Yesterday was a pupil free day and our staff spent the day learning and working together. The morning was spent with our student leaders facilitating a session with the whole staff called "Teach the Teacher". These students had analysed the data from our Students Attitudes to School survey, done some further research, presented the data analysis to staff and prompted staff to think about what they could change in their practice to

improve student/staff relationships, improve the way they give feedback to students and improve the implementation of our Instructional Model (lesson structure). There was much engaged and passionate discussion, and I think all teachers left with a bigger understanding of the concerns facing students and some ideas regarding how to address them. Congratulations to the student leaders who, under the guidance of Christian Birch and Simon Braknys, presented a very mature, intelligent and engaging session. Given the current teacher shortage, some of them may find themselves in front of a class next year!

Staff were then reminded of their legal responsibilities with a presentation and discussion facilitated by the Australian Education Union. It is always worthwhile revisiting this topic, as our professional obligations are governed by 70 pieces of legislation.

We spent a short period of time discussion the implementation of the new industrial agreement, and then spent the afternoon with Dr Maria Ruberto exploring the neuroscience of resilience, and how we can grow our own resilience.

Covid-19

This week I attended a Principal Forum where the Deputy Secretary for Education David Howes reminded the audience of the importance of reporting the daily cases of Covid-19 in schools. Please make sure you email AskLeadership@sthelena.vic.edu.au as we are still required to report cases to the Department.

RATs and face masks are available from mini schools and the general office, and RATs will be distributed via STRIVE to students who want them.

It is still very important to be Covid-19 safe; not only to protect against Covid-19, but also the flu and other viruses doing the rounds.

The most important thing is to keep your child home if they are unwell. Even if they "only" have a cold, they may pass it to a staff member or another student who is unwell enough to need time away from school - complicating our staffing pressures and compromising the education of students.

Mobile Phone Ban

David Howes also emphasised to Principals that the state wide mobile phone ban is more important than ever to enforce.

Mobile phones and air pods will be confiscated if they are not in a student's locker between 8.30 am and 2.50 pm. The only exceptions are for students with an exemption card authorised by me. The handful of students with exemptions must carry their card with them.

Pasta for our people!

Nick’s Gnocchi and Pasta Fundraiser

We have partnered with Nick’s Gnocchi and Pasta for our first ever pasta drive. We are raising funds for our Community Engagement fund to support school-based activities, inclusive of morning teas, sausage sizzles and other lunchtime activities. Nick’s Gnocchi and Pasta is handmade with love and all orders can be delivered straight to your door (for a fee) or alternatively can be picked up from our College.

20% of the proceeds of this fundraiser will go directly to our Community Engagement fund, when you use the code ‘STHELENA’ at the checkout. All products are made fresh and distributed frozen, perfect for stocking up the freezer and Father’s Day!

Please share this with all your family and friends as anyone is welcome to order!

Our fundraiser will open from Thursday 1st September until Wednesday 14th September. Pasta can be home delivered or can be delivered to our College for pick up on Thursday 15th September and Friday 16th September.

Head to https://nicksgnocchipasta.com/ to order your fresh pasta order now!

Any questions, please contact Caitlin Fecondo cfo@sthelena.vic.edu.au

Energy Drinks

We have noticed a large number of students coming to school in the morning drinking energy drinks. Yesterday I saw a young man finishing one can, with another one ready to go in his other hand. These drinks are not safe, and are not appropriate for students to be consuming before school. Some of the consequences of energy drinks include:

Mood disorders -

Studies have shown that patients with mood disorders are more likely to display symptoms or relapse while drinking energy drinks. This is because of the "up and down" effect caffeine has on the body. The connection between energy drinks and mood disorders is not a positive one, so if you suffer from depression or any other mood disorder, they are not for you.

Caffeine overdose -

An overdose of caffeine can produce headaches, diarrohea, heart palpitations, dizziness, high blood pressure, insomnia, "jitters", disorientation.

Obesity -

Some energy drinks contain up to 100 calories - which is a lot. The sugars, especially simple sugars, can cause your fat cells to grow and multiply at an astonishing rate.

Anxiety attacks -

An overdose of caffeine can trigger an anxiety attack, or make people more nervous and jittery because of the excess and unwanted energy in their system. Studies show that over a certain amount of time, participants that self reported anxiety attacks, and those that held the gene for panic anxiety, were more likely to react badly to caffeine.

Risk taking behaviour -

According to some studies, high consumption of energy drinks can lead to increased risky behaviour particularly among adolescents. There is a visible correlation between those who drink energy drinks and take drugs, show violent behaviours or drink alcohol. This is all circumstantial evidence but the evidence is growing.

Poor behaviour

Energy drinks can cause you to become hyperactive and jittery. They give you a short energy high that can be very addictive. Most teenagers use them to stay up late until the early hours of the morning, sacrificing the proper sleep and rest they need.

There have been articles that prove that energy drinks cause behavioral problems and poor classroom discipline in teenagers.

The main culprit? It’s all the stimulants that are in an energy drinks that are the cause of it. Caffeine and sugar mostly.

Tooth decay

Reports have confirmed that energy drinks are bad for your teeth. The citric acid in many energy drinks can strip the enamel right off your teeth and leave dark yellow stains behind as well.

Insomnia

Essentially, energy drinks work by compounding a lot of stimulants that keep you awake and give you a burst of energy. But what happens when you turn to energy drink as your daily go-to beverage?

Energy drinks can indeed keep you more alert when you’re tired. It’s like a double-edged sword, they keep you awake, but also stop you from getting restful and restorative sleep.

The effects of caffeine generally last for about 6 hours (depending on your physiological makeup). This can mess up your sleep patterns, preventing your body from getting the proper rest that it needs.

Over time, this could lead to other illness such as depression, anxiety or worse.

Headaches

Some people with high sensitivity to caffeine may experience a headache after drinking an energy drink. Besides that, consuming energy drinks that are high in caffeine are also known to cause severe migraines in some people.

This is because your body experiences caffeine withdrawal symptoms.

Weight gain

Some energy drinks contain a large amount of sugar. Consume too much sugar and you’ll be well on your way to gaining a few more kilos than you might like to.

Tummy aches

Some people may experience stomach aches after drinking energy drinks. Many people often get a stomachache whenever they drink an energy drink on an empty stomach.

This happens because caffeine encourages your stomach to produce more acid than what it normally would. That coupled with the way that caffeine interacts with your stomach acid is what causes the stomachaches.

Caffeine addiction

The constant feeling of energy surging through your body that you get after drinking a can of energy drink can feel pretty good. In fact, the high that you experience can be addictive.

There have been studies showing that just 100mg of caffeine per day is enough to get you hooked.

Caffeine addiction can quickly spiral out of control as higher and higher doses of caffeine will be needed to experience the same boost that you previously felt as your body adapts to the daily caffeine intake.

Negative interactions with drugs -

The caffeine and vitamins in energy drinks can interfere with the workings of prescription medicines in lots of ways. Some times it can make the drugs less effective.

The United Kingdom is banning the sale of energy drinks to people under 18.

The manufacturers of Monster energy drink are facing a wrongful death suit in California after a 14-year-old girl with a pre-existing heart condition died after drinking two cans.

This will be the first time in the world that such a case has gone before a jury.

The outcome of the case could have consequences for the sale of energy drinks in Australia, where currently they must be labelled 'not recommended for children'.

Academics in law and health have recommended that Australia bans the sale of highly-caffeinated energy drinks to people under 18 years old.

I urge you to speak with your child about energy drinks and discourage them from drinking them.

Upcoming Parent/Family Workshops

Parentzone Anglicare - Online | Dads Matter

https://www.anglicarevic.org.au/events/?category=parentzone

Are you a dad who would like to:

Better understand your importance in your child’s life?
Have agreements that work?
Further develop your relationship with your young people?
Get your head around what they need from you?

Come along to these 6 online sessions. Share strategies, strengths and stories. Take some time out for you and celebrate the importance of being a Dad!

WHEN: Mondays (6 evening sessions) 8th August – 12th September 2022TIME: 7.00pm to 9.00pmWHERE: Online – Via ZoomWHO: DadsFree (Bookings are essential)

Enquiries: Julia at Parentzone 039721 3629 or 0400 866 495

Vaping online info session (Eastern Health, Health Promotion team)

E-cigarette and vaping use in young people is becoming increasingly prevalent. Join the Eastern Health, Health Promotion team to learn and discuss the most recent evidence regarding e-cigarettes and vaping with a particular focus on young people.

This session is being delivered again due to high demand. If you attended the prior session in June the same information will be presented.

This session is aimed towards parents and carers and will be informative for school staff.

Date and time:

Wed., 10 August 2022

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm AEST

Online event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/e-cigarettes-vaping-and-young-people-tickets-383696635967

From the Principal

Dare to be Excellent

Term 3 Weeks 5 & 6 · 18 Aug 2022

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