Winter Uniform

From Friday 1 June all students are required to be in full winter uniform. Many 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 uniform 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 property can be easily and promptly returned to the correct owner

Assessments

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.

How Much Sleep?

* This recently published article includes advice which 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.

Prue Salter

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