Director of Student Wellbeing

Footy Colours Day

Today we celebrated Footy Colours Day. Staff and students were encouraged to wear their footy colours for a gold coin donation to help provide accommodation for the families of children going through cancer treatment so families can stay together. 

To encourage participation and donation to this important cause Year 9s AFL matches were taken place at Recess (Doyle vs Joyce) and Lunch (Hessian vs Dwyer).

Vaping and Young People

E-cigarette use is increasing among young people in society. Knowing the facts about vaping is part of Tasmania’s approach to respond to e-cigarette use in schools. Tasmanian schools are required to be smoke free (this also means vape free). This term Senior Years students have been educated in Year Assemblies around the harmful effects of vaping on both their mental and physical health. 

Vapes are deliberately designed to be appealing to young people. The flavours and colour packaging are a marketing strategy by tobacco companies to appeal to new and younger consumers. The biggest misunderstanding about vapes is that they are harmless compared to cigarettes. However, this is not true. Vapes contain the same harmful chemicals found in cleaning products, nail polish remover, weed killer and bug spray, toxins such as formaldehyde and heavy metals, and flavouring chemicals. Many e-cigarettes also contain nicotine even when labeled ‘nicotine free’. Nicotine is addictive. The nicotine in one e-cigarette/vape can be equivalent to 50 cigarettes. 

How e-cigarettes harm the body:

• E-cigarettes contain corrosive chemicals that do not belong in our lungs.
• E-cigarettes have been linked with immediate harms including respiratory illness, serious lung disease and death.
• The nicotine in e-cigarettes can cause addiction and increase the risk of anxiety and depression.
• A young person’s brain develops until the age of 25 and is particularly vulnerable to the effects of nicotine.
• Early exposure to nicotine has been shown to negatively affect the structure and function of the brain.

Signs a young person may be addicted to vaping include:

• Nicotine addiction from vapes is the same as for smokers.
  • This can mean feeling irritable or anxious, as well as craving to vape.
• They may also experience a lack of concentration when they can’t vape and can have trouble sleeping. 

Vaping may seem popular but in fact research shows that four in five young people do not vape. 

Resources to support parents and carers have a conversation with their young person around vaping and support can be found here.

Other People Matter 

During the Year 7-8 PC Meeting on Tuesday I provided a simple but important message to students, other people matter. Humans are hardwired for connection. It plays a significant role in our general health and wellbeing and it is in companionship with others that we experience joy. How we treat others is important in fostering that connection. I explained to students that their words and actions can either have a positive effect on others or a negative effect and this is an active choice they make - how they want others to feel around them. It is an expectation that our College value of Kindness is upheld in all student interactions with staff and each other. 

2024 Student Leadership Applications

Applications for 2024 Year 10, Year 11 and Year 12 Student Leadership positions close Friday 29 September. These applications will require a parent signature in support of your son’s application as student leaders are required to support many out of hours events. They will also need to be endorsed by the student’s Pastoral Care Teacher. I encourage students to allow enough time for these to be completed by the due date. Interviews will commence in Week 1 of Term 4. I wish all students the best of luck with their application and the interview process.

Hats

A reminder that students are to wear hats when outside at recess and lunch times during Term 4. This is also the case for outside learning. I encourage all students to locate their St Virgil’s bucket hat or cap over the holiday break and bring it to school ready for Day 1 next term. Beanies are not permitted in Term 4.