Middle Senior School Communications, 7 March 2024

Term 1 - Week 7

Upcoming Event

8 March: Yr7 & 10 Immunisations

Term 1 - Week  8

13-18 March: NAPLAN

Coming Up

20 March: Cross Country
22 March: College Bush Dance
27 March: Easter Chapel
28 March: Last Day of Term, Crazy Hair day, Leadership Development

Dear Parents and Carers

Slightly bored – move on – slightly bored – I’m done – slightly bored – scroll past….

Over the past few years, the number of teenagers struggling to maintain sustained focus on tasks has increased dramatically. Many teenagers find it hard to stay focused on mundane things like reading or even watching long form video content. I was in a class the other day trying to watch a documentary episode of approximately 50 minutes in short 10 minute chunks and I had some students in the class beg me to turn it off because they had ‘never watched anything so long in their life’ and couldn’t believe that the same person could ‘talk for so long’ (it was the narrator). This struggle with attention and focus is not particularly new, and I have seen it grow over the past twenty years, but what startled me was the anguish with which some of them begged me to stop the video.

Interestingly, TikTok recently did a survey of users and released data to some creators indicating that over 50% of those surveyed found videos of one minute or longer ‘stressful’. It’s worth pausing and thinking about that…over 50% of those surveyed found video content longer than one minute ‘stressful’, not just boring, ‘stressful’.

TikTok has over a billion monthly viewers and the ‘average’ user spends more than 95 minutes per day on the app and opens the app about 8 times a day. That’s a lot of people consuming short form video! Here’s the thing, the statistics also suggest that most people scroll past a video in the first 3 seconds (it takes 3 seconds plus to count as a view), and a significant number stop watching between 11-15 seconds, with viewer rates continuing to plummet across the length of the video.

I would argue that the rise of short form video is directly linked to the significant difficulties many of our teenagers (and I imagine more and more adults) experience when they try to maintain sustained focus on a task. Short form video consumption, whether it be TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram Reels, is training our children to check-out the moment they feel slightly bored. Slightly bored – move on – slightly bored – I’m done – slightly bored – scroll past….

Here’s what genuinely terrifies me, it takes about 66 days to set a habit – so what type of mindset and habits is the long-term overuse of short-term video going to develop in our young people? What happens if the philosophy ‘when I get slightly bored, I move on’ filters into the other facets of our lives?

• What happens when I get slightly bored at school? Is it time to change that subject because I don’t want to commit to study and reading?
• What will happen when I get slightly bored at TAFE/University? Will I just keep changing courses at whim, seeking out something more exciting? Will I blame my learning institution and keep changing where I am studying?
• What happens when I get slightly bored at work? Will I continually reach the conclusion that I made poor career choices and endlessly be in and out of jobs? In the workplace, will I get in trouble for being addicted to my phone?
• What happens when I get slightly bored with my partner and/or my friends? Will I put in the effort to work on my important relationships or just flit between superficial relationships?
• What is the long-term effect on one’s mental health and wellbeing if I train my brain to only engage with things that distract me or bring me an excited high?
• What is the culminative effect on society, when the predominate source of happiness for people is their smart phone and not the result of real relationships or actual activity?

I would encourage all parents and carers to have a read of this short article from the independent news service for Oxford University: https://theoxfordblue.co.uk/tiktok-and-the-death-of-the-attention-span/. Also, if you don’t know much about short form video content, it may also be worth spending some time googling TikTok statistics – it’s a frightening tumble down the rabbit hole when you start doing some investigating.

Some practical suggestions:

• Be in ongoing dialogue (not one-off conversations) around family expectations for using technology and as much as possible, keep technology out of children’s bedrooms.
• Set sensible screen time limits and model them.
• Encourage children to avoid double screening.
• Ask your children to set a timer before they access short video content – when the alarm goes off, do a different activity.
• Engage in activities that build attention span and focus.
• Perhaps eat dinner at the table as a family and ban devices from the dinner table.
• What other ideas can your family come up with?

Mr Josh Wilson
Head of Middle & Senior School & Innovative Learning Design

Sport Notices

Cross Country

The Middle and Senior School (MSS) Cross Country will be held on Wednesday 20 March (Week 9).

A reminder that the event is only part day, and classes will be running for part day. Students not wanting to compete at a competitive level will have an alternative activity to complete. All students are expected to be at school this day.

Please review the letter below for the event details. 

NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) will occur between 13-18 March. Please click on the button below for more information.

Calvary Coffee Cup Design Competition

We are excited to launch our Calvary Coffee Cup design competition!!

All students can get creative and submit a hand drawn design of their choice! Check out the video by our students for the details!

Students can collect the template from the office or café at each campus. Parents, could you please assist in making sure the students artwork is protected and doesn’t get damaged when submitting.

There will be three $50 Gift Card winners across our campuses. Two Junior Schools winners, and one Middle Senior Winner.

Artwork MUST be completed and submitted (with name and student number) to the office by Friday, end of Week 1, Term 2. Please ensure you have read the rules of participation.

GOOD LUCK and we can't wait to see our students at work!

NOTICES : Mr Arraiol (Head of Wellbeing and Community)

Subway and Free Dress for the end of Term

We are hosting a Subways order day for the last day of Term 1 on the 28 March. Any students that wish to have some delicious subways delivered to the College at 11:00 (in time for first break) can use the flyer attached to complete their online orders. Please note that all orders should be completed by Monday 24 March 2024 and that there is an ice-block party for the class that has the most subways orders. 

On the last day of term our free dress will follow the theme of crazy hair and students are encouraged to have various crazy and innovative hairstyles for this day. Those participating in the free dress event (crazy hair or not) will be asked to donate a gold coin.

All proceeds from these initiatives will be used to support our Children of Compassion.

Bush Dance

On Friday the 22^nd of March the College is hosting it's annual Bush dance. Proceeds of this event will be going towards our Year 9 service trip to Chinchilla and more specifically Drought Angels. Parents and students from both campuses are welcome to join us from 6.30pm until 8.30pm on the ANZAC Lawn. We are very fortunate to have the very experienced and enthusiastic band for the evening Beefa's Bush Band performing and hosting the event for us again. Please note that there will be food and drinks on sale and a photo booth to take some memorable pictures of friends and family on the night. 

Please book your tickets online: https://www.trybooking.com/COLHF

General Notices

Cafe Specials - Week 8

Events at Calvary

Our current College events can be found on our website: https://www.calvarycc.qld.edu.au/events/

All of our Parent Information can be found on our Website: https://www.calvarycc.qld.edu.au/parent-information/

MSS Musical Sponsorship Opportunity – “Shrek The Musical”

Putting on musical productions involves a huge amount of student and teacher involvement, but also sound equipment, lighting, props, and more. By sponsoring our Shrek Musical, your logo will feature wherever the production logo is shown, as well as VIP extras and your brand splashed all over our social channels. Interested?

We are now offering an exclusive never before released opportunity on the back cover of the Program for $1,150!!!

Email: marketing@calvarycc.qld.edu.au for more info.

Calvary Sports Sponsorship 2024

Be part of the winning team with Calvary Sports Sponsorship 2024! Elevate your brand visibility through our banner or team sponsorship opportunities.

Apply online today https://zfrmz.com.au/zy6Poa2oGuAiQi3zAtL1

Please email any enquiries to: sponsorship@calvarycc.qld.edu.au

Easter @ Real Life Christian Church

Real Life Christian Church warmly invites you and your family and friends to join with us as we celebrate Easter!

We will gather at 9:30-10:30am on both Good Friday and Easter Sunday for worship followed by morning tea in our courtyard.

Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday

Donuts (empty tombs!) on Easter Sunday