Dear Community
In recent weeks, you may have heard increasing reports in the media about students using vapes on school premises or on their way to and from school. Whilst the majority of incidents are happening in high school settings, there have also been reports in Primary School settings. With this in mind, along with the fact that many of our students have high school aged siblings, it is important that we understand the impact that vaping is having in our community. Please read below for further information which has been provided by the Department of Education.
Vaping
There has been a growing concern about the harmful effects vaping has on young people. The take-up of vaping by young people is increasing. Research has found that in WA around 13.5% of secondary students have tried an e-cigarette.
There are many different styles of vapes and they can be difficult to spot. The biggest misunderstanding about vapes is that they are harmless compared to cigarettes. This is not true. Vapes are not safe.
Vaping facts
- Many vapes contain nicotine making them very addictive.
- Vapes contain many toxic chemicals, they just don’t put it on the pack.
- Vapes can contain the same harmful chemicals found in cleaning products, nail polish remover, weed killer and bug spray.
- Vapes can leave young people at increased risk of depression and anxiety.
- The nicotine in 1 vape can equal 50 cigarettes. Depending on the size of vape and nicotine strength, it can be much higher.
- Young people who vape are 3 times as likely to take up smoking cigarettes.
- Vape aerosol is not water vapour.
- Vaping has been linked to serious lung disease.
- Vapes that contain nicotine can cause long-lasting negative effects on young people’s brain development.
Is your child vaping?
Signs that your child might have started vaping are the usual symptoms of nicotine addiction such as feeling irritable or anxious. If they are vaping, encourage them to stop and let them know that you are there for support. Stopping can sometimes be hard and they may need advice from a GP or other healthcare professional.
What can you do as a parent?
Take the time to talk to your child about vaping and help them understand all of the risks associated with vaping. They may see it as a normal thing to do, which is not the case. Try to start the conversation with your child in a relaxed easy-going way, perhaps taking the cue from this letter, and, importantly, have your facts ready. (Get the evidence and facts at www.education.wa.edu.au).
It is illegal in WA to sell e-cigarette devices and nicotine vaping products to anyone regardless of age, unless they are prescribed by a doctor for smoking cessation purposes and obtained with a prescription from a pharmacy. It is also illegal to sell vapes to friends at school or in the community. You can report suspected illegal sales of vapes to the Department of Health by emailing: TobaccoPolicy@health.wa.gov.au
Reports
Semester 1 Reports will be emailed home from 3pm on Friday 1 July. To assist us with their distribution, could you please contact the school office if:
- You need to update your email address
- You require your child’s report to be emailed to both parents (by default, only contact 1 for each family will automatically receive an email).
Please note, there have been some changes to the information provided on your child’s report this semester.
As you are aware, COVID-19 continues to impact our school community and has presented us with challenges in managing both student and staff attendance. I am pleased that together, we have been able to make the best of this situation and ensure your child’s continued learning.
As we navigate through these challenges, we will need to do some things differently to ensure our focus remains on your child’s daily learning program. For this reason, Semester 1 reporting will look different to usual.
The report will include the A to E grades (or equivalent 5 point scale) for required learning areas. Information regarding your child’s attitude, behaviour and effort will continue to be reported. Our school will however, adjust the extent to which comments are provided. This semester, there will not be individual comments for English and Maths, however a comprehensive general comment will be provided for each child. Should you wish for additional information on your child’s progress, you will have the opportunity to discuss by arranging a parent/teacher conference in term 3.
Thank you for your continued support and encouragement as we work together to provide the best learning opportunities for our students. As we progress, I’ll be sure to keep you updated with any new information.
School Board
Our School Board had their first meeting for the year on Wednesday 8 June. We welcomed two new members – Chris Doohan and Jen Overend.
At the meeting, discussions included the following:
- Election of Bailey Love as Board Chair and Chris Booth as Deputy Board Chair for 2022.
- Review and noting of the 2022 Cash Budget for the school
- Discussion of Brighton Road traffic situation. The following actions were proposed:
- Any action is coordinated and informed
- Will be discussed again at next meeting.
- The Board write to the appropriate bodies once some further information has been gathered, and the relevant details of the new build plans have been formally announced.
- Community to be asked to report any incidents or near misses to the school.
In regards to the last point above, if you see or are involved in any incidents or near misses on Brighton Road whilst travelling to school, please let the school know via email scarborough.ps@education.wa.edu.au . This information will help to inform any further actions.
We still have 1 Parent Representative vacancy on the School Board with a tenure that will run from now until the end of 2023. You will need to be a parent at Scarborough Primary School until the end of 2023 to be eligible.
The Board’s role is required to help the school deliver a quality education experience to our children by:
- establishing and reviewing the goals, priorities and policies of the school at a strategic level;
- supporting the development of our School Business Plan;
- planning for and endorsing school budgets;
- evaluating the performance of our school in achieving the goals set; and
- promoting our school within the community.
So, if the description above peaks your interest we would love you to consider nominating. If you are interested in nominating for a Parent Representative position, please email to Sarah.Dawson@education.wa.edu.au or express your interest in person to the front office. Nominations close at 3:00pm, Friday 1 July 2022.
Should there be more than one nomination, all parents will be offered the opportunity to vote. Candidates will then be asked to provide a 250 word brief and a portrait style photograph to include on the voting slip. New members of the Board will undertake training and will have a mentor allocated to assist with induction onto the Board.
More information on the Board can be found on our school website
Sarah Dawson
Principal
