Year 8 Camp
At the end of Term 3, Year 8 Students will have the opportunity to go on a camp on the 12th-14th of September. This will be a fantastic experience for students to have with a range of different activities such as low ropes, Archery and giant swing. All information is on the compass event with more information to be sent home. The following link also contains information about the Camp Munyung: https://camps.ymca.org.au/camp-manyung
Melbourne Victory
As a part of the Active Schools Program that Elevation Secondary College is involved in, we have partnered with Melbourne Victory to provide our students with the chance to engage in Soccer Training Programs during lunch time on students PE uniform day. Commencing in week 2 of Term 3, this program will be free to access and students of all abilities are welcome to participate.
Year 9 Camp
Year 9 had a successful trip to the Golden Valleys camp on the Mornington Peninsula earlier in the month. Activities included the giant swing, a 18m climbing wall, the leap of faith and team-building activities. Students showed great courage in doing activities and teamwork in encouraging each other on some of the more scary activities! The group also got to experience the beautiful surrounding nature on a walk in the nearby National Park. We even managed to fit in two study sessions to start preparing for exam revision techniques, which will become increasingly important over the upcoming years.
A smaller group of 6 students also attended a leadership camp in country Victoria in early August, attending workshops aimed at increasing their leadership skills while experiencing more outdoors activities.
Subject Expo
The subject expo evening ran on the 25th of July. If you were absent and/or require more information, please contact Kyle Schutz or Rory Henderson. Year 8 and 9 subjects will be confirmed later in the year.
Aspire Shop Grand Opening
The Aspire Shop has officially opened!
The Aspire shop is a way to reward students that have been demonstrating exceptional behaviors in relation to our school values of Aim High, Work Hard and Be Good.
How it works:
- Students earn Aspire points for their hard work
- All Aspire points go into the Mentor Group Aspire Raffle drawn every fortnight
- Winner is randomly selected and receive an Aspire Shop Entry Ticket
- Students that receive an Aspire Shop Entry Ticket can access the Aspire Shop and spend the Aspire Points that have earned through the year to purchase items.
Congratulations to students that have already received an Aspire Shop Entry Ticket and to the students that have already made their first purchases!
For everyone else, the more Aspire Points that you earn the more likely you are to get drawn and the more Aspire Points you have to spend at the Aspire Shop!
Wellbeing
At Elevation Secondary College we will be celebrating RUOK? Day on Sept 8th by exploring the 4 steps of asking RUOK? which encourage noticing if someone seems like they need help, listening without judgement, encouraging them to take action and seek support, and checking back in again to see how they are feeling. We believe that students have the capacity to be great supports to one another and RUOK? Day is an opportunity to practise supporting others and seeking help for ourselves when we need it too. https://youtu.be/Q4Db28pEGzQ
1. Ask Are you Ok? Finding the right time and place to ask the question, and use open and non-judgemental questions;
2. Listen; listen with an open mind, without judgement.
3. Encourage Action; encourage talking to a trusted person such as an adult, friend, a member of the school wellbeing team or local GP, Community Health Service, or youth mental health services such as those linked below
4. Check in again; stay in touch and show that you care by checking in a few days later to see how they are going and encouraging them to use strategies and services available if they haven’t already
Sleeping Tips for Teenagers
One of the most important foundations for a teenager’s health and wellbeing is sleep!
Good quality sleep is so important for our students in that it supports learning, physical growth, managing emotions, mood, immune system health, and can promote good mental health and resilience.
Here are a few of the most common sleep questions we get, and some quick and easy ways to support better quality sleep. Remember that making a change to a habit or routine requires small steps and consistency, rather than one big change that can be harder to maintain.
Q) I try to get to sleep by 10pm, but I can’t fall asleep at night?
This is due to your body clock OR your environment. Make sure you are giving yourself enough wind down time free of stimulation from screens, substances such as vaping (illegal for those under 18years old and high in nicotine), and have a dark quiet room at night. To make sure we are sleepy at night, we need to be awake for enough hours before our ideal school night bedtime, SO try waking up slightly earlier each day until you get to healthy wake time that allows you to get to school and be ready to learn each day
Q) I feel tired but my mind is overactive at night and I can’t stop thinking
Keep devices out of sight during bedtime, but they may be helpful for playing white noise or sleep stories as these can help reduce worry thoughts at night. Write down repetitive worry thoughts that are keeping you awake as this can stop the thought repeating in your head.
Q) I am hungry overnight and overeat before bed
This is related to your eating patterns during the day! Our bodies need fuel and hydration (food AND water) when we wake up, to help us feel alert and energised. If you don’t eat and hydrate enough during the day, your hunger cravings at night will be too strong to ignore so you will be more likely to overeat at night
Q) I need a long nap during the day, or straight after school?
This is related to the lack of sleep you are getting overnight. A short nap of up to 45min is helpful, but anything longer will impact the quality of your night sleep and create a cycle of sleep deprivation. Set an alarm when you nap, and if the alarm doesn’t wake you, avoid the nap by going for a walk, getting fresh air, and moving your bedtime slightly earlier that night