Student Services : Wellbeing

Harmony Day- Friday 24 March

Northcote High School will celebrate Harmony Day on Friday 24 March. Harmony Day is all about coming together to celebrate diversity, inclusiveness, and respect. We encourage all staff and students to wear a “splash of orange” i.e. an orange accessory (badge, ribbon, socks, scrunchie) on Friday, to promote a sense of belonging. As per below, there will be a range of activities throughout the day for you to get involved in:

Daily Connect - Various classroom activities.
Lunch time- Badge making in the library.
Lunch time- Our very own “taste of harmony stall” run by the NHS international school students. Come down to C Block to learn from you peers whilst enjoying a delicious bubble tea (which will cost $2).

You can learn and practice simple phrases like 'hello' and 'thank you' in different languages featured in Recipes for Harmony. Go to: Schools (harmony.gov.au) to start your learning.

Sleep Hygiene

While we know sleep is essential for good health, research shows that many children and young people are not getting enough sleep on school nights. This can affect thinking, concentration, memory, reaction times and mood. Research shows about 12% of primary school-aged children, a quarter of 12- to 15-year-olds and half of 16- to 17-year-olds don’t get enough sleep on school nights. The recommended amount of time to sleep for primary school-aged children is 9 to 11 hours. For teenagers, it’s 8 to 10 hours.

Signs that your child is not getting enough sleep can include:

low mood and irritability during social interactions.
reluctance or arguing about getting off devices and going to bed.
falling asleep during the day.
difficulties waking up for school and sleeping in late on weekends to catch up.
changes to communicating or interacting at home.

You can help your child to improve their sleep by:

establishing a regular sleep pattern and consistent bedtime routine.
supporting them to avoid using electronic devices such as smartphones before going to bed and in bed.
encouraging your child to exercise and spend time outside in daylight, steering clear of vigorous activity in the hour before sleep.
encouraging them to wind down and relax before going to bed.

If your child is still having trouble sleeping, has persistent problems with low mood, excessive daytime sleepiness, restlessness in bed, severe snoring or wakening unrefreshed, despite getting adequate length sleep, they should see a doctor.

Vaping- Risks and Advice

Parents, carers, schools, and community all play an important role in protecting children and young people from, and educating them about, the harmful effects smoking and vaping.

Research from the Royal Children’s Hospital shows many parents and carers are not aware of the harmful effects or how their views about smoking and vaping can impact the likelihood of a young person taking up smoking or vaping.

The Department of Education and Training has developed resources to help you learn more about the health risks of smoking and vaping, and some suggestions about how to talk to children and young people about vaping, and where to get support. To access the resources, go to https://www.vic.gov.au/smoking-and-vaping-advice-parents

You can also view this video on smoking and vaping from experts at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne for health advice and tips for starting a conversation with young people.

Family Therapy- The Bouverie Centre

The Bouverie Centre are currently offering FREE telehealth therapy sessions for families on a ‘one-at-a-time’ basis. These sessions are running on Mondays between 12:30-6:30 PM. See flyer below for more information.