Issue 11 / 23 August 2013
Middle & Senior School News Each and every one of us, working with God’s gifts and grace, are called to do and to be the best we can be. Over the past week, there have been many examples of our students ‘doing’ and ‘being’ the best they can be. A Year 7 team won the Primary Division of the Science Trivia competition, our Combined Dance Troupe won their division at the Eisteddfod, a group of 13 Business students successfully completed a Certificate Course at Griffith University which will entitle them to direct entry for next year, Paris McKayHolley (Year 9) won the Japanese Speaking competition and we placed first in both the Junior and Senior divisions of the AGCC Chess competition. These are noteworthy and impressive achievements and I’d like to congratulate all of the students involved. That said, perhaps the greatest example of our students ‘doing’ and ‘being’ the best they can be, is better exemplified in their everyday approach to their studies and the relationships they have with their teachers and peers. At the MS Expo on Monday Night I overheard a new parent comment to her husband, “they all seem to be genuinely nice to one another and enjoy what they are doing.” To me, that sentiment typifies our aspirations, to be a caring Christian community where everybody is somebody! Like our students, as a College we want to ‘do’ and ‘be’ the best we can be as we pursue excellence and aim to provide both a Good Education and an Education for Good. Teachers take great care to know their students and to connect with them as people and learners. We are truly blessed with incredibly talented and hard-working staff that challenge and champion the children under their care and who ‘walk the talk’ of our mission statement: Celebrating the Gospel, Nurturing the Individual and Empowering Lifelong Learners. As we head into the busy assessment time of term, and our Year 12s make their final preparations for QCS, I encourage all families to sit together and to reflect on their child’s learning and to set goals and targets for the coming weeks and the Term 3 Report. There is a great deal of research out there that reinforces the idea that focusing on individual goals and performance has a positive impact on learning outcomes and promotes realistic feelings of success and achievement. Good luck to all students as their assessment period heats up and a special prayer for our Year 12s as
they complete their QCS tests. If you have any concerns that you would like to discuss please contact me or your child’s teacher directly so that we can respond to the needs of your child. Can I also be so bold as to suggest that if it has been a while since you sent your child’s teacher a note of thanks or appreciation, you might consider doing that too. I was asked by a parent to republish an earlier article There is no such thing as no homework! Homework includes set tasks, revision of material, assignment work and also time spent reading. There is no such thing as no homework! The good news is that there are many tips that can help your children to establish good homework techniques and routines. Homework Tips for Students: 1. Get yourself and your stuff ready. Ensure that you are not distracted, thirsty or hungry. Try to get settled quickly in a clean, well lit area where you can concentrate. 2. Prioritise your work and start with the most difficult tasks first. Set up a priority list and work your way through the list, tackling the most challenging work first. It is a good idea to set a time limit. (Eg. Math Problems on Page 58 . . . . . 15 Minutes) When you reach the time limit move on to the next piece of work and return to the work that is incomplete after you finish the rest of the list. 3. Break down large assignments and activities into manageable chunks. Meet all of the assignment deadlines for planning and drafting your work. 4. Take a break after every 15-20 minutes of homework. This is good because you get stressed from doing large blocks of homework you can cool off and start fresh again. This will only be useful if you work hard without distraction for the 20 minute chunks. 5. Always ask for help when you get stuck. Teachers, parents or your peers are always on hand and more than happy to assist you. 6. Don’t waste time! There is absolutely no use staring at a page while your mind wanders. Make a real decision to keep your mind on the job. This might mean switching off electronic devices or avoiding social media messages, as scary as that might seem. 7. Reward yourself when you finish. If you give 100% then you are sure to be less stressed and you are likely
to find you have more time for the activities you really enjoy. Doing something active will always assist to settle your mind and clear your thinking. At the College, we support the idea that regular homework and revision are essential ingredients to building deep understanding of ideas and concepts. We also acknowledge the ‘busyness’ of modern family life and as such, homework set is well considered and purposeful. Learning is an individual journey and establishing good work habits and time management skills are two important parts of becoming an independent learner and a well-balanced person. If your child is struggling with homework and/or you as a parent feel it is a constant battle to get your child to do their homework, please feel free to contact me or other staff at the College for advice or tips to try in your home. On a final note, a gentle reminder to all families that the Cecile Ryan Centre (Library) is open until 5.00pm each afternoon in order for students to study and complete purposeful work. Parents are asked to collect their child by 5.00pm at the latest. Every blessing, Virginia Warner Deputy Principal / Head of Secondary School virginiaw@salc.qld.edu.au
Senior School News Year 11 Camp Miss Duncan, Mrs Galway, Mr Nelson and myself had the pleasure of attending the Leadership Camp with 73 Year 11’s recently. What a wonderful group of young people to spend 3 days with. We had dinner dates and conversation, sharing of stories, dancing, climbing, tunnelling and balancing. A few key messages from the camp that our young people can take forward into Year 12 and their final phase of secondary education include: 1. Start hard and finish harder. 2. Procrastinating, not working or not staying on task leads to you going into tests and assessments underprepared THEREFORE not doing your best. 3. Listen to instructions, check you have understood and then follow the instructions for the best outcomes. 4. Start moving – just start, it doesn’t have to be perfect. 5. Take risks, be heard, and make mistakes – just have a go. 6. We would have been amazing if we had just held it together. 7. Check in with each other – are we all on the same page, are you ok, are you happy to do that job? 8. Is your personal best worth fighting for? 9. Don’t go for good strive for GREAT. 10. From little things big things grow. 11. The little things count.
At the end of the Bulletin you will find an article “Will a teenager combust if you remove theur iPhone” written by Thea Nicholas, Science and Sustainability Educator from the not for profit organisation Cool Australia. If you have any concerns or queries please contact me on tanias@salc.qld.edu.au Tania Stewart Head of Senior School
Middle School News Year 7 Canberra Trip Students from Year 7 at St Andrews will soon be undertaking an educational tour of the National Capital. While on this tour they will participate in a variety of educational programmes focused on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy. The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit their National Capital as part of their civics and citizenship education. To assist you (the parent) in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing $60 per eligible student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate Programme toward the travel expenses incurred. This contribution will be paid directly to the College upon completion of the excursion. We would like to thank the Australian Government for their support of this programme. We hope that the excursion is a rewarding experience for all students. Please note that the Government’s rebate has already been included in the budgeting for this trip and, accordingly, will not feature as a separate rebate for parents. There is an air of excitement about the College at the moment as the trip draws near and I look forward to joining the Year 7s on this visit to our Nation’s capital. Social Media A recent audit of iPads found a significantly high amount of ‘social media’ apps installed. Whilst I readily acknowledge my dinosauresque and pariah-like status in the social media digital domain, as adults we must remain cognisant of our role in teaching our children the time, place and ethics of social media use. Two applications predominate – Snapchat and Instagram. As their names imply, both of these platforms are founded upon fast conversation-like postings which do not lend themselves to the ‘stop and think’ approach to social interactions that our children need at this crucial stage of their cognitive and social development. Indeed the age restrictions for many of these applications ostensibly place them beyond the realm of many of our Year 7 and Year 8 students. If you have not yet sat with your child and talked through what they have on their iPads and how it is used then perhaps it is timely to do so. I am more than happy to talk further about this with you if it would be beneficial. Tom Casey Head of Middle School tomc@salc.qld.edu.au
Student Development Character Forming Through Stress and Challenge To witness the development of character strength, team building, common goals and confidence to strive for challenge is a pleasure of teaching. One of the rich opportunities for this is the outdoor education program a school offers. Though teachers and parents are generally risk averse, outdoor education creates a rich range of opportunities for stress, challenge and growth to occur partly because of the risks and learning to manage them and manage emotions. Through adventure, experience, trials, frustrations, young people can be guided to know more confidently the strengths of character that they possess. In the context of team, house or year level this also is an integral occasion for individuals to discover and affirm the strengths of others. Set within a range of narratives focused on the ANZAC experience and tradition, our Year 11s grew and flourished last week at Emu Gully. This camp was not a promotion of war, but a study on how the pressures of war revealed character and formed culture and national identity. It was an experience some looked forward to and some were anxious about, but all of the students grew through the challenges. “The mettle that a race can show, Is proved with shot and steel, And now we know what nations know, And feel what nations feel.” Banjo Paterson It can be challenging to create these opportunities as parents, but it is worthwhile for our children to deal with fears, frustrations and overcome by persisting and bouncing back. To then reflect and realize the character strengths that got them through and that they can draw upon in life. James Nelson Director of Student Development jamesn@salc.qld.edu.au
Science News Last week National Science Week was celebrated around Australia. At St Andrews we joined in with the celebration, beginning with Chapel on Monday celebrating the gift of Science and encouraging those with this gift to use it. There was also a caution about the possible use of Science for negative purposes and a call to be vigilant about this. On Tuesday 7 student teams competed in the Griffith University Science Trivia Challenge against other local schools. Congratulations to the following students who worked their way through six rounds of tough questions: Year 12 Luke Silveira, Harry Veivers, Isabelle Sypott and Brittany Watson Year 10 Morgan Atkins, Spencer Brown, Luke Butterworth, Jacinda Pagels Year 9 Brooke Perkins, Paris McKay-Holley, Alexandra Murray, Chelsea Vermillion Year 8 Kara Batchelor, Nicole Richards, Keely McVay, Charlotte Trebilcock Year 7 Khai Bowie, Joanna Louden, Janavi Muncie, Aarya Shaibani Year 7 Ben Allan, Harrison Craig-Ward, Kye Fielder, Finlay Wardrop Year 6 Duke Lawson, Annabelle Haydon-Clark, Maya Hobley, Joshua Palfreyman
Art News Eisteddfod Win Congratulations to the Combined Dance Troupe who won the Contemporary Section of the Gold Coast Eisteddfod. Their routine, choreographed by Kim Reynolds was based on the poems of Edgar Allen Poe and was a stunning theatrical piece that showcased our very talented dancers. Congratulations also to our SS Troupe, whose routine 007, choreographed by Miss Paula Guild was awarded a Highly Commended in the Jazz Section.
Student Achievement Congratulations to Finn and Rory McLynskey who came 2nd in their Instrumental Duet section at The Gold Coast Eisteddfod. Congratulations also to Thomas Marshall who along with Finn was awarded Highly Commended in the same section. Well done boys. A reminder to all students competing in Eisteddfods over the next few weeks to email your results (and any pictures as well) to priscillas@salc.qld.edu.au so we can all celebrate your achievements. Upcoming Music Event “Twilight Classics” September 2nd 4.45 – 6.00 p.m Parents and friends are invited to hear an hour of classical music in the Staff Common Room in the new Administration Building. Refreshments will be provided. Please note, it is important to R.S.V.P Miss Gendi Moore for catering and seating purposes. gendim@salc.qld.edu.au
Thank you also to teachers - Mrs Lisa Roper and Miss Katie Castles who supervised the students. I am delighted to announce that one of the Year 7 teams were the winners in the Primary School section of the competition. This was a first for St Andrews in the nine year history of the competition. I extend a big thank you and hearty congratulations to Ben, Harrison, Kye and Finlay for their Science knowledge and excellent teamwork. Jenny Lotz Head of Science
Cultural Awards Information 2013 Our Cultural Awards Evening will be held Friday 11th October, which is the end of Week 1 Term 4. As this is a little earlier than normal we are starting to gather information for the allocation of awards. Below is the Criteria for Years 4 – 12 Essential Criteria for all levels: Active Participation in school cultural activities. Please note criteria is applicable from Years 4 - 12. Bronze Award This is awarded to students who Have been involved in several ( 3 – 4 ) cultural groups/activities throughout the year OR
Passed Grade 5 or above in Music, Dance or Speech & Drama Exam OR Are nominated for outstanding contribution to a school ensemble/activity Silver Award This is awarded to students who Have been involved in 5 or more cultural groups/activities throughout the year OR Passed Grade 5 or above in Music, Dance or Speech & Drama Exam + involvement in cultural groups/activities throughout the year OR Major Award at Regional level (GC Drama Festival / Eisteddfod Championships etc) Gold Award Representation at State level or equivalent in chosen discipline OR Major Award (eg. Top of State in Speech & Drama Exam)
Sport News Queensland Swimming Record Dylan Jenkins has received a certificate for being a member of the 16 years 200m Freestyle team who set a new Queensland Secondary Schools Swimming Record in March of this year. The record time is now 1:38.23. Independent District Athletics Our team had a most successful IDSS Athletics Carnival last week and we are presently waiting on confirmation of athletes who have qualified for Regional Championships to be held on 9/10 September. As soon as we receive this confirmation, information will be passed on to the successful students.
In Junior School, we base our information on our rolls from our Co- Curricular Groups and information provided by PAT Teachers. If you child is involved in significant Arts Activity not associated with the College, you will need to email this information to performingarts@salc.qld.edu.au for it to be included. In Middle School / Senior School, surveys are emailed to students or are available from Head of Arts Any questions regarding this process can be emailed to priscillas@salc.qld.edu.au Priscilla Scott Head of Arts priscillas@salc.qld.edu.au
Careers News Working with Animals Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is pleased to offer the Working With Animals Careers Expo being held on Thursday 19th September. We are very proud to be sponsored again by the RSPCA Gold Coast and Hinterland Branch.
Inter Lutheran Athletics Our Years 4-7 team competes on Wednesday 21st August and the Years 8-12 team competes on Monday 26th August at QSAC, Nathan. We will have a report on results in future publications. I’m sure our teams will again display outstanding endeavor and teamwork.
We have invited representatives from different animal fields, including the RSPCA, Department of Primary Industries Sniffer Dog Team, Gold Coast City Council, Universities and TAFES with Animal Related Courses and of course our Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Staff.
Student Achievements Congratulations to the following students as we recognise their outstanding achievements in sport. Mackenzie Bru, Ellie Foster, Mollie Hobbs and Emily Richards – Selected in the South Coast Representative 12 years Girls Rugby League Team to compete at the Wide Bay Carnival in Hervey Bay in September. Great work girls.
Aims of the day, to provide:• realistic information about careers associated with working with animals • course information and subject guidance • opportunities to meet individuals already in the field • workshops based on different organisations and careers
St Andrews Athletics Facilities The P and F have continued their wonderful support for sporting facilities at St Andrews with the funding of a number of projects. At present we are in the process of concret-
ing the run ups for our long jump pits and circles for shot put events. More details as we progress. Andrew Manion Head of Sport andrewm@salc.qld.edu.au
Tuckshop News Many thanks to the new volunteers but also to the regular volunteers who give us a few hours each week/fortnight to give us a hand. We would be lost without your help. Please check on your child’s Flexi Schools details. We still are having students who are under last year’s class coming through. Receiving Tuckshop is a huge thrill for some children, but to find that there is no order for them in their class box is quite distressing for some. So please ensure that the classes are correct. As we are now almost in spring, below is some information regarding the importance of drinking water and staying hydrated.
Uniformshop News Uniform Shop Volunteer needed The Uniform Shop is looking for a volunteer for Thursday mornings. Hours 8am to 9am. Duties include serving customers, using the cash register (training provided), and re-stocking shelves. Friendly nature and a smile are essential. Please contact Jacqui or Fiona during shop hours on 5568 5933 or drop in and see us. If you have any questions please email us at uniformshop@salc.qld.edu.au Senior Blazers for 2014 Orders due by 19th September All Year 9 parents should have received an email last week regarding ordering Senior Blazers for next year. Orders for new and 2nd hand blazers must be in by the end of this term. For more information contact the Uniform Shop on 5568 5933 or uniformshop@salc.qld.edu.au Current Years 10-12 students requiring new blazers for next year please place your orders before the end of this term. Jacqui Desfosses Uniform Shop Manager uniformshop@salc.qld.edu.au
Fluid For Healthy Kids Drinking fluid is essential to stay alive. Water is the best fluid for everyone to drink as it is important for temperature regulation, digestion, transportation of nutrients around the body, kidney function and elimination of waste products. Water also cushions organs and joints from injury and pressure. It is so important that the body can only survive a few days without it. If we encourage children to drink water from an early age, it is likely that this good habit will continue into adulthood. Dehydration can result from not drinking enough water. This affects concentration and increases stress, headaches, lethargy, dry itchy skin and constipation. For adults who drink beverages such as alcohol and those that contain caffeine, such as coffee or cola drinks, these drinks actually increase the amount of water lost from the body by increasing urine output. Drinking large amounts of these beverages leads to a greater need for fluid. Sugary beverages such as fruit juices, fruit drinks, cordials, flavoured mineral waters, soft drinks and sports drinks are high in sugar and are of little nutritional value and therefore should be limited to occasional drinks. www.healthy-kids.com.au/category/30/fluid-facts Trina Van der Kamp Tuckshop Manager tuckshop@salc.qld.edu.au
Dates to remember August Saturday 24 Year 9 Dinner Dance Monday 26 Yrs 8-12 Inter Lutheran Carnival Athletics Tuesday 27 Middle School Skating Night 7pm to 8.30pm Bundall Iceworld – own transport Thursday 29 MS Dance Troupe Eisteddfod 6pm GC Arts Centre Friday 30 Gold Coast Show Day Holiday Tuesday 3 QCS Testing Wednesday 4 QCS Testing College Fees – Optional Instalment Arrangements Tuition Fees become due at the beginning of each Term. However, we do understand that this may at times present cashflow problems for parents. In 2013, St Andrews Lutheran College has implemented Direct Debit facilities for parents wanting to pay for their children’s tuition fees on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly basis through a regular deduction from your nominated bank account, credit card, or debit card. Transactions are processed through a secure Westpac facility using the latest 128-bit SSL encrypting technology which is the banking industry standard. If you are interested in this option to help with the family budget, please express your interest to the Business Manager, Mr Stephen Cooke - stephenc@salc.qld.edu.au
Born to knit campaign 2013 Last year, Save the Children received 4,844 blankets for children in need programs across Australia and overseas. 37 of these blankets were made with love by our St Andrews community. It is time to start knitting again. Thank you to our knitters who continued through the summer; this has provided a head start on the blanket tally for this year. Please enlist your friends, family and neighbours to knit or crochet blankets. Blankets will keep children warm and help to save lives. Save the Children request the size to be 80cm square. Make whole blankets or knit 80cm x 20cm strips. If you require wool, needles or instructions please contact tonib@salc.qld.edu.au
Parents and Friends Association
St Andrews P & F News Thankyou everyone who attended the meeting last week, it was very productive and the P & F approved funding for a number of new projects for the school. The next meeting will be the AGM which is held in Term 4. All positions will be open for nomination, so if you need any information on any of the roles, please contact one of the members of the current P & F. The AGM will be held in Term 4 on Wednesday 6th November at 7pm, so mark it in your calendar. Funding and Projects The P & F has provided the school with funds for removable AFL goal posts for the back oval, which we hope will be enjoyed by many for years to come. A new sound system for the MPH has been approved and should be installed by Term 4. Banners which will encourage student’s creativity and sense of wellbeing in the College have also been purchased. At the last meeting further funds were requested towards the Year 12 Common Room, which all students at St Andrews will eventually be able to utilise. The P & F felt it was important the Year 12 students had somewhere they could use and make their own. During the September School holidays an extension to the Bus Shelter will be built which has also been solely funded by the P & F. A climbing wall for the MPH has been approved as well as an E-library for the college, which includes over 400 book titles for use by all students. A further donation has also gone towards funding a Lego Robotic Club which is sure to benefit many children. These are only a few examples of suggestions from parents attending P & F meetings which have come to fruition. Another important reason why you should get involved and have input into how the funds you help raise are put towards projects within the College. Further information on the Grandstand Project should be available at the AGM. Plans have been prepared and the school is awaiting quotes to determine the cost. Approval for the expenditure will be sought at future P & F meetings. Sponsors The P & F would like to thank the following sponsors for their continued support of our school. Please show your support for these businesses.
Julieanne Andrews pandf@salc.qld.edu.au
Created by: TES_Community 5-8-2013 Thea Nicholas, Science and Sustainability Educator from the not-for-profit organisation Cool Australia, conducts an interesting experiment by separating teenagers from their technology. Find out how long they last... Teachers – we’ve all been there You’re up the front of the classroom delivering a stimulating lesson on Newton’s Third Law, and you see little Timmy with his eyes cast down giggling at his crotch. The alarm bell sounds and you instantly know (or hope) that Timmy has strategically placed his iPhone on his lap and is currently updating his Facebook status (probably about how much he is enjoying your class). What’s worse is that two seconds later you see half the classes’ pencil cases light up, vibrate and give a little ‘ping’. And the other half of the class is now staring down at their crotch too. Then, when you try to confiscate the iPhone and reprimand Timmy for the disruption to your riveting class – he chucks a wobbly and acts like you’re attempting to remove his left foot.
This all-to-familiar scenario was disturbed when we challenged my environmental science students to conduct a technology-free experiment. The kids all committed (with a little coaxing) to ‘unplugging’ from all screen-based devices for a week as a social experiment. And guess what? None of the kids spontaneously combusted – not one! The point of the experiment was to highlight the two competing tensions at play within schools and families. On one hand, technology is viewed as a valuable tool that delivers information to the classroom and engages kids in learning. On the other, there is growing concern about the amount of time teenagers spend on Facebook, their mobile phones and online games. Our class set out the aims, hypothesis and method of our experiment. In a nutshell we decided we wanted to know more about the consequences of too much screen time (if any) on our personal health and connection to other people. We also wanted to investigate if an over-exposure to technology created an under-exposure to nature and life
outdoors. I would like to say that all the students were keen as mustard to do a screens-off experiment. However, I think anyone that has ever met a teenager before would know that not all would relish the opportunity. But we persevered, because I felt it was incredibly important for these kids to stop and critically evaluate the decisions they make in their day-to-day lives. The lessons that they learn from this experience could be life changing, perhaps even more life changing than learning about Newton’s Laws! Going tech cold turkey One student, Nick had a birthday on the third day of the experiment. He found it very tough that morning, as he knew he would receive a flood of birthday wishes as text messages or on Facebook. It is not the lack of Facebook love that troubled him, but the feeling that he will be seen to be ignoring the well-wishers by not replying instantly. Unfortunately, the social pressure got to Nick and he caved. Result: 3 days screen free. One of the girls, Sarah estimated she would normally spend up to eight hours each day using her phone. Sarah relies on technology for almost everything, without even realising it. She uses her phone mostly to send text messages, check Facebook, email and uses the Internet to help with their homework. By the second Sarah began to feel extremely bored and frustrated because she hadn’t talked to most of her friends, which she normal does through texting and Facebook. Interestingly, Sarah doesn’t use her mobile phone to actually call anyone. She say’s “the only person I ring is my mum to pick me up from the shops or a friend’s house”. Gone are the days, where you’d get home from school and race to the landline phone (which was attached to the kitchen wall with four metres of curly cord) to call your best friend even though you spent the entire school day with her. Sarah did report that she enjoyed the experience and said she spent more time with her parents and walking the dog. She also said that she slept better at night and was more productive during the school day. Sarah thought this was a great experience to be a part of and she felt she got a lot out of it.
She said, “I never realised how much I depended on technology. I definitely recommend this challenge to other students so they can see for themselves how technology dramatically impacts their lives.” Despite enjoying the experiences, Sarah caved. Result: 5 days screen free.
Including positive mental health outcomes, reduced stress levels, increased confidence, reduced risk of obesity, enhanced intellectual development and improved academic performance. I have always been concerned with the disconnect between young people and nature, but I experienced the true extent of this when I took a group of Year 10 boys to rural Victoria. I was gob smacked to learn that they couldn’t comprehend that the cows in a paddock would become the steak on their plate! If they couldn’t comprehend something as fundamental to their lives as the origins of their food, why would they be concerned with issues such as climate change, extinction and renewable energy?
So did any of the teenagers last the week without screens? Out of 26 students only one girl made it the whole seven days – Jess. She found it to be incredibly tough and she often felt socially isolated and bored. Jess explained how she had to lock herself in the bathroom one night because each room in her house had a screen and her family was using all of them. Jess said that she learnt how reliant she was on screens for entertainment, learning and keeping in the loop with news. During the screen-free week she spent her time cooking with her grandparents, doing homework and going on long walks. When I asked Jess what she thought the consequences were for kids being ‘plugged in’, she said “I worry about what my friends are missing out on. When I sit outside among the trees I feel relaxed and happy. But no one values nature and this scares me.” When Jess said this I felt a tingle run down my spine. What she had learnt was invaluable. This type of experiential learning allowed her to critically evaluate what many people in society take for granted. And in my opinion this is a key skill our students will need in the future. Jess learnt a fundamentally important lesson (maybe more so than Newtons 2nd law). So what did I learn? Well most importantly, I learnt that students will not combust if you remove their iPhones – despite their OTT protests. What I knew is that young people are spending huge amounts of time connecting with other young people through their devices – unplugging is social suicide. If you take their devices away they feel isolated and bored. On the flip side, when this happens young people go outside! They walk to the local creek. They kick a soccer ball around in the fresh air. They go for runs along the local creek. They play with their siblings outside. They experience nature and this is of vital importance because it gives them the opportunity to connect to nature and experience all the benefits that time in nature gives. These benefits have been highlighted in an emerging body of local and international research linking childhood contact with nature to a range of health and wellbeing benefits.
When I was a whipper snapper I loved visiting my Grandma’s farm, I loved seeing the animals and investigating the bushland. I worry that the only farm today’s kids will experience is a virtual farm when they are playing ‘SimFarm’ on their iPhones. I fear that if young people are not experiencing nature, they will not value it and therefore they will not protect it. The ‘screens off’ experiment was a huge learning opportunity that raised the awareness of the students and the wider community. We were shocked at how ingrained technology and social media have become and how little time we spend amongst nature as a result of our screen time. By unplugging ourselves from our technology-bubble we experience an education that was emotionally engaging and linked to the real world. For me, watching the students question their habitual use of technology and as a result, make autonomous decisions about their actions emphases the importance of teaching sustainability to young people. In say this, I still believe that technology is a valuable tool that delivers information to the classroom and engages kids in learning. But nature is also deeply valuable and can be used as a source of entertainment and education. This realisation for students is powerful enough to inspire them to think about their actions. Our reliance on technology is fringing on the addictive and though the perks of technology are ample (especially for education), we are on the brink of a new reality. We find ourselves in a grey area between the natural and virtual world, which poses the question, what are the consequences and how do we move forward? Thea Nicholas, School Engagement, Recruitment and Communications Manager – Cool Australia. Science and Sustainability Educator