World Teacher Day Awards

At the end of October we celebrated World Teachers’ Day which gave us the opportunity to acknowledge our teaching staff; many of whom go above and beyond what might be expected to provide engaging learning programs, activities and experiences that set our students up for success in their lives beyond school.  I would like to say thank you to all of our teachers for the work they do each day.  On this day, Educators SA also hold their annual World Teachers’ Day Awards at Adelaide Oval and, this year, our Music and Drama teacher, Miss Suriya Umapathysivam received the Early Career Teacher of the Year Award after her nomination by Kodaly SA.  We are very proud of her work and the learning opportunities and experiences she provides our young people.

Art Exhibition

On Wednesday 2^nd November a large number of parents, staff, students and invited guests attended the opening of our annual Art Exhibition at the Balaklava Courthouse Gallery.  This event showcased our students’ work in the fields of Visual Art, Design and Creative Arts, curated by our Art and Design teacher, Mrs Amy Tilbrook.  I would like to acknowledge Amy’s passion for the Arts, for her desire to see our students succeed and her hard work in bringing this exhibition to life.  Thanks also to Cherie Cmrlec for her behind the scenes efforts to organise the opening night.  You can read more about the exhibition later in this newsletter and, if you have the chance, I encourage you to visit the Gallery and see the quality student work on display.

Vaping

Unfortunately the increasing use of vapes in society has crept into the schoolyard and is becoming an ongoing concern for us at BHS.  Young people might be choosing to vape thinking it is a safer option than cigarettes, however, as you can see from the information below from The Cancer Council of SA, they are not a safe choice.

Vapes, e-cigarettes, or electronic cigarettes, are battery operated devices that heat a liquid to produce a vapour that users inhale.  They are designed to deliver nicotine and/or other chemicals via an aerosol vapour directly to your lungs.

Some e-cigarettes look like traditional cigarettes, however, many look like everyday items such as pens, USB memory sticks and larger cylindrical or rectangular devices. Some e-cigarettes and e-liquids contain nicotine while others do not.  The sale of e-cigarettes to minors under the age of 18 is banned.

E-cigarettes are not considered a ‘safe’ product to use. Many people incorrectly believe that e-cigarettes only produce flavoured water vapour, however, the following health risks associated with e-cigarette use have already been identified:

• E-cigarette use has been associated with seizures amongst teenagers and young adults
• They may expose users and bystanders to a range of chemicals and toxins that cause adverse health effects and may increase the risk of developing cardiovascular, cancer and respiratory diseases.  Ingredients include chemicals found in cleaning products, nail polish remover, weed killer and insecticides.  These harmful ingredients are not commonly listed on the product
• E-cigarettes sold in Australia have been found to be labelled incorrectly and may contain nicotine, even when they claim on the packaging that no nicotine is present.  Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical, and one e-cigarette can contain as much nicotine as 50 cigarettes
• There is emerging evidence that vaping nicotine increases blood pressure, heart rate and arterial stiffness. This could potentially increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease
• E-cigarette products can cause accidental and intentional nicotine poisoning (including deaths).  Young children are particularly vulnerable to nicotine poisoning which can occur when they are exposed through uncapped vials, sucking on the mouthpiece, inhaling or drinking the e-liquid, eating the cartridge or having liquid splashed in the eye.  Just one millilitre can be fatal if ingested by a child
• Known carcinogens have been found in e-cigarette aerosols, although the extent to which e-cigarette use increases the risk of cancer remains unknown.

Student Free Day

Our final Student Free Day for the year will be on Friday 2^nd December (Week 7) when we will look at literacy, data and differentiation as well as possibly reviewing the Year 7 programs that we ran for the first time this year.

I am excited for all of the opportunities this term holds for students as we continue with our learning program until the very end of the year.  As always, I encourage parents to contact me at the school with any issues or concerns or if you would like to discuss any aspect of your child’s learning.  I can be contacted at the school via Daymap, email Sonia.Pringle235@schools.sa.edu.au or phone 8862 0600 where you can speak to me directly or make a time to come and see me.

Sonia Pringle

Principal