SECONDARY NEWS 

From the Assistant Principal 

NAPLAN

In Weeks 4 and 5 NAPLAN testing will be held for all students in Year 7 and Year 9. The students will complete the tasks in the morning of each of the set days. 

If a student is absent on one or more of these days, catch up sessions will be held. Students have been involved in practice and familiarisation activities in preparation for the NAPLAN assessments. They should ensure that they are rested so that they can complete the tests to the best of their ability.

Students are reminded to bring headphones (non-Bluetooth) for the online tests.

CHESS

Congratulations to the chess team who defeated TAS last Thursday in Armidale. The following students were involved: Frank McCosker, Haydan Huynh, Tom Sinclair and Isaac Whan.

Year 10 Work Experience

Year 10 have been given permission notes to participate in our WEX program. The notes are now overdue and need to be returned as soon as possible. If more information is required, please contact Mrs McLachaln.

Secondary Assessments

This term there will be no formal semester exam week and assessments will be ongoing during the term.

Students are in the process of completing assessment tasks which may be in the form of tests, assignments, practical or group tasks to name a few. It is essential that they prepare adequately and complete tasks by the due date. Students are encouraged to use a diary to keep track of their individual assessments.

Time management

There is a busy term ahead and students need to ensure that they are well prepared for all assessments. Regular application to homework and revision will assist students in all subject areas. 

Winter Uniform

From the beginning of June, all students are required to be in full winter uniform. Some students are already wearing the winter uniform and are to be congratulated for their efforts in being dressed according to the uniform code. If students are not correctly attired they are required to present a note to their Pastoral Care teacher and to remedy the situation as soon as practicable.

Please be aware that representative sports jackets, cattle team shirts and other sweaters are not acceptable uniforms for day to day wear. The uniform shop has a list of requirements for all students. If there are any queries please contact the school. 

Lost Property

There is a substantial amount of lost property in the staffroom. Students should check if they are missing any items of clothing, including shoes. It is advisable to clearly mark all items with names so that the property can be easily and promptly returned to the correct owner.

Wellbeing - Engagement & Mindfulness

“They can because they think they can.” Virgil

Have you been involved in activities where you become so immersed that you lose track of time and you are totally engaged in the challenge you have? If so, what are you feeling? Is it enjoyable? Are you able to think of anything else when you are in this state? If you haven’t had such experiences, google Chris Bliss, to see him in the state described above, which is called flow. 

The ever-present nature of electronic communication, means many students have fractured attention; they find it almost impossible to deeply engage themselves because they are always awaiting another message. Teaching them to focus on how to pay attention to what they are meant to pay attention to is a skill that will enable them to experience flow. The first step is for them to put their mobiles on flight mode for 4 periods of 30 minutes every day. 

Also, providing them with a wide range of learning activities will enable them to focus on using their skills to engage in overcoming challenges. This will develop the resilience skills of regulating their emotions and flexible thinking. The level of the challenge needs to be little beyond their current skills to stretch their brains’ abilities. 

Acknowledgement: Kotler & Csikszentmihalyi 

How Much Sleep?  

  (Prue Salter March 2013)

* This recently published article includes advice that may be beneficial to both students and parents.

We all know that sleep is important for general health, for growth and development and for emotional wellbeing. You may also know that important memory processes take place while you are sleeping, ensuring you retain what you are learning and studying.

Perhaps you have heard that teenagers need between nine to ten hours of sleep per night. But where does this come from and how valid is this claim? In 1980, Mary Carskadon of Stanford sequestered a group of adolescents in the university’s sleep laboratory for several days, letting them sleep for as long as they wanted, up to 10 hours. She found that the teenagers slept just over nine hours, with very little variation. This single “naturalistic” study is the primary basis for the adolescent sleep recommendation. However, some researchers argue that just because teenagers slept nine hours when left alone does not mean that this is the best thing for them, just like letting people eat whatever they want is not necessarily the best thing for their health. So there is no definitive answer at this point in time.

The amount of sleep needed by teenagers is most likely very individual, just like it is for adults. It is probably safe to assume that adolescents need more sleep than adults and that the average for most people is at least 8 hours of sleep per night. Pay attention to the signs and have students listen to their body. If they lie down in bed and fall asleep instantly, this is a sign they are not getting enough sleep for their body. It should take at least 15 minutes to fall asleep. If they wake up in the morning and are feeling exhausted, then check all lifestyle factors: are they getting enough sleep, eating healthily and getting enough exercise?

If teenagers are sleeping in for many hours on a weekend, unfortunately, this does not mean they are “catching up” on their sleep. According to University of Texas Southwestern sleep specialist Dr Gregory Carter, when we think we’re catching up on sleep, what we’re really doing is messing with our circadian cycle — the body’s internal clock which dictates sleep patterns. Excessive sleeping in is in fact a signal that during the week students need to go to bed earlier. The aim is to work out the optimum bedtime so that the need to catch up on large amounts of sleep on the weekend is eliminated.

There is nothing wrong with having a power-nap in the afternoon when students get home from school, as long as the nap is no longer than 40 minutes. A short nap can help students regain their energy levels and allow them to focus on the work they have to do that evening. However, a longer nap will also disrupt sleeping patterns for that night.

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