I think the most important thing to acknowledge in this final newsletter of 2021 is the remarkable achievements of our young people this year.

It has been another challenging year for kids, families and educators. Hard on the heels of confronting 2020, it hasn't panned out the way we'd hoped. It's been a year of disruption and extended lockdowns in NSW, Victoria and the ACT, and sporadic closures across the country. Early optimism was dampened by Delta and remote schooling became our reality once again.  

The professionalism of teachers, and the support of parents, families and the whole education community is worthy of recognition, but it is the fortitude of our young people that has been the stand out, especially those who have graduated as the class of 2021 and now look forward to the next chapters of their lives. They've survived two years of unprecedented disruption to reach the end of their school careers. Their resilience and determination has been remarkable. We wish them all the best for their future.

The next couple of months give us all get a chance to take a deep breath and to focus on wellbeing. We know that the mental health impact on kids is the main concern of parents at the moment, and the summer offers a chance to reset.

At APC we are currently looking at ways to specifically help parents concerned about their young person's mental health.

And we are looking forward to a particularly busy 2022. We're pleased to announce that we have taken on a number of new council members to help us expand our expertise, capabilities, and community and genuinely engage parents. You can find out more about our board below.

Parenting and education will continue next year despite COVID, but the next few weeks are time for everyone to recharge your batteries.

So until next year, I wish you all a happy and safe holiday and a happy, healthy and productive 2022. We can only hope...

Jenni Rickard,
APC President