It has been a delight to see students, new and returning, back on campus this week and I hope your child has enjoyed connecting with other students and with staff.
If your child needs any assistance settling into the new School year, do not hesitate to be in touch with staff who are keen to work with you to ensure all students quickly feel they belong and are able to make the most of the many opportunities available this term.
The commencement of a new term, particularly after summer holidays, often brings with it a need and an opportunity to get into new rhythms and routines. It is quite common during the holidays, especially for teenagers, to see mobile phone screen time balloon, poor sleep patterns develop and each day to become more about maximising joy for me rather than maximising joy for others.
As students get back into the swing of the School term, the partnership shared between School and home swings back into action and I would encourage all families to have another look together at the School Handbook so that we are all across and familiar with School expectations.
In relation to mobile phones, a few years ago we started asking:
- Junior Campus students to keep their device at home or leave it at the Head of Junior Campus’ Office;
- Grade 7-10 students to keep their device in their locker from the time of arriving on campus through to their departure; and
- Grade 11-12 students to keep their device in their pocket while at school unless used under the direction of a teacher.
We introduced these expectations (See Page 27 of the School Handbook for more detailed information) to maximise learning time and face to face social interaction during the School day. Staff will be reminding students of these expectations as the year commences and reinforcement of this at home is incredibly helpful.
As we help students get back into good sleep patterns, it is worth remembering that getting mobile phone use at home in the evenings right often helps improve sleep at night which, in turn, sets students up for success the next day. Sadly, teenagers are the most sleep deprived people in society which comes at a cost to their physical health, mental health and learning. For parents struggling with issues relating to sleep or any other parenting challenge, I encourage you to check out the resources on Launceston Grammar’s subscription to School’s TV. The Healthy Body series section of the site contains some terrific resources on sleep, body image, eating disorders, physical activity and more.
This week our student prefects for 2022 were inducted and committed to serving our School community. Service of others is something we ask not just of our appointed leaders; it is something we ask of all students. The School’s Christian foundations shape our belief that students have been made not to serve themselves but to serve others. As a consequence, opportunities to help others in our School community and the wider community abound and any student looking to get involved serving this term are encouraged to connect with either Reverend Elizabeth Poland (Junior Campus Chaplain) or Reverend Matthew Pickering (Senior Campus Chaplain).
John Maxwell, the famed author once said, “You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily.” Together, as parents and teachers, let’s be having conversations with our children and our students about the daily routines they wish to keep this year whether it be with technology, sleep, service or some other aspect of their life. Afterall, it will be their daily habits, their rituals and routines, which are instrumental in shaping this year and their future.
Richard Ford
Headmaster
