Save the Date: Monday, 31 March - 7:00 pm in the school chapel

The Community of Practice (CoP) which we established with John McGlashan College, King’s High School and Otago Boys’ High School has been an incredibly important piece of mahi as we work collaboratively to support our rangatahi to navigate a complex and at times challenging world.

The focus of the CoP has been to create opportunities for sharing problem solving and innovative practice around the issues facing teenagers today, specifically the sexualization of young women, the negative influence of toxic masculinity, and the reduction of sex-related harm in our schools.

We will be hosting a Parents Seminar addressing these issues and outlining the school’s response and actions at 7.00pm on the 31st March in the school chapel and we strongly recommend all our whānau attend.

An expert panel will discuss key concerns and offer practical suggestions for parents to support their rangatahi. Dr. Kris Taylor, doctoral candidate Marcelle Nader-Turner, and Associate Professor Melanie Beres - each an expert in their respective fields of internet influence on boys' wellbeing, the effects of pornified media on girls, and sexual violence prevention programs - will share insights from their research and examine the challenges facing today’s youth. Following this, we will highlight the strategies currently in place at our kura to address these challenges.

Regardless of the age of your daughter, these matters will be shaping her view of the world as she navigates the choppy waters of her teen years, and we urge you to attend the seminar, gain insights into the issues and hear how we are working together as a group of schools to support all our students.

While these can be confronting topics it is also incredibly important that as adults we face them, discuss them, learn about best practice and then assist our rangatahi to navigate a world where social media, pop culture and influencers are providing them with damaging, divisive and dangerous messages about their self worth, what healthy relationships look like, and how to behave. While we are working together as four schools, our commitment and focus is on listening to the young people at St Hilda’s and ensuring that we give them every possibility to find strength and solutions to the challenges they face.

The panel will be available after the presentation for questions and we will end the evening with shared kai. Please RSVP to admin@shcs.school.nz by Friday 28th March, 2025.

We look forward to sharing this mahi with you and collaboratively building community based solutions that support our rangatahi and their teenage journey.

Ngā mihi nui

Jackie Barron MNZM (she/her)

Principal / Tumuaki