Welcome back to Term 2

The recent break offered Australians a valuable opportunity to reflect on the concept of sacrifice through the observance of both Easter and ANZAC Day. As a College community, we marked these important moments by gathering for the whole-school Easter Chapel at the end of Term 1, reflecting on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for our sins. We then began this term by commemorating the many men and women who served in defence of our country during our ANZAC Day assembly, held on Thursday.

Holidays are a wonderful time to relax, recharge, and reflect. I was fortunate enough to spend part of the break paddling a canoe on Lake Macquarie, staying up late watching movies, and playing board games with the wider Kelshaw family. I imagine many families and students enjoyed similar moments of rest, taking a welcome break from the usual structure of school life.

While this change in routine is important for staff, students and families alike, it’s equally vital to return to habits that support learning and healthy adolescent development. To help ease this transition, students spent time exploring the impact of sleep on learning during their Thinking Thursday mentor session (held on Wednesday this week due to the ANZAC assembly).

As part of the session, students watched the following video:
▶ The benefits of a good night's sleep – Shai Marcu

They then engaged in group discussions around the following questions:

• Based on what you’ve learned, do you think it’s possible to learn new material while you’re asleep?
• How does sleep contribute to memory consolidation, and what roles do different sleep stages play in this process?
• What is the function of the hippocampus in forming and strengthening new memories during sleep?
• In what ways can sleep deprivation impact cognitive function and overall brain health?
• How do emotional experiences and stress levels affect the quality of memory formation during sleep?
• Considering the insights from the talk, how might adjusting your sleep habits improve learning and performance in everyday life?
• What will you do with this information? How can you use it to your advantage?

These important discussions can be continued at home. We encourage families to have open conversations with their secondary school students about the importance of quality sleep. Setting clear boundaries around technology use in the evenings can make a real difference and help create a home environment that supports the recommended eight hours of sleep for teenagers.

The Black Dog Institute has compiled a helpful list of tips and resources for building healthy sleep routines, which families may wish to explore:
🔗 Tips for Supporting Better Sleep – Black Dog Institute

As a teacher, I can often tell which students are benefitting from strong sleep routines. Their ability to regulate emotions, form relationships, think critically and contribute meaningfully to discussions is noticeably enhanced. This might also be a timely opportunity to reflect on your own sleep habits, alongside those of your adolescent child. Change is often most effective when we hold each other accountable—children keeping parents in check and parents guiding their children.

I’ll admit, my own excuse for keeping my phone beside the bed (I use it as an alarm) probably isn’t the most helpful for getting quality sleep—and when my kids point it out, it gives me good reason to reconsider!

Here’s to deep, uninterrupted, brain-restorative sleep becoming a regular part of your families nightly routine.