DED Head

Do you ever get headaches? I get headaches. It’s only a very recent thing. I think my job demands more hours at the computer screen than I was used to. Or maybe more hours than is healthy.

There is a common issue on the rise, especially amongst young people. It’s called Computer Vision Syndrome or CVS. After the Summer holidays our children trade their time at the beach, the park or on their bicycles for screen time, close work (reading, writing etc) and the result can often be a range of symptoms that are debilitating and effect health and productivity.

Dry eyes. Neck Pain. Headaches. Back pain. Blurred vision. Muscle twitches. These can then develop into a condition called myopia (short-sightedness). Prescription spectacles can open alleviate the symptoms, but it would obviously be better not to have to get that far in our health.

One way to avoid these headaches I seem to get is to limit what is medically called Digital Eye Damage (or DED). DED is absolutely on the rise, and some experts are predicting a huge increase in the number of students and adults who will have eye conditions related to their exposure to pixelated images on digital screens.

Prevention is always better than a cure. Here are the suggestions for avoiding symptoms like the ones listed above.

Dosage – Screen time exposure (including TV, computers, phones etc) should be limited to a maximum of 1 hour per day for under 10 year-olds, 2 hours per day for tween-agers and 3 hours per day for teens. Us oldies – well, if you spend more than 3 hours, there’s a good chance you will inevitably become a “DED-head” like me, unless you take these other precautions seriously as well.

De-Glare – Keep a clean monitor that has glare-reducing filters.

Breaks – Children especially should have a 5 to 10 minute break each hour, where the eyes are able to adjust to distant (3 metres to infinity) objects.

Face It – Feet need to be on the floor and the eyes should be no closer, adult or child, than 50-60 cm from the screen.

Wear It – If you use prescription lenses, wear them at all times when on screens.

Quite apart from the potential social-emotional damage these wonderful and increasingly necessary creations cause, there are physical effects we need to be aware of too. In the same way we would protect our children’s minds, their hearts and their dreams, we need to protect their eyes!

Research shows that about 80% of what we learn is through our vision (that’s why all our parental lectures don’t sink in maybe!). Screens are learning tools. But they can also make you a DED head. Use screens wisely, and why not take your family outside for a game or something this afternoon!

Ian HumphriesPRINCIPAL

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE 17 MARCH, 2017

DATES TO REMEMBER

MARCH 20-24Week of Worship

MARCH 21CBA Start Smart

MARCH 22Swimming Last Day

MARCH 31Last Day Term 1

APRIL 18First Day Term 2

APRIL 18Life Education Visit

APRIL 21School Photos

APRIL 24 Home & School Meeting

APRIL 25Anzac Day Holiday

Parade at The Strand

MAY 1Labour Day - Public Holiday

MAY 2Prompt Payment Fee Deadline

MAY 5Mother’s Day Stall

MAY 11Cross Country

MAY 28Weet-bix Try-athlon

JUNE 1Riverside Pet Day

WEEK OF WORSHIPPLEASE JOIN US

We have moved our Week or Worship to Week 9 (March 20 to March 24). This year’s speaker, Pastor Alfredo Campos, will be speaking to us on the topic “Growing in Jesus”. Please join us each morning next week from 8.50am to 9.40am to start the day with a special message from God’s heart.

SCHOOL PHOTOS - APRIL 21School photos are scheduled to take place on Friday, 21 April. Envelopes will be sent home with students today. If you are wishing to have sibling photos please ask for this specific envelope at the office. You are able to order and pay for your photos online if this is more convenient for you. Just follow the directions on the envelope to place your order.

Principal’s Award:Rachellie Savuro - For motivation and leadership.Taron Obst - For leading with actions more than words.

Grades Prep-1

Sefiu Tuilimu - For a big effort in reading.

Eli Robertson - For persistence in learning to skip.

Grades 2/3Isaiah Kerindun-Yunkaporta - For his great diving at swimming.Taron Obst - For his creative poem writing.Shelbi Payne - For her beautiful listening & for following instructions.Grades 4/5/6Ella Wilkinson - For excellent focus to complete set tasks.Reagan Obst - For awesome story writing.

Some say that the measure of our lives can be seen in our friends. We have all sorts of friends, best ones, long distance ones and even ones that we call acquaintances. They help us through the bad times and dance along in the good times with us. One of my own very supportive friends lives in Sydney. The distance between us is far but we are in contact regularly by phone and it is like we are chatting together over a cuppa at home. I feel ‘safe’ sharing with her and she feels the same when confiding in me. Distance is no obstacle. When you have friends that are special, reliable and trustworthy you treat them like gold because to have such a friend is a blessing.

Here are some tips to help your child make great friends.

1. Be an “emotion coach”

Everybody has negative emotions and selfish impulses. But to make friends, we need to keep these responses under control. Studies of Western kids suggest that children develop better emotional self-control when their parents talk to them about their feelings in a sympathetic, problem-solving way.

2. Practice authorative (not authoritarian) parenting

Studies of both Western and Chinese children report that kids are more likely to be rejected by their peers when their parents practice authoritarian parenting --an approach characterized by low levels of warmth and high levels of control.

Authoritarian parents discourage thoughtful discussion and attempt to control behaviour through punishment. Kids raised this way are less likely to develop an internalized sense of right and wrong. And kids subjected to harsh punishments tend to show more hostility and aggression.

3. Teach kids how to converse in a polite way

The earliest lessons kids learn about communication happen at home, and it seems they make a difference. In a recent study tracking young children over a period of many years, Ruth Feldman and her colleagues found that parents who showed high levels of reciprocity in their communication with children had kids who developed more social competence and better negotiation skills over time (Feldman et al 2013).

4. Foster empathy and sympathetic concern for others

Although even babies shown signs of empathy, I think it’s a mistake to imagine that full-blown empathy will “just emerge” if you leave kids alone.

7. Monitor kids’ social lives

Studies in a variety of cultures suggest that children are better off when their parents monitor their social activities. It means supervising where kids play and helping kids choose their friends.

8. When possible, let kids try to work things out on their own

Young toddlers need to be closely supervised but as children get older, allow and encourage children to develop their own problem solving skills when problems arise.

9. Watch out for bullying

Bullying isn’t a healthy part of childhood, and experts agree that adults need to get involved.

10. Be aware of Cultural Differences

What we think is acceptable in our country/cultural may not necessarily be acceptable in others. Children however readily accept different cultures, often more so than adults.

FROM CHAPPY ANNETTE ...

Through play we are becoming connected with and contribute to the world by:-

INTER SCHOOL SWIMMING CARNIVAL

Thank you to the students who represented Riverside at the inter school swimming carnival at the Aitkenvale State School pool on Monday, March 13. Thank you for being on your best behaviour and trying your best. We’re very proud of you. These Riverside students brought home trophy’s for 2nd place overall, most improved and the best average points per student.

Rachellie Savuro Tasha Tuilimu Sarah Stanley Rayan TahirElla Wilkinson Blaud Tuilimu Junior Tuilimu Lilita HarlockTyler Mahoney Mitchell Hautaniemi Reagan Obst Taron ObstShelbi Payne Brooklyn Acres Damien Acres

AGE CHAMPIONS

The age champions from our school swimming carnival were announced at Assembly last Monday. Congratulations to the following students who were crowned age champion for 2017.Rayan Tahir, Ruth Teariki, Isaiah Kerindun-Yunkaporta, Mitchell Hautaniemi, Damian Acres, Lilita Harlock, Tasha Tuilimu, Ella Wilkinson, Reagan Obst, Blaud Tuilimu, Rachellie Savuro, Tyler Mahoney, Shelbi Payne.

RSPCA VISIT - PREP/1 CLASSPeter from RSPCA did an amazing job on Thursday teaching the students about the needs of pets. Peter said they are in desperate need of kitten food, wet or dry. It would be good to have some supplies ready for when he returns in a week or two for presentation number two.

RSPCA FundraiserRiverside’s own Lemon and Limes for sale:-

Large Lemons $1.00Limes .50c

All funds this time raised will go towards purchasing kitten food for the Prep/1 Class to donate to the RSPCA.