School Fees

Are deducted from your bank account on the 17th unless received by the 10th of each month.

Please ensure funds are in your account one (1) business day before the 17th of the month.

Our Bank Account details are as follows:

BSB: 034115
Account Number: 169944

Term Direct Debit Deduction Dates

• 17th February
• 17th April
• 17th July
• 17th September

Note: Direct Debits that reject from your account due to insufficient funds will incur a $10.00 fee and loss of discount. An additional late fee of $20 will apply to invoices outstanding at the end of the month.

Discounts Available

• Monthly 2%
• Term 5%
• Annual 8%

YOUTH EXCEL PSYCHOLOGY SERVICES

Sometimes we know that our children need support but we aren’t quite sure where to go or what to do to get help. Youth Excel’s onsite psychology program is all about bringing that help to you.

This year, our College has partnered with Youth Excel to offer onsite psychology services for children in Prep-Year 12. The service exists to offer practical, evidence based solutions which assist young people overcome a wide range of difficulties and makes a tailor-made plan for each registered and eligible student with clear outcomes. This is done by working closely with you as the parent/guardian, as well as your child and their teachers to ensure the best possible outcomes.

Ms Chelsea Carpenter has been offering her psychological services onsite one and a half days per week during term time and over the holidays through the Medicare Scheme.

Chelsea is a unique member of the Youth Excel team. As both a registered psychologist and a former elite swimmer who has represented Australia on a national level, Chelsea is able to understand the challenges young people face when managing academic, social or performance related stress. She also completed her thesis on the impact that parental stress and anxiety has on children’s performance and has an interest in supporting and empowering parents. Chelsea has a passion to see young people reach their potential across all areas of their lives. She is an excellent role model for young people and is well equipped to support a young person’s developing confidence, social skills, body image, time management and organisational skills, stress management, career choices and general decision making.

Due to the limited spaces available, it is necessary to complete the application process as soon as possible in order to be eligible for the service.

To be eligible for this, your child must obtain a Mental Health Care Plan from the GP and other documentation must be completed and submitted.

For further information around the service or how to organize this for your child, please contact Laura Robinson (college social worker) via email at lrobinson@parklands.qld.edu.au

Mindfulness Exercises for Children

The 5 Senses Exercise

Take the children outside if the weather is nice, and have them lie silently in the grass. Begin to call out each of the five senses in turn (sight, smell, sound, taste, touch), and ask the children to notice everything they can with that particular sense, until you call out the next one. This exercise can also work well on walks, and in even in the car!

Featured Online Programs for Young People’s Emotional Health and Wellbeing

 Building Resilience in Young People and Navigating Teenager Depression

Free online interaction programs for parents/carers and those who work with young people

Ecouch

Self-help free interactive program includes modules for anxiety, depression, bereavement and loss and divorce

BRAVE

A free online program for the prevention and treatment of anxiety, with modules for children, teenagers and parents/carers

MindStrength

A free online course for 14-16 year olds to assist with the development of resilience

SuperBetter

A free game designed to build personal resilience (over 13 Years)

Miss Laura Robertson

A Busy Time of Year

There have been many different events within the life of Middle School in this term, with a few others yet to come.

Middle School Display Expo and Information Evening

Tuesday 1 November was the annual Middle School display expo and information evening. Assessment, projects and resources were on display for parents and the college community to observe, with Middle School students acting as hosts for our guests.

During the evening, Middle School hosts were again able to guide current year 6 parents through their displays, showcasing some of the opportunities which await the next group of students to join Middle School at Parklands in 2018.

Secondary Awards Night

Our annual secondary awards night is coming up on Thursday 15 November. This is a compulsory event for all secondary students to attend. Students will be required to be seated in the church auditorium in full and complete academic uniform by 6.45pm. Students should make sure that hair and uniform presentation comply with our college standards.

Year 9 Graduation Lunch

On Thursday, 23 November, there will be a lunch to celebrate the journey that our year 9 students have taken to make it through Middle School. Students will enjoy a simple lunch in the Student Services courtyard.

Wet ‘n’ Wild

On the final day of the year Middle School will embark on our annual tradition of heading to Wet ‘n’ Wild.

Students who are attending should have already paid the $35  for their ticket and bus seat. Those students who have a VIP pass are only required to pay $10 for the bus seat.

Students will need to have a swim shirt for the day. Sun safety is extremely important, and students who do not have a swim shirt will not be able to participate in the day’s activities.

There will not be any regular classes for Middle School that day. Those students who are not attending should remain at home.

Year 7, 8 and 9 Camps

2018 will begin with 2 camps: year 8 and year 9. Students will be headed away from the 23 till 25 January (Tuesday till Thursday) of week one.

Camp forms have been emailed home already and payments are due very soon. The camping program at Parklands is a compulsory element to our Middle School program, and has been strategically crafted to best assist the development of all our students through years 7, 8 and 9.

The year 7 camp will occur on the Monday to Wednesday of week 3. Please see details below for specific camp locations.

Year 7 Camp

Emu Gully, Helidon, QLD
5 – 7 February, 2018

Year 8 Camp

QCCC Mapleton, Mapleton, QLD
23 – 25 January, 2018

Year 9 Camp

Bornhoffen Adventure Camp, Bornhoffen, QLD
23 – 25 January, 2018

Mr Colin Elvery

Senior Economics

Distinctions for Parklands student in UQ/QETA Economics Test

Amber Hankins, Rebekah Swinn, Shannon Green

Parklands would like to congratulate the following year 11 and 12 Economics students for their excellent results in the external UQ/QETA Economics Test held last term. Amber Hankins (Year 12)  and Shannon Green (Year 11)  received Distinctions while Rebekah Swinn (Year 12)  earned a High Distinction. Economics students from all around Queensland participated in the test. The students should be commended for their Economics understanding as well as their ability to transfer their Economic analysis skills to unfamiliar contexts. Well done girls!

QUT STEM Modelling Workshops

Maths B and Chemistry Year 11 and 12 students participated in a combined excursion to QUT in Semester 2. Students participated in back to back STEM workshops in mathematical and scientific modelling in which real world contexts were provided for the modelling of thermochemistry reactions, rocket launching, space travel and motion. Students explored various modelling tools to assist with conceptualising the modelling process – a very important skill required for assessments in the senior years. Students were also treated to game time in the massive digital CUBE exhibit where they were able to experiment with the chemical reactions necessary for rocket launches.

Celebrating our students and teachers

I would like to highlight the achievements of the following students who have recently completed a TAFE course or work-based qualification via vocational studies.

• Tahlya Anderson – Logan Hospital Nursing Traineeship
• Oliver Lee  – Logan Hospital Nursing Traineeship
• Lachlan Daly – Automotive Apprenticeship, Logan City Council
• Claudia Dionysius, Certificate III in Health Support
• Hayley Maas, Certificate IV in Justice Studies
• Tamara Nilsen, Retail Operations, McDonalds
• Katrina Secretan, Certificate III in Design Fundamentals
• Kharma Scott, Certificate II Fashion Design/Production
• Aaryn Dejong – Certificate III in Hospitality Traineeship at The Coffee Club

Near completion:

• Marcus Johnson, Certificate II Engineering
• Josiah Jackson, Certificate III Arboriculture

Certificate II Sport and Recreation

Parklands students are celebrating the first cohort of sport and recreation students to complete the Certificate II Sport and Recreation.  Congratulations students!   We also celebrate Mrs Parker, Sport and Recreation Facilitator, who recently became an inaugural inductee into the Binnacle Training Hall of Fame and Honour Board.  The Honour Board is a recognition of inductees’ dedicated service and commitment to their students.  Congratulations Mrs Parker!

Certificate II Active Volunteering

A small group of Year 12 students have recently completed the Certificate II Active Volunteering qualification.  This course provides students with a wonderful opportunity to connect with the community and learn hands-on skills such as communicating and interacting with others.  Thank you to Mrs Muller, VET Facilitator, for your ongoing compassion and continuing to inspire our students in the world of volunteering.

• Joshua Zimmermann
• Tyler Hatton
• Mark Burt
• Samuel Lane

Certificate III in Individual Support, Logan Hospital

Logan and Redland hospitals’ School Based Trainees have celebrated their graduation with an official ceremony at Mabel Park State High School. The students graduated with a Certificate III in Individual Support which accumulates valuable points towards their Queensland Certificate of Education.

State Member for Waterford and Minister for Communities, Women and Youth Shannon Fentiman presented the 9 Logan Hospital graduates and 4 graduates from Redland Hospital with their certificates.  The Parklands community congratulate our two year 12 students, Tahlya Anderson and Oliver Lee, on their hard work and outstanding achievements in the program.

Certificate III in Hospitality

The Parklands V.E.T. Department is celebrating Year 11 student, Aaryn Dejong who recently completed a Certificate III in Hospitality. For the past 18 months, Aaryn has been employed at a local cafe and has accumulated more than 350 hours in the workplace. A school-based traineeship impacts the student’s school timetable and Aaryn has successfully mastered the delicate art of time management.

Aaryn also donated one day of his time to help the cafe pack up, as it was closing down (unfortunately). Learning Support Aide, Mrs Green, was only too happy (and proud) to visit Aaryn not only to congratulate him but to acknowledge his kind act. Well done Aaryn.

Congratulations to all students for all your hard work and dedication to your studies.

Certificate II in Retail

Year 11 student, Ryan Williams, recently commenced a school-based retail traineeship with Woolworths. Ryan will complete 350 hours (one day per week) while completing theory units and senior school studies; this nationally recognised qualification will accrue points towards Ryan’s Queensland Certificate of Education.

Community Projects

Over the September School holidays Year 6 Student, Brock Smith was involved in a community project at the Fitzgibbon Community Centre. The project was for Kurbingui and Members of the Community to come together and paint Traditional Aboriginal Art over eight Totem Poles and a sand stone sitting area.

Sandbag, a local Sandgate Community Organisation, facilitated the day and provided a BBQ lunch.  Mr Travis Coyne from the Kurbingui Youth Development Worker provides mentoring programs for youth and invited these young people to come and help with maintaining and strengthening cultural practice in an urban environment. Brock has a strong interest in Aboriginal Art and Travis is teaching him how this unique style is passed down from generation to generation so as to continue the valuable practise and art-form of story-telling.

Parklands Alumni – Tegan Daly

I graduated from Parklands Christian College in 2013, and began studying a Bachelor of Engineering at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in 2014. During the first semester of the degree I didn’t enjoy what I was studying and couldn’t imagine myself doing this as a career for the rest of my life. I withdrew from the course at the end of the first semester and began working full time in retail; initially I wasn’t sure whether I would return to university, however my journey into tertiary study didn’t end. I was driven to try an alternate career which led me down the path of paramedicine. In 2015, I enrolled into a Bachelor of Paramedicine at University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and haven’t looked back. I have enjoyed every aspect of my course and am on track to become a 2017 paramedic graduate. University can be difficult and challenging but the life lessons that I have learnt through my degree will remain with me forever. Good time management, organisation and taking regular breaks from study have allowed me to complete this degree and be happy with everything I have achieved. It’s important to remember that tertiary study is only one pathway and set-backs happen for a reason, I know mine certainly did. Be open to change, go forth and conquer.  Congratulations Tegan!

Subject to changes – please check the College Calendar on the College website for more detailed and up to date information on the above.

Vacation Care

Parklands Outside School Hours Care

December / January Vacation Care 2017
Monday 27th November to Friday 19th January 2018

Hours of Operation

Monday to Friday, 6:30am – 6:00pm from Monday 27th November to Friday 19th January 2017.

What you need to bring

Children are required to bring,   MORNING TEA,   LUNCH &   AFTERNOON TEA.

They will also need a HAT and a WATER BOTTLE for our outside fun experiences.

Children must wear FULL ENCLOSED SHOES  –  NO SINGLETS OR VESTS.
* So I can alter the cooking class menus please let me know if there are any food allergies/dietary requirements.

Daily Routine:

Booking forms can be collected from the Outside School Hours Care Building.  If you have not used our service before you will also need to fill in an enrolment form.

For general enquiries or more information-
email:  parklandsoshc@simrick.com.au or phone: 3297 0577 or 0473 681 426

Thank you,
Miss Rachel & Miss Wendy.

Flashing lights now active at Parklands Christian College

There will soon be flashing light school zone signs installed on Rosia Road.

Parklands Christian College was nominated to receive these new signs as part of a Queensland Government commitment to improve school road safety.

You will notice that the new signs look similar to standard school zone signs with the addition of a red flashing ring around the speed limit as well as two flashing yellow lights at the top of the sign. The installation of flashing light school zone signs is proven to improve visibility of school zones, serving as an active reminder for motorists to slow down.

So next time you’re dropping off or picking up your child, keep an eye out for the new signs and make sure you stick to the signed speed limit.

PCC Secondary Sports Awards

On Wednesday 1 November, Parklands CC Hosted the 2017 Secondary Sports Awards.

Another great year in sport. It was great to have Michael Hancock (ex Brisbane Bronco) as our guest speaker, bringing a great message about developing yourself to be the best person you can be both on and off the field.

Sport Person of the year Winners were:

Junior- Kyle Payne and Samantha Bayer Senior- Oliver Lee and Rebekah Swinn

Congratulations to all winners and thank you to all students for making sport happen. Special thanks to parents who attended.

PCC Primary Sports Awards

On Thursday 2 November, the Primary Sports Awards took place in the auditorium from 2:00 to 3:00pm. All year 5 and 6 students attended and it was great to see so many parents come and support them. We were very privileged to hear a talk from guest speaker Monique Murphy. Monique is a Paralympic Swimmer with the QAS who won silver in Rio. Monique’s story and journey was truly inspirational to all who heard and provided great encouragement for us to strive to be the very best we can be.

A Most Valuable and Most Improved Player was chosen from each primary sport team.  Cody Finlay was awarded ‘Primary Male Sports Person of the year’ and Jade Sutton was awarded ‘Primary Female Sports Person of the year’.Congratulations to all award winners and thank you to all Primary students who participated in sport for Parklands in 2017.

Primary Inter- School Sport

Friday 10 November was the last round of Season 2 of Inter-school sport. All teams have worked really hard this season and displayed some fantastic results. Last week, a number of teams  participated in Grand Finals and play offs for their finishing position.

PCC Swimming Carnival 2018

A reminder for all parents and students that our  swimming carnival will be taking place on 31 January 2018 at Parkinson Aquatic Centre for all 9 to 18 yrs.

Katy Blackmore represents Queensland

Energy Drinks

“A legal high” – this is the phrase that Jamie Oliver has been using lately with regard to children using energy drinks.  The celebrity chef has been advocating for these drinks to be regulated, as have the Canadian Paediatric Society who recently released a position statement highlighting the risks associated with adolescents using sport and caffeinated energy drinks.  It was found that the amount of caffeine in energy drinks usually exceeds the recommendation for teenagers, they are associated with skipping breakfast, contain a high level of sugar and may contribute to obesity, and according to Jamie, “disrupt learning as well as health”.

The purpose of energy drinks is generally to increase energy and alertness, which we at Parklands feel can be done in a more healthy way.  While it is up to individual families to decide whether they are happy for their child to drink caffeine, sport or energy drinks, we ask that students don’t bring energy drinks to school (where they may be shared with other children).  We would like our students to be alert and ready for the day by healthy practices, such as:

• Eat a healthy breakfast
• Have quality sleep for the recommended length for your age (8-10 hours per night)
• Have a good sleep routine (stop screen time early, read, listen to calming music, etc)
• Drink plenty of water
• Utilise great time management skills to avoid last minute homework or assignment work

Further reading:

• Canadian Paediatric Society Position Statement https://www.cps.ca/en/documents/position/energy-and-sports-drinks
• Jamie Oliver’s article http://nationalpost.com/health/jamie-oliver-urges-restricting-energy-drinks-to-age-16-and-older

Awards Night

Our Secondary students will be celebrated on Thursday 16 November at the Church Auditorium.  We enjoy having our families and friends of the College attend each year for our Secondary Awards Night and would love to have you join us.  Please be seated by 6:45pm for a prompt 7pm start in order to finish by our goal of 8:30pm.  Out of respect for other students, we ask that, where possible, families remain until the conclusion of the evening.  The College views this very special occasion as a compulsory event.  However, should your child not be able to attend, please provide a letter of explanation to Student Services ASAP.

Please find important information below to assist your preparation for the evening:

Uniform

• Full and correct academic uniform (excluding hat)
• Senior College students need to attend with blazer and tie
• Hair is to be off the face and behind the ears
• Failure to comply with these expectations and standard uniform policy will result in the student’s exclusion from the ceremony

Guest Information

• Parents should take their seats by 6:50pm. Students will line up outside the Church Auditorium.
• A parents’ room is available at the rear of the Auditorium
• Good casual standard of dress would be appreciated to signify the importance of the occasion

Behaviour

• As with any College event, our normal expectations for standards of student conduct apply. Students failing to moderate themselves on the night will be subject to standard behavioural consequences and/or exclusion from the ceremony at the Principal’s discretion.

For further details, please refer to the home communication that was emailed to families, or contact Student Services on 3380 4237.  I trust that you find the above information helpful, and I very much look forward to seeing you on the night.

Uniforms

As the year winds down we ask for your support of our uniform policy both at Awards Night as well as every remaining school day.  It may also help to have a refresher read of the policy during the holidays, before making decisions on haircuts, piercings or shoe and uniform purchases.  I’d like to draw your attention to the following aspects in particular:

• Jewellery: rings on fingers are not permitted, nor are necklaces.  Students may wear a wrist watch only.
• Earrings: Boys are not to wear earrings – if they have a piercing, it must be removed before arriving on site.  Girls may wear only one plain stud or sleeper in the lower lobe of each ear.
• Hair: Girls’ hair must be off the face and of a natural colour and appearance, and secured by pins or hair ties/bands.  Boys’ hair must be off the face and collar, of natural colour and appearance, and a minimum blade of 2.  Please check that your child’s hair complies and is neat and tidy.
• Facial hair: boys must have clean shaven faces and be free of facial hair.

Please refer to our uniform policy http://parklands.qld.edu.au/uniforms/ for more information.  We appreciate your support in maintaining our dress standard.

Miss Jessica Grounds

Year 2

This term is quickly coming to an end. We have enjoyed our learning time about life cycles and Indigenous cultures and have started presenting some amazing expositions.

You would have seen some plants come home in colourful pots last week. If these are put in the sun, watered and nurtured they will grow into beautiful edible flowers. We will also be sending home their green houses and alfalfa heads over the next few days.

It has been an amazing year and upon reflection we all agree that we are very excited about how much each and every student has developed this year. We hope that they continue their growth in our sprint towards the end of Year 2 and continue to use their reading and desire to explore God’s creation over the holidays.

We have a few exciting moments that we are looking forward to before we finish off the year; our excursion to Dreamworld, lots of Christmas activities and craft, awards night and the pizza party on the last day. It will go quickly and we hope that it is memorable for everyone.

God Bless,
Mrs Penny Daley, Mrs Jessica Bourchier,
Mrs Pat Buckley and Mrs Nicole Lowe.

Year 6 Transition Day

On Monday, 6th November, Middle School played host to the current year 6 students. Year 6 students were experiencing a day in the life of secondary.

Students were welcomed, divided into groups, and participated in three different specialist subjects: Home Economics, Design and Construction and Visual Art.

Throughout the day, students were able to cook muffins as a team, create a simple picture frame, and create an ink print to sit in the frame. Students were instructed by specialist secondary staff in the specific facilities, giving them a sneak peek at what lies ahead for them in 2018.

Students were also treated to a sausage sizzle lunch, served by their current teachers and teacher aides in the new Year 7 area.

Year 9 Business

Parklands would like to congratulate the following year 9 Business students who achieved Distinctions in the 2017 Buy Smart Competition held by the Queensland Government’s Office for Fair Trading. All 9 Business students entered their Term 3 assessments as submissions in the competition. Malia Tuakana Tiraa  submitted a poster on Online Shopping, while Jessica Benson  submitted a poster and Kayla McCredie  submitted a PPT on Consumer Rights and Responsibilities. The competition is open to all students in Queensland and is aimed at helping young people learn about marketplace issues and become more informed consumers.

Malia Tuakana Tirra Jessica Benson and Kayla McCredie

Welcome to our new-look newsletter. A much larger number of people are reading emails on their phones today, and this format improves their reading experience compared to a print-format newsletter. I hope that it will enhance our connection and information flow within our community. Thank-you to those staff members who are so diligent in putting it together for us every month; your efforts are duly noted and much appreciated.

If I were asked to describe my overall theme for this year, I would say this: I have been trying to understand what truly matters at Parklands and to ensure that we preserve these things for the future.

Take this newsletter for example. We knew that the format had to change eventually; in fact, I think it was on my very first day in the office that someone told me about this necessity. However, before approving this change, it was vital for me to understand the essential things about our newsletter that we should never change. As I read Mr B’s previous articles and tried my hand on my own, I realised that our newsletter has always been very instrumental in shaping our school community, to keep parents well-informed about the development of our school, and to communicate the heart of the principal for the school and its students. Using this understanding about our newsletter, we could now change its design while being purposeful about retaining the things that truly matter.

I think this small example is indicative of the larger theme: to preserve the things that should not change amidst a changing world. We can’t avoid change and neither should we. Our local community is growing, and so is the demand for enrolment places, leading us to open a third Year 7 stream in 2019. Technological advancements and changing career pathways affect our teaching program. Educational research becomes more and more refined in telling us what works and what doesn’t work in classrooms.

These changes are beneficial if we keep our focus on the things that genuinely matter. During the latter part of the year, we have been considering the next steps in our development over the coming five years and have created a Strategic Vision (2018-2022) which I look forward to sharing with you at our Awards Nights. It includes a master plan that gives us an idea of what our campus might look like in ten years (very inspiring!). We used a lot of the information from our student, parent and staff surveys to create these plans. However, in all of this work, easily two-thirds of our time was spent on discussing our foundations: why we are here and how we do things around here. All of our plans for the future are attempts to strengthen these things amidst any necessary change.

Something that shouldn’t change is the purpose of our work at Parklands Christian College, and we developed a statement that describes it well: “To care for students through a quality Christian education that inspires them to flourish, to love God and to love others as themselves.” May God help us to preserve this heart for our students in our future endeavours.

I look forward to sharing more about this with you at our Awards Nights!
God Bless.

Mr Johannes Solymosi

I can’t believe we’ve only got 2 weeks left of school for 2017 – wow, how time has flown!

2018 Class Placements

We believe God has a destiny for every student in our school. He has already placed within them the skills, gifts and talents that they need so as to become the person God intended them to be. We are also blessed to have excellent teachers at Parklands because of God’s call on their life.  Class teachers, Teacher Aides, Specialists, RTC & LE Staff spend an enormous amount of time praying, working through and discussing the issues involved with class placements and in trying to ensure that classes are well balanced. The matters of learning style, academic ability, behavioural concerns, student & staff personality, friendships, as well as social and emotional needs are earnestly discussed in the whole class selection process.

A reminder, we know the students at school and do not accommodate requests from parents to swap class placements. It is an extremely difficult task that is complicated by requests for and against staff and other students or friends. We ask that you would pray for wisdom and discernment for your child’s teacher as they look to care for and meet the needs of each student.

Thank you for your understanding and support in this regard and look forward to seeing a wonderful working relationship develop between teacher, student and parent!

Awards Nights

Due to the ever increasing number of students and the size of our auditorium, this year again we  plan to divide up the evening and have 2 Awards Night Ceremonies on Thursday 23rd November.

We’ll have the Prep to Gr 2 Awards Night Ceremony from 6 – 7.15 pm in the auditorium and after dismissing these students and parents during the break / intermission, we’ll invite the Grade 3-6 parents and students into the auditorium to commence their Grade 3-6 Awards Night ceremony starting at 7.30 – 8.45 pm. A more detailed Awards Night Letter for BOTH ceremonies will be forthcoming!

I know this year’s Awards Nights are going to be another tremendous highlight for us, not only because they will allow each and every student to be encouraged, rewarded and esteemed for their effort but also because we normally have so many parents joining us to celebrate their child’s achievements. It’s also going to be great to see and hear the year level item performances and excited students walking across the stage to be presented with their certificates.

This for us is such a blessing and what teaching is all about!

Uniforms

Please clearly label all uniform items with your child’s first and last NAME (not just initials).

We still have 2 weeks left of school plus looking smart for Awards Night so are asking parents to please ensure that their children are correctly and neatly dressed every day. If unsure of the Primary Uniform Policy, please feel free to check our website, ask a class teacher or RTC staff. Appreciate your assistance and support in this regard.

Volunteers / Support

We are seriously looking for parents and or grandparents who can assist teachers with fun tasks like: changing readers, reading to/with students, doing exciting group activities etc. If you’d be willing to hear more about volunteering, please feel free to talk to a teacher, contact Student Services or Mr. Jakins (Head of Primary).

Are young students at risk of screen time addiction?

by James Reid

For many of us who are living in the digital age, spending hours in front of a screen is an everyday part of life. However, some studies have shown that this may not be a good thing.
A recent survey found that three-in-five children exceed the recommended amount of screen time, which is one hour a day for children aged two to five and two hours a day for five to 18-year-olds.

The online technology usage poll, conducted by ABC children’s current affairs program, Behind The News, surveyed more than 18,000 young Australians to reveal their technology habits. It found 56% of those surveyed spend more than two hours a day using technology outside of school hours. One in 10 said they spent at least four out-of-school hours a day looking at a screen.
Boys were found to spend more time in front of screens than girls, averaging 4.2 hours a day on digital devices outside school hours. By comparison, the figure for young girls was an average of 3.7 hours.
Worryingly one-in-four young people surveyed admitted they would find it “impossible” to go without digital devices for even one week – a trait that can be associated with Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD).

Some studies suggest that excessive screen time can have a range of negative cognitive effects, including structural and functional changes in brain regions involving emotional processing, executive attention, decision making, and cognitive control.

But what about children who aren’t addicted per se?

Addiction aside, a much broader concern that begs awareness is the risk that screen time is creating subtle damage even in children with “regular” exposure, considering that the average child clocks in more than seven hours a day.

Technology usage rises with age.

When it comes to how much screen time young people are getting, it’s teenagers that are the most prolific.
The survey found children aged eight to 12 spend significantly less time on technology, compared to teenagers who clocked up 6-7 hours of screen time before or after school.
In terms of how young people spent this time, playing video games, watching movies or watching TV topped the list. For others, doing homework and spending time on social media occupied roughly the same amount of time as each other.

The most used devices were tablets, followed by computers, TVs and smartphones. Gaming consoles came last in the list, seeming to point towards a new trend for young gamers to primarily use portable devices.

11 Hillcrest Road, Park Ridge Q 4125
Email: admin@parklands.qld.edu.au

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