College News

Italian Week

Trinity’s annual Italian Week celebration will once again occur during Week 4. As part of this celebration the pizza van will be onsite on Thursday, 3 November. 

Pizza

Pizza is sold by the slice. Each slice is 13x13cm and costs $5.50. There are four flavours to choose from and this is available to both Junior School and Secondary School. Pre-order your pizza through the online link below. Please note, no orders will be taken after the online store closes on Monday, 31 October. There will be no cash sales on the day. 

Gelato

The gelato van will be on site from Tuesday, 1 November until Thursday, 3 November at lunch for the Secondary School, and Tuesday and Wednesday for the Junior School. The cost is $5.00 for one scoop or $6.00 for two. Please note that it is cash only. 

Auxiliary News

It was lovely to see new and old faces supporting the new committee at the final Auxiliary meeting for the year.

At the meeting, we agreed to provide $10,000.00 funding to the College for continued improvements at Camp Kelly, specifically for increasing the undercover area where students gather together. Thank you to everyone who has supported the Auxiliary’s fundraising this year at our annual speaker morning tea, Kailis jewellery raffle or buying a TC Legend apron!

Thank you to everyone who has supported the College and Auxiliary this year at the many events, including the recent Graduation breakfast. The Auxiliary have two final events this year, Junior School Orientation and morning tea and the Year 7 Information evening.

We finish the year with our annual dinner, please see details below.

Date: Friday, 18 November, 6:30pm

Venue: Tommasinos, Mt Lawley

Price: $45.00 (set menu)

RSVP: Melanie Day melday@iinet.net.au

In 2023, we will continue with meetings on Mondays, twice per term, alternating between morning and evening meetings. The first meeting is Monday, 13 February at 8:30am in the College Boardroom. All welcome. 

Melanie Day

President, TC Auxiliary

E-cigarettes, Vaping and Vape Detectors at Trinity College

Vaping

The use of e-cigarettes (electronic cigarettes), also known as “vaping” continues to be a major health and safety issue among teens and a growing concern for schools and families across Australia. E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices designed to deliver vapourised liquids into the lungs. Immediate effects of vaping include vomiting, nausea and irritation to the throat and lungs and can impact your respiratory system, fitness, and mental health. Importantly, many of the long-term harms of vaping are still unknown.

Vapes

Vapes are specifically marketed to teenagers and young adults through their many flavours and bright packaging. Vapes come in many shapes and sizes. Most are small and easy to conceal, and the vape and aroma produced disappears very quickly making their detection difficult. Perhaps the greatest threat regarding e-cigarettes is a lack of knowledge and the many mistaken beliefs around them.

Statistics

Statistics indicate that 13.5% of high school-aged students in Western Australia have tried e-cigarettes and the rates of usage and reported addiction to e-cigarettes among teenagers has risen sharply in the last 3 to 4 years. It is important to note that vaping products are often unlabelled or incorrectly labelled and high levels of nicotine have been found in vapes labelled “nicotine free”.

Effects

Nicotine can cause long-lasting damaging effects on the brain and physical development. The impacts can include impaired attention, learning, memory, and changes in mood. Research also shows the more someone uses nicotine, the higher their risk is for depression and anxiety. Vapes are highly addictive and can contain 50 times the nicotine contained in one cigarette. Studies also show that young people who vape are three times as likely to take up cigarette smoking.

The Adolescent Brain

During adolescence, the part of the brain that's responsible for decision making and impulse control is not yet fully developed. Young people are more likely to take risks with their health and safety, including use of nicotine and other drugs. Further, young people are also uniquely at risk for long-term, long-lasting effects of exposing their developing brains to nicotine. These risks include nicotine addiction, mood disorders, and permanent lowering of impulse control. Nicotine also changes the way synapses are formed, which can harm the parts of the brain that control attention and learning.

Harmful Ingredients

A popular misconception is that users of e-cigarettes are vaping water. This is entirely incorrect. When you inhale from, a vape you can be exposed to:

• harmful chemicals found in cleaning products, nail polish remover, weed killer and bug spray. 

• toxins such as formaldehyde and heavy metals. 

• ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs. 

• flavouring chemicals such as diacetyl (a chemical linked to serious lung disease).

Legal Implications

In WA, e-cigarette devices and their components cannot be sold by tobacco or general retailers. It is also illegal to sell vapes to friends at school or in the community.

It is illegal to sell, supply or possess nicotine vaping products (or any liquid that contains nicotine) without a prescription from a doctor, including products imported from overseas. Unfortunately, many vapes are being important from overseas and being sold illegally. The College want to make it very clear that the possession and use of vaping products contravenes the College Policy on Drugs and Contraband (Student Diary Page 34-35). Sanctions against those students who vape at school or are in possession of vaping equipment will be applied in line with the College Behaviour Management Policy and may include suspension or in extreme circumstances, exclusion.

Trinity College Response

At Trinity College we continue to address the issue of vaping and the broader issue of drugs and addiction via the Health Curriculum and our Pastoral Care and Formation Programs with a specific focus on informed decision making.  Our primary concern is the health and safety of all students and as such we have made the decision to install vape detection units in a number of the College bathrooms and changerooms, which tends to be the primary locations used by students to engage in this behaviour.

While the physical and mental health effects of vaping are serious and undeniable, there are other effects that vaping has in schools. Of significant concern is the role-modelling of risky and unsafe behaviours to younger students, who may not have developed the capacity for impulse control and informed decision making. Similarly, we are looking to prevent a situation whereby younger students may feel unsafe using toilet and changeroom facilities where older students are vaping.

Your Son’s Safety

The decision to install vape detectors at the College was made to protect the health and safety of all students. Some of our Student Leaders were involved in discussions on this issue and were keen to endorse such measures as a deterrent. Below, I have shared some important information regarding e-cigarettes and vaping, including a link to a Four Corners documentary on the issue that parents may watch with their sons. Likewise, I hope that parents take some time to speak to their sons around this issue and continue to present their son with facts around vaping that will enable our young men to make informed decisions, considering their physical and mental health. As always, we value your support on such matters.

Paul Dillon DARTA Webinar 

Teen Vaping: An Update for Parents

Please see 'Community News' for more information on this event or click the image below.