As our students (and as parents!) navigate the exciting but often challenging years of adolescence, it’s important to understand the unique changes occurring in their brains—particularly in the frontal cortex. The brain, a workmanship of God’s creation, is complex and reflects the intelligence of our Creator God. This particular part of the brain responsible for wise decision-making, mastering impulse control, and driving social behaviour is still developing during these formative years. We often ask our children, “What were you thinking?” when they make unwise decisions, but the truth is they actually weren’t thinking about it, cause that part of their brain is not fully developed yet!

The frontal cortex matures gradually, typically not reaching full development until they are in the mid-20s, and even longer for young men. This means that teenagers often struggle with planning, prioritising, and regulating their emotions and generally making “wise” and measured decisions considering consequences. Understanding this key physical development timeline can help parents and educators support teenagers in making positive decisions and using mistakes to grow and learn, whilst taking responsibility for their poor decisions. Here are some practical tips that may be useful when supporting teenagers.

Modelling Good Choices: Adults can set examples by making thoughtful decisions and discussing their reasoning. We often do the first but forget to explain the reasoning to our children about the why.

Providing Structure: Clear expectations and routines can help teens navigate their daily lives, giving them stability and providing ways and time to think more rationally and thoughtfully.

Open Communication: Encouraging open dialogue about emotions and decisions can empower students to express themselves and consider the consequences of their actions. When they make a mistake, encourage them to take ownership of their actions and involve them in the consequences or decisions about what discipline might be appropriate for them. Encourage them to think of ways to make restitution with those they have wronged and/or support them to seek forgiveness. These are powerful times for learning and developing their character.

Positive Reinforcement: Acknowledging and rewarding good behaviour can motivate teens to make better choices and recognise their own growth in areas. It also helps them to focus on making better choices rather than them internalising their faults and shame.

Above all, we believe in a Biblical Perspective. In our efforts to guide our students, we seek to honour Christ, build community and grow in grace and knowledge. We believe the Bible and its teachings guide all that we do as Christians individually but also as a Christian organisation. We want to support teenagers in living godly and honouring lives by making good choices. One verse that often resonates deeply with me as a teacher and a mum is Proverbs 22:6:

It says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

This verse reminds us of the importance of early guidance and the lasting impact it can have. By instilling values and behaviours aligned with the Bible and God’s desires for our lives, we can help our children navigate their teenage years with confidence, integrity and grace. But we must explicitly teach them the right way, what it looks like, and how to do it. That’s why we believe our Vision Project (Positive Behaviour Program) is so important. We aim to teach our students in very practical and real ways what living in a God-honouring way looks, sounds and acts like, and we want to encourage them to aim to live that way.

That’s why our key values are so important to us at Casino Christian School. We want to encourage all our school community to act with the following:

Compassion

Compassion is central to the heart of Christ, who demonstrated deep empathy and love for those in need. God’s Word calls us to be “kind and compassionate to one another” (Ephesians 4:32) and to “bear one another’s burdens.” (Galatians 6:2). Compassion compels us to act with kindness and to show mercy to those who are suffering, advocate for those who are marginalised and care for those who are hurting. By embracing compassion, we mirror Christ’s own sacrificial love, reflecting His care for the vulnerable and His call for us to serve others selflessly.

Integrity

Integrity is a cornerstone of a Christ-centred life. The Bible teaches us to be honest and upright in all our dealings, saying, “Let what you say be simply yes or no. “(Matthew 5:37) and “to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man” (Corinthians 8:21). Integrity is about doing what is right, even when no one is watching and aligning our actions with God’s truth. We honour Christ by being trustworthy, fair, and transparent in all our relationships, ensuring that our words and actions reflect the purity of His character.

Respect

Respect reflects the inherent value that each person holds as a creation of God. In Philippians 2:3-4, we are called to “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others”. Jesus showed respect to all people, regardless of their status and treated each person with dignity and worth. By practising respect, we acknowledge the worth of others and seek to honour them as image-bearers of God.

Responsibility

Responsibility is rooted in the biblical teaching that we are stewards of the gifts God has given us (1 Peter 4:10; Galatians 6:5). This includes taking ownership of our actions, caring for the resources entrusted to us and seeking excellence in all that we do so that we honour Him. Jesus modelled responsibility in His life, fulfilling His mission on earth with a deep sense of purpose and accountability. As His followers, we are called to be faithful stewards, making wise and responsible choices in every area of our lives, knowing that we answer ultimately to God for our actions.

And lastly, what about when we make mistakes, don’t think through our actions, or simply just sin? There are always consequences in life, and at school, and when our students make mistakes or do the wrong thing, they will always be held accountable for their actions. We believe that we all need to take ownership of our wrongdoings, ask forgiveness, and seek to rectify and restore relationships when we wrong ourselves, each other, or God.

We have a loving Saviour who continually forgives, restores and loves – without limit. We thank him daily for his saving grace that rescues us from our failures, fears and wrongs. We seek to offer that to our students each day anew, and not only to take responsibility and own their sometimes-unwise decisions but also to use these moments to grow their character and show compassion, integrity, respect and responsibility as they learn, grow and develop their frontal cortex!

As we continue to support our teenagers through their academic, mental and spiritual development, let us remember the significance of teaching them what godly living looks like, encouraging their positive behaviour and loving them unconditionally, without strings, when they make a mistake. Our Saviour offers forgiveness to us all; how much more should we offer it to each other, especially our young people? I’m grateful for a loving Saviour who loves me despite all the unwise choices I made, make and will continue to make – I pray you will all experience the transformative unconditional love of Jesus that makes us truly free. If you don’t know this love and want to, please contact someone on staff. We would love to share more about this life-changing gift that is available to everyone!

Mrs Faith Hull

Principal