Year 7 Vaccinations

NSW Health nurses will visit the school again on 2 August to give the second dose of Hepatitis B vaccine and the chicken pox vaccine. Any Year 10 student who missed out in March on their Boostrix vaccination can catch up at this visit. Consent forms are available from the clinic.

Exam/Study Advice

With exams getting closer here are some recommended guidelines:

• Try to maintain your normal sleep routine; optimal sleep time is between seven and nine hours. Don’t study too late into the night; it’s counterproductive.

• Always eat breakfast and lunch during the exam period and snack every few hours on energy food such as a handful of mixed nuts or fresh fruit. Drink two to three litres of plain water every day. Don’t eat a heavy fatty lunch before an afternoon exam as it will make you feel sleepy.

• Do something you enjoy; it’s not wasted time away from study. Watch or read something funny.

• Coffee is a stimulant and can make you feel more alert. If you normally have a cup of coffee, then have what you would normally drink. Too much caffeine can give you headaches, nausea, increased heart rate and make it difficult to get to sleep. Stimulant drinks should be avoided too as they can make you jittery and restless.

• Do some exercise; aim for at least half an hour a day of some type of physical activity (a brisk walk, a stretch session).

• Think positively about the exams.

• A few deep breaths really help to calm the nerves by slowing your heart rate. Here’s one very simple way of deep-breathing. Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth just behind your front teeth. Breathe in slowly through you nose to the count of five. Hold your breath to the count of seven. Then exhale slowly and audibly through pursed lips to the count of eight. If you put your hands to your abdomen you can feel it rise as you inhale. By the fourth exhale, you should feel noticeably relaxed.

• Keep healthy prior to and during the exam period. Being healthy helps you cope with exam pressure. It improves your ability to concentrate and increases your energy.

• Don’t forget to include your family, they are concerned for you so let them know how you are going.

 Sister Margaret Bates
School Nurse