Year 11 Pastoral Guardian

The Term 4 Franciscan value of joy was evident in the return of Year 11 students last week. They were rejuvenated and happy to renew friendships and ready to set individual goals for incremental academic improvement. Retrospectively, I would like to congratulate Year 11s for continued effort and academic focus in Term 3. Congratulations also to Year 11 students for superb spirit in participation, performances and costumes when competing in House Dance battles at the Cultural Festival at term’s end. 

Further congratulations are due to students who achieved awards at the Sports Assembly last week for participation at school, state, national and international level and to all Year 11s who participated in school sporting teams, while balancing their studies. 

Pertinent for this term as part of the weekly Personal Development Program is The Healthy Mind Platter which is geared to educating our young adults about setting goals to find a balance of healthy mind activities. The program designed by Dr Daniel Siegel, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA School of Medicine consists of seven essential focus areas that are necessary for optimum mental health. This week’s focus is sleep and physical wellbeing. 

Research indicates adolescents require 8.5 – 9.25 hours per night. Statistics from Australia suggest that our young people are on average getting only 7.5hours per night. They are effectively missing an hour of sleep per night. Dr Siegel’s program presents psychological (anxiety), physiological, environmental, and behavioural reasons for insufficient sleep such as electronic devices in bedroom, caffeine, and lack of exercise. The effect on performance ultimately results in concentration difficulties, lateness to school, lower moods and irritability.

To assist our young adults in this important stage of their learning, we will discuss strategies and set goals for improving sleep routines e.g. avoiding technology and stimulants before sleep; meditation techniques for a “wind down time”; dimming lights in a cool, dark, quiet room; and making a sleep diary. Our Personal Development Program encourages students at this age to be more in control of balancing their lifestyle for improved wellbeing. Now is the time to discuss with your young adult their sleep patterns, nutrition and physical wellbeing and strategies they hope to  enact to improve their capacity for learning.  

Karen Farrow

Year 11 Pastoral Guardian