At Durack Campus, in February two presentations were held for students in Years 3 – 12 by Jonny Shannon, a school motivational speaker, who addressed students on safety on the internet, bullying, cyberbullying, and how to be a good friend.
The students thoroughly enjoyed Jonny’s sense of humour, animation and the clear message he shared on the importance of friendship. He began the sessions with how to connect with people and make friends:
• Be Friendly – be interested in others and they will be interested in you;
• Find Common Ground – find out what other people like that could spark conversation and to make connection;
• Quality vs Quantity – spend quality time (not just online).
He spoke about bullying, the impact of social media, and strategies to create a positive online presence, and avoid the dangers.
He finished with a focus on encouraging ‘Long Term Mates’:
• Be positive – people don’t like being around a complainer all the time;
• Be yourself – don’t make things up, people won’t know what to believe;
• Don’t spread hurtful gossip which could hurt others;
• Know your friends – ask questions, make connections, be a good listener to understand them;
• Spend quality time with friends – ‘online’ does not count!
Jonny Shannon also talked about his own experiences as a school student, how he was bullied and what he did to overcome it. Now he speaks all around Australia to hundreds of students.
Deborah Heis
Guidance Counsellor