Parent Corner

Year 11 Pastoral Guardian

At the end of Term 1, I imagine you greeted a very tired young adult after school on Monday at the beginning of lockdown and the Easter holidays.  Term 1 has been a challenge for students entering Elizabeth Hayes School, as the students have had to learn to balance more rigorous learning, assignments, exams, part-time work, sporting and cocurricular commitments, health issues, and more.  In recognition of the need for a balance of wellbeing and academic, students engage twice weekly in our Personal Development Program designed by our psychologist counsellors.  The focus in Term 1 was managing stress: identifying that stress is normal and strategies to manage stress. Students viewed TED talks and videos on brain development and the cognitive, emotional, physical, and psychological benefits of movement, healthy nutrition, meditation and mindfulness, sleep, and social connection.

 

In the PD program, in one session every two weeks, students had fun engaging in Move and Groove activities away from technology, books, tables, and chairs to 'get up and get moving', often outdoors, to manage stress in a social way, with a range of activities from meditation, dodgeball, handball, and other ball game competitions and team-based search-and-find challenges around the campus.  In my class, students elected which choices suited their needs in particular weeks and I was pleased that one student, Rylee Tamer, used her initiative to organise the sports equipment to make these activities happen.  Thanks, Rylee.  It was so wonderful to see the students laughing, socialising, and enjoying time together actively.  I have included a few happy photos from Week 9 Move and Groove.

Another strategy we learned in PD for managing stress is the value of sleep.  Students seemed interested in the medical information in videos based on brain research and sleep.  I recently read an article of interest in relation to brain activity, emotional regulation, screen time, and sleeping habits by the not-for-profit organisation Generation Next, that publishes excellent research on a range of pertinent mental health and wellbeing topics by psychologists, educators, and medical professionals.

 

The article gave key tips to enable a good night’s sleep based on the latest research on screen and social media use:

  • Reserving half an hour before bed without technology, using a blue-light blocking app, and doing something 'passive';
  • Talking with parents about household bed-time routines, as everyone has different rhythms of sleep;
  • Using platforms to make healthy connections through interaction;
  • Avoiding excessive silent browsing that can be detrimental to ease of mind and sleep.  “Like any social interaction, social media can be damaging if navigated in the wrong way, but the virtual world it opens up can also be fulfilling, informative, and empowering.  So, let’s create a society that uses it healthily - not just by blocking out blue light but by blocking out the things that make you see yourself in a blue light”. (Heather Cleland Woods, Lecturer in Psychology, University of Glasgow and Holly Scott, PhD Candidate in Psychology, University of Glasgow published in Generation Next (24 June 2019). 

As parents, in the holidays we should encourage our young adults to catch up on sleep, use social media in a positive way for healthy social connection, take some down time from devices, connect in relaxed ways with family members, exercise, and soak up some gentle autumn sunshine.  Why not go for a walk or cycle together as a family - of course, following COVID lockdown advice for outdoors, wearing a mask, and keeping safe social distance from others.

 

This term I have continued to be impressed by active and regular Year 11 engagement in clubs such as Outreach, Environment Club, Liturgy, Drama, Art, FCIP, Z Club that is raising funds for birthing kits for communities abroad in need, Peer Support, the Mount Alvernia and Padua Musical team rehearsing every Sunday, sporting teams, fitness clubs, and many more.  I would like to acknowledge two of our Year 11 students - Johanna Sehl and Lisa Gardiner - who are currently managing their studies around dedicated, long hours of training and competition for national and international level in their respective sports of swimming and acrobatic gymnastics.  Congratulations, students, and good luck in upcoming competitions.  We hope to share more of your achievements in the future.

 

Every week, I hear about another initiative that is healthy, creative, and social, and which creates enjoyable memories of college life.  By being involved, our young people are using initiative, responsibility, and leadership, and demonstrating commitment and service to the College and wider community.  Congratulations to the students who are so involved.

I look forward to meeting the Year 11 students again in Term 2, much more refreshed and relaxed, and wish you a safe and happy Easter.

Karen Farrow