In This Issue

Term 1 Number 73 February 2015 Surviving the Ball Season SDERA News In this issue P3 Cricket legend inspires students P6 New online resources for pre-drivers P15 Resilience helps school transition P4 Great advice on holding a school ball www.sdera.wa.edu.au 01 SDERA News February 2015 Editorial Supporting Transition orientation programs for the new As usual there is no silver bullet to student cohort, and communicated meet the needs of all adolescents reassuringly with parents who would but helping young people develop have some anxiety about their children resilience skills is a start. Professor moving into high schools. Lynne Cohen, Pro Vice Chancellor Edith Cowan University states; The extensive preparation for Year 7 transition into secondary school is “If we encourage young people to clearly warranted as it has potential to develop skills in managing emotions, cause some young people significant dealing with failure and goal setting, stress. While they are coping with they are more likely to persist when rapid developmental changes, they confronted with challenges and also face a more expansive physical eventually succeed.” 2015 is a landmark year for most of environment; more teachers, defined the State’s public schools as they subjects, and different academic and SDERA can assist schools with their accept the first intake of Year 7 social expectations. Most young people work in the resilience area by offering students. In preparation, schools with the right support will cope with the high quality professional learning for will have identified potential issues change, but for some the transition will staff throughout the year. related to their academic and pastoral expose vulnerabilities, impact on their care programs, accommodation, coping mechanisms and ultimately on Bruno Faletti professional learning for staff, their behaviour. Manager SDERA Education Helps Improve Driver Safety Anyone who follows the political debate about the best way to lower the road toll in WA will note that there are many viewpoints as to how best to spend the road safety dollar. While there is no single solution, a comment piece by journalist Liam Barlett published in the Sunday Times recently made a salient point about the power of preventative education programs like “Keys for Life.” The article argues that the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) in Victoria acts as a great example of an organisation that has managed to significantly reduce the road toll by consistently educating young drivers. The article states, “Last year alone, the TAC spent $59.14 effective than ‘shock tactics’ at changing driver behaviour. million on campaigns and marketing along with research Keys for Life is now into its 11th year in Western Australian and analyses of the cause of road trauma. Their campaigns schools and is no doubt making a significant difference to are aimed at changing behaviour and influencing levels of improving driver safety in this State. awareness, especially among younger drivers. They recognise it takes time to achieve this, running campaigns for almost two decades. No mean feat when you consider the extra cars and people on their roads over that time span. Since 1987, the TAC has helped lower the road toll from 705 to 249 last year. ” TAC also released a research paper last year, “Effective Community and School Based Road Safety for Young People,” proving that programs like Keys for Life were more Editor: Pepita Bulloch Phone: 9402 6254 Email: [email protected] ISSN 1448-9244 02 SDERA News February 2015 In the news Resilience Ambassador Inspires Students For many sports fanatics, cricket legend Brad Hogg is a household name, but the star of the Perth Scorchers and SDERA Ambassador has a great message for those who aren’t into cricket. When speaking to students at Shelley Primary School recently he encouraged students to find something to be passionate about. The school is part of the whole school approach “Changing Health Acting Together” and has been working hard at building student resilience. Brad spoke of his disappointment at being dropped from the Australian side in the 1990’s and how he fought his way back to wear the baggy green. At age 44 he is still wowing crowds who cheered him on to a win with the Perth Scorchers recently during the Big Bash League. His message of resilience and remaining healthy, positive and enthusiastic is one which resonated with students. “It doesn’t matter what you want to do in life as long as you have a goal in mind, stick at it and do your best,” he says. Brad, along with fellow SDERA Ambassadors; child health researcher, Professor Donna Cross; journalist, Gary Adshead and President of the WA Council of State School organisations, Kylie Catto will gather at the Telethon Kids Institute Shelley PS students mimic Brads famous sticking out tongue - which apparently helps his in March to encourage more schools concentration when bowling. to implement resilience education. South West Schools Celebrate Schools across the South West were acknowledged for their contribution and commitment to improving health outcomes for their students and wider school community at the Changing Health Acting Together (CHAT) Celebration Awards in October last year. For the past three years SDERA has Sharing of practice is one of the many supported sixteen schools in the fantastic benefits of being involved Bunbury and Warren Blackwood in CHAT.” Bev was also able to regions to implement sustainable display the new scope and sequence whole school health initiatives that document developed by the school focus on resilience, drug and road to support the SDERA Challenges and safety education. Choices resources. School staff were keen to showcase The Honourable Barry House MLC the fantastic programs they are and newly elected Member for Vasse, implementing. Bev Fortescue from Libby Mettam presented the awards Dardanup Primary School says, “The and congratulated each school on awards were a great opportunity to their commitment to the education see other schools’ ideas and the way of their students and their outstanding Barry House, Sandra Robertson and Ruth Foley they have implemented the program. achievements. from Cape Naturaliste College and Libby Mettam. February 2015 SDERA News 03 Feature Having a Ball The ball season is here and it often becomes a time when schools are confronted with some challenging issues relating to young people and alcohol and other drug use. While all schools have policies around student behaviour at the ball itself, many are challenged knowing how to deal with the inevitable fact that some students will choose to drink alcohol at parties before or after the ball. Research indicates that schools play an important role in helping students make safe and healthy choices about legal and illegal drug use outside the school environment. 5 WAYS TO A SUCCESSFUL BALL 1. Educate – Implement drug and alcohol education from 4. Get Excited! – Balls are a celebration and a valuable year 7 to ensure that by the time they reach year 12 students opportunity for social interaction. Communicate the rules, have the skills, knowledge and support to make safe choices but ensure the focus is on the fun factor and that students around alcohol use. who are well behaved are rewarded and congratulated. 2. Communicate – Ensure students understand the 5. Get and give support – Schools that don’t have robust rules and expectations of behaviour at the ball and the policies, procedures, management or education processes consequences of misbehaviour. This is not just a 5 minute should access best practice drug use guidelines and speech at assembly. It should be discussed, written and well education. Schools that already have all of the above need understood by all staff, students and parents. to ensure students know they are supported and have avenues to discuss alcohol and other drug use issues. 3. Involve Parents – They can be a great ally so make sure they understand the school’s expectations of the students. Ask that parents do not supply children under 18 with alcohol to consume at parties before or after the ball. Planning for Success Ocean Reef Senior High School has been working with the pressured to supply alcohol because their teenage son or SDERA whole school approach, “Changing Health Acting daughter argues that ‘everyone else is doing it.’ We want Together” to improve student health and safety. They have those parents to be able to reply, ‘No one else is doing it asked parents to sign an agreement that they will not give because we have all agreed not to.” alcohol to their children on the night of the Year 12 ball. The Belinda says many parents feel grateful when the school school believes the agreement will give parents the support supports them in doing the right thing. “It’s about the students to say ‘no’. receiving consistent messages and knowing that all their Deputy Principal, Belinda Hall says, “Many parents feel friends are being told the same thing by their parents too.” 04 SDERA News February 2015 Parents, Young People and Alcohol Campaign No one should supply alcohol to under 18s A new statewide Alcohol. Think Again campaign do, how they communicate their expectations to their was recently launched with the hope to prevent children and whether they supply alcohol does influence and reduce alcohol-related harms among young their children’s choices. Research shows that parents are one of the key influencers in whether their child drinks alcohol. people, including physical injury, violence, Many young people choose not to drink to avoid losing their academic failure and risky sexual behaviour. parents trust. It is important for parents to know where their The safest choice for under 18s is not to drink at all, child is, who they are with and what they are doing.

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