The Newsletter Friday 9th August 2024

PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Welcome to all our community; parents, carers, students and friends,

Open Afternoon

I am very excited that next Tuesday 13th August Robinvale Pre-school and our College are opening our doors to showcase to families and the community our fabulous school and all it has to offer. Our classrooms will be open with staff and students answering questions about our school and programs.

It doesn’t matter if your child already attends Robinvale College or if you have younger children commencing school in the future or you would just like to come and have a look. Everyone is welcome. Come and have some fun with activities and us enjoy our free sausage sizzle.

Pupil Free Day Thursday 22nd August

The Staff have being given the opportunity  to attend Nairn Walker's "Celebrating Capacity" PD in Swan Hill, As all staff are attending the day Thursday 22nd August this will be a Pupil Free Day 

State School Education

Robinvale College is a great school. When I advocate for our school, speak to colleagues, families, staff or prospective students I am continually celebrating the work that is happening every day in our dynamic and diverse school. Quite rightfully, the questions are often around what are the benefits and advantages that going to your local school brings to your child.

Sometimes there is pressure or the perception that a child needs to go to a school away from their community to ‘get ahead’ but your local government school at Robinvale College anchors your child in the community and offers holistic learning with a huge range of educational and social opportunities in a supportive environment. A sense of belonging, connection and family’s valuing learning is the biggest indicator of student achievement and completion of year 12. State Schools are Great Schools!

State-wide Principals’ Conference

Last week I had the opportunity to undertake some formal obligations via my attendance at the statewide Victorian Principal conference on Monday, this was a follow up to my attendance at the principal network meeting last term. This conference the chance for networking and shared learning including keynote presentations from the Minister for Education, Hon. Ben Carroll, Deputy Secretary, David Howes and Dr Jenny Donovan (Australian Education Research Organisation). Over the next weeks I will be sharing information to staff.

Punctuality – Late arrivals

Equally important as attendance at school for academic success is also being at school on time. There has been a significant increase in the number of students arriving at school after 8:45. This causes disruptions for the classroom teachers and other students. It can also be embarrassing for the students who are consistently late. Please ensure that your child(ren) is at school on time. A good time to aim for is 8:40am.

Georgie Kelly role is now our attendance officer. Her role is to support families to getting students to school and on time. Georgie will be contacting parents offering support and strategies. Alternatively, you can also contact Georgie for help; she will be able to work with you connecting to services and support agencies or developing and attendance plan.

Parent Opinion Survey

Yes, that time of year has come around again. We have chosen to give every family the opportunity to participate in the 2024 Parent Opinion Survey. We hope that you take the time to participate so that we can gain an understanding of our community’s views and help us shape decisions for the future. The survey does not take too long to complete, and we really appreciate you taking a moment to provide us with your feedback. If you need support in accessing the survey our friendly office staff or the Our Place team are only too happy to help.

FOOTBALL CARNIVAL

On Monday the 29^th of July, a combined Robinvale College/St Mary’s Year 7/8 boys team represented our community in the 2024 Loddon Mallee Secondary Division Football Carnival in Swan Hill.

Finishing 2^nd in Year 7/8 Pool B competition, the Eagles came up again tough opposition – Game 1 saw the Eagles suffer a heavy defeat at the hands of St Joseph’s Echuca, going down 9.10.64 to 0.0.0. Fortunately, the Robinvale boys displayed resilience and tenacity, putting on a much-improved showing in Game 2 by securing a win against St Arnaud/Charlton 4.2.26 to 1.1.7.

Having had the opportunity to train together for several sessions prior to the carnival, students from both schools were able to come together on the day to demonstrate brilliant teamwork and an unwavering desire to succeed – a true reflection of both school communities.

A special thank you goes to Ryan Sedgmen (Clontarf), Charlie Ford and Tehan Kelleher (both St Mary’s) for making the day possible.

We look forward to many more successful combined-school events for the Eagles’ team.

CLONTARF VS COMMUNITY MATCH

 Another great turn out on Wednesday night for our annual Football and Netball matches. We really do appreciate the support from the local community. Clontarf again hold the bragging rights on the footy field, taking out the game by 2 points. The game was played in great spirit with everyone getting involved. With the netball match was won by the Community team. Special thanks to the following Robinvale Euston Football Netball Club Coates Mildura Fulton Hogan Aunty Sherry Aunty Sharon Robinvale/Euston Rotary Club Mildura and Swan Hill Clontarf Academies Leon Johnson Darryl Singh Robinvale  College

NAIDOC THANK YOUS

The NAIDOC Committee  would  like to say a huge thank you to all staff and students for your engagement during NAIDOC Week, to staff for being so flexible and go with the flow. It was beautiful to see unity for one objective, to celebrate the  oldest living culture in the world. A special thank you to those who assisted with the planning and organization of NAIDOC Week, to  Our Place for hosting NAIDOC morning tea. To our guest facilitators, Terrence Singh, Parks Victoria, Yarn Bark, Ebony Urquhart-Singh and La Tarnya  Burkinshaw who joined us to share their knowledge. Kabi and MVAC who assisted, Brenden Singh, Aunty Sherrie, Angelika Fevaleaki (Department of Justice and Community Safety) and The Robinvale Euston Rotary Club for their contribution  A special mention to the following students who assisted through the week, Ava, Marley, Latai, Lyla Ikafanga, Sasha, Callum, Lilah Best, Mia Johnson, Amos, Mahino, loan, Salote, Diyana, Latu and Latu, , Vilivaka, and Maliu.  We would like to also  thank local businesses for their kind donations towards the Colouring and Boomerang competition Armetteo Almonds, Bargain Basement  and the Robinvale Corner Shop.

UNDERSTANDING AND ENGAGING OUR YOUTH

Mildura Rural City Council would like to extend an invitation to your teachers/carers to attend our upcoming Parents Information Sessions on Tuesday 3 September at Powerhouse Place.

The session will run from 6pm to 9pm and provide you with tools and resources to better understand and support young people in your care.

The event will feature keynote addresses from The Flourish Journey and The Man Cave, while also offering a chance to interact with key local organisations including Headspace, MASP, Mallee Family Care, Victoria Police, QSpace and many more.

Light refreshments will be provided.

About The Flourish Journey

The Flourish Journey works with teenage girls across Victoria who struggling with expectations they currently face.

Their workshops create safe spaces to share and process experiences with their peers, while providing access to trusted role models to provide guidance on ways to ask for and receive help.

The Flourish Journey delivers youth-informed and evidence-based programs that develop participant self-awareness and cultivate emotional intelligence and empathy.

The group’s aim is to raise awareness for, and promote, issues teenage girls encounter, providing visibility to their stories and experiences, so that appropriate interventions and support are wrapped around them.

About The Man Cave

The Man Cave’s programs are designed to create long-term, positive shifts in attitudes and behaviours by creating psychologically safe spaces, while challenging gender stereotypes and providing participants with the opportunity to step into healthier masculinity principles.

After attending a Man Cave program:

• 91 per cent of boys report wanting to be a man that treats others with care and respect
• 84 per cent of boys feel empowered to build and maintain healthy relationships

The Man Cave’s workshops provide boys with the critical emotional and social skills needed to lead flourishing lives for themselves, their relationships, and their communities.

The parent and carers sessions provide context for what’s going on in the world of young men, and actionable takeaways to improve engagement.

Tickets for each session are available HERE and are limited.

100 DAYS

Foundation students celebrated their 100th day of school. They dressed up and completed fun activities throughout the day, all to do with the number 100.  They then had a celebration party

THANK YOU

Each year in preparation for our Athletic sports the oval and triple /long jump pits are prepared for the day by Adam and Ata our college maintenance  men, they also have help from Joe Gervasi with his tractor and hoe equipment to work up the pits. The college is very grateful to Joe for his help with this. Thank you Joe  

NURSING AS A CAREERS DAY

On Monday 29^th July, 4 of our Year 10 students took part in a Nursing as a Careers Day at the Mildura Base Hospital.  This day was organized by Latrobe University and took students through the many and varied roles of nursing.   Some of the areas  of nursing the students were able to look at were Theatre, Midwifery, Mental Health , General Nursing. 

The students gained a lot of information from this morning session and all came back with areas of Nursing that interested them.  It was also a surprise that they can study nursing right here in our district at Latrobe University. 

These varied career days are on offer to all students, so we encourage all to take part and look at different opportunities.  Our next career day is a Year 9 STEM workshop at the Mildura Sporting Precinct in September highlighting Engineering, Electrical and Lab Skills.

ROBINVALE HEALTH HUB WITH SCHOOL NURSE RACHEL

Welcome to the first edition of the Robinvale College Health Hub. I will bring you important health information each fortnight to help support students to be the best they can be.

This week is Sleep Health Week!

Why is sleep important for teenagers?

 Why does sleep matter so much for teens?

It’s no secret that sleep is important for everyone. But as teens hurtle through a time of very fast physical, mental and emotional growth, quality sleep is crucial for fuelling their brains and bodies. For teens, getting good sleep helps with their:

• analytical and creative thinking
• physical health and development
• attention, memory and motivation
• mental health, mood and wellbeing
• decision making and reduced risk taking.

How much sleep do teenagers need and does it differ between ages?

The National Sleep Health Foundation recommends that teens need between 8 and 10 hours of sleep every night. While this is the recommended amount, every teen is different: some may need a little more, while others may need a little less. However, it’s not recommended that a teenager gets less than 7 or more than 11 hours of sleep a night.

Unfortunately, most teenagers are falling short of this recommended quota and are sleeping, on average, for only between 6.5 and 7.5 hours a night.

What can cause sleep issues in teens?

There isn’t one specific reason why teens aren’t getting enough sleep. Instead, several factors play a part in the problem.

Some common reasons young people experience sleep issues include:

• stress from work, school and study (in recent ReachOut research, we found that over 50 per cent of students are specifically having trouble sleeping as a direct result of study stress)
• balancing time demands such as work, school, sports and a home/social life
• struggling with friendship and relationship issues, bullying or loneliness
• financial stress and managing the cost of living.

On top of these everyday stressors, other factors can cause sleep issues:

• Your teen’s changing body clock. Puberty hormones can shift a teen’s body clock in a way that makes them sleepier one to two hours later than adults. Of course, this becomes a problem when your teen can’t sleep in to catch up, due to their school schedule. When this sleep debt builds up, it can lead to chronic sleep deprivation.
• Mental health. Mental health issues such as anxiety and depression can make it harder for your teen to sleep well. At the same time, sleep deprivation can be a contributing factor to the onset (and worsening) of mental health issues.
• Technology and screen use. Using devices such as smartphones and computers around bedtime (including to game) can cause teens to lose track of time and miss out on sleep. The bright lights and blue light from these devices can also impact sleep.
• Sleep disorders. Sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnoea, restless leg syndrome, delayed sleep phase syndrome, narcolepsy and parasomnias can all make it very difficult to get enough sleep and may require treatment by a professional.
• Neurodiverse disorders. Disorders such as ADHD and autism can make it difficult for teens to sleep well. Disrupted sleep hygiene in teens can also lead to more pronounced symptoms.
• Poor sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is all about the habits and environments that promote consistent, uninterrupted sleep, such as setting a sleep schedule, having a relaxing pre-bed routine, creating a calm bedroom environment and building healthy daily habits.

What are the signs and symptoms of sleep issues in teens?

Sleep issues can impact almost every aspect of your teen’s life, so there are many different signs and symptoms to look out for. If your teen is having sleep issues, they may:

• forget things easily
• make poor or risky decisions
• be moody or aggressive
• take frequent naps throughout the day
• not perform as well at school or in sport
• struggle to concentrate in class or at home
• feel drowsy, lethargic or sick during the day
• miss school due to tiredness, or they might refuse to go
• feel groggy in the morning and be unable able to wake up easily
• have slower physical reflexes or be more clumsy (which can result in physical injuries).

It’s also important to look out for signs of possible sleep disorders, which can include:

• regularly taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep
• having difficulty staying asleep throughout the night
• snoring, gasping or choking during sleep
• feeling like they can’t move when they wake up.

What strategies can help your teen to sleep better?

If your teen’s having trouble sleeping, there are many things you can do to support them. Importantly, having open and honest discussions is key here, as this will help you to implement these strategies together.

Strategies to help improve sleep hygiene in your teen include:

• working out a regular sleep schedule
• encouraging a relaxing bedtime routine
• creating a calm sleep environment
• promoting healthy daily habits
• setting time limits on stimulating activities such as device usage and homework
• checking up on their weekly schedule to see if they’re overcommitted
• leading by example and making good-quality sleep a family commitment
• getting professional support if needed.

For detailed advice on these strategies, check out our article on practical strategies to improve your teen’s sleep. We also spoke to a number of parents to get their top tips for helping your teen sleep better.

What if my teen needs further help with their sleep issues?

If you’ve tried every trick in the book and self-help strategies aren’t really working for your teen, it’s a good idea to seek further help.

A good first step is for your teen to see their GP. They can help to identify any possible causes and offer some initial suggestions, or refer them to another health professional, such as a sleep specialist or mental health professional. Find out more about these options in our article on professional support for teen sleep issues.

Depending on the kind of sleep issues your teen is having, whether or not they’re grappling with a recognised sleep disorder, a healthcare professional can help tailor the right kind of treatment, which often involves a combination of approaches. The following are some common treatments:

• Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). CBT-I is an evidence-based treatment for insomnia, in which trained professionals can help your teen to identify unhelpful thoughts, feelings and behaviours that might be contributing to their insomnia.
• Improved sleep hygiene. Strong sleep hygiene is a recommended approach for many sleep issues (and usually works in tandem with other treatments). It’s all about creating good habits that set the stage for quality, uninterrupted sleep. You can dig more into these strategies here.
• Relaxation techniques. Taking time to practise relaxation techniques during the day and at night can make a big difference to your teen’s sleep. These techniques include slow breathing, yoga poses, meditation and mindfulness.
• Light therapy. There’s a strong connection between light and sleep, especially if your teen experiences insomnia or a circadian rhythm sleep disorder. Light therapy involves sitting in front of a specially designed light box or visor for a certain amount of time each day (under the guidance of a medical professional).
• Lifestyle changes. There are many healthy lifestyle habits that promote good sleep, such as getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, avoiding smoking, moderating alcohol use, and cutting back on caffeine.
• Medication. In some cases, medication or supplements may be prescribed by a medical professional to help treat sleep disorders. Your teen’s doctor will be able to recommend which medication is suitable for them.

Helpful resources for dealing with sleep issues in teens

The following resources can provide more information on teenagers and sleep:

• The National Sleep Health Foundation is Australia’s leading advocate for healthy sleep. Its various resources include factsheets and other information on teenagers and sleep.
• Raising Children Network’s Teens has a range of resources on helping teens get good sleep, and on teen sleep concerns and problems.
• Sleep Disorders Australia has a range of factsheets on many teenage sleep disorders, including their symptoms, causes and treatments.
• ReachOut Parents Forum is a place where you can chat online with peers on threads such as teenagers having trouble sleeping, and gaming, sleep and food.
• ReachOut Parents One-on-one Support offers parents and carers free, professional support.

You can also share these ReachOut resources with your teen:

• ReachOut’s sleep resources for young people, which includes helpful resources on how to get a good night’s sleep, personal stories, engaging videos and more.
• ReachOut’s Online Community, where your teen can chat with peers in threads such as Weekly Wellbeing: Getting a good night’s sleep or Sleep schedules.
• ReachOut Peer Chat, where your teen can chat with a peer worker who understands what they’re going through.

While improving your teen’s sleep won’t happen overnight, it’s important to keep working on it. By understanding why sleep is important for your teen, developing strategies with them and getting professional support if needed, you’ll be better placed to help them get the sleep they need (and deserve).

If you are needing any further support, you can see myself, the School Nurse on Fridays or can visit the Doctors in Schools who are at Robinvale College on Wednesdays.