Pastoral Care

The Year of Freedom

The importance of sleep

Sleep is the natural way for our body to restore and replenish itself so we can function on a daily basis. There has been much written on the importance of sleep for people and in particular teenagers. Sleep hygiene is an important conversation for parents to have with their children. Does your daughter have a sleep hygiene plan and if so have you discussed what this might look like? Some suggestions include the following:

• A healthy, balanced diet will improve energy levels and sleep
• Avoid taking your mobile phone or other smart device to bed
• Mobile phones should not be in bedrooms
• Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated
• Bed time is for sleeping

Bright lights and screens just before bed can keep us awake. What many do not realise is the light these devices emit (particularly blue wavelengths) suppress melatonin, the hormone that encourages sleep, making it harder to fall asleep. You can read more about this impact at the following link.

Another helpful strategy is to practice mindfulness meditation techniques which have been found to be effective in helping people drop off to sleep. These involve relaxation, meditation and awareness exercises that help focus your attention to be ‘in the moment’, acknowledge different sensations, and ‘letting go’. This is something we often practice with the students so they can incorporate this into their routine.

If you are worried about your daughter’s sleep habits, then I would recommend a visit to your GP for a check-up because sleep deprivation and insomnia are not helpful for growing teenagers at a time when they need between 8 to 10 hours sleep a night.

This week’s photo gallery captures a range of experiences involving your daughters over the past few weeks. They are a wonderful record of her time at school this term. The first photo in the gallery shows Yvette Crouch, School Captain and  Jessica Drummond, Vice Captain, attending the Abbotsleigh Senior College Breakfast to hear from presenter Jo Karaolis, former Principal of St Lucy’s School.

Please feel free to contact me  if you have any questions or concerns.

Justin Madigan

Dean of Pastoral Care

Conversations this week:

Upcoming Events  – Term 4

PLEASE TAKE SOME TIME TO READ OUR PROCESS FOR ATTENDANCE, ABSENCES AND OTHER RELATED PIECES OF INFORMATION.

Attendance

If your daughter is leaving school to attend an appointment, it is important for our duty of care that she has a note explaining why she is leaving school. If your daughter is absent from school and you have phoned, emailed or sent an SMS, your daughter is still required to bring in a signed note explaining her absence when she returns to school, as per  the NSW Attendance guidelines.

When absent from school

There are two ways to contact the school:

1. Email:   attendance@loretonh.nsw.edu.au, or

2. Phone: contact the Student Attendance Line on 02 9473 7354 – leave a message that includes your daughter’s name, House, Year and a brief explanation for her absence.

Please inform the school of your daughter’s absence before 8:30am. If your daughter’s absence remains unexplained after 8:45am, an SMS message will be sent to your mobile phone reminding you to contact the school and explain her absence.

On your daughter’s return to school, a signed note by a parent or guardian explaining the absence is required. You can use the perforated slips in the back of your daughter’s Student Handbook. The note needs to be handed to Mrs Andersen or Ms Storey in Student Services within seven  days of the absence. The absence note is a legal requirement.

Partial absence

If your daughter arrives at school after 8:20am, she will be required to sign in late using her Student ID Card. A signed note will need to be provided by a parent or guardian to verify the lateness with an explanation. If your daughter is required to leave the school grounds earlier than 3:15pm, she will be required to sign out using her Student ID Card. A permission note, not an email, must be provided, clearly stating the reason for the leave and the time of departure. Again, the signature of the parent or guardian is required.

Please contact me on  pastoral@loretonh.nsw.edu.au or 02 9487 3488 if you have any questions.

Uniform

Please support us in relation to school uniform. Your daughter should be wearing her full school uniform, including her hat, to and from school.  One earring in each lower ear lobe that is a  plain gold  or silver stud,  sleeper or small white pearl is allowed.  No student is permitted to wear makeup, nail polish, necklaces or multiple earrings, sparkly or other shaped earrings. Nails are to be natural and not acrylic or shellac.  If your daughter arrives at school with makeup she will be asked to remove it. Repeated issues with jewellery will result in a conversation with her Head of House or myself. Information pertaining to the Uniform Code is found on page 24 of your daughter’s handbook.

Merit List

Congratulations to all students who have been awarded Merits :

Click here to view merit list