From the Principal
Andrew Watt
Good sleep is important for our health, but it can be hard to get when life is busy and we find much to worry about. By the time we reach 80, we will probably have spent about 28 of those years asleep!
At our High School assembly this week, I spent some time reflecting on why sleep is important; why we struggle to sleep; and why we need to place a higher value on getting enough sleep. Studies have found that many teenagers have trouble falling asleep before 10.30 pm. It is not because they don’t want to sleep, rather because their brains naturally work on later schedules and so they aren’t ready for bed at 9.00 pm. Scientists don’t fully understand why we need so much sleep, but it’s believed it helps us restore ourselves physically, as well as organise information in our brain.
I shared with the students that going without enough sleep will, amongst others, impact on their ability to concentrate, make decisions and even enjoy those activities that are important to them.
One of the two main reasons that adolescents don’t get enough sleep, is that hormones actually shift the body clock forward by two hours, making them sleepier two hours later, at 10.30 pm… yet they have to wake up for school before 6.30 am! This ‘sleep debt’ each weekday leads to sleep deprivation and all the resulting negative issues. However, the second major factor is entirely under our control. The lure of stimulating entertainment such as television, mobile phones and computer gaming, can prevent adequate production of melatonin, the brain chemical responsible for sleep. Research shows that if you put down your smart phones an hour before bed, you can gain an additional 21 minutes of sleep each night, (that’s one hour and forty five minutes over the school week)*.
Practical advice for teenagers:
- Choose a relaxing bedtime routine; for example, have a hot milky drink before bed, read a book or meditate
- Avoid screens, loud music, homework or any other activity that gets your mind racing for at least an hour before bedtime;
- Avoid stimulants in the late afternoon and evening such as coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks
- Keep your bedroom dark at night. The brain’s sleep-wake cycle is largely set by light received through the eyes.
- Even 30 minutes of extra sleep each night on a regular basis makes a big difference.
* For more information: www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/media-and-resources/media-releases/aussie-teens-forgo-sleep-for-screens.
Our Peer Support Leaders for 2020
Starting High School can be a stressful experience, and not only for new students. The Peer Support program runs throughout Terms 1 and 2 to guide students in their transition from Primary to High School. The Year 11 Peer Support Leaders run Orientation Day, attend the Year 7 Camp and assist in running Year 7 Tefillah. At weekly group sessions, leaders run activities to encourage Year 7 students to make friends, build resilience and explore their values.
To be elected as a Peer Support Leader, students apply for the position and undergo an intensive day of training. The Year 10 Teachers, Tutors, Heads of House, Jewish Life staff and Deputy Principal then make the difficult decision to select those applicants who will best fulfil the role of Peer Support leader. This year we had an impressive thirty eight students apply – nearly half of the cohort.
We are fortunate that such a large number of students applied for the role, demonstrating how deeply they care about supporting the younger students and take collective responsibility to help shape the Emanuel community.
Mazal tov to the following students on their appointment:
Lara Fosbery
Elia Gil-Munoz
Liat Granot
Ezra Hersch
Ruby Hurwitz
Alexis Joffe
Georgia Kahane
Maximilian Kidman
Jesse Koslowski
Romi Lapidge
Aaron Lemberg
Zac Levenson
Tara Linker
Charlotte Lyons
Ari Merten
Ruben Mihalovich
Chloe Miller
Rebecca Nebenzahl
Dean Reuveny
India Sacks
CSIRO STEM in Schools
On Wednesday, the Hon Matt Thistlethwaite, MP for Kingsford Smith, and Maeve Broch CSIRO Food Scientist visited our Year 3 students. Our guests were impressed by the students’ excitement about Science, Technology, English and Mathematics which led to discussions and insightful questions about what skills are needed for certain careers. I was particularly interested to see the students’ worksheets on predicting the future and what technology will look like in two weeks, two years and 20 years’ time.
Gennarosity Abroad event
Close to 200 Emanuel Community members gathered to view It Takes a Village on Sunday. The documentary, which was recently aired on ABC’s Compass, follows Genna Radnan on her recent visit to Kenya. Genna, who is our school nurse and an Emanuel alumna, founded Gennarosity Abroad in 2013 with the encouragement and support of HSIE teacher, David Whitcombe.
After watching additional never-before-shown footage, Raelene Metlitzsky (Producer at Channel 10 and mother of two Emanuel students) interviewed Genna and the film’s Director, Adam Dostalek. Thanks to the generosity of the community, over $25 000 was raised to help fund a range of grassroots projects in Kenya. We congratulate Genna and her team of Emanuel supporters, for her work in supporting those without a home, an income and a voice. If you have not yet had the opportunity to watch the documentary, please click here and if you would like to donate to Gennarosity Abroad, please visit www.gennarosityabroad.org
Quote of the week
“If a man empties his purse not his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”
Ben Franklin
Mazal tov
Jake Greenberg, Year 12 – 2020, featured in the Australian Jewish News this week, having scored the final two runs in Round 2 of the prestigious Poidevin-Gray Shield last month. This was his debut in the Shield, considered to be the highest standard U21 men’s competition in NSW. Jake credited Adam Ezekiel as being a key mentor.