Category: High School

The number fourteen is a wonderful number for Floridian teenagers all around the state, as it is the bare minimum age at which children can start working legally. Child labor laws had originally been declared unconstitutional in 1918 before Congress had decided to pass the Fair Labor Act in 1938. Although teens can be hired for a job, getting a job may not be the wisest decision. Some might say that school isn’t much of a factor, but the truth is, that having a job greatly affects a teen’s performance in a school environment.

If a teenager decides to get a job, they will likely be paid based on hourly rates, which incentivizes teens to work more hours. However, this can be problematic, as when teens work at their jobs for longer periods, their school work lessens and becomes worse. A study was done by Herbert W. Marsh and Sabina Kleitman that showed a direct correlation between employed high schoolers working longer hours, and performing significantly worse in school. ASCD wrote an article about the study in question. The study was summarized as, “As students work longer hours, they achieve at lower levels academically…” In this same study, it was also found that students in 12th grade that had jobs were, “…less likely to enroll in—or stay in—college.” If a teenager decides to get a job, they need to prioritize their education.

Getting a job isn’t all bad, as many things that you learn at a job can be transferred into a classroom environment. Renae Hintze, author of Pros and Cons: Should My Teen Work During High School?, writes about teens learning how to be responsible through working, and how that learned responsibility can be used at school. Becoming mature and responsible is important and can certainly get you far in life, even outside of school. Jobs can also help teens develop a good work ethic, which can be used in school to stay on top of assignments and homework. The people at workethic.org state in their article Why Young People need to Have Part-Time Jobs, that working is a great way to, “…establish work ethic from a young age,” and that jobs can, “…help teens set up a foundation for future career success.”

While jobs can bring many positives, they can also bring many negatives, such as a great load of stress. Students who acquire jobs in high school will tend to experience far greater levels of stress than those who don’t have jobs. A study done by the American Psychological Association has shown that different kinds of stress can lead to a variety of health issues. Acute stress can be fatal, and incite fatal incidents like heart attacks. Chronic stress can result in issues relating more to the brain, such as depression. Depression is already a common malefactor in teens, and combined with the added stress of a job, these effects can be amplified and arguably worse than acute stress. Renae Hintze, writer on Student Tutor, says in her article about the pros and cons of working in high school, “With so much stress already placed on high schoolers to succeed in their courses and exams, adding 20 hours a week of dealing with difficult customers and juggling responsibilities could tip things over the edge.” Her claim can especially be applied to students in advanced classes, as their classes are far more difficult than normal classes.

Teenagers all around the world, including myself, have sleep issues and find themselves staying up too late, waking up late, having trouble falling asleep, etc. So with these pre-existing problems, adding a 15-20 hour shift at a job weekly to that lack of sleep will only amplify the already unpleasant effects of sleep deprivation. High school students who work have far more on their plates than students who don’t. With homework, after-school activities, spending time with friends and family, and a job on top of everything, sleep can take a back seat to all else and will stop being a priority. The people at the NCBI, or the National Center for Biotechnology Information, wrote an article about teens and sleep. In the article, one thing they mention is that “…teens who do not get enough sleep are more likely to get depression.” This is especially serious for teens who work as much as they can legally because those effects will be amplified tenfold as they will have even less time to do things outside of work.

It is a fast-paced world driven by innovative technologies, where hardware and software go hand in hand to build an environment of power and comfort. It was the year 2007 which saw the advent of smartphones and adding intelligence to the PDAs that were developed during the 90s. Ever since then as a kid, I kept questioning myself on how all the bulky things were greatly reduced in size but still performed great sophisticated tasks. With my increasing curiosity in this field, I chose a Science major in my Higher Secondary.

With a good academic record, I joined Pondicherry Engineering College for my Bachelor in Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) which is one of the top 50 colleges in my country. Academics have always been my stronghold and this undergraduate program made me conceptually strong in Electrical and Electronics as well as Computer Science. During my sophomore, junior, and senior years, I bagged second place in my department and overall second place at the end of graduation with a grade of 9.3 out of 10. During the course of my study, I developed a unique liking in the areas of Logic Design, Microprocessor and Microcontroller, Operating Systems, Analog, and Digital Integrated Circuits and programming languages such as C and C++.

Numerous times my experimentations were a result of my curiosity. During my senior year with an interest in high voltage engineering, I worked on a group project titled, ASSESSMENT OF RECYCLABLE THERMOPLASTIC INSULATION SUBJECTED TO DC STRESS WITH SUPERIMPOSED HARMONICS” under the guidance of Professor Dr. K. Elanseralathan. The project was to develop, design, and test a new insulation material that can be used as an environmentally friendly cable insulation technology. Initially, it was a great challenge as the 300 insulation samples that we prepared got set back. One such notable challenge is due to thin film’s improper surface morphology that in turn pathed the way for polymer degradation. But still, without loss in hope, we approached many professors, particularly Professor Dr. Sivaji Chakravorti and Professor Dr. Sarathi. R, prominent researchers in this field gave us further guidance.

With the experience, we gained and through constant research, we were able to prepare a sample of thin film for cable insulation with less than 100 microns. Initially, we used MATLAB for simulation and then carried out the experiment with a self-built hardware setup. In addition, we challenged ourselves by superimposing power frequency AC and high voltage direct current which gave us a good reputation among high voltage scholars.

During the same year, I presented two national conference papers (1) “Breakdown of Isotactic Polypropylene Nano-Composites”, Second National Power Engineering Research Scholar’s Conference (NERSC), IIT Madras, February 2018. (2) “Effect of filler concentration on breakdown of Isotactic Polypropylene Nano-composites”, 20th National Power Systems Conference NPSC- 2018. These presentations not only tested my technical and presentation skills but also enhanced my curiosity in research-related works.

During my junior year, I worked on a team project, “Implementation of Multimode Intelligent LED Driver for high bright street lighting applications” on Arduino Microcontroller for the Inter-Electronics department mini-project competition. As a part of the coursework “Analog and Digital Integrated Circuits,” we won the best design for a two-stage Miller Compensated Operational Trans conductance Amplifier for obtaining the highest bandwidth for the given phase margin in the whole class.

Apart from academics, I attended a number of in-plant training to understand the current trends in the industry and have hands-on experience with them. During my junior year, I attended a 3-day in-plant training in UNIQ technologies in Chennai for Embedded Systems. This training endowed my technical skills in timers and device-driving programs using embedded programming. During my senior year, I attended In-plant training at Avadi junction, Chennai offered by Southern Railways, India where I gained practical knowledge in automatic control of traction systems. That one full week on the railway enhanced my microcontroller proficiency in automation.

In addition to the in-plant training, I have also participated in many workshops which were also hugely helpful in shaping my skills. The concepts of handheld devices and the emerging semiconductor challenges that were dealt with in the “Smart Home” workshop conducted by i3indya Technologies were quite fascinating.

I believe that experience plays a key role in one’s career. After my under-graduation, I started working at Eaton Power Quality Private Limited as a Junior Engineer. Here I am part of the New Product Development team where we are responsible for medium voltage product design and development. This role helped me to acquire up-to-date technical information related to products in the industry. As a strategic planner, I provide technical assistance to product managers and help them to scrutinize product defects.

Level-headedness empowers my self-confidence and increases my strength to face challenges. With this view, I have taken leadership roles in all the ways possible. I was my department’s Student Secretary during my senior year where I addressed the students’ issues by communicating with my department Head and Professors. All the leadership roles which I undertook helped me to develop my public speaking skills and the importance of accountability for whatever we do.

I believe it takes the right attitude with an aptitude to delve deeper and explore this rapidly growing field. So this joint master’s program M.Sc. in Microelectronics with the Technical University of Munich (Germany) at Nanyang Technological University has strong coursework with an innovative educational environment that would help me understand and work. Also, this coursework has perfect laboratories along with the main classroom subjects which would help me gain experience in the field of my interest. My goal is to spread my knowledge through academics and teaching. This MS degree would be the start towards the goal and help me achieve my goal with the added advantage of international exposure.

Overall, I heartily thank you for reviewing my application and I am eagerly waiting for a perfect platform in your renowned university to pursue my postgraduate studies.

Research Methodology

For my primary data, I’ve chosen to utilize a structured survey which, I handed out to 5 years 6 students at Auburn Public School and 10 years 7 students at Auburn Girls High School and conducted an observation of my siblings. Survey undertakers were notified that the survey would be completely confidential and that their privacy would be conserved. With this promise, the children were able to respond with more forthright and valid answers. The surveys enabled students to explore an avenue of more truthful and unambiguous answers and by expressing themselves in their responses when encouraged that their information would only be used for research intentions. The data gathered enabled me to conduct realistic and accurate tables and graphs to exemplify my findings. However, there are some disadvantages to collecting data by conducting a survey rather than using other research methodologies. For example, respondents may not feel encouraged to provide accurate and honest answers however, much reassured that their anonymity will be sealed. This can disintegrate my results and findings. On the other hand, my observation as my second research methodology, I decided to observe my two siblings ranging from 8 to 11 years of age for two days continuously. While conducting this observation, to have accurate data, I had to make sure that my siblings did not notice what I was doing, and thus my research was not compromised. My siblings spend more than half the day utilizing their technological devices. Observing my siblings was fascinating in that I was able to comprehend the amount of technology being used in my household. The reason why I chose to conduct an observation as one of my research methodologies is that I was able to collect first-hand data which also enabled me to see primarily from each subject their day-to-day activities with technology. This aided me in reassuring me that my collected information was accurate and that the subjects did not exaggerate or respond to the question the way they felt it should be answered. With the second and third opinions both my research methodologies did not raise any moral or ethical issues. My survey questions were structured in a way that was appropriate and suitable for the age of the students that were undertaking it, and observations did not impose on my subjects and inflict extensively on their private lives. Overall, my options for first-hand research approaches were very effective in accumulating the data I needed to complete my Independent Research Methodology.

‘Technology is the ultimate reason, as to why children don’t recognize life beyond the screen’. Children have suffered significantly from the vast influences of technology. My hypothesis refers to how my independent research project will validate the use of technology and its influence on children as individuals and in group situations. Children in contemporary societies struggle to last a day without the constant use of technological devices and feel the need to interact with anything remotely similar to a gadget such as an iPhone, iPad, etc. The main objective of my research project is to demonstrate both the negative and positive implications technology has on children. My project focuses on the impacts it has on an individual and their family setting. Through personal experience and observation of children, I have chosen this topic to determine the instantaneous need for technology. Whether children are better off without the use of technology or if it is required for adequate development. Children learn and develop more effectively through individual experiences and communication with others. Technology is a major cause of why children lack interpersonal skills which, can lead to them being inactive members of society. Nevertheless, it could be argued that children can miss out on numerous resources that influence every aspect of an individual and their surroundings if left without technology. Early childhood years for children are crucial for their future. If a child is brought up in a technology-driven family setting, their perception of a social norm would be relentlessly staring at a screen, for entertainment, stimulation, and even education. Other resources would not be used commendably, therefore, children fail to recognize life beyond the screen. Technology has become a dominant resource in contemporary societies. My research task builds strong ties to the research methodology section of the syllabus, which is to conduct a survey and an observation of my siblings as my primary sources of data. Connections to the syllabus are also shown through my added resource management and the well-being of individuals/families influenced by both the positive and negative technological use.

In my independent research task, I have chosen to investigate the hypothesis “Technology is the ultimate reason, why children don’t recognize life beyond the screen”. My research project is intended to explain the positive and negative impact technology has on the mindset of children in contemporary societies. My independent research project is mainly focused on the negative impacts of technology, as research and observations conducted make it evident that the negative outweighs the positive. The reason why I have chosen to further explore this topic is due to the need for this issue to be addressed. In today’s society, children are born into a world of technology and can understand the impacts it has on all aspects of their well-being and physical development. Numerous health side effects can slowly develop in individuals such as obesity, due to the constant use of technology and less active play. Without constant supervision and control of use, children may fall into the dark corners of technology where major threats lie. My objective upon the completion of this project is to demonstrate with evidence the impact that technology has on children in this era. The use of primary research methodology such as a survey distributed to 5 years 6 students at Auburn Public School and 10 years 7 students at Auburn Girls High School and completed a two-day observation with three subjects under 12 years of age. By conducting research through different methodologies, I was able to validate my theory on children’s constant dependence on technology. My results collected were as expected. For example, students were given two options, if they wanted to buy a yoyo or a technological device e.g. laptop, iPhone, etc. A unanimous amount of consensus shows that all survey undertakers would purchase a technological device of any sort rather than a yoyo. This effectively explains that students can comprehend the distinction between the two options. Also, the results illustrate that when students were asked how many hours of their day are spent using technology, more than 20% of children answered with 4-5 hours. This was concerning in that studies in this field show that children of that age should be getting more than 2-3 hours of active play outside on a day-to-day basis, to aid in maintaining a healthy and adequate lifestyle. With those who answered with 4-5 hours of utilizing technology, the required active play is nearly impossible to achieve due to school and other multiple commitments. My independent research project lays out these results and acknowledges the issues raised by the overuse of technological devices by children in contemporary societies.

Choosing the right high school is a significant decision that can impact a student’s future. With numerous options available, students must carefully consider their choices and select a school that aligns with their academic goals and personal interests. In this essay, I will discuss the reasons why I want to attend a high school. I will argue that a school offers a unique combination of academic excellence, extracurricular opportunities, and a supportive community that will help me achieve my goals and prepare me for success in the future.

Personal Perspective

The reason I want a better education is because I know that having one will help me succeed in life. My parents are divorced, so I rely on them both for emotional support and financial help. If I am lucky enough to get accepted into the high school, then my mom can stop working so much and spend more time with me. Having her home more often will also give her more time to help me with my studies if needed. 

I have never been a good student and always struggled in school. At first, it was hard for me to find the motivation to do well in school because I didn’t think it was important or valuable. When my parents divorced, they began telling me how important it was for me to be successful and go to college so that they could retire someday without working so much anymore. This made me realize that getting good grades could help me achieve my dreams of someday becoming successful in life. That’s why I decided to start studying harder and trying harder at school so that maybe one day when I grow up, my parents won’t have to work as much anymore!

Quality Education 

High schools offer structured and comprehensive learning programs that can provide you with a high-quality education. They’re centers for education and learning, and they’re also a place for students to socialize and make new friends. When you attend school, you’ll have the opportunity to learn in various ways, from lectures to small-group discussions. Schools can offer specialized courses to help you learn more about specific subjects or prepare for college. By attending school regularly, following the rules, and making good decisions, you’ll be able to get the most out of your time there so that you can go on to do great things after graduation.

College Preparation 

If you plan to attend college after high school, attending a high school can help prepare you for the rigors of higher education. You’ll have the opportunity to take challenging courses, participate in extracurricular activities, and develop skills that will be valuable in college.

Opportunities to Explore Interests 

Extracurricular activities are an essential part of the high school experience. From sports teams and clubs to community service programs, there are many opportunities to explore interests, develop skills, and build relationships with like-minded peers. High school is a great place to challenge yourself and discover what you truly care about.

Social Development 

High school is an invaluable opportunity for you to hone your social skills. You’ll gain experience in communicating effectively, working collaboratively, and forming relationships with people from various backgrounds. Establishing these habits during high school will set the foundation for success in college and after.

Career Preparation 

Some high schools offer career-focused programs that can help prepare you for a specific career path. For example, suppose you’re interested in healthcare. In that case, you might attend a high school with a strong healthcare program that offers opportunities to gain real-world experience through internships or job shadowing.

Complex Reason

After reading my thoughts above, you may better understand why I want to attend a high school. I think that the small class sizes and one-on-one attention from teachers will be beneficial to my development as a student. The school may have many programs that interest me, such as their college preparation courses and their extracurricular activities. The athletics program at this school is also impressive because they offer an array of sports for all interests: football, basketball, and baseball – just to name a few!

I’m excited to attend high school as it offers an excellent academic environment. The small classes are taught by dedicated teachers who have the students’ best interests in mind. College preparation courses and extracurricular activities such as sports teams provide exceptional resources and the opportunity to make new friends while striving for shared goals.

Conclusion

To sum up, attending a high school can provide you with a range of academic, social, and personal development opportunities that can prepare you for a successful future. By the way, conversations with alums will shed even more light on what a given school offers. But don’t be afraid to ask – most alums are eager to share their stories! 

Of course, many other factors may come into play regarding how well you do in school. After all, high school is just one piece of the puzzle – and an important one at that. However, if you consistently attend high school like you should, you’ll likely find that your future is brighter than ever before.

Whenever I visit other schools, I am always interested in the traditions and rituals that help establish that school’s identity and what they value. Rockford Area Schools offers many traditions that bind our school community into a family and build a healthy environment.

Most high schools have traditions around sports, for example. We are just finishing homecoming season where, at Rockford Area Schools, it impacts not only Rockford High School but our middle and elementary schools as well. The homecoming traditions in our district are a little than other schools. We do have pep fests, but in all three buildings where the Homecoming court, band, cheerleaders and sports teams’ captains visit students as role models and celebrate being a “Rocket.” Dress up days are another difference—each building determines their theme for the day for the week. The after-game fireworks are put on through donations of parents and community residents. This year the students at Rockford High School overwhelmingly named Jack Bryngleson and Karly Jensen Homecoming King and Queen. Jack is a senior who is fighting a type of bone cancer and Karly is his girlfriend. The students and staff are rallying to support both of them by helping to create lasting memories that can be cherish forever.

Each school in our district has a variety of traditions specific to their school. At Rockford Middle School Center for Environmental Studies, student’s history, beliefs and hopes have been recorded annually through a tile mural project. This tradition was started in the 1994-95 school year with an original mural depicting a map of Minnesota. Another favorite tradition is the annual Deep Portage trip in the fall, now in its 23rd year. This tradition involves sixth grade students on a field trip to the Deep Portage Learning Center in Hackensack for three days. During the day, the student learn to canoe, use compasses and contour maps, do rock wall climbing, hike to the treetop tower, and other activities. At night, the students participate in nocturnal hunter games, story-telling and sing-alongs. The annual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Showcase is a newer tradition that started after the school became a STEM magnet school over eight years ago.

At the elementary school, there is a permanent art collection throughout the building that showcases the creativity of our elementary students as well as our arts magnet program. The school has been an arts magnet school for 14 years. The school hosts many events that have developed into tradition like Family Fun Nights, spotlight concerts and the spring Arts and Academic Showcase to name a few.

Another tradition that started in 2011 is our Distinguished Alumni and Honorary Diploma program. The Distinguished Alumni recipients are selected annually based on outstanding professional and personal successes, as well as achievements in national, regional, or statewide prominence either in their professional fields or through their involvement in civic, cultural or charitable activities. An Honorary Diploma is annually conferred to an individual who demonstrates high standards of excellence in their personal and professional achievements as a way of honoring the distinguished citizen’s contribution to the district.

A long-standing tradition, planned by alumni, the Rockford High School All-alumni Reunion, scheduled for the first Saturday in October. Held annually for many decades, it enables people to reconnect with friends over lunch time.

I could go on. But this is just a short list of many traditions that Rockford Area Schools offer.

Traditions represent a critical piece of our culture. They help form the structure and foundation of our families and our society. They remind us that we are part of a history that defines our past, shapes who we are today and who we are likely to become.

As leaders, role models, and parents, we must strive to utilize every opportunity available to us to reinforce the values and beliefs that we hold dear. Tradition reinforces values such as freedom, integrity, a good education, personal responsibility, a strong work ethic, and the value of being selfless.

At Rockford Area Schools, we work to incorporate traditions that went beyond simply ‘school spirit’ to truly emphasize the school’s mission around academics. We are proud of the traditions we offer, leaving cherished memories, a sense of belonging and celebrating the things that really matter in life.

My consumer Allen has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder type one. According to the Mayo Clinic, bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes extreme fluctuations in mood. Bipolar disorder type one is when the manic episode is more recent or the most extreme for the individual. The mood swings include having a low mood (depression) and extremely high moods which can be mania or hypomania (Mayo Clinic). These symptoms can be rare, or the person may experience them multiple times a year. A person may have a manic episode for several weeks or depression for several weeks and rotates.

Some symptoms of having bipolar disorder pointed out by the Mayo Clinic are being abnormally upbeat, increased energy, the feeling of euphoria, insomnia, poor decision-making, and more. During a depressive episode, some symptoms may be weight loss without intentional dieting, either insomnia or sleeping too much, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, and more (Mayo Clinic). These episodes rotate after each other causing a cycle of the symptoms. Mania tends to cause more noticeable problems with daily activities like school, social events, work, and relationships. It may trigger a break from reality and in severe cases require hospitalization.

There is not an exact cause known for bipolar disorder, but it is influenced by biological differences and genetics. Left untreated there could be problems related to substance abuse, suicide or attempted suicide, legal or financial problems, damaged relationships, and poor work or school performance (Mayo Clinic). Some barriers that people with bipolar disorder might have are that they may not be able to control themselves, medication may not work, and anxiety and relationships may become strained. The consumer has been instructed by his primary doctor to take medication and see a therapist to cope with his episodes. His most recent episode has been mania, as a result, he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder 1 which involves severe manic episodes.

The consumer’s name is Allen Jackson and he is 16 years old. He currently lives with his mother, father, and older brother in Nashville, Illinois. He is a junior at Nashville Elite High School. He says that he also has a support dog named “Bud”. To cope with having an episode, Allen draws, paints, and writes. Some strengths that he identified are being artistic, empathetic, intelligent, and responsible. During his manic episodes, he says that he gains more confidence, and he recognizes this as a strength as well. He hopes to become an artist after graduating from high school, so he can show his creative side and make people acknowledge their emotions. Another option he identified was to become a writer, for the same reasons as becoming an artist. On his team are his immediate family, teachers, primary doctor, therapist, case manager, vocational counselor, as well as a community employment specialist.

When asked about living arrangements after high school, Allen shares that he is afraid to have his apartment but hopes to have one when he reaches 20 years old. Allen does not currently work but one job characteristic he wants to focus on is being able to be creative. Some stable careers related to his interests and skills are becoming an English teacher or an art teacher. These job options depend on what age category he is comfortable working with elementary, middle, high school, and special education or non-special education. For both options, Allen would need to continue to post-school education and earn a teaching certificate and degree.

Some volunteering options for Allen while he is in high school, are participating in children’s summer camp and running an arts and crafts program. This will allow Allen to express his creativity and find an age group he will enjoy working with. Another volunteering option is working at the library. This atmosphere will allow him access to different books and genres to grow as a writer. Volunteering in high school will allow Allen to gain experience and help him decide which career path he would like to choose. Allen states that he hasn’t thought about being a volunteer but is open-minded to it. To begin, Allen should volunteer 5 hours a week over the summer, then once getting used to the job he can volunteer more hours.

At the end of the session, we reviewed Allen’s goals for this year and next school year. His first goal is to start volunteering over the summer. The next goal is to find employment during his senior year of high school. Also, during his senior year, we will begin to research higher education options and career options. A third goal is to decide if he would like to continue to post-education after high school. The final goal was to have an apartment by the time Allen turned 20 years old.

Individual Service Plan Summary

The individual plan starts by learning about the person and their disability. I used the online resource, Mayo Clinic, to understand more about bipolar disorders. This gave me information about symptoms he may have, causes, and types of bipolar disorders. This information and information given by Allen helped me notice the barriers that he might have. Another resource that Allen and his family can use is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders: Edition Five. This manual provides information about different disorders and Allen and his family can use it to understand his disability more. The Mayo Clinic identified some medication that will help Allen during episodes and therapy may help him cope with episodes and understand what to do when he is having one. Two medications that are used for bipolar disorders are antidepressants and antipsychotics (Carter, 2019). The medication can help regulate his mood to combat manic or depressive episodes.

Sessions with Allen highlighted his desired jobs and education goals. From the desired jobs Allen stated, we dug deeper and thought of things he could do in high school to start getting experience. This led to the idea of volunteering during high school and over the summer. He plans to volunteer over the summer of his junior year and find a job during his senior year. The experience of volunteering will allow him to discover what he likes doing and what he does not. It will also give him more social interaction, transferrable skills, and an understanding of a work environment. During his senior year, he and his team will look into post-education options and start applying to the ones that he likes. This will include doing tours, filling out applications, and looking into what is needed financially. If Allen decides not to go to post-education schooling, he will find a job that he finds satisfying. Included in his plan is to have his apartment after high school, by age 20.

Some things not discussed during planning are support systems that he has outside of his team and transportation to volunteer sites or jobs. Since Allen will begin volunteering over the summer and based on which volunteer site he chooses he may need transportation to and from. We will begin looking into different volunteer sites and pick one based on his interests, the community employment specialist will assist in this process. Some ways that Allen can find more volunteer sites are by looking at websites of specific places he is interested in and seeing if they accept volunteers or calling the place directly.

Allen picked people to be on the team that he trusted and would help him in his goals. Aside from his family members, his team consisted of several professionals; a vocational counselor, a therapist, and his primary doctor. Each team member has an opinion on how Allen can or should achieve his goals. However, the decisions were made by Allen and the goals and planning were based on what he wanted to achieve, which is a significant step towards independence.

When working with a team, each member should be able to give their opinion and input, however, parents should have more influence. Parents tend to know what their child is capable of and how they feel outside of school and social events. Parents teach their children how to be independent, such as budgeting, cleaning, and planning. If his parents remain active participants, they can give more information that Allen might not think of sharing that would be beneficial to his plan. Each team member has a different specialization and a blended team can help the consumer think of new things, and explain different things, and a team makes sure that everything is thought of and covered. The final decisions are decided by Allen however everyone influences the plan. For his current service plan, Allen plans to volunteer over the summer, find employment research post-school options during his senior year, and obtain an apartment by 20 years old.

References

1. American Psychiatric Association (2014). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.
2. Carter, A. (2019). Drugs to treat bipolar disorder. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/bipolar-disorder/drugs-medications-overview.
3. Mayo Clinic. (2018). Bipolar disorder. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955.

During Summer 2021 I attended a Medicine Masterclass by Corpus Christi Cambridge which focused on the naked mole rat and the lack of the pain sensors that allow them to maintain critical energy, potentially explaining their long lifespans. The naked mole rat lacks pain sensitivity in its skin, and we learned that this is caused by a small difference in a selection of amino acids in a receptor of the nervous system. This course was inspiring as it became clear that naked mole rats could lead the way to innovative strategies that can be developed to treat pain in humans in the future.

I completed a weeklong placement in a GP surgery, and I found this experience to be extremely beneficial as I had the opportunity to shadow different GPs, nurses, pharmacists, and other professionals who all play a role in patient health. I was amazed to learn about the great number of aspects that all go into providing single-person care. During consultations, I observed blood samples and pressures being taken and was fascinated by the professionalism and gentleness of the nurses. Witnessing a great range of cases, from a 6-week baby check-up to Rheumatoid Arthritis and suspected DVT, informed me about daily life as a doctor. I was particularly enthralled by a patient with a history of depression also suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome and how the doctor sympathized with the patient. Through this experience, it was also highlighted to me the importance of trust in the doctor-patient relationship. The doctor’s unfaltering motivation presented to me the sheer privilege of having such a stimulating vocation. This opportunity reaffirmed my desire to study medicine.

In 2021, I attended monthly webinars by Allied Healthcare Mentor which follow different healthcare professionals who are involved in patient care whilst having the opportunity to follow numerous patient journeys through primary, secondary, and tertiary care. By observing, I have learned how they interact with the patients and with one another in stressful environments. I got to see how they worked together to solve issues and the way the professionals brought a friendly, relaxing atmosphere to the workspace. I also gained a deeper knowledge of the multidisciplinary teams in a variety of settings from hospitals to the community and of the importance of teamwork in healthcare.

My desire to help others led me to volunteer weekly at the East Renfrewshire Larder, a foodbank that provides immediate access to essential items for anyone in need. My role is to help out by organizing and packing parcels alongside other volunteers. We work as a team to provide the services as quickly and efficiently as we can. My passion for helping other people encouraged me to volunteer as a listener for the 7Cups helpline during the pandemic. This role requires compassion, patience, and the ability to support people going through a difficult time. My role as a listening volunteer has also allowed me to gain the ability to navigate challenging conversations and has taught me how to talk to a variety of individuals from different backgrounds. Engaging with people from various age groups and backgrounds displays my patience, empathy, and communication skills and the experience has shown the importance of caring for the emotional as well as the physical needs.

Being multilingual and participation in the Anti-Racism Committee, I have been exposed to a range of cultures and learned to truly respect personal, religious, and cultural beliefs, which is particularly useful for healthcare professionals due to the importance of effective communication. Understanding the importance of lifelong learning and my desire to challenge myself motivated me to enroll in the British Sign Language course, to learn to communicate using my gestures, facial expressions, and body language. I was stunned to learn that BSL is used by around 151,000 people within the UK alone.

For 11 years I have attended a theatre school, through which I have performed in numerous internal shows as well as having the privilege to perform in smaller roles as part of many professional theatre productions with the Scottish Opera. This opportunity has allowed me to build on my confidence as well as improve my interpersonal and communication skills. After being selected, I have had the great opportunity to sing as part of the Royal National Scottish Orchestra’s Junior Chorus for 11 years, whilst also completing my Gold Award which requires commitment, consistency, and practice. In addition to this, I am also a member of the school choir, sinfonia, and the school senior drama shows. Through my participation in these, the key message – that every person has a role to play – has become evident to me. This correlates to the multidisciplinary roles in the healthcare system as professionals must work together, as a collective, to achieve the best outcome.

To further fuel my interest in research and wider reading, I have decided to take part in my school’s Independent Research Project, which will allow me to hone my skills in academic writing to a greater extent. I have chosen to investigate the twin epidemics of heart disease and diabetes in people from the Indian subcontinent. During my research up till date, I was shocked to discover, that South Asians contribute to 60% of the figures for heart disease. Being Indian myself, I found this important issue to be not only relevant but also personal.

Playing Hockey for 10 years at both club and school has allowed me to develop my understanding of teamwork, maintaining morale, perseverance as well as leadership. As a volunteer at an afterschool childcare center, I was responsible for organizing different activities to keep the children engaged, through this I have honed my leadership skills and gained valuable interpersonal skills by interacting with children and parents. Achieving my Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award during challenging conditions required teamwork and also the ability to maintain morale in tough situations, as well as rational thinking through the expedition to ascertain a shared goal. This year I have chosen to take on a challenge by embarking on the Gold Award.

Through my part-time job as a waitress, I have improved my customer service skills as well as learned how to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment whilst completing tasks to the best of my ability. To take on further responsibility in my school, I have been selected as a Prefect as part of which I will have to partake in a variety of roles all of which will allow me to build upon crucial skills such as leadership, teamwork, and time management. Taking part in the Scottish Mathematical Challenge and the Biology Olympiad has allowed me to improve my problem-solving skills which are invaluable to medicine. Playing Bridge for 5 years and winning the Scottish Schools Award has developed my logical and lateral thinking. Whilst also enabling me to improve upon my responsiveness to unpredictable circumstances as it tests not only the mind but also strategy and tactics. With dedication and perseverance, I have achieved my Grade 6 in violin, through which I have also gained a strong manual dexterity by playing from a young age.

High school is widely known to be a time during our adolescence when we gain a mass collection of life experiences and knowledge. Hardships and prosperity throughout my high school career have created the path to where I am today, and the lessons I’ve taken from these years are bound to prove useful for the rest of my life.

Identical to all newly enrolled freshmen, I was engulfed with feelings of anxiety, stress, and hope upon my start of high school. Unprepared for the challenges that awaited me, I enrolled myself in all PreAP classes. Towards the beginning of the school year, my previously sheltered life surfaced reality: I was informed of the troubles within my parent’s relationship, and that they would be getting a divorce. This was my first, true taste of the brutality of the real world, and I was completely blindsided. Because of the unfortunate complications of the divorce, I struggled to motivate myself enough to carry out simple daily tasks, such as socializing and keeping up with my schoolwork. My grades suffered severely, and because the school year had just recently started, I had minimal friends I felt comfortable communicating my emotions. Without the ability to focus at school, or even at my own home, I began digging my GPA into a deeper hole by refusing to drop any advanced-level classes. By the start of the second semester, I had broken down, releasing my reluctance of dropping into academic classes. From this experience, I began to understand how crucial grades truly were, and how I would spend the next 3 years fixing my GPA. I learned the same lesson everybody eventually learns: the key to life is to make use of the cards you’ve been dealt, not sulk about the ones you’ve received.

I spent the remaining of my freshman year, up until my junior year, recovering from the arduous experience I had faced. During that time, I began finding comfort in the computer I had built myself in 7th grade. I started to meet many new friends online and I became closer with many of my friends I knew from school. Playing video games and socializing with these newly founded friends provided me with an outlet where I felt that I could freely express myself. As a result, my passion for technology flourished. I started involving myself in any technology-related curriculum at school I could- AP Computer Science, Digital Art, and currently an introduction course to Cyber Security, where I aim to acquire my Security+ certification at the end of the year. Since I retired from my high school basketball career at the start of my junior year, I decided to start and be involved in some clubs at my school to pass the time and be more involved. I was ecstatic and extremely fortunate to welcome over 75 members, within the first several months of operation, to my newly created gaming club: Cinco Ranch eSports. It was a priceless experience where I expanded my knowledge in the fields of leadership, teamwork, and much more. I directed the team in online tournaments for different games, and I was able to meet many new people that I shared a strong passion with. Finding my true passion and meeting many new friends, whom I was fortunate enough to become close with, made my junior year of high school one of the most memorable years of my life.

Comparing the start of high school to my final moments, I’ve matured tremendously and have gained vast knowledge from the life lessons I’ve encountered. These past 4 years have provided an infrastructure for learning and understanding the world and additionally, how I truly want to live my life.

The most reliable way to predict your future is to create it. I am 17, a junior in high school doing full-time running start. Last quarter I took FYE, Psychology 200, Sociology, and Walking 1 and 2. This winter quarter I am taking Psychology 100, English 101, and Art Appreciation. Along with being a full-time college student, I work at Hot Shots. I work four days a week and make minimum wage, it is better than nothing though. During the shifts I work I do not make tips which also sucks, but I am just thankful I have a job. This is my five-year plan and I hope I have come a lot further in life by then. In five years I hope to have graduated from LCSC, be a lot closer to my dreams, and have accomplished a lot of my goals.

I am in the middle of my first year of college, I am enjoying it a lot more than being at the high school. I am so grateful that I am able to have the opportunity to do a running start and get moving with my future faster. I do not like high school, it was not my pace and I did not really fit in. In my junior year, I decided to take advantage of running start and do what I want to do, and get closer to my goals faster. I like being challenged and moving fast with work. I felt that I was getting babied at the high school and we spent a week on each thing and I did not feel I was living to my full potential. I was also having a lot more problems with my mental health when I was in high school. I much rather be happier and get through two years of college while I am in high school rather than dread going to class every day for seven hours. In seven weeks, it will be the week before finals, but I got the opportunity to go on a family trip to Hawaii with my dad’s side of the family and I just started to fix things after not talking to them for almost two years. That has also had a big impact on my mental health and my grades. It feels good to be happy, I want this feeling to stick around. I am so grateful for how far we have come in bonding. I am hoping things get good enough to where I could maybe move in with my dad in hopes that they get that red house my stepmom really loves. They are just waiting for someone to buy their house. Next school year I will be doing my senior project and going to college for my sophomore year. I am nervous about my senior project, I do not have any ideas about what to do it on and I do not like talking in front of a lot of people or people in general. I will get through it, I hope that the year 2020 will be a year of growth, self-care, happiness, getting fit, and finding my worth. Things have been rough for a while, but I know they will get better. Healing takes time. Anyway, I will be doing math, history, and maybe science next year. Since I can not do it this quarter or they do not have classes available for next quarter. The next thing I know I will be graduating high school, then a month later graduating college. That is so crazy to think about.

Since I have graduated from high school and WWCC I hope that I was able to go on an amazing trip to California before enrolling into LCSC. Then I will be partaking in classes to be getting my bachelors in social work and a minor in psychology. I have always wanted to go into social work because I love helping people and I had to deal with it a lot my whole life. I hope that in that two years, I make some friends and find a partner. I have always been a loner, I wish it was different because I am a really nice person and I love and am super supportive of my friends if I had any. I also have been single for a long time and I do not want to waste my time just having a “thing” with someone. I want this to be my last relationship. I will always be in class early and turn my work in on time and try to maintain really good grades. I also will work really hard at work. I hope to still have my job at Hot Shots, I love everyone I work with. I also hope that I have a job where my stepdad works and I can start to work in the field I want to go into before I get my bachelor’s. He said he could get me a job as an “assistant job coach.” He helps disabled people get great jobs. Although, I want to work with kids, and foster kids when I graduate. It will still be a great opportunity.

Now that I have graduated from LCSC and I am almost 21, I hope to have found a partner and some amazing friends. I do not want to spend my summer after graduation without friends and doing nothing but work. I also hope that I have saved money to get my dream car. I really want a 2019 Subaru Legacy. I also want to move out of the valley. I do not like it down here. It is not as fast pace as a bigger city and there is nothing to do around here. I plan to move to the tri-cities so I can live closer to my nana and have more job opportunities. My nana is my best friend and I love her with all my heart I would love to live closer to her and spend more time with her. I barely get to see her and it sucks. Also, it is more fast-paced and there are way more job opportunities for me. I want to get a nice apartment or a small house. I have been dreaming for years to be able to decorate my own place and be on my own. I want a simple place with neutral colors. I even have a list on Amazon for things when I move out and things I am going to ask for, for my birthday in the next few years so it saves me money. I also really want to get a dog when I move as well because I love dogs and it would be nice to have a companion if I do not or do have a partner when I move. I am so excited for that day to come.

How I plan to reach these goals, such as going to school every day and turning in my work on time. Waking up two hours before I have to be somewhere. Put forth all my effort in my school work. Basically, I will just continue what I am doing because I have had pretty successful school years. I dread having bad grades so I am always putting my best foot forward and working hard. I always show up to school at least fifteen minutes early if not more. I never leave class unless I have to. I always start my homework as soon as I get home. If I can turn in my work early I do. If there is anything I can start early I will. I also always ask for help or guidance if I need it with any assignment. If my grades are not where I want them to be I always will see if I can redo something or if I can do any extra credit. When it comes to tests I will study for twenty minutes, then take a break, then go back until I feel I am prepared. When I go to take the test I have a good mindset and try my best. Then of course put me out there so I can get a job in the field I want to go into.

I hope to have grown in the future and proceed with my dreams and just become a better person. I hope that my college experience has been as good as it is now. I hope that my grades are good. I hope that I get my dream car. I hope that I get to move to the tri-cities. I hope that I still have my job at Hot Shots, I also hope I get that job with my stepdad. I hope that I was able to go to California, I also hope Hawaii was great. I overall just hope that I am genuinely happy and doing good in life.

Part A

Canterbury Boys High School is a secondary school which consists of male students from years 7-12, the school has a small student populus compared to other schools within the area, there is a majority of students who are from a language background other than English (LBOTE). The school is located in the sydney metropolitan area, and also enrols a small amount of Indigenous students (Myschool)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (ATSI) students for Canterbury Boys and Girls High School in years 7-8 are escorted to Canterbury Public School to support and act as mentors for ATSI students that will soon attend high school. This allows them to build confidence when starting their high school journey.

There is also extensive support for students that have learning difficulties with any area within the schooling curriculum. Learning and support teachers (LaST), target students with specific learning difficulties and implements special learning programs that will assist identify their learning needs.

School learning support officers (SLSO) works in conjunction with LaST to recognize intellectual, physical, emotional or mental health needs for students and assist the implementation of Individual Education Programs. There is a homework centre which staff helps students finish and understand the concepts that are being learnt in assessment task and homeworks once a week. With these support networks, the general student well-being can be boosted, as the attendance and accomplishments can be carefully monitored. The school actively creates opportunities for parents to meet one another to discuss how the school can meet the students needs.

The school also has access to variety of programs to better the students and prepare them for their lives after secondary schooling. The ABCN Program, Interview2Impress is an interactive program designed to teach students the necessary skills for future employment. Students are taught on non-verbal communications, the typical structure of interviews, and practise mock interviews in which they can attempt to present the knowledge they have learnt.

Also, UNSW Aspire, which is an outreach program to help students achieve better results, to ultimately enter university. The program cater to year 7 and 10 students with workshops and talks about how the ATAR works to scholarships and university fees. Students from year 10 are invited to a 3 day program that which involves meeting the ASPIRE ambassadors and various mentors from different faculties for the students to gain a better insight of their future career paths.

As the school consists of students from many different backgrounds, a cultural celebration known as Harmony day is held yearly. The purpose of inclusiveness and respect for all Australians, regardless of race and culture. The students and staff are welcome to engage in the cultural dancing and music, with food and drinks from different cultures being served.

Part B

Bullying is an aggressive act which can be classified through different conditions. First is the cruel behaviours purposed to cause harm and distress, second is the repetitives nature of these acts being carried out over a certain period of time, lastly the relationship where there is a clear imbalance of power between the parties involved (Stein, Dukes & Warren, 2006, p. 273, as cited in American Psychological Association (APA), 2005; Gini, 2004; Nansel et al., 2001; Olweus, 1993).

Stein et al. (2006) states that bullying and victimisation are universal in nature, and is globally recognised and studied. The studies conducted show that there are concerning trends for these bullies, some examples include being prone to alcohol abuse, psychiatric symptoms, difficulty following rules and poor adjustment into schooling.

Contrastingly, the victims of bullying showed signs of depression, loneliness, and had a negative self-image, issues which arose later (Stein et al., 2006). Kumpulainen, K., Räsänen, E., Henttonen, I., Almqvist, F., Kresanov, K., Linna, S. et al. (1998) studies show that boys were 4-5 times more prone to becoming bullies or victims than girls, and the boys that bullied generally being stronger than their victims. In light of this, violence in schools is important to examine the cause for such behaviour found predominantly in boys.

With the school situated in the metropolitan area of Sydney, cultural diversity and differences are becoming a commonplace in schools. N.Satoro (2009) emphasises how there must be adequate teachers within the field that can understand and support students from different cultures, as well as the educators understanding their own backgrounds and ethnicity to allow students to better bond with teachers, which can lead to a better learning environment. Teachers tend to prefer working in schools which they seem to have a cultural and social connection to their own, as a great number of students are LBOTE teachers that are inexperienced with the different ethnic students will fail to being effective (N.Satoro, 2009).

Socioeconomic status (SES) is arguably the leading conceptual variable used in educational research, as the relationship between SES and a students academic outcome fluctuates significantly. Sirin, S. R., (2005) studies shows that the relationship between a students SES and their academic results is due to several factors. Such as the grade level of the students, from a minority group and the location of the school, and as Canterbury Boys High School has a SES lower than the average in the state, students are more susceptible to the relationship between SES and students potential.

The relationship between SES and academic results in relation to the students grade/age showed a diminishing result. Sirin, S. R., (2005) points to two different possibilities, First, school systems could provide a learning experience which aims to equalized the students as much as possible the longer they stay in that particular school. Second, is the result of the students with a low SES dropping out to pursue a career as quick as they can, thus reducing the gap as the students age.

As the school enrolls many students from varying cultures and backgrounds, it is possible for differing results from culture to culture. However, minority students tend to lag behind the average student, there are a some notable explanations such as living in lower-income households, parents having limited education or in single parent families (Sirin, S. R., 2005). Ultimately limiting the schooling with limited fundings, which links to the academic loss.

Furthermore, the location of the school can play a part in the social and economic circumstances of the students. The U.S. Department of Education, (2000) found data regarding the significant differences between schools in affluent neighbourhoods and schools which are considered “disadvantaged”.

The separation of gender has existed throughout history, the most common example of this in our modern lives would probably be in the schooling system. As schools can influence the students overall development, there is much debate on whether single-sex education or coeducation is better for a students learning experience and future prospects. A study conducted by the American Psychological Association with over 1.6 million students from the ages of 5 to 18 between 1968 and 2013 found that there was evidence to support that the difference between male and female learning abilities were trivial, some of these include mathematics, verbal ability, self esteem and leadership qualities (Hyde, J. S., 2014). Another important dilemma is in regards to the lack of experience and interactions in single-sex schooling compared to coeducational schools (Wong, I. W., as cited in Fabes RA, Pahlke E, Borders AZ, Galligan K. US principals’ attitudes about and experiences with single-sex schooling. Educ Stud. 2015; 41(3): 293–311). Interacting with others from the opposite gender in a vital area for an adolescents’ psychological and social development, which cannot be replicated from same-gender interactions (Wong, I. W., 2018, p. 17, as cited in Grover RL, Nangle DW, Serwik A, Zeff KR. Girl friend, boy friend, girlfriend, boyfriend: Broadening our understanding of heterosocial competence. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2007; 36(4): 491–502 ) Wong, I. W., (2018) shows results which favour mixed schools rather than single-sex schools in relation to gender salience, friends from opposite sex and anxiety during schooling years and through to university. Students from single sex schools were found to be more anxious when in mixed gender situations and had far fewer friends from the other gender.

As previously mentioned, the claims which support that single-sex schools being superior are trivial and insignificant. It would seem appropriate to allow young students to be exposed to mixed-gender to potentially avoid issues later in their lives. It is clear that there is no enough research within this area of education, and should require more focus on the implications on the social and psychological impacts of single-sex schooling, comparative to mixed-gender schools.

Part C

Reflection

My experiences with Australian schooling has been mostly positive and some could say privileged to a certain extent. I attended both public and private schooling and can appreciate both systems and also realise the potential drawback from these two different environments.

Growing up as a middle class migrant from another country meant that as a young child, had to adapt to the change in culture and expectations of this country. Primary school was a difficult time, as I had trouble with English and frequently caused problems within the classroom. The school could not effectively cater to students like me as there was such a wide variety of personalities and cultures. Due to this my parents believed opting for private schooling was ideal for my needs, whilst the support from teachers and staff was far grounded than public schools, it was difficult to make lasting friendships and connections with the other students. Some potential reasons could include the late enrolment or the difference in social class, as a middle class family, the difference in lifestyle and perspectives could have been the inhibiting factor. Interestingly, the friends made were of similar culture and were within the middle class range.

High School was when I decided to return to public schooling, as school fees were getting expensive. The school was average relative to other schools within the area, teachers which students had a genuine connection and respect were few in number and the quality of teaching was inconsistent from year to year.

The school had a large LBOTE student population and there was great cultural diversity and acceptance amongst most students. As the student population was quite large, students had little difficulty finding friends and forming groups whom they had similarities and values.

As Canterbury Boys High School is a all boys and is situated in the urban area, it is possible to assume that the social dynamics would be similar to those of which I have experienced in during high school. There is however a significantly smaller student population compared to the surrounding schools and what I have experience (Myschool). However, I believe that through my understanding and exposure of secondary education would assist me greatly, as I could better form connections with students due to my own personal positioning.

Justification

As we previously explored the social dynamics which could potentially play out, there are measures to help counteract negative outcomes for the students. In reference to literature, I will be examining methods to be inclusive to the student population.

Bullying can occur anywhere, from schools to workplaces and can affect the well beings of the victims and the perpetrator negatively short and long term. There are some interesting methods proposed by Maria M. Ttofi & David P. Farrington (2010) review on school based programs on tackling bullying. New programs are more effective when inspired by previously established programs which were successful, with modifications considering the aspects found practical or impractical (Maria M. Ttofi & David P. Farrington, 2010). An example of this is playground supervision as an element which were found to have relationship to a effective program. It is understandable that this would prove efficient, as a majority of targeted bullying occurs during recess and lunch breaks (Farrington, D. P. & Ttofi, M. M., 2010).

Disciplinary action is a form of intervention which is proven to be effective in the reduction in both bullying and the victimisation. Such could include a variety of sanctions, including stern talks with bullies, visits to the principal, close monitoring during breaks, and being deprived of privileges (Farrington, D. P. & Ttofi, M. M., 2010). Farrington and Ttofi found results which show that programs to target bullying were more effective towards senior students compared to junior students. This may be due to older students having developed superior cognitive and behavioural abilities, decrease impulsiveness, and a better tendency of making rational decisions.

Furthermore, Anti-bullying actions should go outside of the schooling system and should target different aspects such as family. Studies show that bullied students often found it difficult to communicate their issues with anyone, whilst guardians and teachers would not talk to the bullies about their behaviours (Farrington and Ttofi, 2010, p. 46, as cited by Fekkes et al. 2005). It is important to inform parents about issues with bullying through educational presentations and parent teacher interviews as the cooperation with parents related strongly to the significant decrease in bullying and victims of bullying (Farrington and Ttofi, 2010).

Cultural diversity at Canterbury Boys High School is widespread and prominent, which is common for most schools in the urban area. This large variety of ethnic groups can be daunting for teachers who are unfamiliar with these different cultures, typically for preservice teachers (Milner, R. 2006). Milner, R. (2006) reinforces the idea of importance of preservice teachers developing knowledge of the diversity in schools, particularly ones within the urban areas.

Critical reflection is highly thought to be a necessity for preservice teachers. Such reflection should be focus on themselves and upbringing, their potential students and their experiences and other communities. In other words, new knowledge and insight about the racial and ethical differences must be established to break down the numerous stereotypes that may have been internalised throughout the years (Milner, R. 2006, as cited in McIntosh, P., 1990). It is observable that self evaluation is of utmost importance to understand the students from different cultures, through the self evaluation my own cultural positionings.

Socioeconomic status (SES) and ethnic background can be related in terms of school locations. Compared to rural and urban areas, suburban communities hold a higher SES and are mostly White (Milner, R. 2006).

As urban and rural schools are two ends of the spectrum, these two schooling locations tend to have a high percentage of students living in poor households, single-parented families, and lack of resources and lower credentialed teachers, in particular urban schools (Perry, L. B. & Mcconney, A. 2010). Also due to urban schools enrolling a larger range of backgrounds, values and merits, there must be a greater variety of curricula to cater for the diversity of students. Hence, lower SES schools are less inclined to focus on academical education, rather vocational (Perry, L. B. & Mcconney, A. 2010, as cited Edwards, 2006).

(Milner, R. 2006, as cited in Ennis & McCauley, 2002; Ferguson, 2000; Kozol, 1992; Weiner, 2003). Sirin, S. R. (2005) outlines some possible interventions that may improve those in lower SES, who would have fallen behind because of their background. Such examples include smaller classrooms and schools (Sirin, S. R., 2005, as cited in Glass & Smith, 1989), childhood education, after-school and holiday (Sirin, S. R., 2005, as cited in Entwisle & Alexander, 1994), programs, and better qualified teacher (Sirin, S. R., 2005, as cited in Wang et al., 1993). All the methods mentioned have proven to be an important contributor in lowering the gap between the low and high SES students. Future programs should target on supporting the students at risk of failing school due to family SES, as the current system would lead to an intergenerational loop of diminishing results from families with lower SES (Sirin, S. R., 2005).

As children go through adolescence, the development of cognitive abilities allows a better understanding of their environment in new ways (Pahlke, E. & Hyde, J. S., 2016). Adolescence also indicates the beginning of a increase in socioemotional growth. Students at this age are more prone to develop internalizing issues (Pahlke, E. & Hyde, J. S., 2016, as cited in Graber, J., 2004). Also, single-sex school can limit the interactions with the other gender, resulting in a lack of experience and confidence after their school lives (Pahlke, E. & Hyde, J. S., 2016). The understanding of the potential of which single-sex education compared to coeducation better care for the students socioemotional growth will allow teachers to better support the overall well-being of the students (Pahlke, E. & Hyde, J. S., 2016).

I believe that through collaboration with other schools (preferably from the other sex) can single sex schools face the issues regarding the lack of interaction between the boys and girls, and also reap the claimed benefits of single-sex education.

1. MySchool https://www.myschool.edu.au/school/41147
2. Canterbury Boys High School Term 2 2017 newsletter https://canterburb-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/doe/sws/schools/c/canterburb-h/newsletter/2017/6/ctn_term_2_2017_1498791612744.pdf
3. Canterbury Boys High School Term 1 2018 newsletter https://canterburb-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/doe/sws/schools/c/canterburb-h/newsletter/2018/ctn_term_1_2018_1523249298112.pdf
4. Canterbury Boys High School Term 3 2018 newsletter https://canterburb-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/doe/sws/schools/c/canterburb-h/newsletter/2018/CTN_Term_3_2018.pdf
5. Ersilia, M & Christina, S (2017) Bullying in schools: the state of knowledge and effective interventions, Psychology, Health & Medicine, 22:sup1, 240-253, DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2017.1279740
6. Hyde, J. S. (2014) The Gender Similarities Hypothesis, American Psychologist, 2005, Vol.60(6), p.581-592
7. Maria M. Ttofi & David P. Farrington (2010) Effectiveness of school-based programs to reduce bullying: a systematic and meta-analytic review
8. Milner, R. 2006. Pre-service teachers: Learning about cultural and racial diversity. Implications for urban education. Urban Education 41, no. 4: 343–75.
9. Pahlke, E. & Hyde, J. S. (2016) The Debate Over Single-Sex School. Child Development Perspectives, 1 June 2016, Vol.10(2), pp.81-86
10. Perry, L. B. & Mcconney, A. (2010) Does the SES of the School Matter? An Examination of Socioeconomic Status and Student Achievement Using PISA 2003. Teachers College Record, 2010, Vol.112(4), p.1137-1162
11. Santoro, N. (2009). Teaching in culturally diverse contexts: What knowledge about ‘self’ and ‘other’ do teachers need? Journal of Education for Teaching 35(1), 33-45.
12. Sirin, S. R. (2005). Socioeconomic Status and Academic Achievement: A Meta-Analytic Review of Research. 75(3), p. 417-453.
13. Sirin, S. R. (2005). Socioeconomic Status and Academic Achievement: A Meta-Analytic Review of Research. 75(3), p. 417-453.
14. Stein, J. A., Duke, R. L, Warren, J. I. (2006). Adolescent Male Bullies, Victims, and Bully-Victims: A Comparison of Psychosocial and Behavioral Characteristics.
15. Wong, I. W. (2018) Students from single-sex schools are more gender-salient and more anxious in mixed-gender situations: Results from high school and college samples. 13(12).