YOU MAY NOTICE A FEW NEW FRIENDS

The average high school has 750 teenagers, 250 dating couples, and more than 50 options for extracurricular activities. With so many opportunities to connect, your high schooler may find their place in engineering class or on the debate team, in drama club or on the basketball court.

THERE IS A NEW ACADEMIC REALITY

Year-9 means increased demands for personal responsibility. For those headed to college/university, grades begin to count toward future admission. For everyone, grades count toward a high school certificate. 

THIS IS A YEAR OF IDENTIFYING TALENTS

By the end of this year, your teenager will have a more stable sense of who they are. Frankly, they may be a little frustrated you haven't known who they were all along. (Why not? it's been so obvious.) Listen carefully. Pay attention. Stalk them openly. The greatest thing you can do in this phase is to continually rediscover who they are becoming and know where they are finding acceptance.

High school means higher stakes. Many Year-9 students spend this year redefining who they thought they were or what they thought their future would be. Pay attention. Ask questions. This is a significant year. 

THINKS LIKE A PHILOSOPHER

You help them learn when you... ASK QUESTIONS.

WANTS TO KNOW "WHERE DO I BELONG?"

You capture their heart when you ... VALUE COMMUNITY

IS MOTIVATED BY FREEDOM

You coach their moral abilities when you ... GIVE CHOICES

YOUR YEAR-9 TEENAGER IS CHANGING

PHYSICALLY

• Has difficulty falling asleep before 11pm, but still needs 9 hours of sleep per day

• Guys are getting taller, smellier, hairier, and gaining muscle mass; may also experience voice changes, weird dreams, and increased acne

• Girls' bodies take on an adult physical appearance, after menstruation, increase in height will slow, then stop

MENTALLY

• Increasingly able to focus, recall, and organise information

• Overly self-aware: may think "Everybody's watching me"

• Wired for risk-taking and sensational experience

• Resists embarrassing situations

• "I'm bored" often means, "I don't understand"

SOCIALLY

• Girls begin wearing make-up on a regular basis

• Increased interest in sexual expression, but dating tends to be short-lived

• Say they want parents to listen more than advise

• May be tempted to change their appearance or behaviour to gain acceptance

EMOTIONALLY

• Feels empowered through choices rather than rules

• May still feel insecure about their changing body

• May experience changes in motivation

• Seeks experiences that create intense feelings and emotions

• More vulnerable to addiction, such as self-harm, alcohol and pornography