Having trouble viewing this email? View it online here 

Transition to High School Resources for Parents/Carers

Population Health Promotion

Northern Sydney Local Health District

October 2024

The transition from primary school to high school is often a big change for parents and students. It offers a great chance to reset or establish healthy routines for this next phase. This resource pack aims to provide parents and carers with resources to support with this transition phase and beyond. Please see our list of resources and support for parents and carers. Topics include:

• Screen Time, Gaming & Online Safety
• Healthy Eating & Physical Activity
• Sleep 
• Mental Health & Wellbeing
• Teen Disengagement & School Refusal
• Maintaining Healthy Relationships 
• Vaping

It is a good idea to have a chat with your child about the transition process and any worries they may have. LifeEd have developed some great resources to support your child's journey throughout years 6 and 7. In particular, some useful short videos on managing school work expectations and managing change and uncertainty are available to watch. Headspace also has information on what it is like to go through the changes of adolescence and how to support this.  

School Years Team

Population Health Promotion 

Northern Sydney Local Health District

Watching TV, using computers, gaming and smart phones can be an enjoyable part of a healthy lifestyle. However, many young people spend more than the recommended limit of 2 hours of sedentary recreational screen time per day (not including school work). 

Tips for managing screen time at home

• Create family rules around screen time limits. Involve all family members when creating these time limits.
• Act as a role model for your child, try to moderate your own screen time use. 
• Encourage alternatives such as sport and exercise, hobbies, music, community activities, part-time work or socialising with friends. 

Gaming 

Many young people enjoy online gaming and it can have a positive influence on their problem-solving skills and coordination. It can also be a great activity to connect and have fun with friends. However, too much time gaming can have negative consequences including tiredness, headaches, being withdrawn from family and friends or becoming anxious or irritable when away from games. 

Online Safety

Your child may be exposed to some concerning things online including cyberbullying, pornography, online grooming, gambling,

nudes or sexting or other inappropriate content. Parents and carers can build the social, emotional and practical skills to navigate the internet safely. Including having safety settings on devices, promoting respectful communication and encouraging your child to discuss their concerns with you openly.

Healthy Eating 

The extra freedom available to new high school students can create greater access to and temptation for less healthy foods. 

Young people aged 11-18 years old eat fewer fruit and vegetables than any other age group. It is also a period of rapid growth and brain development, children may experience a rapid change in appetite. So, it is essential that these students eat a balanced diet and a substantial breakfast to set them up for a day of learning. 

If your child packs a lunch box from home, plan meals in advance and get inspired with these recipe ideas from the Cancer Council. 

Physical Activity

It is recommended that Year 7 students do at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Encourage your child to get active by walking or riding their bikes to school, or a portion of the way, to contribute to their 60 minutes of exercise. It might also be a great time for your child to try a new sport! Youth clubs such as YMCA and PCYC also run gym classes and physical activity sessions for young people, after school or during the school holidays. 

It’s common for young teens to want to go to bed later at night and get up later in the morning. This is because they start to secrete melatonin later at night than they did in earlier childhood. Teenagers need 8-10 hours of sleep per night to support cognitive function, improve mood and maintain good physical and mental health. 

Raising Children has some great strategies to improve sleep for teenagers including:

• Keep wake-times on school days and weekends within 2 hours of each other to keep the body clock regular.

• Avoid screens one hour before bed. Replace with relaxing activities like reading, listening to music or having a shower.

• Eat a satisfying dinner at a reasonable time. Feeling hungry or too full before bed can make it harder to sleep.

The transition to high school can sometimes leave young people feeling stressed or anxious. Additionally, hormone changes can result in mood wings or increased irritability. Practising mindfulness is a great way to focus on the present and calm any anxious thoughts and worries. 

Mindfulness meditation apps such as Smiling Mind can help calm the mind and body and help manage emotions. 

The Brave Program is a free 10 session online program. It aims to identify, understand and improve worried thoughts and behaviour patterns. 

For students with more severe mental health concerns requiring support from health professionals, call the NSW Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511. The Mental Health Line is a 24-hour telephone service operating 7 days a week across NSW. Trained, professional staff will assess your situation and decide the most appropriate service for referral.

Ryde Council is holding a webinar on the 21st and 27th of November for parents with children starting high school in 2025. The free webinars are presented by Headspace and KYDS and will provide relevant information on topics such as building resilience, developing and maintaining friendships, concerns about the transition phase and counselling pathways. 

The change in environment during this period and the potential for elevated anxiety levels may increase the possibility of school refusal. This is when the idea of going to school causes high level of distress and reluctance. The pattern of missing school can soon become a habit and can be very difficult to change. Absences from school can impact children's learning and friendships. 

What can you do to support your child?

• Act early and seek help as soon as you are concerned. 
• Actively listen to your child's fears and concerns with empathy and understanding.
• Praise positive behaviours to reinforce attendance. 

• Seek the help from your GP or School Counsellor if you are concerned about your child's mental health.

Your child may build new friendships and explore new relationships as they enter their adolescence. The stronger our connections to our family, friends, and community, we are more likely to be happier, healthier, and experience fewer mental health challenges.

It is very normal to experience some challenges and conflict in these relationships but of course there is a point where these relationships can become problematic. 

As your child enters high school, they may be exposed to more risky behaviours, including vaping. Vapes contain harmful chemicals as well as nicotine which is highly addictive. Vaping has been linked to serious lung disease and can cause long-lasting negative effects on brain development.

It is a good idea to have open communication with your child, as they face new experiences and challenges. Discuss the harms of vaping and prepare them for any tricky situations where they may be offered a vape.

Visit the Northern Sydney Local Health District, Vaping Information Hub for everything you need to know about vaping. 

For further information and support, get in touch with us:

School Years team, Population Health Promotion
Northern Sydney Local Health District

Phone: (02) 8424 9488 

Email: NSLHD-LiveLifeWellatSchool@health.nsw.gov.au  

Unsubscribe me from this mailing list