School Noticeboard
Annual General Meeting
The AGM of company members will be held on Tuesday 18 May at 6pm in the Multi-Purpose Hall. A reminder to members to please RSVP to Suzanna Barry (sbarry@moamagrammar.nsw.edu.au) by 11 May 2021. Voting for Board Director positions close at 11.45pm on Sunday 9th May. All members should have received an email from AFS & Associates / Survey Monkey regarding voting for Directors nominating and re-nominating. Thank you to everyone who has voted so far.
Vaping
It has come to our attention that some students have been using e-cigarette’s (vaping) at school. As such, we thought it would be timely to provide families with some information so that you can have an informed discussion with you child/children. The following information has been obtained from NSW Health (https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/tobacco/Pages/e-cigarettes.aspx):
- Electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes are battery operated devices that heat a liquid (also known as e-liquid) to produce a vapour that users inhale.
- E-cigarettes may be shaped and colored to make them look like cigarettes or other tobacco products like cigars, cigarillos, pipes, hookahs, shishas and sometimes they look like everyday items such as pens or USB memory sticks.
- When using an e-cigarette, the user inhales and exhales the vapour from the heated e-liquid. E-liquid contains a range of chemicals and it may or may not contain nicotine
- The Smoke-free Environment Act 2000 prohibits people from using e-cigarettes in smoke-free areas. (which includes schools)
- Under the NSW Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2008, it is illegal to sell e-cigarettes or e-cigarette accessories to a person under 18 years of age
- E-cigarettes are not risk free. They may expose users and bystanders to chemicals and toxins such as propylene glycol, glycerol or ethylene glycol that cause adverse health effects, and may increase the risk of developing cardiovascular, cancer and respiratory diseases. E-liquids or vapour may also contain potentially harmful chemicals which are not present in smoke from tobacco cigarettes.1
- E-cigarettes are often labeled incorrectly and may contain nicotine, even when they claim not to contain nicotine. E-cigarettes may contain high levels of nicotine, which may cause poisoning if swallowed.
E-cigarettes are being made to look like everyday object. The following link will show you what they can look like - https://tobaccofreeca.com/e-cigarettes/identify-which-products-teens-are-vaping/
As a school we taking the following proactive measures:
- Educating staff and monitoring student behaviours
- Educating families
- Compiling resources for students to be delivered during pastoral care lessons
- Have been in contact with local Police
- Encouraging students to report
Should you or child have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Jeff Scott, Head of Secondary.
Planning for Presentation Assembly
Last December we sent out a survey link to get parent feedback about the format of our 2020 Presentation Assembly. We’d greatly appreciate if you could take a few moments to fill in the feedback form if you haven't already done so. This will help us to plan for the Presentation Assembly later this year. https://forms.gle/oQFuRnk1AvCSDctw5
Online Safety
Student Art Prize
It's competition time! Zart Art are holding a Student Art Prize for all students from Kinder to Year 12. Prizes include $250 worth of art supplies of your own choice. All you have to do is create and artwork with the 2021 Theme: Our Celebration of Australia.
Writing Competition
Inspired by Gough Whitlam's commitment to involving young people in the shaping of Australia's future, the What Matters? writing competition is currently open to school students in years 5 to 12 from Australia. Responding to the simple question 'what matters?', entrants are free to express their views on any matter they care about. The competition receives thousands of entries covering a wide range of subjects, putting paid to the idea that young Australians are disengaged and disaffected. Year after year we are reminded how passionate, observant and articulate young people are, and how deeply driven they are by a sense of social justice as they offer us a window into not just what concerns them, but what inspires them.
Entries to close 14 May, 2021.