It has been a very busy first five weeks of the term. Students have undertaken a variety of extracurricular opportunities and involved themselves in the many facets of College life. The 2022 HSC concluded last week and we congratulate our Year 12 students on their dedication and hard work in undertaking these exams. After all their hard work, there is now an opportunity to celebrate with the Year 12 students at their final Mary MacKillop event – their Year 12 formal.

E-cigarettes / Vapes

E-cigarettes have been an increasing issue with teenagers over the past few years. E-cigarettes, commonly known as vapes, are devices which heat a liquid to produce a vapour which is then inhaled by the user. These are harmful to a user’s health as they expose users to chemicals and toxins that are harmful to health.

I would recommend parents who want to know more about vapes and vaping look at the information on this website from NSW Health. It is very comprehensive. There are many health experts who are concerned that the impact of vapes is worse than cigarettes. There are reports of many young people becoming addicted to the nicotine hit from vapes which is often substantially more than a cigarette. There is also increasing evidence of lung damage caused by the vapourised liquid being taken into young people’s lungs.

The key issues from the College’s point of view are that:

• medical authorities are concerned about lung damage caused by vapes, even those without nicotine
• while non-nicotine vapes can be legally purchased, only adults can purchase them. No-one under 18 can purchase them and it is illegal to sell them to anyone under 18.
• vapes containing nicotine are completely illegal in NSW even for adults
• under The Smoke-free Environment Act (2000), it is illegal to smoke in a designated smoke-free zone, including smoking vapes. All schools in NSW are smoke-free zones for all people on that site (adults and students).

Therefore, for health and legal reasons, the consequences for students using them, providing them or being with students using them will be very severe. At Mary MacKillop Catholic College, any student caught smoking, vaping or in possession of any illegal substance will be automatically suspended. If a student is distributing any of these banned substances to other students, the Fairfield police will be notified and a police investigation will follow.

For further information please click on links below:

• vaping-factsheet-parents
• https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/vaping

This is an important topic for you to discuss with your daughters, particularly if you have suspicions that they or their friends may be using e-cigarettes.

Sun Smart 

Students are highly recommended to be sun smart during all outside activities by using sunscreen and wearing the College hat for protection against harmful ultraviolet radiation that can cause sunburn, skin damage, and skin cancer. Please remind students to be sun smart.

Compass

Are you on Compass? Does the College have your correct email address? If you require any assistance with Compass, please contact Mrs Grace Labbozzetta at the College on 9725 4322.

If your daughter is absent, an explanation needs to be added by the parent onto the Compass portal.

Staff Development Days for Term 4

A reminder that the staff will undergo professional learning on the following dates this term. There will be no classes at school and if you require supervision for your daughter please contact the College on 9725 4322.

• Friday 18th November (Term 4, Week 6)
• Monday 12th December (Term 4, Week 10)

Term Dates 2023

Planning is well underway for many activities and events for 2023. I would like to remind families that if you are considering taking extended leave next year it is best that this is confined to holiday periods as much as possible. Also, if you are considering taking leave that an application for leave form must be completed and signed by the College Principal. These forms are to be completed well in advance and are available from the Student Services.

The following are the term dates for 2023:

Thank you for your continued support of the College,

Mrs Christine Harding