St John Paul II College Nicholls
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1021 Gungahlin Dr
Nicholls ACT 2913
Subscribe: https://sjpcnicholls.schoolzineplus.com/subscribe

Email: office.jpc@cg.catholic.edu.au
Phone: 02 6163 4800

Message from the Assistant Principal - Wellbeing

This week has seen students continue to settle into the routine of school following the summer holidays. It is important that students get into a routine at home also, especially around sleep. The impact of sleep on the teenage brain is well researched and documented. A recent article from the Sleep Foundation stated:

Sleep is vital for children’s and adolescents’ wellbeing. Sleep supports healthy development of the body and mind. Evidence shows that children and adolescents who do not get enough sleep have more trouble learning. They are less attentive and motivated, have poor problem-solving, more confusion, increased irritability, reduced memory, impaired communication, slower processing of information, poorer judgement, diminished reaction times and more indifference.’

The full article can be found on the Sleep Foundation website.

Houses are in full preparation for next week’s swimming carnival with rumours of House chants and themes circulating as Houses vie for the year’s first opportunity to place one hand on the House Spirit Cup which is currently in Drexel’s possession. Please be aware we require students to be attired in modest, school-appropriate swimwear.

On Tuesday evening we welcomed our new families to the College with some presentations about JPC followed by a shared meal. Our first school assembly focused on coming together as a College with Principal Dr Wattam urging students to take pride in their school and embrace all the school has to offer to better feel a connection and sense of belonging.

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I am requesting families to assist the College in managing mobile phone usage at the school. The process requires phones for years 7-12 to be in lockers from the start to the end of the school day. Phones that are seen will be confiscated. If you need to contact your child during the school day, please do so via the office. In case of emergency, a member of staff can collect your child from class if urgent contact is needed.

This is part of a wider discussion regarding cyber safety and technology that will be had through the mentoring and pastoral programs this term.

Strategies to support parents and carers of young people in our community as advised by the eSafety commissioner include talking about online safety openly, setting up family rules regarding phone use in the house, setting up appropriate areas where computers are used and being aware of the apps your child is accessing including social media. More information for parents and young people can be found on the eSafety Commissioner website by following this LINK. The St John Paul II College Technology Policy can be found in student diaries, and we ask that parents/ carers read through this policy with their child and sign it. It can also be found by following this LINK to our JPC website. Thank you for supporting us in working with your child to ensure that we are setting them up with all of the best advice to stay safe online.

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Parents are also asked to speak to students about their uniforms. Items such as hoodies, soft leather sneakers eg Nike, and non-school bags should not be used at school. In the coming weeks, staff will follow up with families if students are not meeting our uniform expectations.

All the best for a safe and relaxing weekend and thank you for the continued support of our teachers and the College.

Tom van de Waterbeemd
Assistant Principal – Wellbeing & Community
Maathai and Van Thuan Houses