18 February 2022

Newsletter Articles

Assistant Principals

Paul Stevenson
Andrea Saville

Grade Leaders

Grade 7: Elle Fox
Grade 8: Lenny Towns
Grade 9: Allison Stone
Grade 10 AST: Sharon Parish

Support Services

School Psychologist: David McCormack: Wednesday and Friday
Social Worker: Isabel Casey: Tuesday, Thursday and every second Friday
School Chaplain: TBC
School Health Nurse: Dave Mackay: Monday

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Welcome back to Term 1 2022. I am so appreciative of how everyone has contributed to us having such a calm and focussed start to the learning year. Our administration and cleaning staff here have been amazing in preparing the school for the return of the school year and ensured we were all set to go on day one. Our teachers spent the first two days ensuring lessons were ready to engage our students and from my visits to classrooms across the first three days, students were definitely back here prepared for learning. I’m also so grateful for the amazing support we have received from parents over the past week. What could have been a very difficult and challenging week was made smooth sailing through the understanding shown by all within our wonderful school community.

The new farm classrooms are well underway and can be seen from the roadside. We are hoping to have students accessing these amazing 21st Century learning spaces at the start of Term 2. We are also continuing to plan the school’s redevelopment and Mr Mulligan and I met with the architects in the holidays as they did a site visit to further progress this exciting venture.

New Farm classrooms

In relation to the different rules and regulations around Covid-19, we will continue to take advice from the Education Department and then relay this information to parents as any changes or developments occur. As always, please contact the school if you have any questions or concerns. It is important that we all continue to stay safe and follow the public heath advice as we do in our everyday lives outside of school. If unwell, students must stay at home and use a RAT - please contact the school to report positive tests. Virtual learning is available in the situation where students test positive or are impacted in a close contact situation, and school has more information if this is needed around this educational provision.

Benjamin Frerk
Principal

HOW TO SLEEP WELL & STAY HEALTHY

From the Exeter High Nurse’s Desk

Welcome to the start of the 2022 school year. Now that we have all finished the long break it’s time to check in with ourselves. Let’s start the year off well by getting enough sleep.

Sleep, why do we need sleep? Most of us spend 30% of our lifetime sleeping and some would see this time as wasted. However, sleep is important for our bodies, and we need to make sleeping a priority. Effective rest and sleep sets us up for a fabulous day. When we sleep our bodies have time to repair, grow, maintain our physical and emotional state, assists us in better learning, boosts our immune system and improves our memory. It even helps us to support a healthy weight. Just like your phone, your body and mind needs to be recharged each day - with a good night sleep!

How much sleep do we need? For some adults, we can get by on 7 hours but for most of us, it can be as much at 10 hours. Teens require around 8 to 10 hours and school aged children need between 9 and 11 hours each night. Unfortunately, most teens only get 7 to 7.5 hours and some get by on even less.

What happens if I don’t get enough sleep, or a good night’s sleep? Sleep is just like money, not enough and you go into debt - sleep debt. If you don’t pay it back, you risk your health. People in sleep debt are irritable, moody, aggressive, restless, impulsive, often tired, have more accidents when driving, run the risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. School children and teens get lower grades at school, have poor memories and they can impact on the sleep of other family members.

So, what can I do to assist sleep? Following the ‘How to sleep well’ guidelines will help-

• Establishing a routine in the lead up to going to bed
• Getting outside - helps the creation of melatonin (the hormone that helps you fall asleep)
• Exercise during the day will help you deal with stress and anxiety and will help your body burn up energy
• If you get into the habit of sleeping during the day, even for a short while, you may start to shift your circadian rhythm (your body clock). For the same reason, avoid having very late nights and long sleep-ins at the weekend
• If you have got things to do like homework, getting ready for the next day, a computer game to play or a favourite programme to watch on TV, try to get it done well before bedtime
• During the evening, give your body plenty of time to digest a meal. A heavy supper late on or close to bedtime is hard for your stomach to deal with
• The same applies to coffee or any drink that stimulates you
• The last hour is the most important hour of all. Your body is naturally getting ready to sleep with the release of melatonin; you are probably yawning, and your muscles are beginning to relax. Switch off the computer, the TV, the iPad, and don’t use your mobile phone as the light that comes from their screens can interfere with the production of melatonin and stop you falling asleep
• Have a bath (not a shower - may wake you up) and use that final hour to wind down
• Once in bed, read a book or listen to gentle, relaxing music
• Keep as close to a regular bedtime and waking up time as possible, as it helps to ‘set’ your body clock.

If you can consistently go through as many of these stages as possible, you should soon find that you are waking in the morning feeling more refreshed. Why not try keeping a ‘Sleep Diary’? Note down when you went to bed each night, when you fell sleep and when you woke up. You can then work out how many hours sleep you got.

Need help sorting your sleep out - remember you can always catch up with me on Mondays @ Exeter High.

Information taken from the SleepScotland Website and How to Sleep Well and Stay Healthy, a Guide for Teenagers, Dr. Yemula and Prof. Besag, also available as a free eBook - visit iBooks and download it onto your iPad/iPhone or Mac.

Visit the link below to download the free app

Cheers, Nurse Dave

The function of protecting and developing health must rank even above that of restoring it when it is impaired. — Hippocrates

STUDENT BUS TRAVEL IN 2022

ARE YOU ELIGIBLE FOR FREE TRAVEL?

Eligible students can receive free travel to and from school with Tasmanian bus services. To see if you are eligible to apply for a student bus pass for free travel, or renew your expired free travel entitlement, visit the link below.

Existing students with free travel that expired in 2021 would have been sent a renewal reminder in November last year. Students who applied for a free travel bus pass between 22 November 2021 and 5 January 2022 should have received their bus pass before the start of the 2022 school year. Applications received after 5 January 2022 may take up to 4 weeks to process. Students who currently have an expiring free student bus pass and will be travelling on Metro or Tassielink in 2022, should not throw away their current card. If eligible for free travel in 2022, this entitlement will be applied to their existing card – they will not receive a new card.

TELL ME MORE! For more information on student fares and free travel, visit Student bus pass for free travel – Transport Services or call 1300 135 513

CALENDAR

Calendar – Term 1, 2022

February

March

April

Term 2 - 4 Term Dates

COMMUNITY CORNER

ELPHIN JUNIOR BADMINTON

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

Primary, High and College aged students

DEVIOT COMMUNITY PHOTO CONTEST

NORTHERN TASMANIAN JUNIOR SOCCER ASSOC.

BREAST SCREEN TAS

Breast Screen Tasmania will be visiting Exeter 15 – 25 March. Book your appointment now.