Screen time - How much is too much?

There is no magic figure. The right amount of screen time can depend on a range of factors like your child’s age and maturity, the kind of content they are consuming, their learning needs and your family routine. 

It can be easy to focus only on the clock, but the quality and nature of what they are doing online, and your involvement, are just as important.

Consider your child’s screen use in the context of their overall health and wellbeing. For example, is online time getting in the way of their sleep and exercise? Is it impacting on their face-to-face connections with family and friends? The answers to these questions will guide you and help strike the right balance of online and offline activities for your child.

Signs that your child’s online activity may be having a negative impact on them or on your family include: 

• less interest in social activities like meeting friends or playing sport
• not doing so well at school
• tiredness, sleep disturbance, headaches, eye strain 
• changes in eating patterns
• reduced personal hygiene
• obsession with particular websites or games
• extreme anger when being asked to take a break from online activity
• appearing anxious or irritable when away from the computer
• becoming withdrawn from friends and family

For more information on this topic please visit www.esafety.gov.au

eSports Update

In Term 3 students across the school had the opportunity to participate in a Geometry Dash Competition. Students had 5 minutes to achieve their best score and see if they could make it onto the leader board. The event was very popular! As a school we played a grand total of 205 Geometry Dash games over three lunch times. Grade 3 were our biggest competitors playing 77 of those games.

There was fierce competition with only a 17-point difference between the top 2 scores. The top scoring player from each year level was presented with a certificate on parade during week 7.

Massive thanks to the fantastic students in the Media Team who gave up multiple lunchtimes to help set up and record scores.

In term 4 we will undertake a Minecraft Castle Building Team Challenge. Which Team will build their way to glory?

Elisa Weston
Technologies Teacher P-6, eSafety Champion