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Student disengagement rarely happens all at once. More often, it develops gradually through missed assignments, reduced participation, declining attendance, or a loss of interest in learning. When schools identify these warning signs early, they can provide support before academic struggles become more serious.

For parents, understanding how schools recognize disengagement can help strengthen the partnership between home and classroom.

What Student Disengagement Looks Like

Disengagement can appear in several ways. Some students become quieter and participate less during class discussions. Others stop completing homework, miss deadlines, or show declining grades.

Attendance patterns can also reveal concerns. Frequent absences, tardiness, or requests to leave school early may indicate that a student is becoming disconnected from the learning environment.

Behavioral changes deserve special attention as well. A child who suddenly seems frustrated, withdrawn, or uninterested in activities they once enjoyed may be experiencing challenges that affect school engagement.

Why Early Detection Matters

The longer disengagement continues, the more difficult it can become to address. Students who fall behind academically may lose confidence in their abilities. This can create a cycle where poor performance leads to lower motivation, which then contributes to further academic difficulties.

Early intervention helps prevent small issues from becoming larger obstacles. A student who receives support during the first signs of struggle often has a better opportunity to regain confidence and improve performance. Schools that monitor engagement regularly can identify concerns before they significantly affect academic progress.

How Schools Track Engagement

Teachers are often the first to notice any changes in a student’s behavior. Classroom participation, assignment completion, test performance, and social interactions all provide valuable information. Many schools also use attendance records, grade reports, and progress monitoring systems to identify patterns. Looking at multiple indicators together gives educators a clearer picture of a student’s overall experience. Some schools review engagement data regularly to determine which students may benefit from additional academic or emotional support.

The Role of Parents in the Process

Parents play an important role in identifying and addressing disengagement. Open conversations about school, friendships, and academic challenges can help uncover concerns early on. Regular communication with teachers allows parents to stay informed about classroom performance and behavior. Small changes at home may also provide clues about how a child feels about school. When schools and families work together, students often receive more consistent support.

Creating Pathways Back to Engagement

Support strategies may include tutoring, mentoring, counseling, academic interventions, or adjustments to learning plans. Schools may also help students explore alternative opportunities that better fit their needs and goals. For older students facing academic challenges, options such as online pathways to graduation may provide additional flexibility while helping them stay connected to their educational objectives.

Student disengagement is easier to address when warning signs are identified early. Through observation, communication, and timely support, schools and families can help students remain engaged, confident, and motivated throughout their educational journey. For more information on how schools can catch disengagement early, feel free to look over the accompanying infographic below.

School holidays in Perth — glorious sunshine, endless energy, and the inevitable “I’m bored” by day two. If you’re looking to keep your kids active, learning, and off their screens, sports holiday camps are one of the smartest options going around.

Perth has a fantastic range of camps covering everything from swimming and gymnastics to soccer, tennis, and multi-sport programs.

Here’s a sport-by-sport guide to some of the best school holiday camps in Perth.

Why Sports Holiday Camps Are Worth It

Beyond simply filling the calendar, sports holiday camps build real skills — confidence, coordination, teamwork, and a love of being active. Most run full days from around 9am to 3pm, making them a practical option for working parents as well as a genuinely fun experience for kids. And because camps bring together children from different schools, they’re a great opportunity for kids to form new friendships outside their usual circle.

Multi-Sport Camps

Australian Sports Camps Perth

For families after a well-organised, professionally run camp across a wide range of sports, Australian Sports Camps offers some of the best school holiday camps Perth families can find, trusted since 1982 with a broad program across the city.

Camps run for 3 days from 9am to 3pm across all Western Australia school holidays, with new Perth camps posted at the beginning of each school term. Sports available in Perth include AFL/AFLW football, basketball, cricket, hockey, netball, rock climbing, and soccer.

Groups are assigned based on friendships, ability and age, with a maximum of 14 participants per group. Camps also feature video analysis using digital coaching software and visits from special sports star guest coaches. Venues include Morley Sport and Recreation Centre, Hale School, Gold Netball Centre, City Beach Oval, Shirley Strickland Reserve, and UWA Sports Park.

UWA Holiday Sports Clinics

For something a little different, the University of Western Australia runs school holiday sports clinics with a broader and more unusual range of activities. Designed for children aged 6–16, the clinics are held every school holidays and cover a wide range of traditional and non-traditional sports, from archery to ultimate frisbee. The program aims to nurture healthy lifestyles, positive social interactions, motor skill development, and the concepts of integrity and respect. The UWA connection also provides a pathway for kids to join affiliated sports clubs afterwards — a great bonus for children who discover a new favourite sport.

Motiv8sports Perth

Motiv8sports runs multi-sport day camps in Perth’s western suburbs every school holidays at local venues, designed for kids from kindergarten to Year 6. All coaches have undergone Working with Children checks, and the focus is on energy and effort rather than a child’s sporting ability — so no one sits on the bench. A great option for younger kids trying sport for the first time.

Soccer Camps

Soccer is one of the most popular holiday camp choices in Perth, with several quality providers to choose from.

International Sports Camps run dedicated soccer programs across Perth suburbs. Camps run for 3 days, providing 18.75 hours of contact time with dedicated programs for 5–7 year olds, 7–12 year olds, and 12–15 year olds, with coaching from leading players and coaches.

Australian Sports Camps also offers Perth soccer camps across multiple venues. Their 3-day intensive camps allow kids to really hone their skills with structured coaching and small group sizes.

Tennis Camps

Perth is well-served for holiday tennis camps, with options spread across the metro area to suit most suburbs.

Break Point Tennis runs popular camps every term break. School holiday tennis camps are held at Applecross Tennis Club, Melville Tennis Centre, and South Perth Tennis Club. All children aged 4 and over can attend the 4 x 3-hour sessions spread across a week, covering tennis basics, tennis-specific games, and other fun sporting activities.

Tennis Factory offers a slightly different twist on the camp experience. Kids are split into teams and earn points throughout the week for things like helping coaches, persevering with improving a shot, and showing good sportsmanship, with prize-giving at the end of the week. Holiday camps run every school holiday at their two Perth venues, with flexible full-week or individual day bookings available.

For families wanting a nationally recognised program, AO Holiday Programs (presented by Tennis Australia) are available at clubs around Perth. Designed for children aged 5–15, programs combine tennis, games, and creative play run by qualified coaches at trusted local clubs, with half or full-day sessions available. Many clubs also accept government sport vouchers to help offset costs.

Swimming Camps

Perth’s warm climate makes swimming a natural choice, and there are solid holiday programs available across the city.

Kirby Swim runs a well-regarded holiday swimming program — known as Vacswim — across five locations in Perth and Mandurah. The program focuses on technique, skills, and strength in the water, taught by highly qualified teaching staff, with small class sizes that see fantastic progress over a week or more of consecutive lessons. Enrollment typically opens in September/October, so it’s worth getting in early.

State Swim’s SwimVac is another popular option. SwimVac runs between school terms and for four weeks over the Christmas break. It’s available for children aged four and over and is designed as a skill progression exercise, with the intensive structure creating significant improvements in skill and confidence over a short period.

Perth HPC in Mount Claremont offers both swimming and gymnastics holiday programs. Whether it’s in the pool or on the mat, their holiday programs are designed to keep kids active, engaged, and healthy.

Gymnastics Camps

For kids who love tumbling, jumping, and testing what their bodies can do, Perth has some excellent gymnastics holiday programs.

BK’s Gymnastics (High Flyers) runs a popular school holiday program. The School Holiday Fun program includes an organised circuit for primary school-aged children who want to explore the gym’s equipment with coach guidance, as well as a free play session allowing kids to explore the whole gym with coaches on hand for supervision and safety.

Swan Districts Gymnastics offers a well-structured program in Perth’s northern suburbs. Their school holiday program is designed for children aged 4–14 years, with each day including a mix of circuits, games, challenges, and free play in a safe, supervised environment. Programs run from 9am to 3pm on weekdays, with half-day morning or afternoon options also available.

Peak Trampoline offers a fun variation for kids who want something more high-energy. Their school holiday program covers trampoline, tumble, and acrobatics-based sessions run by qualified coaches, many of whom are athletes themselves, in a fun and encouraging environment with a strong focus on safety.

Tips for Booking Perth School Holiday Camps

• Book early — popular camps fill up fast, especially over summer and Easter. Many providers offer early bird pricing.

• Check the age range — most camps have minimum ages and group children by ability, so make sure the camp is a genuine fit for your child.

• Ask about safety policies — look for Working with Children checks, qualified first aid on site, and clear policies around allergies and child safety.

• Look for flexible bookings — some camps, like Tennis Factory and AO Holiday Programs, let you book individual days rather than committing to a full week, which is handy if your child has other commitments.

• Government sport vouchers — some Perth camp providers accept Active Kids-style vouchers, so it’s worth checking if your family is eligible.

Perth’s school holiday camp scene is genuinely strong across a wide range of sports. Whether your child has a passion they want to develop or is simply ready to try something new, there’s a camp here that will keep them active, happy, and tired enough to sleep well — which is a win for everyone.

You’re scrolling through your kid’s phone or just glancing over their shoulder, and there it is: a string of letters, parentheses, and weird little symbols that look nothing like actual words.

You’re definitely not the only parent who’s stared at a text and thought, “What in the world am I looking at?” Most of this stuff is way more innocent than it looks, and once you know what you’re looking at, it’s actually kind of fun.

Why Your Kid Texts in Symbols Instead of, You Know, Words

Your kid isn’t doing this to throw you off. When you’re texting back and forth fast with friends, typing out a whole sentence feels like overkill. A tiny symbol can say “I’m dying laughing” or “aww that’s so sweet” way faster than typing it all out.

This isn’t even a new thing. You probably did your own version of this back in the day. Remember typing 🙂 or <3 to a friend? Same exact instinct, just an updated version. Kids now just have way more emoticons to play with and have gotten pretty creative with it.

Take it less as a secret code and more like your generation’s slang, just typed instead of spoken.

A Quick Rundown of What You’re Actually Seeing

Let’s get into some of the ones you’ll probably run into:

Ɛ> — This one looks straight-up confusing the first time you see it. But it’s just a heart, turned sideways. That curvy character on the left, sometimes called a “backwards 3,” makes the bumps of a heart, and the > closes it up. It’s basically a cooler, more “in” version of the old <3 you grew up with.

If your kid sends this, they’re just saying ‘I love you’ or ‘this made me happy,’ nothing more. The backwards 3 symbol itself is easy to copy and paste, which is how most kids get it into their texts in the first place. If you too are feeling obsessed with the symbol, pay a visit to backwards3.com as it’s the only brand covering all you need to know about this symbol.

Ɛ: — Same backwards 3 character, different use. Add a colon and it turns into a goofy little face people call a “neko” face (cat-inspired). It’s playful, a little silly, kind of like a wink emoji with more personality.

XD — The X is squinted-shut eyes, the D is a big open laugh. Means something was hilarious.

:3 — A cute little smirk-type face. Think of it as their version of a smiley, just with more attitude.

>.< — Frustrated, embarrassed, or just an “ugh, why” reaction.

(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ — You might catch this one every now and then. It’s a guy flipping a table out of dramatic frustration. Almost always a joke, never serious.

You’ll see actual emojis mixed in too, plus a bunch of shorthand like “ngl” (not gonna lie) or “fr” (for real). None of this, on its own, is anything to lose sleep over. It’s just how kids add tone and feeling to a text, since they can’t use their face or voice to get the point across the way you can in person.

So When Should You Actually Worry?

Truth is, almost all of these symbols, the heart, the cat face, all of it, are just self-expression. It’s the digital version of doodling a heart in the corner of a notebook or making a goofy face across the lunch table.

What actually matters isn’t the symbol. It’s the context it shows up in. Here’s what’s actually worth keeping an eye on:

• Chatting with people they’ve never met in real life, especially if symbols are being used to build quick familiarity or trust
• A sudden need for privacy that wasn’t there before, like deleting conversations fast or switching apps the second you walk in

If something ever feels off, just search it. Type the exact symbol or phrase into Google and see what comes up. Nine times out of ten, you’ll find it’s just a trend, nothing to panic over.

Staying in the Loop Without Losing Your Mind

You don’t need to become fluent in teenager to stay connected with your kid. The best thing you can do is just ask. Next time you see something weird pop up on their screen, ask what it means. Most kids actually love explaining this and it turns into a fun convo.

The symbols will keep changing. New ones will show up, old ones will fade out, that’s just how it goes. But at the core, kids are saying the same things people have always wanted to say to each other. They’re just doing it with a few more squiggly characters.

School presentations may feel overwhelming for your child, but your support turns them into opportunities to build confidence and communication skills. As a parent, your guidance can help them move from feeling nervous about speaking in front of classmates to delivering a presentation that captures attention and leaves a positive impression.

The good news is that presentation skills are teachable. Just focus on preparation, practice and delivery, and you can help your kid develop habits that make presenting easier and more enjoyable.

Start With Strong Preparation

The foundation of any successful presentation is preparation. Before your child begins creating slides or memorizing information, help them understand the assignment requirements and identify the key message they want to share.

Encourage them to research their topic using age-appropriate sources and take notes. This helps them understand the material better and makes it easier to remember and explain concepts naturally during the presentation. Once the research is complete, help them organize their ideas into a simple structure:

• Introduction: What is the topic?
• Main points: What are the most important facts or ideas?
• Conclusion: What should the audience remember?

Use Visual Aids

Visual aids can help maintain audience interest. However, slides, posters or props should support the presentation rather than distract from it. You can teach them how to keep text brief and use images or diagrams whenever possible.

Doing so is especially important because attention span shows that the first lapses in audience attention occur within the first minute. Helping your kid create a visually appealing presentation can show them how to hook and maintain their audience’s attention.

Practice in Small Steps

One of the best ways to reduce presentation anxiety is through practice. Instead of waiting until the night before the presentation, encourage your child to rehearse in short sessions over several days.

Start by having them practice alone, then move on to presenting in front of family members, friends or even stuffed animals. Each session helps build confidence and familiarity.

Build Confidence Through Positive Feedback

Many children worry about making mistakes in front of their peers, so your positive feedback can help shift their focus from fear to growth.  When reviewing a practice presentation, begin with what went well. For example:

• “Your introduction grabbed my attention.”
• “You explained that idea very clearly.”
• “I liked how you looked up while speaking.”

After highlighting strengths, offer one or two specific suggestions for improvement, as keeping feedback balanced helps kids stay motivated and receptive. It can also be helpful to remind your child that even experienced speakers get nervous, and feeling anxiety before a presentation is normal and often a sign that they care about doing well.

Teach Effective Body Language

How your kid presents themselves can be just as important as what they say. Positive body language helps speakers appear more confident, keeps audiences engaged and improves learning, so encourage them to:

• Stand tall with good posture.
• Make eye contact with different people around the room.
• Use natural hand gestures to emphasize key points.
• Avoid fidgeting with clothing or note cards.

You can also encourage them to practice in front of a mirror or record a video of themselves to help them become more aware of their body language and identify areas for improvement.

Help Them Use Their Voice Effectively

Some people speak quietly when they are nervous or rush to get their words out. You can help your child during practice sessions by encouraging them to speak slowly enough for listeners to follow along and at a loud enough volume.

Remind them to pause between major points and take a breath when they need it. You can also encourage them to change their tone, volume or pace when discussing important information. This helps prevent the presentation from sounding monotone and keeps the audience interested.

Show Them How to Engage the Audience

Audience engagement turns your kid’s presentation from something classmates simply sit through into something they follow and remember. It matters because attention spans naturally fade, so you have to engage them to keep them from tuning out. You can help your child maintain engagement with their classmates by:

• Asking a question at the start to hook attention.
• Sharing an interesting fact.
• Including a brief demonstration.
• Using a surprising statistic.
• Inviting the audience to raise their hands in response to a question.

These simple techniques encourage participation and help listeners stay focused throughout the presentation.

Focus on Progress, Not Perfection

The goal of a school presentation is to communicate ideas, build confidence and develop skills that will be useful throughout life. You can help your child research effectively, organize their thoughts, practice regularly and engage their audience, creating a supportive environment where they can grow as a communicator. With patience, encouragement and consistent practice, they can approach presentation day without speech anxiety and with the right tools to make a lasting impression.

Tessa Dodson is the Senior Writer at Classrooms.com and a former career coach dedicated to supporting teachers and students with practical and accessible educational resources.

When she’s not writing, you can find her diving into research or catching up with her latest read.