Health

Too much of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause sunburn, skin and eye damage and skin cancer. UV damage accumulated during childhood and adolescence is associated with an increased risk of skin cancer later in life. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Australia. It is also one of the most preventable cancers.

Don’t just wait for hot and sunny days to use sun protection. Check the sun protection times each day so your family can be protected when they need to be. Daily local sun protection times and weather details are available from the SunSmart widget on our school website, in the weather section of the newspaper, on the SunSmart website and as a free SunSmart app. Sun protection times can also be found at the Bureau of Meteorology website and live UV levels are available from ARPANSA.

Our school is a registered member of Cancer Council  SunSmart Schools Program. We aim to protect children and staff from too much UV. Sun protection and skin cancer prevention is a shared responsibility. Please help support our SunSmart membership and sun protection efforts by ensuring your child follows the SunSmart measures included in our policy at school and at home. During the daily local sun protection times (usually from mid-August to the end of April), use these 5 SunSmart steps – even if it’s cool and cloudy. 

1. SLIP on covering clothing.  

For free dress days, ensure your child wears clothing that covers as much skin as possible (e.g., elbow-length tops with a higher neckline or collar and longer-style shorts or skirts). Densely woven fabrics are best. 

2. SLOP on SPF30 (or higher) broad spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen.

Apply a generous amount of sunscreen at the start of the day and make sure children have sunscreen in their bag ready to reapply throughout the day. Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours. Please ensure children get plenty of sunscreen application practice at home so they’ll be all set when they are at school. Under supervision, ask children to put a dot of sunscreen on each cheek, nose and chin and rub it in (avoiding the eye area) and sunscreen squiggles or dots on the back of the neck, arms and legs to cover these areas.

 3. SLAP on a hat that protects the face, neck and ears.

 Choose a wide-brimmed, legionnaire or bucket hat. Peak caps and visors do not offer enough UV protection so please leave them at home. Please help your child remember to bring and wear their approved school hat. Please keep this at school so they will always be ready for outdoor activities, outdoor learning and play during school days. For the walk to and from school and weekends, please have an extra home hat to help keep children protected at home. 

4. SEEK shade. 

Choose shady spots for learning and play whenever possible. 

5. SLIDE on wrap-around AS1067 sunglasses.

When appropriate and practical help protect the eyes with sunglasses.

Judy Buckley

College Nurse