Director of Student Wellbeing
Ms Farron Boxall
Director of Student Wellbeing
Ms Farron Boxall
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).
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:
Signs a young person may be addicted to vaping include:
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.
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.
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.
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.