SCHOOL LEADERSHIP MESSAGE

PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Welcome back to students and staff to Term 3, 2022. This is an exciting time for our 12s who are entering their final full term of secondary schooling. Our building upgrade is progressing well and despite the weather, we are anticipating the Admin block completion this term, and the Learning Hub completion shortly after that. COVID is still impacting on our community and we anticipate that we will have staff absences this term. Please know that staff are doing all they can to ensure the smooth operation of our school and to provide continuity of learning for students.

During our Whole School Assembly in Week 1 of this term, Mr Wilson and I spoke to the students about being kind and asking after people when they have been away. It can be tough on everyone when we miss school because of illness, a welcoming smile and a friendly face on return can make a difference. 

During the assembly I also spoke to students about the reasons why they might choose to wear a mask:

• Because you or someone you know is vulnerable
• To prevent spread within your family (parents and carers may have limited sick leave available to them, businesses to run etc.)
• To reduce their own absences from school 

The wording from the Department of Education late Monday night was that all students and staff are expected to wear masks inside at school. The health advice remains that they are highly recommended. Mask wearing is currently not mandated. As per our communication last week (COVID update, 12.7.22), we strongly suggest that Year 12s should be wearing masks and have provided advice to all students as outlined in the dot points above. We would encourage all students and staff to wear masks during Term 3. We are hopeful that warmer weather and more opportunities to spend time outside in Term 4 will see a reduction in all types of infections. Currently, the Health Advice is also that students and staff should wear a mask if they are a household contact and test each day prior to attending school. This is common sense as we know how easily COVID can spread within households. This is one significant way we can reduce infections at school. There has been some speculation in the media since Monday’s communication from the Department of Education that should case numbers dramatically increase, schools may be able to legally enforce mask wearing under occupational health and safety guidelines and that schools may potentially be fined by Work Safe if they fail to adequately protect their students and employees through ensuring everyone wears masks. Given that we cannot enforce mask wearing, this is obviously challenging. The last thing we want to do is be neglectful in our care to anyone, but at this stage, we will await further advice on this matter. Currently case numbers in our school community are low.

At assembly I also explored the staff’s concern about the rise in vaping amongst young people. In summary, our lungs really only like air. Staff, students, and parents/carers who are asthmatic can attest that it is very scary when you can’t breathe properly. Our lungs need to last us our whole lifetime, not being able to breathe greatly reduces the quality of our lives – being active and participating in society can become very difficult when you struggle to breathe. 

Tobacco companies are not interested in looking after people, if they were, they would not sell products proven to cause cancers. Vape products are not regulated by any governmental body, the vape ‘juices’ often contain nicotine even when they say they don’t, as well as a host of other chemicals – chemicals which are all known and have been proven to cause cancers. The vapes themselves also produce metals which can enter the lungs and other organs in the body. The amount of nicotine in one ‘pod’ is equivalent to an entire pack of cigarettes. Young people are highly susceptible to nicotine and become more quickly addicted. Hospitalisations and deaths have occurred in young people who have been exposed to vape juice on their skin or who have ingested it.

Vape products are clearly targeting young people, e.g. they come in a variety of flavours and in packaging which makes them look like lollies. Many tobacco stores also sell toys. Selling toys alongside vape products creates a level of acceptance in children that these things are okay, coupled with the bright, attractive and colourful packaging of vape juices, this can only lead children to think these products are desirable.

At assembly, we encouraged our students to be critical thinkers and to consider how a large business like the tobacco industry may be looking to increase its client base. Cigarette smoking has declined dramatically in the last ten years, this industry is desperate for new clientele.

To our parents, be aware that vaping is rearing its head as the next threat to the health and wellbeing of our children. We have a powerful industry (the tobacco industry) funding vape challenges on Tik Tok targeting young people. Tobacco stores are popping up in our rural towns selling other products desirable to young people, once in these stores, there is an array of vaping products designed to entice them. As an organisation which is responsible for the health, safety, and wellbeing of children, we are committed to ensuring our students are not the targets of any predatory behaviour, this includes from businesses such as the tobacco industry.

If you would like to learn more about this topic, we can recommend the Quit line website as a first port of call:

https://www.quit.org.au/articles/teenvaping/#anchor-name-4

Anyone looking for advice on quitting cigarettes or vaping can call Quit line confidentially on 

13 7848.

Principal - Vaya Dauphin

Assistant Principal  -  John Wilson