Blog

How to help your child navigate social media As summer holidays approach and children have more free time to scroll on their devices, it is important to have conversations with your child around social media & cyber safety. It’s these questions that keep many parents up at night—how do you raise a safe, healthy child / teen in the age of smartphones and Instagram? In a time where Australian teenagers are spending over 1200 hours on social media each year, finding a balance is…

Inspire the next generation with an all girls' approach They say, ‘If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you’. At Toorak College, we firmly believe that change is driven by challenge, and this holds true for the world we inhabit. While significant strides have been made toward gender equality in recent decades, our world still grapples with gender disparities. According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, men, on average, earn $263.90 more per week than women. In light of…

Set your child up for success with these 5 study habits. As we approach the end of the year, students have an opportunity to really show their teachers, and themselves, what they can achieve academically. To do this successfully, students have to prepare for the occasion. To assist your child with developing healthy and successful study habits, it is important to check in with them to understand their goals and to ensure they have set themselves up for success. Research suggests that many…

How will technological advancements affect careers of the future? Many of today’s occupations will no longer exist by the time this year’s Prep students have finished their education. Having a STEM-skilled workforce is the foundation on which the Australian economy will prosper. Technological advancements continue to accelerate, and skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, analytic capabilities and curiosity are necessary to succeed. "In the last 20 years alone, employment in STEM…

The importance of facing challenges head-on is a fundamental theme in our children’s learning journey, particularly from Kindergarten to Year 4. As educators and parents, we need to allow for teachable moments which provide opportunities for our children to navigate these pivotal experiences and lessons. Positive mental health hinges on the balance of protective actions such as providing a stable environment and modelling healthy coping mechanisms vs. risk factors that encourage adversity. Our…

While it appears that we are now on the path to overcoming COVID-19, the disruption of the pandemic has caused many parents to revisit the question of education and schooling for their children. In looking to provide your children with the best chance to learn, grow and thrive, we must consider what these ideas mean to us in the post-COVID-19 world. The new school year is approaching, and 2021 is set to be a year shaped by a ‘new normal’. But the most pressing questions come from how that new…

The way to change the world, or at least your world, is to dare to be ambitious. Because when you dare to dream big, you challenge the status quo and give yourself the opportunity to pave your own way forward and make a difference. For many young females, embracing ambition is uncomfortable. More so than their male counterparts, females cast doubts in their own minds and feel the pressure to succeed differently. For many, it is not passion nor skill that holds them back, it is the fear of…

What is unconscious bias? Conscious bias is becoming more easily recognised in today’s culture and tolerance for conscious discrimination in our community is at an all time low. On the flip side, unconscious bias, in its subtlety, often goes unnoticed. In particular, unconscious gender biases often happen habitually as part of historical societal norms, and can be present in both females and males. As an independent girls school, Toorak College is acutely aware of the gender biases that affect…

Parents want to give their children the best opportunities to set them up for their future, so every education decision is an important one. Right from the beginning, choosing a primary school is the first step in laying a secure educational foundation, but where do you start? We’ve created a guide to help families navigate these intricate decisions, including our tips for how to choose a primary school in Melbourne, the significance of early education and our tips for creating a cohesive and…