The road to adulthood is an exciting, yet sometimes an extremely difficult, period in a young person’s life. As the brain develops to equip the individual with the necessary components to survive and thrive in the world beyond school, the changes and “pruning” of synapsis can be a challenge.

At St Francis’ School in Maddington, the new Year 10 students are embarking on a program entitled “Strong Hearts – Strong Minds” as a part of their introduction. The program recognises that many young people have gaps in their development, particularly around self and social awareness, self-management and responsible decision making.

The aim of the program is to give the students an understanding of the mechanics of the brain and provide strategies to manage this vital time of brain development.

The Year 10’s have been exploring the The Circle of Courage as presented in Reclaiming Youth at Risk by Brendtro, Brokenleg, & Bockern and applying this model to their own life experiences. The Circle of Courage links perfectly to St Francis’ School Principles of Respect, Responsibility, Belonging, Belief and, the students’ aim to develop their understanding of the Principles as they continue to grow as members of the School community.

The program also explores the physical make-up and process of maturation of the human brain. An introduction to mindfulness and other positive psychology strategies, provide the students with practical skills to perform and master as they navigate this exhilarating and demanding time in both their educational and life journey.

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