East Doncaster Secondary College Newsletter

Health Centre News

Personal Hygiene - Letter to Parents

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

In an Australian first, the Victorian Government has committed to providing free sanitary pads and tampons in all government schools.

 

Dispensers providing free sanitary pads and tampons have been installed in every Victorian Government school in the state, including at East Doncaster Secondary College

 

Providing free sanitary pads and tampons in schools aims to:

  • Provide students with the confidence that there will always be sanitary items available at school
  • Relieve students of the stigma, anxiety and discomfort that can be associated with menstruation and its management 
  • Ease the cost of living for families.

Lack of easy access to sanitary items can negatively affect attitudes, behaviours and equal participation in sport and everyday school activities. Having sanitary pads and tampons available at our school will help students to manage their periods with greater ease and less embarrassment, and will help to normalise periods as a healthy part of growing up.

 

The use of sanitary products provided at the school is optional. Providing both sanitary pads and tampons in schools allows students to have a choice about what products they use based on preference, maturity and cultural beliefs. 

 

Grades 5-12: Menstruation commonly starts between the age of 11 – 14. The Health and Physical Education curriculum supports students to develop positive practices in relation to the physical, social and emotional changes that occur during puberty. 

 

Parents and carers of students with health care needs are invited to discuss the initative in their next student support group meeting to consider the most appropriate way your child can access to these products. 

 

Information available from the following websites may assist you to have conversations about menstrual health and hygiene at home:

If you have any questions about the introduction of sanitary products into our school, please discuss them with the College Nurses, Rose Howarth and Belinda Harper.  

Vaccines - Letter to Parents

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

As part of the phased COVID-19 vaccination rollout, more Victorian school students are now eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. 

From Monday 9 August, children aged between 12 to 15 years old are eligible to receive a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine if they: 

People aged 16 years and older continue to also be eligible under these categories, to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

 

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation will provide further advice on the broader 12-to-15-year age group in coming months. As more COVID-19 vaccine doses become available more people will be able to get vaccinated. 

 

The free and safe vaccines being used in Australia are very effective at preventing serious illness and loss of life from COVID-19.

Eligible young people and their parents or guardians should speak to their doctor if they have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and their health. 

Booking an appointment 

To book an appointment, visit the coronavirus.vic.gov.au website. 

Eligible young people are encouraged to get their COVID-19 vaccine at their doctor’s clinic or health care provider. They can also be vaccinated at Victoria’s vaccination centres.

What to bring: 

Bring a Medicare card (if you have one) that lists your child’s name, and information about your child’s medical history if they have an underlying medical condition. Please refer to Department Health information on what to bring to your vaccine appointment.

More information

Translated advice about the vaccines is available on the coronavirus.vic.gov.au website. 

For more information about eligibility, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au or use the Australian Government’s COVID-19 vaccine eligibility checker.

For further assistance, contact: 

  • the Department of Health Coronavirus hotline: 1800 675 398
  • the National coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccine helpline: 1800 020 080.

Rose Howarth and Belinda Harper

Health Centre