Newsletter - Term 4, Week 2 - 11 October

Lofi Girl is a streaming service that has carved out a unique niche in the music world. With a continuous loop of lo-fi hip hop music, it’s renowned for calming beats and the iconic animation of a girl studying or relaxing with her cat by the window. Lofi Girl, as the character is known, offers a serene atmosphere that aids concentration and relaxation.

The lo-fi music played here is characterised by its low-fidelity sound quality, intentionally raw and imperfect. The genre blends elements of hip-hop and smooth jazz, coupled with repetitive beats; it creates a consistent and non-intrusive soundscape. The simplicity and rhythmic nature of lo-fi music can help students focus better by providing a background noise that isn’t too distracting.

For many students but especially students with ADHD, staying focused and managing time can be particularly challenging. Symptoms like inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, can make studying and completing tasks difficult. However, scientific studies suggest that certain types of music, including lo-fi, can improve concentration and cognitive function.

A study published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement found that music, especially instrumental and ambient tracks, can aid in stress reduction and improve focus. Psychology Today emphasises that repetitive, instrumental music can help alleviate ADHD symptoms by increasing dopamine levels, which play a crucial role in attention and executive functioning. These findings suggest that lo-fi music, with its repetitive beats and soothing tones, can create a conducive environment for studying.

Lofi Girl's 24/7 live stream ensures that students have constant access to this helpful tool, allowing them to plug in and focus whenever they need to. The visual component of the stream, featuring a studious anime girl, also adds to the calming and immersive experience, making it easier to settle into study routines.

In addition to the auditory benefits, the animation provides a relatable visual of a dedicated student, which can serve as a source of motivation and companionship during long study sessions. This combination of auditory and visual elements helps create a multi-sensory study environment that can mitigate some of the challenges faced by students with ADHD.

Creating a supportive study environment goes beyond just listening to lo-fi music. Incorporating regular breaks, using planners and to-do lists and maintaining a tidy workspace, are essential strategies to enhance focus and productivity. Breaking tasks into smaller, manageable chunks can make large assignments feel less daunting. Using tools like planners, to-do lists and reminders, can help keep track of deadlines and assignments. Techniques like the Pomodoro Technique, where students study for a set period followed by a short break, can also be highly effective when used alongside lo-fi music.

Furthermore, seeking support from teachers and counsellors can provide all our Eddies men with strategies and accommodations to help them succeed academically. With the right tools and the support of the Eddies Team, they can harness their potential and achieve their academic goals.


Skool-2-Skoolies

Jim Smith Drive was a blur of bicycles this morning as our Skool-2-Skoolies riders departed for their final ride. Over the course of the year, numerous early mornings and late afternoons have added up to countless kilometres ridden, not to mention innumerable days of training; all in preparation for this 150km trek from Eddies to Cavil Avenue.

In 2024, Eddies Men and Eddies staff have dedicated precious hours and concerted effort to raise money for St Vincent de Paul and the Ipswich Hospice. In this quintessentially Eddies act of giving and service, a record amount was amassed last year and this year our young men have broken records yet again with a fundraising total of $60000.

Thank you to the riders today, students and staff and a very special thank you to the many generous local donors and sponsors who contributed to this very worthwhile program.

In each newsletter, we will bring you an article from SchoolTV. It’s never been more challenging for parents and caregivers to raise happy, healthy and resilient children. The SchoolTV platform provides an extensive range of wellbeing resources for parents and caregivers, so together with the College, we can all work together to ensure better wellbeing for all students.

Signs that a child might have the disorder, and other problems that may be confused with ADHD

A lot of kids with ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) are diagnosed when they start to struggle in school. Fidgeting, interrupting, losing homework, daydreaming - these are all common signs of ADHD. However, they can also have other causes. Whenever it looks like a child might have ADHD, it's important to rule out other issues.

Signs of ADHD fall into two categories. The first includes inattentive symptoms, like getting distracted or forgetting things. The second includes hyperactive and impulsive symptoms, like running around the room or shouting out answers in class.

Other mental health concerns can cause classroom issues that look a lot like ADHD. A child who can't focus might be distracted by anxiety, something upsetting at home, or worry about getting bullied. A child with learning disorder like dyslexia might act out because they're frustrated with schoolwork. It's also important to note that girls with ADHD are more likely than boys to have only inattentive symptoms. Sometimes, they're written off as ditzy or dreamy instead of getting a diagnosis.

To be diagnosed with ADHD, a child must have symptoms in at least two settings, like home and school. It's normal for kids to be inattentive or hyperactive sometimes, so ADHD symptoms must last for at least six months. It's also important to consider age. Kids who are young for their grade may get misdiagnosed with ADHD because they're just not as mature as other kids in their class.

When a child is struggling in school, it's important to find help and get an accurate diagnosis, whether or not ADHD is the real issue.

Many children with ADHD show signs of the disorder before they reach school age. But it's in school, when they are having trouble meeting expectations for kids in their grade, that most are referred for diagnosis.

ADHD is one of the first things that's suspected when a child's behavior in class, or performance on schoolwork, is problematic. A child who can't seem to sit still, who blurts out answers in class without raising his hand, who doesn't finish his homework, who seems to be daydreaming when the teacher gives instructions-these are well-known symptoms of ADHD.

But these are also behaviours that can be a result of other factors, from anxiety to trauma to just being younger than most of the kids in the class, and hence a little less mature.

That's why it's important for teachers and parents both to be aware of what ADHD looks like in the classroom, and how it might be confused with other things that could be influencing a child's behaviour. Observing kids carefully is especially important when kids are too young to be able to articulate what they are feeling. And referring struggling kids for diagnosis and appropriate support can help them succeed in school and other parts of their lives, too.

ADHD symptoms

There are three kinds of behaviour involved in ADHD: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Of course all young children occasionally have trouble paying attention to teachers and parents, staying in their seats, and waiting their turn. Kids should only be diagnosed with ADHD if their behaviour is much more extreme in these areas than other kids their age.

These symptoms of ADHD are divided into two groups-inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive. Some children exhibit mostly inattentive behaviours and others predominantly hyperactive-impulsive. But the majority of those with ADHD have a combination of both, which may make it very difficult for them to function in school.

Here are behaviours you might observe in school in those two categories.

As you would be aware St Edmund’s College operates a textbook hire scheme for the benefit of all students at the College. The success and viability of this scheme is contingent upon the timely return of texts in good condition that allows for their redistribution to students for use in subsequent years. Unlike other schools, we do not charge a levy or require students to purchase texts separately. Often these costs are in the vicinity of $250 to $400. To assist us with the maintenance of the scheme we require your support in ensuring that your son’s texts are returned in good condition and in accordance with the timelines set out below:

YEAR 12 TEXTBOOK RETURN DATES

• Friday 18 October - ALL  books NOT needed for Exams
• Tuesday 12 November - All remaining books

As you would understand we require students to return all textbooks before the end of term or their departure from the College to allow for cleaning, bagging and replacement arrangements to be made for next year.

Payment for any lost or damaged textbooks can be made at the College Reception.

Term 4 - Week 3

Tuesday 15 October

• 2024 Annual Awards Evening
  
  

Friday 18 October

• Assembly (Year 12 Farewell)
• Junior Schools Cup Volleyball Tournament

Term 4 - Week 4

Monday 21 October

• QCAA External Exams begin

Wednesday 23 October

• Year 8 Camp

Thursday 24 October

• Year 8 Camp