-schol-arship

Applications are also invited for the The Griffith Connect Academic Excellence Bursary ($3,000) which is awarded to one student from the College. Please note that this is a hard copy application which must be collected from and returned to Mrs Wrigley.

GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY ENGINEERING: Griffith University offers students a pathway into engineering by sitting the Aptitude for Engineering Assessment examination. Suc-cessful students will receive admission into the Bachelor of Engineering or the Bachelor of Engineering Technology at either the Nathan or Gold Coast campuses. The Aptitude for Engineering Assessment is a two and a half hour multi-ple choice test that assesses a candidate’s aptitude to think scientifically, solve quantitative problems, critically analyse information and display interpersonal understanding. Costs $120 and REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW OPEN AND CLOSE TUESDAY 9 SEPTEMBER. The EXAM is on Saturday 20 Sep-tember, Griffith University Gold Coast Campus, Parklands Drive, Southport. More details at - http://www.griffith.edu.au/engineering-information-technology/griffith-school-engi-neering/future-students/aptitude-engineering-assessment

Any YEAR 11 students interested in studying a semester of uni study in the GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY GUESTS scheme as part of their Year 12 studies should visit http://www.griffith.edu.au/pathways/guests-program to find out what courses are on offer and how to apply. Students will need to have been achieving at the A or B level in their senior subjects to be eligible for the scheme.

James Cook University Open DaySunday 24 August, 12pm - 4pm @ JCU Townsville Campus.Check out the Open Day program online and get tips to make the most out of the day. http://www.jcu.edu.au/openday/index.htm

STARFor Year 12 students, the early entry scheme called STAR at the Southern Cross University is open. Students apply online for two courses at www.scu.edu.au/star Deadline is Wednesday 10 September.

GC TAFE TAFE also offers Year 12 students the opportunity to apply for their Diploma programs via their DIRECT ENTRY scheme. Application forms for this scheme are available from Mrs Wrigley and need to be returned to her by Monday 1 Sep-

tember.The Australian Veterans’ Children Assistance Trust (AVCAT) 2015 Scholarships - Applications close Friday 31 OctoberThe Australian Veterans’ Children Assistance Trust (AVCAT) is a national independent charity administering tertiary scholarships for children and grandchildren of ex-service men and women. Scholarships are awarded to deserving candidates based on need and merit. Applicants can be high-school leavers starting university or current university students studying full time.

Around 70 scholarships are administered per year. Scholar-ships are generally paid for three years and are between $3,000 and $4,000 per year.Contact: 02 9213 7999 or avcat@dva.gov.au http://www.avcat.org.au/

JB Fairfax Award for Rural Journalism - Applications close Tuesday 30 September Prospective university students looking to enrol in a degree relevant to rural affairs, and who possess a passion for rural journalism, are encouraged to apply. The award includes a scholarship of $10,000 and practical work experience with the winning article to be published in a major rural publica-tion. For more details, visit: http://rasnsw.com.au/830.htm

Wilmar Sugar Apprentices 2015 Applications for the Wilmar Sugar apprenticeship program for 2015 are now open. Vacancies are for boilermakers, instrumentation, fitter & turners, and diesel fitters. These positions are targeted to Year 12 school leavers and have various locations around Queensland. Applications close Monday 8 September.http://wilmarsugar.snaphire.com/home

Gapyear.comA website providing opportunities and advice for students interested in taking a gap year.http://www.gapyear.com/

YEAR 11 STUDENTS: Australian Defence Force Academy Education AwardPresented annually to Year 12 students in recognition of leadership potential, and academic and sporting achieve-ments exhibited during Year 11. The award comprises of a laptop computer and certificate for you, along with a plaque of recognition for your school. There are up to 100 awards available on behalf of the Navy, Army and Air Force which will be presented to suitable applicants who have applied for entry to ADFA.

You need to submit an application before 28 February in the year you undertake Year 12. However, you are encour-aged to apply in Year 11.

http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/education/adfa/howToAp-ply/educationAward.aspx

Any YEAR 11 students interested in studying a semester of uni study in the GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY GUESTS scheme as part of their Year 12 studies should visit http://www.griffith.edu.au/pathways/guests-program to find out what courses are on offer and how to apply. Students will need to have been achieving at the A or B level in their senior subjects to be eligible for the scheme.

Any YEAR 11 student interested in undertaking a semester of study (Biology OR Communication in Organisations) at SCU as part of their HEADSTART program are reminded that the deadline for their application is Friday 10 October. Visit headstart@scu.edu.au for more information.

University of Queensland: School Holiday Robotic WorkshopsUQ offers holiday workshops for kids in Robotics and Arti-ficial Intelligence (AI). The workshops are suitable for Year 7-12 students. Parents need to register their kids individu-ally. http://www.eait.uq.edu.au/holiday-robotics

DESIGNWORKS College in West Burleigh is offering a Certificate III in Graphic Design as a schools program which means students could do one less elective in Year 11 or 12 and attend Designworks on a Friday each week. The course prepares students for a creative career in graphic design providing them a solid entry into a full time Diploma of Graphic De-sign. See or email Mrs Wrigley for more information.

YEAR 10 STUDENTS: Year 10 students are reminded that Bond University is of-fering a HEADSTART day on October 20. Visit www.bond.edu.au/headstart-day for more information about the day.GCTAFE SCHOOLS PROGRAM: Details of certificate courses on offer for 2015/2016 are now available at www.tafegold-coast.edu.au students would attend TAFE one day a week and are given the opportunity to undertake one less elective to accommodate the course into their curriculum.

SCHOOL BASED TRAINEESHIPSYear 10 and Year 11 students and parents are urged to contact Mrs Wrigley for details regarding traineeship oppor-tunities…. positions in hospitality, business, warehousing, tourism are currently on offer.

If students and or parents would like to organise a career plan meeting they can email Mrs Wrigley on christina@salc.qld.edu.au or phone Senior Admin to set-up a time.

Christina Wrigley

Goal Setting – Lessons from Primary SchoolA simple question to a young person reveals whether they are setting high expectations for themselves. These high expectations are linked to growth, learning, accomplish-ment and wellbeing, and should be connected to measur-able actions. As I hear Year 2 students enunciate how counting to 10 every time they want to call out in class is helping them achieve the goals of no disruptions to class, I am pleased by their self awareness, growth mindset and desire to mature. Or the Year 6 boys at running club who expect to be faster and more confident because of their weekly commitment to the sessions. Equally I hear Year 6 students discuss how 15 minutes of reading before sleep each week night means they get ahead of English and Humanities curriculum. For one of these students it simply helped them get to sleep by quietening their mind. Each of them was practicing and developing the good habit of wider reading for enjoyment, I am just as pleased that they

Middle School News

Middle School ExpoLast Monday evening we held the annual Middle School Expo. Like last year I was astounded by this evening and the opportunity it provides for our students to showcase their learning to their families and the broader community. I had the wonderful opportunity to wander around the Col-lege with some new families on the night and experience through their eyes how beautifully our students engage with each other and the staff.

Thank you to all students and staff who contributed to the evening and to those families who made the evening

the wonderful expression of community that I felt it was. Should you have any feedback regarding the Expo then please let me know as I would like the evening to evolve each year.

Elective Selection 2015Subject selection booklets were distributed on the evening of the MS Expo and additional copies are available from MS Administration for any absent students. This booklet details the subjects on offer for 2015. In preparation for the selec-tion process the College has undertaken the movement of subject selection to an online form. Information about how to access this form will be made available in Week 8 of this term. We hope that this process streamlines what has been previously a cumbersome system.

Partnerships for LearningAfter a brief hiatus we will look to resume our Partnerships for Learning evenings on Wednesday 10 September in the CRC with a discussion around the topic of ‘boys’. These evenings start at 7pm and usually finish at about 8pm. I look forward to seeing interested parents on the evening. As always, please contact me should you wish to discuss any items relating to the Middle School.

Tom CaseyHead of Middle Schooltomc@salc.qld.edu.au

Student Development

Uniformshop News

Senior Blazers for 2015 - Orders due by End of this TermAll Year 9 parents will soon receive an email regarding ordering Senior Blazers for next year. Orders for new blaz-ers must be in by the end of this term to ensure they arrive in time for official school photos in the 1st week of Term 1 2015. Requests for 2nd hand blazers will be taken on a first in basis so be quick if you would like to secure a 2nd hand blazer. For more information contact the Uniform Shop on 5568 5933 or uniformshop@salc.qld.edu.au Current Year 10-12 students requiring a larger blazer for next year, please contact the Uniform Shop before the end of this term. Special Uniform sizes for 2015.The Uniform Shop carries a wide size range of uniforms but sometimes we run out of stock of less popular sizes. If you know your child needs an extra small size or is already wearing one the largest sizes we carry, can you please con-tact the Uniform Shop ASAP. We have already placed most of our orders for next year but have a small opportunity to add to the orders if needed.

Jacqui DesfossesUniform Shop Manageruniformshop@salc.qld.edu.au

Art News

Student AchievementCongratualtions to the following students on their recent achievements at GC Eisteddfod:

Tia Lightbody:HC for JazzVHC Jazz Championships2nd for LyricalHC for Contemporary

Mitch Wynter:1st for Contemporary1st for Lyrical3rd for Jazz Championships3rd for JazzVHC for Demi-CharacterHC for Classical

Dance Troupes at EisteddfodCongratulations to both our Jazz and Contemporary Troupes who competed in the Schools Section at Gold Coast Eisteddfod. Both troupes performed well in large sec-tions, with the Jazz Troupe receiving 2 Highly Commendeds and The Contemporary Troupe placing 3rd with their Circus routine. Special thanks to our talented choreographers Paula Guild and Kim Reynolds for their work with our danc-ers.

Junior Drama FestivalCongratualtions to the cast of our Junior Drama Festival who performed last week at PBCSHS with their production of The Greek Mythology Olympiaganza (Illiad! Illiad! Illiad!). Special thanks to Cassie Zorko for directing their thoroughly entertaining piece.

Congratualtions to the following cast who received Highly Commended Awards:Lily Fleming, Anita Munro, Leilani Frost, Jack Dent, Cassia Golledge and Jarrod Yates.

Cilla ScottHead of Artspriscillas@salc.qld.edu.au

are aware of the choices they need to make to grow, to mature and to gain mastery and confidence.

Throughout the year I have suggested that parents use their children’s diaries as a focal point for discussions around learning, goal setting and accomplishment. Please be encouraged to sit with your child(ren) and help them review the actions they are taking each day towards their goals for the term. Page 81 offers the opportunity to have this discussion and coaching with your kids. Just as the Primary School students are able to tell me, goal setting is not hard and it brings benefits in learning, free time and wellbeing. James NelsonDirector of Student Developmentjamesn@salc.qld.edu.au

Tuckshop NewsVolunteers are urgently needed in Tuckshop.If you have an hour or 2 available to help out, below are the duties and days required.

P&F News

The General P & F meeting for Term 3 was held on Wednesday 13 August. If anyone has any suggestions for the P&F and cannot make the meetings please email the P&F at pandf@salc.qld.edu.au

CAR BOOT SALE – Saturday 18 October, 2pm – 4pmAt the last meeting it was suggested that we hold a Car Boot Sale in the Junior School Car Park for everyone to sell their treasures. Car Spaces will be $15 and are limited, so if you are interested in supporting this event please get in early to avoid disappointment.

There will be a sausage sizzle, coffee van and student enter-tainment.

Book via Try booking - http://www.trybooking.com/99760

Fete 2015THE DATE HAS BEEN SET – Saturday 16 MAY 2015 and we are still looking for a convenor. Please contact the P&F at fete@salc.qld.edu.au or call the P & F President Daniel Renneberg 0409 729 676 for further information if you are interested in either taking on the role of Convenor or assist-ing with the planning.

If you were a Stall Convenor at the last Fete and are inter-ested in running your stall again in 2015 could you please let us know by emailing the Fete email fete@salc.qld.edu.au if you have an idea for a stall for the Fete that you would like to run please contact us.

Details will soon be available on the College website with a list of vacancies for stall holders and position descriptions.Please consider helping out at the College’s biggest fun-draiser, as all the profits go directly back to the College community.

If you have anything you wish to discuss do not hesitate to contact a member of the P & F.

Duties include:- Helping with the collation etc. of Tuckshop orders, The preparation of fresh sandwiches, Re – stocking of fridges, General kitchen duties, NO CASH HANDLING OR CASHIER DUTIES WILL BE REQUIRED.

If you are available to help out, the following days are avail-able for both morning & afternoon, weekly, fortnightly or monthly.Monday 1 volunteer needed, Tuesday 1 volunteer needed, Wednesday 1 volunteer needed, Thursday 2 volunteers needed, Friday 2 volunteers needed.

If you are interested please contact me by email at tuckshop@salc.qld.edu.au or call in anytime.

Trina van der KampTuckshop Manager

President: Daniel Renneberg, Vice President: Julieanne An-drews, Treasurer: Michelle Brown, Secretary: Nicole Ainger.

P & F ExecutiveDaniel Rennebergfete@salc.qld.edu.au

Dates to remember August/September

Saturday 23Intermediate Drama Festival (Year 10)Monday 25Years 8 & 9 Textile Students “It’s In The Bag” Excursion to Spotlight Reedy Creek RdYear 9 German Excursion - Robina Town CentreWednesday 27Year 12 Study Session - CRC Thursday 28Senior Music Evening 6:30pmFriday 29Gold Coast Show Day Holiday Tuesday 2QCS TestingYear 10 City Xp - Brisbane self guided excursionWednesday 3QCS TestingChess TournamentThursday 4SQBD Touch Carnival Yr 8 mixed, 15 Boys, 15 Girls, Open Mixed at Coomera.

Closing Soon! Only at St Andrews!

Purchase an Entertain-ment Book and go into the draw for a chance to win a double pass to Yatala Drive-in!

Entertainment Memberships contain thousands of valu-able up to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers from many of the best restaurants, cafés, arts, attractions, hotel accommo-dation, travel and much more!

The price is $55.00 per book and $11.00 from each book goes to fundraising for the College. Books are available from Reception, Junior School Administration and the Uniform Shop.

*CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE NOW*

INSIGHTSBuilding parent-school partnerships

Here are 10 common and easily avoided mistakes parents make when disciplining their children. Replace these mistakes with better techniques and you’ll be on your way to parenting easy street.

parentingideas.com.au

discipline

Stay one step ahead of your kids with great ideas & expert advice from Michael Grose. Join

Michael’s NEW Parentingideas Club today at parentingideasclub.com.au. You’ll be so glad you did.

WORDS Michael Grose

© 2014 Michael Grose

Ten common mistakes

Discipline is easy when children are easy. It can be downright tricky when children are difficult, have interesting personalities or are at one of the challenging developmental stages.

It’s with kids in these difficult categories that

we need to get our discipline techniques right.

Here are 10 common mistakes I see many parents

make when trying to get cooperation from

their children, keep them safe or teach them to

behave well.

Do any of these bloopers ring a bell?

1 Repeating yourselfIf you do this, you are training your kids to

become ‘parent deaf’. Kids learn more from

respectful actions than your repeated words, so

speak once – twice at most – then DO something.

2 Shouting to be heardYou will getter better results by going below the

noise baseline to get their attention rather than

raising your voice.

3 Setting limits too lateIf you set a limit a few weeks after new object

or situation is introduced (e.g. a kid gets a new

mobile phone, a teen starts going out at night),

you will be seen to be taking away a freedom. It’s

better to set limits first then loosen them up later.

4 Setting no limitsBoundaries, rules, expectations and standards

teach kids what’s expected. Boys love them. They

also like to push against them, so you need a firm

backbone.

5 Failing to follow through. Talk! Threaten! Nag! No way! See No. 1 above.

6 Making consequences too harsh“You’re grounded for a month, Mr 6-year-old” is

a tad harsh and will usually bring resentment,

not to mention confusion. Stick to the 3 Rs

– respectful, reasonable and related to the

behaviour – when setting consequences and you

can’t go too far wrong.

7 Applying consequences when you, or they, are angryWhen anger is in the air kids will become mad

at you ... if they listen at all. Calmness makes a

huge difference to effectiveness at the point of

discipline.

8 Mixing discipline with counsellingNever mix the two as it sends mixed messages.

If a child misbehaves manage that situation. If

you suspect something negative is going on in

their life, then deal with that at a separate time.

Keep the two actions separate so they can both

be effective.

9 Deferring discipline Deferring discipline to a child care centre,

preschool or school. This is taking the easy

way out and teaches kids that you don’t have

real authority. Have the confidence to be the

authority and take a lead.

10 One parent is always the bad guyThis gets wearing. Also it’s hard to have fun when

you are the tough cop all the time. If you are in a

two-parent situation take discipline in turns.

If you are parenting solo, bring sparents into the

act.

We’ve all made mistakes when disciplining

kids. Tiredness, emotion and lack of skill

can get in the way of effective discipline.

But part of the evolution and growth of

you as a parent involves eradicating some

of your old ways, and replacing them with

new, more effective, more sophisticated

ways of managing yourself and your kids.

For better, more sophisticated and more effective discipline techniques visit my online parenting manual – the Parentingideas Club. There are 1,000s of strategies waiting to be used. Take your FREE trial now at

parentingideasclub.com.au