Term 4 arrangements

Welcome back to Term 4! We hope all families had the opportunity to relax and recuperate after a challenging Term 3.

As you would be aware, the Victorian Government have released their Road Map which outlines the proposed return to school plan and dates, subject to the vaccination targets being met.

This will mean that from the week of 18^th October, we will begin to welcome our junior students back to school two or three days a week, with Year 3-6 students beginning to return for two days a week in the week of October 26^th, with all students back full time from Friday 5^th November. This plan is subject to health advice, and we will keep families informed as the dates are confirmed by the Victorian Government and Department of Education. Please see the graphic below, which outlines the return dates and days for each year level.

We are currently in the process of finalising our plans for students return to school and will send out a detailed document next week.

We are very proud of the resilience and hard work displayed by our students throughout Term 3 and we are excited to be able to see our students back at school soon.

Curriculum Day and Public Holiday

A reminder that Monday 1^st November with be a Curriculum Day and Tuesday 2^nd November is Melbourne Cup Public Holiday. There will be no remote learning or onsite attendance on these days.

Cyber Safety

A big thank you to Mrs McCallum for organising the Cyber Safety sessions with the different grade levels. They were extremely informative and, if you have not seen any of them, I have included the links below.

F-2: https://bit.ly/3uLri1f

Grade 3/4: https://bit.ly/3uPdtif

Grade 5/6: https://bit.ly/3ljpolq

There have been instances of Cyber Bullying or inappropriate behaviour involving some students in the past and it, unfortunately, is a situation all of us will have to deal with sometime as parents. If this does occur to your child, there is a site you can report this to the link is:- www.esafety.gov.au 

Hopefully, you will never need it!

Prioritising mental health in the digital world

by Dr Kristy Goodwin

Whilst there may not yet be conclusive evidence linking digital media use to poor mental health outcomes there’s no denying that it’s one of the chief concerns facing parents and educators of children and adolescents, growing up in a digital world. The contradictory research findings confirm that this is a complex topic.

There’s certainly consensus in the research that young people are heavy technology users, which comes at a cost of their psychological and physical needs. Their digital behaviours eat into the time that was once available for three pillars of mental health – sleep, relationships and exercise.

Minimising sleep disruption

Sleep is vital for mental wellbeing and emotional regulation in childhood and adolescence. Inadequate amounts or poor-quality sleep can cause mental health issues. Studies consistently show that Australian children and teens aren’t getting enough sleep. Digital device use is also linked to sleep disruption, impacting the sleep-wake cycle. The Lancet study suggested that nearly 60% of the impact of young people’s psychological distress could be attributed to disrupted sleep and exposure to cyberbullying.

Parents need to remind children and young adolescents about the critical role sleep plays in their psychological wellbeing. Parents can help adolescents foster healthy social media habits by establishing a digital curfew, keeping devices out of bedrooms and discouraging teens from ‘bookending’ their day with social media as it can easily trigger the stress response at these times.

Maintaining healthy relationships

Positive relationships are fundamental to a young person’s psychological wellbeing. Adolescents are biologically wired for relational connection. They want to be part of a tribe. Whilst teens and pre-teens may insist that technology connects them and caters for their relational needs, if used excessively or inappropriately, technology use can compromise their relationships and deteriorate their mental health.

Parents need to encourage and sustain opportunities for real interactions amongst adolescents. When we connect in-person the brain releases oxytocin, the social bonding hormone, which isn’t replicated online. The need for keeping a balance between digital and face-to-face interactions is paramount.

Ensuring sufficient exercise

Sedentary social media and digital consumption frequently replaces physical movement on weekends and after school, which are the opportunity times for kids’ sport, free play and outdoor activities. Brain science now informs us that physical exercise boosts serotonin and neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine that play a critical role in regulating adolescents’ mood.Lack of exercise is now being linked to the current anxiety epidemic that we are seeing in young people.

Parents need to ensure that children experience a minimum of 30 minutes exercise, and teens a minimum of 60 minutes. “Go outside and play” is a term that this generation needs to hear as frequently as children in past eras.

In closing

The research into the links between kids’ digital technology use and their mental health presents a complex picture that defies simplistic conclusions. Blanket statements and headlines that suggest screens and social media are to blame for kid’s poor mental health aren’t helpful as technology is now a part of all our lives. However, there is enough evidence to suggest that the key pillars of mental health outlined above can be severely impacted by the overuse of digital technology. All things in moderation, a common guideline for healthy living, is best when considering kids’ social media and digital technology use.

Regards

Ken & Lisa

October Newsletter

We had a very successful Spring holiday program, we were kept busy by creating our own monsters, experimenting by drawing  with watercolour pencils, cooking up a storm in the kitchen, getting messy in the colour run and plenty of time to play outside. Even though the program was a little different because of restrictions due to Covid 19 , we still had lots of fun. Hopefully our summer program will be back to somewhat normal.

PUPIL FREE DAY:

-BOOK NOW on Fully Booked-

Mon 1^st  Nov: Cooking day !

 Silent Disco

23^rd-29^th November

This term its time to get our dancing shoes on and polish up on our karaoke skills for disco week.

More Information to come

Opening Hours:

BSC: 7am – 8.45am

ASC: 3.30pm – 6.00pm

Service Coordinator: Louise Whyte
+61 439 392 221
Bonbeach@theircare.com.au