It is nearing the end of the school Term, and Mr Breese, Ms Tiller and I are so proud of the effort and commitment the Year 8 students have put into their studies. As we move towards the holidays, we want to remind our students to keep showing the SPIRIT values of Perseverance and Resilience, and finish this term off strong. It is important to remember that the end of the Term is not an excuse to put your studies on the backburner. Continue to stay focused and to not let anything distract you from achieving your goals, whether they be academic or personal goals. We also want to remind our students of the importance of seeking help when needed. Our teachers and staff are here to support all students and to provide help and guidance when needed. We encourage our students to take advantage of these supports, including WIN time which occurs every morning from 8-8:35am, and every afternoon from 3-4pm in the Learning Hub.

A big congratulations to Year 8 students Charlie Finch, Ty Marstaeller and Peyton Patmore. All three students were selected and represented Coomera Chiefs at the 2023 Qld OzTag Junior State Cup. The huge event was held 3-5th February at Sunshine Coast Stadium, with 180 teams from 19 clubs battling it out for State glory. The U14 Coomera Chief boys came away as undefeated State Champions, such an amazing achievement in arguably one of the hottest weekends in history! All three students have now both been selected from this tournament to play in the 2023 Qld Super Series, where they will play NSW invitational teams, to be held in June at the Sunshine Coast Stadium. We wish you all the best students!

I had the distinct privilege of joining some Year 8 classrooms yesterday to witness some fantastic learning happening. Students in Technologies were engineering and designing miniature cars and plan to race these, and in other Technologies classes students are designing and refining recipes for their MasterChef projects. Students in Japanese are identifying values such as humility and harmony, and working on practicing their hiragana, katakana and kanji. Well done students!

Part of finishing the Term off strong is ensuring students are getting the appropriate amount of sleep each night. Sleep is essential to so many areas of our wellbeing. Sleep refreshes the mind, repairs the body, and is essential in learning and showing up with clarity and vitality. 

Sleep can help with: 

• Our immune system 
• Our thinking & mindset 
• Our stress levels 
• Our physical performance and energy 
• Our mood 

As we move towards an increasingly technology-driven world, it is important that we ensure our students are using their devices responsibly. With this in mind, we are recommending that students do not bring their devices into their bedrooms at night. Research has shown that having devices in the bedroom at night can lead to adverse effects such as reduced sleep quality, increased stress, and decreased academic performance. It is important for students to be able to switch off from the virtual world in order to give their bodies and minds a chance to rest and recharge. These are the recommended hours of sleep each night:

Headspace is a fantastic resource to access in understanding the importance of quality sleep, and the tools and information to create the conditions for a more restful night's sleep.

As always, please feel free to reach out any time. It is a privilege to be able to be part of your child's schooling journey.

Warm regards,

Nahdia McClymont

Year 8 Deputy Principal