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Term 4 Week 4 (B) Week 4 Starting 2 November

Monday 2/11/20

Year 12 – HSC Examinations Year 11 – Work Placement – Hospitality; Society and Culture Incursion – P1/2; Visual Arts Workshops 3:00 – 4:30pm Year 10 – 10VSA1 Assessment Task – P3 Year 8 – VALID Test (8N) – P1/2 Homework Centre – Lab 4 – 3:00pm – 4:00pm

Tuesday 3/11/20

Year 12 – HSC Examinations Year 11 – Work Placement – Hospitality Year 10 – 10VSA2 Assessment Task – P4 Year 9 – Links to Learning; History Assessment Task – P3 & P5

Wednesday 4/11/20

Year 12 - HSC Examinations Year 11 – Work Placement – Hospitality Year 9 – Top Blokes - P1; Timber Assessment Task (9ITT2) – P3

Thursday 5/11/20

Year 12 - HSC Examinations Year 11 – Work Placement – Hospitality Year 10 – English and IST Assessment Tasks Year 9 – English Assessment Task – (9E1, 9E2, 9E3) – P4 Year 8 – VALID Test (8I) – P2/3 Year 7 – Special Religious Education (7U,7C, 7N, 7O)

Friday 6/11/20

Year 12 - HSC Examinations Year 11 – Work Placement – Hospitality; History Extension Major Project Seminar – Incursion Year 10 – IT-Building and Construction Assessment Task -P5 Year 9 – English Assessment Task – (9E4, 9E5, 9E6) – P1; Science Assessment Task – P3/4; Timber Assessment Task (ITT1) – P5 Year 8 – VALID Test (8L) – P2/3

Term 4 Week 5 (A) Week 5 Starting 9 November

Monday 9/11/20

Year 12 - HSC Examinations Year 11 – Work Placement – Construction; Visual Arts Workshops 3:00 – 4:30pm Year 9 – Marine Studies Water Safety – P4/5 – Unanderra Pool; 9PDM Assessment Task – P4 Year 8–Music Assessment Task (8N)–P3, (8C)–P5 Homework Centre – Lab 4– 3:00pm – 4:00pm

Tuesday 10/11/20

Year 12 - HSC Examinations Year 11 – Work Placement – Construction; Ancient History Assessment Task – P1, P4 Year 10 – Music Assessment Task – P2/3 Year 9 – Links to Learning; Information Software Technology Assessment Task – P3; Mathematics Assessment Task – P4

Wednesday 11/11/20

Year 12 - HSC Examinations Year 11 – Work Placement – Construction Year 9–Top Blokes P1;Music Assessment Task P3 Year 8 – Mathematics Assessment Task

Thursday 12/11/20

Year 11 – Work Placement – Construction Year 8 – Science Assessment Task – P3/6 Year 7 - Special Religious Education (7E,7Q, 7R)

Friday 13/11/20

Year 12 – Clearance Day – 9:15am -11:22am Year 11 – Work Placement – Construction; IT-Timber Assessment task due 8:30am Year 8– Music Assessment Task (8E)-P2, (8L)-P3; Science Assessment Task – P3/6 NAIDOC Celebrations for Year 7 and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students

Term 4 Week 6 (B) Week 6 Starting 16 November

Monday 16/11/20

Year 11 – Visual Arts Workshops 3:00 – 4:30pm Year 9 – Peer Support Leaders Training – All day Year 8 – Music Assessment Task (8I) – P3 Homework Centre – Library – 3:00pm – 4:00pm

Tuesday 17/11/20

Year 9 – Links to Learning

Wednesday 18/11/20

Year 12 – Formal – 6:00pm Year 9 – Top Blokes - P1 Year 8 – Music Assessment Task (8U) – P2

Thursday 19/11/20

Year 8 – 8L Presentation of STEM Project Year 7 Special Religious Education (7U,7C,7N,7O)

Friday 20/11/20

Years 9 and 10 – Excursion – Basketball Saville Cup – Beaton Park Illawarra Multicultural Youth Conference P1 – P3

Year 12 Purple Year 11 Olive Year 10 Blue Year 9 Red Year 8 Green Year 7 Orange

Thoughts from the Principal

Dear Figtree families, I thought it fitting to give you an update at this time of the year. There is much to celebrate in the life of Figtree High School and it is especially important to acknowledge these things given the backdrop of the year that we and all of the rest of the world have experienced. GRADUATION On Wednesday 14 October we celebrated the HSC Class of 2020 though their Graduation from Figtree High School. The ceremony was held at Figtree Anglican Church and was filmed to be shared with the families of all students in Year 12. It was a privilege to observe the academic, community and sporting achievements of such a resilient and champion group of young men and women. This year has been a year like no other and these students have overcome so much to achieve this

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER Term 4 Week 3, 30 October 2020

Address: 2 Gibsons Road, Figtree NSW 2525 Phone: 02 4271 2787 Email: figtree-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au Fax: 02 4271 6626

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milestone and any success they attained will be well deserved.

HIGHER SCHOOL CERTIFICATE As I write this newsletter the HSC examinations are in their second week. One of the most significant and stressful events in the life of any school student is the undertaking of the Higher School Certificate examinations. Together with the Graduation, the HSC examinations represent the culmination of 13 years of schooling for these wonderful students. Our Year 12 students have been working very hard to prepare for these examinations and we continue to wish them every success with their remaining tests. I would again like to remind all of our Year 12 students that our ongoing support and assistance is here for them and especially so over the next few weeks. If there is anything big or small that we can do to be of

service to you over the examination period, then please do not hesitate to contact the school. Feedback from students about the papers sat for thus far has generally been positive, although it was not unusual to get responses such as “it was great” or “it was really difficult” when asking two different students about the same examination paper. A note for the diary is that the HSC results are available to all Year 12 students on 18 December 2020. WIN NEWS Did you catch our 2020 School Captains - Ellie Rada and Connor Ryan - on WIN News on Friday night, 16 October? Connor and Ellie represented the school in their usual shining way and were asked about the changes to their HSC experience due to COVID19. Our student leaders chose to focus on the positives, like early admission into University (which came out last term) and put forward a view that, to them, all of this has just become normal. They have never sat the HSC examinations before and don’t know any different. I am extremely proud of all our Year 12 students and the way they have overcome the difficulties of 2020. If you missed the story, you can check it out on the link below https://fb.watch/1lKU_GIGIx/ SCHOOL PLAN It is exciting for me to be able to lead the development of our new Strategic Improvement Plan (SIP), which will guide and support the work we do together to further improve student outcomes for the next four years taking the school forward to 2024. We will be thinking of innovative ways to engage our community in the development of our school vision and its strategic directions, while still operating with COVID-19 restrictions on face-to-face gatherings in schools. Just on that point, it was terrific to be able to catch up with the P&C last week, albeit virtually. Despite missing all of the incidental conversation opportunities that occur when we meet face to face, it was good to have some time together. I will continue to consult with the P&C in the coming weeks to discuss our approach to consultation around school planning, to ensure this is as authentic and inclusive as possible.

https://fb.watch/1lKU_GIGIx/

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UNESCO WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY

Today is World Teachers’ Day.

The theme this year is 'Teachers: leading in crisis, reimagining the future'. This theme reflects the commitment teachers have made as leaders, particularly teaching throughout the coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic, in a range of environments. I acknowledge the impressive work of our Figtree and Flametree teachers in 2020 – how fortunate we all are to have such an amazing staff. Just this week I received an email from an ex FHS student asking me to send a message onto a past teacher to tell him how often he remembers his teaching and the positive impact he had on his education and life. I hope that you can all think of such a teacher in your own education.

Wishing every Figtree student and their family a wonderful Term 4.

Daniel Ovens Principal

Expectation of the Week

WEEK 4: BE A LEARNER – All Settings Stay on task

WEEK 5: BE SAFE - Toilet Report issues to staff

WEEK 6 : BE RESPECTFUL – All Settings Follow instructions

Deputy Principal’s Report

ATTENDANCE Students are required to attend school every school day, unless they are unwell. Our goal as a school is for student attendance to be above 90%. This has been a little challenging this semester in particular due to the need for students to stay home if they have any cold/flu like symptoms due to the risk of COVID19. However, working towards the goal of 90% or higher attendance will help students to maintain continuity with their learning, so they can achieve the learning goals of each lesson. This helps to stop students from falling behind, which can cause students to have gaps in their knowledge, understanding and skills. In Term 3, we had about 65% of our students with an attendance rate of 90% or higher. It would be great to have this percentage increase in Term 4. Congratulations to our Year 7 students who had 72% of students with an attendance rate of 90% or higher!

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ASSESSMENT It is important that parents are aware that we are currently in the middle of a heavy assessment and reporting period for all students in Years 7-10. This makes up a large part of Term 4. In particular, Year 10 students are busy at the moment completing their assessments for their Record of School Achievement (ROSA). This is an important time but can be a stressful for some students. Students are reminded of the wellbeing support that is in place at school, such as Year Advisers, Head Teacher Wellbeing, Supervisor of Girls, Supervisor of Boys, School Counsellors and Student Support Officer. Students are encouraged to: • create a study timetable – their Year Adviser can assist if they do not know how to develop one • ensure they have at least 8 hours of sleep each night • eat a healthy breakfast • participate in regular exercise or physical activity • spend time with family and friends. For all students, it is important that all set work is completed to the best of their ability so that they achieve the best results possible. YEAR 8 This week Year 8 students have been completing the state wide Stage 4 Online Science test called VALID. Science teachers reported that students are engaged – and one student even told me it was his favourite class that day! Congratulations to all students for striving to do their best. We look forward to receiving these results later in the term. Year 8 students have been participating in sport at Sid Parrish Park over the last few weeks. Teachers and students both report that they are enjoying these activities. It is important that students attend sport each and every week. The Department of Education mandates attendance at sport. Occasionally, a medical appointment will occur but where possible appointments should be made outside of school hours. YEAR 9 There are plenty of assessment tasks for Year 9 students over the next two weeks, so it is essential that students stay well organised. The Year Advisers held a meeting with students on Monday of this week to discuss the importance of organisation this term. A term planner was issued to students to assist them in developing the skill of mapping out assessment tasks on a planner, and

organising their time accordingly so that each task is given the time necessary for students to do their best. It was great to see the excitement on student’s faces on Wednesday when a large number of students were able to head off-site to beach activities for Sport. YEAR 10 Next week Year 10 students will be bringing home their pattern of study forms for parents to sign. This will allow students and parents to know exactly what courses students will be studying in Year 11. It has been extremely exciting that a number of students have been successful in studying via distance education in subjects that were not available through the school curriculum. YEAR 11 Congratulations to our Year 11 students on the successful completion of their Preliminary courses and the commencement of the HSC courses this term. All students were issued with the Figtree High School HSC 2021 Assessment Procedures and Schedules booklet on the first day of this term. This booklet can be found on our school website. Students need to keep this booklet in a safe place. Students were encouraged to use the HSC Term Planner to map out their assessment tasks for each of their HSC courses. Students were also issued with an HSC Rules booklet from NESA which has a range of information that students need to read. This booklet can be found on the NESA website. The assessment tasks for the HSC begin this term. YEAR 12 Year 12 HSC examinations are continuing. There are new procedures in place to minimise risks associated with COVID19. All students are checked by an executive staff member or Year Adviser before they enter the examination venue. Students also complete an acknowledgement slip that confirms that they are well and have no cold or flu like symptoms. It has been lovely for staff to check in with students before each examination. The NESA staff have reported that our students are wonderful, punctual, engaged and respectful. We wish our students the best in the remaining examinations. Congratulations also to some Year 11 students who have also completed HSC examinations for Construction and Electrotechnology. These students have been completing 4 unit courses (Preliminary and HSC) at TAFE this year. The Year 12 Graduation Assembly which took place on 14 October at Figtree Anglican Auditorium was very different and a little sad with no parents or carers,

https://figtree-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/doe/sws/schools/f/figtree-h/assessment-guidelines/Figtree_HS_HSC_2021_Assessment_Procedures_and_Schedules.pdfhttps://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/rules-and-processes/2021-rules-and%20-procedures-guide

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however, it was still very moving. I was a very proud Year 12 Deputy Principal. The link for the professional video was emailed to all students and their parents/carers on the following day. The Year 12 formal is being held on 18 November 2020 at Kembla Grange Racecourse at 6pm for students only. I am sure that the students are really looking forward to this event. The next P&C meeting was scheduled for the 18 November, so this meeting has been postponed and we will advise parents/carers of the new date in our next newsletter. Jemma Lawson – Years 7 and 10 Trish Morgan – Years 8 and 12 Ellie Donovan – Years 9 and 11 Deputy Principals

Learning Support Faculty Report

FIGTREE HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY This term we welcome back Mrs Natalie Crouch, our Librarian, from maternity leave. She will be back in the library every Thursday and Friday starting this term. Our library refurbishment is complete with a whole new front service counter. Check out the before and after pictures. This area of the library now matches the earlier refurbishment of the library with flexible learning spaces and presentation areas. The library is a very welcoming and engaging area and we are so pleased to see so many of our senior students using the library in their study periods.

YEAR 7 LIBRARY LITERACY LESSONS Every Year 7 class has two literacy lessons a fortnight that are timetabled in the library and have been led by Mrs Glasgow our Head Teacher Teaching and Learning. The main focus of these lessons is to develop student’s ability in both reading and writing. For writing, students are participating in the Figtree High School developed program called GROW (Get Ready to Own Writing). Here students have a portfolio and individualised learning goals based on their writing assessments completed in English. In the library literacy lessons, students complete writing tasks along with tasks completed in other curriculum areas and they

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annotate their progress in alignment with their learning goals. Each class has their own GROW Google classroom where writing competitions and activities are promoted.

For reading, our school has purchased the Accelerated Reading Program from Reading Renaissance which includes a STAR Reading Assessment and is linked to our digital library. With NAPLAN assessment not conducted in 2020 due to COVID, the STAR Reading assessment has been extremely valuable in determining a student’s reading ability in terms of book levels and age. In the Literacy lessons, each student has been assessed and allocated a book level range which identifies books that are appropriate to ability and age. We have categorised our library and identified over 1000 paper books and over 200 digital books in this program for students to choose from. Each student now has a book of choice that they are reading each library lesson and we encourage students to continue to read at home.

As students finish each book they complete a quiz to test their comprehension of the text. The program maps their reading quantity and quality and they build points with the number of books they read. Students will complete the STAR Reading Assessment again later in Term 4 to identify if and/or how much progress students have made with their reading and comprehension. This program will continue in Year 8 next year so that we can map student reading/comprehension achievement and progress over time. From the STAR Reading Assessment, we can identify those students who are at/above the reading benchmark for Year 7 and those who need to be ‘on watch’ or require intervention. In the Library Literacy lessons, we are doing a range of reading comprehension activities to develop all students but for the students who have been identified as having a significantly high reading age of 15+ there is a reading enrichment program that they have been invited to participate in.

Parents of these students have received a letter from the school outlining the program. The focus of this enrichment program is not only to read well but to be well read. This is not a closed group and if student performance improves in the next STAR reading assessment – additional students will be invited to this enrichment group. LINKS2LEARNING Links2Learning has resumed at the Lake Illawarra PCYC every Tuesday for selected Year 9 students at the beginning of Term 4. The students are very happy to resume the program and will be participating in a variety of creative activities designed to develop critical areas of learning that are vital skills in either education or employment. Some of our participating students pictured below are: Amar Aoda, Ella Bellerby, Rosie Savvides, Nuzar Ree, Shaza Al Hariri and Lin Ma.

HSC DISABILITY PROVISIONS As parents and carers navigate the HSC it is important that they become familiar with DISABILITY PROVISIONS. Disability provisions are one way that NESA ensures there are reasonable adjustments available to students with disability so that they can access and participate in the HSC on the same basis as students without disability. WHAT IS COVERED Disability provisions address students’ exam needs related to learning, medical, vision or hearing disabilities. For example, students with a:

• learning disability may use a reader or writer • medical disability may access toilet breaks or

use adapted furniture • vision disability may use braille or large-print

papers

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• hearing disability may use an oral or sign interpreter.

How are provisions determined The impact of a condition or disability on how a student functions in an exam situation is the key consideration when determining provisions. Applications Most applications for disability provisions open in Term 4 the year before a student’s HSC exams and close at the end of Term 1. This timeframe allows time for schools to gather the relevant reports and evidence to apply. Evidence required for application Students will be required to produce supporting evidence. The teacher completing the application will inform the student of what is required. The supporting evidence for applications must provide:

• Evidence of a diagnosed disability • NESA medical, vision or hearing form(s) must be

completed by a qualified health professional relevant to the condition.

• This must include the health professional’s comments regarding the impact on the student’s ability to access and respond to questions in an exam situation.

If you require further information please contact Mrs Vanessa Glasgow – Head Teacher Teaching and Learning or Mrs Susan Clifford one of our Learning and Support Teachers at the school. CAREERS UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG SUMMER MASTER CLASSES JANUARY 2021 Applications for the 2021 Summer Master Class program are now open. An information session was held via Zoom this week for interested students. Blended delivery In light of COVID19, the 2021 Summer Master Classes will utilise a blended delivery model incorporating self-directed online learning, staff-led online classes and on-campus classes. Attendance Please note that successful completion of the Summer Master Class Program is dependent on 80% attendance by students at all timetabled classes and program activities. As such, enrolling students must be available to attend classes on campus for the entire duration of the program which will run from 4-22 January, 2021.

Compulsory On-campus Orientation day Students will also be required to attend an on-campus Orientation day on either 14 or 15 December 2020. Benefits of the program include: • A guaranteed Early Admission interview or

conditional offer at UOW* • Credit towards a UOW degree that could make you

eligible to skip a whole subject when you study at UOW

• Chance to secure a scholarship in your first year at UOW

* Summer Master Class graduates are guaranteed Early Admission interview or conditional offer at UOW on completion of the Summer Master Class program. https://www.uow.edu.au/…/outreach-p…/year-12/year-12-summer/

ILLAWARRA ITEC GRADUATION FOR ENTERTAINMENT LIVE PRODUCTION Congratulations to Ben Gollan, Jacob Lincoln and Mitchell Garland who graduated from ITEC after completing the Certificate 2 in Live Production. These young men have been studying the course one day a week whilst they completed their HSC at school. Well done to these three students and best wishes for your future.

L to R: Ben Gollan, Jacob Lincoln and Mitchell Garland

https://www.uow.edu.au/engage/outreach-pathways/year-12/year-12-summer/?fbclid=IwAR1i7AECEX1DuB7Y-W8KL77AgvAThwh9f8iwHM9sH-ChUSAorcrMC_o4snYhttps://www.uow.edu.au/engage/outreach-pathways/year-12/year-12-summer/?fbclid=IwAR1i7AECEX1DuB7Y-W8KL77AgvAThwh9f8iwHM9sH-ChUSAorcrMC_o4snY

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SCHOOL-BASED APPRENTICESHIP (SABAT) Congratulations to Clinton Wax from Year 10 on gaining a School-Based Apprenticeship (SABAT) in Plumbing. Clinton Wax completed the sign up for his School-Based Apprenticeship with the Paladin group. Clinton will be working 1 day a week and attending TAFE on another, whilst also completing his HSC. Amanda Whittall from Apprenticeship Support Australia was on hand to step Clinton through his contract and any questions he had. Aaron Wax, Clinton’s dad was also there to support and reinforce this great employment opportunity. This is a fantastic prospect for Clinton and hopefully a stepping stone into his future career path.

L to R: Clinton Wax, Amanda Whittall and Aaron Wax

PHYSICAL DISABILITY UNIT We would like to congratulate Blake Shepherd, our Year 12 student, on his successful completion of thirteen years of schooling. A monumental achievement considering the many hurdles that he had to overcome along the way. We will miss his sense of humor, his honesty (sometimes brutal) and the kindness and compassion he always showed to his fellow classmates.

From all the staff and students in the PDU and beyond we wish Blake a successful career and a happy and fruitful life.

Blake Shepherd

Congratulations also to Hayden Veitch who will be transitioning into Senior School next year and Maddy Davies and Clara Bates who will become our Year 12 Graduates in 2021. We hope that they enjoy the challenges and rewards that their final years of schooling will provide. Ellen Foord Teacher PDU

AUTISM UNIT Last term students from the Autism class revitalised the garden in the senior quad. They were very enthusiastic in weeding, spreading mulch and planting new plants. Thanks to parents for their donations of plants and seeds. They have since been actively involved in watering and maintaining the garden and they are growing our own seedlings as well. The garden is now an inviting and relaxing space to use.

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CREATIVE ARTS, PERFORMING ARTS AND LANGUAGES

VISUAL ARTS Operation Art Congratulations to Ruby Tozzi who has been selected from over 500 students in the Operation Art exhibition to be a part of the Touring 50 Award. The artworks from the Touring 50 Award will tour NSW galleries in 2021, opening first at the Art Gallery of NSW in March 2021. They will then find their home in the permanent art collection at The Sydney Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Active Art During Active Art students learnt about ephemeral art: a type of art that only lasts for a short amount of time. Students had fun using chalk to recreate famous artworks by Keith Haring, Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh. Take a look at some of their chalk drawings below.

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Year 8 Visual Arts Year 8 Visual Arts students have been exploring painting techniques to create expressive landscapes inspired by local areas and the artist, Joshua Yeldham. We think they look fantastic. Well done Year 8!

MUSIC It was great to see our Music students performing at the recent Year 12 Graduation. Maxine McEwan singing the anthem and the class performing Edge of Seventeen.

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It was great to see the class performing as an ensemble (supported by Mr Herbert and Mr Malouf) after many months of solo performing due to COVID19 restrictions. We wish these students well in the future.

CAPA Co Wollongong City Council - The Grateful Portrait Project Congratulations to Year 8 student and CAPA Co member Alex Dawson who had his photograph selected as part of the Wollongong City Council ‘The Grateful Portrait Project’. Alex’s photograph is 1 of 18 and will be exhibited on a large panel in Crown Street Mall. Keep an eye out for Alex’s photograph from November 11 – December 30. CAPA Co 2021 Applications Open! Students interested in any subjects that fall under the Creative and Performing Arts banner are encouraged to apply for CAPA Co 2021. CAPA Co is a great way to engage in a range of creative extracurricular activities all around the school. If you are interested and would like to apply, please collect an application form from the CAPAL staffroom. These applications are due back before Friday 20th November. See Ms Cook or Mr Jones for further details. CAPA Co Farewell We would like to take the opportunity to bid farewell to our Year 12 CAPA Co representatives Sarah Neufeld, Ellie Skarvelis, Tia Parkes, Nikola Rodic and Thomas Brinton and thank them for their dedication to the CAPA Committee over the last few years. These students have had leadership roles in a variety of school events as photographers, videographers, artists, performers and graphic designers. We wish them all the best and look forward to hearing about their future creative endeavours!

Year 12 CAPA Co members Nikola Rodic and Sarah Neufeld

Figtree High School will be hosting a Talk-and-Walk in Week 3, during PE lessons. This is in support of Mental Health Month. It’s important that our children feel safe, connected and supported at school and within the wider community. The Talk-and-Walk-a-Thon has been designed to strengthen this feeling of connection and sense of belonging, allowing students to get to know other students at school. Students will be invited to stretch their legs and talk about topics ranging from their favourite music, food, movies, sports and more. These topics will encourage peer engagement, help strengthen bonds and allow students to feel connected with people they see every day but may not necessarily know. How can you support? • Modelling conversation with your child • Modelling conversation with new people you meet • Modelling help seeking or talking about your

experiences, challenges and how you worked through them

• Encouraging your child to challenge their assumptions about social situations by having conversations with others involved

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