HCC is a Sun Smart School
Wearing of hats and UV skin protection is compulsory in the
playground during Term 1 and Term 3.
Unlike temperature, UV radiation cannot be seen or felt and getting sunburnt is still possible in as little as 11 minutes.
Sun protection is needed in Victoria from September to April
when the UV reaches three and above. While there can certainly be some obstacles (such as the
enforcement of hat wearing) to sun protection in secondary schools, there are growing community expectations
for the well-practiced primary school habits to continue to be encouraged within the secondary setting.
SunSmart is has a range of strategies to assist schools in addressing a
balanced approach to sun protection that help reduce the need for a reliance on hats including:
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creating large shade areas where students congregate for sport and
lunch.
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role modelling sun safe behaviours by both parents and teaching staff when
outdoors.
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providing pump packs of sunscreen for daily staff and student use,
particularly at outdoor events such as swimming sports, camps, excursions and sport carnivals.
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scheduling lessons to minimise time outdoors during peak UV periods.
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recognising the educational and protective opportunities which exist across the
curriculum in health, PE, science, English and geography.
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embedding sun protection measures in the school culture by including UV
protection within the heat policy and documenting sun protection practices in the areas of behaviour,
curriculum and environment. The Student Representative Council could be a key group to drive this.
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thinking about the shade and protection provided at summer events such as
swimming sports and using the opportunity to remind teachers and students of the risks of skin cancer
and damage.
There are also a range of secondary school resources are available free
from sunsmart.com.au
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Real Stories DVD- a powerful DVD
containing personal skin cancer stories from young Australians. It is also includes a teacher's
resource booklet to assist with guiding discussion.
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Dark side of
tanning- is the current SunSmart advertising campaign
running on Victorian television throughout Summer 2011. The campaign targets young people and aims to
hit home about the dangers of overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, while busting some common
myths about skin cancer.
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UV alert widget -
Schools can now add the free Sunsmart UV Alert widget to their website
homepage for staff, students and parents to access. The widget shows the daily weather, temperature and
UV level specific to your school's location including details about the times sun protection is
required each day.
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iPhone app- The SunSmart app is
available to download for free from the Apple Store. The free SunSmart app includes features
such as:
Ø Forecasted UV level from the Bureau of Meteorology for your
current location anywhere in Australia.
Ø Adjustable reminder function alerting the user to their
daily sun protection needs and when it's safe to get some sun for vitamin
D.
Ø Information
for users about UV exposure risks and protective measures.
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