College Newsletter

Assistant Principals' Report

Screen Time: How Much is Too Much?

 

 

As children grapple with remote learning, parents are faced with concerns around increased screen time. But how much is too much? The eSafety Commissioner has put together some practical guidelines for parents to follow as we try to support our children in healthy screen habits.

 

Here are some key messages.

 

How much is too much?

  • There is no magic number for the right amount of screen time. It depends on your child’s age, maturity, the kind of content they are consuming, their learning needs and your family routine.
  • The quality and nature of what they are doing online, and your involvement, are just as important.

Signs to watch for

 

Looks out for these signs in your child's behaviour:

  • tiredness, sleep disturbance, headaches, eye strain
  • extreme anger when asked to take a break from online activity
  • appearing anxious or irritable when away from the computer
  • becoming withdrawn

Stay engaged 

  • Keep an eye on the games, apps and devices your child uses.
  • Involve your child in creating a plan that balances time spent in front of screens — including time online and watching TV — and other offline activities.
  • Set rules about which websites can be visited and online games can be played.
  • A minor reduction each day or a ‘15-minutes to switch-off’ warning can help the transition to a more balanced use of time.

Set boundaries

 

Device-free zones and times can help you manage screen time. Suggestions include:

  • no devices in the bedroom for younger children
  • all screens off in bedrooms after a certain time for older children
  • all screens off at least one hour before planned bedtime
  • all family members switch off at dinner time
  • devices charged overnight in a place your child cannot access

More information

Read the eSafety Commissioner's recommended guidelines in full here. You can also register here for free live webinars to help you manage technology safely in your home. 

Thank you, Parents

We have been overwhelmed with expressions of gratitude from the community regarding our approach to remote learning.  Parents, grandparents and carers are reporting their appreciation of the maintenance of the learning routines and the face-to-face interactive components of the lessons provided by teachers for their children. 

 

Students have been incredible in their persistence and commitment to their learning whilst teachers and inclusion officers have noted the impressive efforts and manners of our learners.  I feel that this experience has, oddly, drawn us closer together, giving our students the best possible opportunity to reach their potential under such unusual circumstances.

 

Gina Carroll

Assistant Principal

Feedback - How is My Child Going? 

 

 

At Doncaster SC, we provide detailed feedback about specific tasks to parents and students on prescribed dates. The change to remote learning has required some adjustment to these dates for 2020.

 

The following key dates are now planned for all year levels and subjects:

  • Continuous feedback: May 20, June 25, Aug 20, Oct 15  & Dec 10. These tasks will be flagged to show there is an indication of the grade and effort as well as a comment.
  • Student-led conferences: August 26th.
  • Semester reports: The end of semester reports include grades for key tasks and a summary of each subject with Victorian Curriculum levels. Reports will be published on Compass by July 19th and December 15th . There will be no comments on end of semester reports. You will see comments in the flagged Learning Tasks on May 20, June 25, Aug 20, Oct 15 and Dec 10 by following the instructions below:

How to Find Feedback on Learning Tasks - Parent Help

 

VCE Assessments

Many VCE SACs were put on hold for the first few weeks of Term 2. Now teachers are planning remote assessments and it is important for students to carefully follow instructions for authentication of work.

 

Teachers will ensure there are clear written instructions provided in each learning task and students will be given at least one week's notice of each assessment. It is the responsibility of students to be reading Compass, DSC emails and MS Teams information to ensure they are informed and ready for upcoming SACs.

 

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to seek guidance from teachers and coordinators.

 

Good luck.

 

Gary Rule

Assistant Principal