Dear Parents and Carers,

We have a few reminders that are timely for this time of the year.

SunSmart

With the temperature warming up and having a number of sunny days this week, please remember that we are a SunSmart school and students are required to wear a SunSmart hat (wide brimmed, not a cap) between September and April each year. Our teachers are reminding students before breaks to put their hats on. A number of our students are telling staff that they do not have a hat. As this is part of our school uniform requirements between September and April, please organise a new hat for you children if they do not have one. Students without hats are asked to play in the shade. It is also a good idea for children to apply sunscreen regularly. Well done to all of our students who also bring sunscreen to apply at school.

Stranger Danger

With the nicer weather, we have many students walking or riding their bikes to and from school. It is a great idea for parents and carers to please have a conversation with your children about what they might do if they are approached by a stranger when in the community. Please take the time to reinforce the stranger danger message, e.g. never get into a car with a stranger, let an adult know immediately if you have an encounter with a stranger that makes you feel uncomfortable. Please encourage your children to walk or ride home in a group and to leave the school and commence their walk home straight after the bell. Thank you for your support with this.

Remembrance Day

Today is Remembrance Day. We pay our respects to all of those who have fought in wars for the freedoms we are able to enjoy today. Lest we forget.

We also recognise that there are a number of wars taking place in the world today and send our care to anyone experiencing difficulty around this.

Hay Fever

With the amount of pollen in the air currently, along with a lot of growth in grasses in the area, it is definitely hay fever season! We have had a lot of students reporting to the sickbay with hay fever symptoms. There have also been thunderstorm asthma warnings in the media. If your child suffers from hay fever or asthma, this could be a challenging time for them. Our nurse provided the information below through Compass on Thursday. Our sickbay staff may be in contact with you if they have any concerns when your child presents with symptoms at the sickbay.

Other News

Mandy returns to the Principal role next week after her long service leave. We all hope she has had a very enjoyable time with her family over the past couple of weeks and welcome her back to Epping Views!

We hope you all have a fantastic weekend.

Kind regards,

Jenny Loorham

WHAT IS HAY FEVER?

Hay fever is the common name for a condition called allergic rhinitis, which is an allergy that mainly affects the nose but can also affect the eyes, throat, sinuses and ears. It mainly occurs during spring and summer. However, it can occur all year round.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HAY FEVER:

Frequent bouts of sneezing
A runny nose
Blocked nose (either one or both nostrils)
Itchy ears, nose, throat and roof of the mouth
Red, itchy, swollen and/or watery eyes
Headaches

WHAT CAUSES HAY FEVER?

Pollen (from grasses, flowers and trees)
Dust mites
Animal fur or hair
Mould spore
Cigarette smoke

TREATMENT FOR HAY FEVER

Hay fever cannot be cured but symptoms can be improved by offering relief to your child.

The best way to reduce the frequency of hay fever, is to identify what triggers the symptoms and try to avoid or minimise contact with it.

If you are having trouble working out the cause, see your GP.

Your doctor may suggest using medication to help relieve your child’s symptoms, such as

Non-sedating antihistamine (Zyrtec, Claratyne)
Low-dose steroid nasal sprays (Nasonex)

Your doctor or pharmacist can give advice on which medication may be best for your child.

It is important to remember that symptoms tend to persist unless treated. By treating your child before the school day commences, it means that they can get the most out of their learning for that day and not be interrupted by a trip to the sickbay.

For more information

AusPollen: pollen forecast website (http://www.pollenforecast.com.au/)
Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy: Is it allergic rhinitis (hay fever)? (https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/allergic-rhinitis-hay-fever-and-sinusitis/allergic-rhinitis-or-hay-fever)
Kids Health Info Sheets: Hay fever (https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Hay_fever/)
Kids Health Info Sheets: Allergic and anaphylactic reactions https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Allergic_and_anaphylactic_reactions/

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