Newsletter 9th August 2006

Attached to today’s newsletter is an outline of our Sexual Development Education programme. Please take the time to read this and return the applicable tear off slips at the bottom of it.

The School Council has organised a mufti day for this Friday, 11 August. It will cost students $1.00 to come to school in mufti with the proceeds going to the S.P.C.A.

Congratulations to Allana Barbarich chosen as the most valuable player for the Year 7 team and to Sissy Maniapoto, Nadine More and Jessica Ria who were chosen for an elite Waikato Development Year 8 squad.

Wednesday, 16th August, 7:00p.m. in the staffroom. Agendas will be available from the school office Monday, 14th August.

It is important parents/guardians are familiar with the policy of medication at school.

The mobile ear clinic will be at St. Marks Community House, Bridge Street, Tokoroa (back carpark) on 9th and 30th October, 13th and 27th November, 11th and 18th December. For glue ear assessment and management, treatment of discharging ears, grommet checks, wax and foreign body removal. Clinic hours - 9:30a.m. to 2:30p.m., closed for lunch 12:30 to 1:30p.m.

We have screened all the Year 8 students. Very delighted there are many beautiful caries free mouths. Please still remind your Year 8’s though to use their toothbrush twice daily, before bed and before school. Just as important as the trendy hairstyles! When the Year 8’s are completed we will issue the enrolment forms for dental care for when they attend High School. Thank you for scanning and returning forms promptly. Any queries phone 886 6603.
Kate and Fiona,
Dental Team

Students will attend three lessons over a three-week period starting on 21 August. Raukawa Trust Board, Pacific Family Education and Community Health Waikato (Public Health Nurses) will provide the programmes. The people working with the students have all been trained to cover Sexuality Education in schools and there is a prescribed programme for them to cover. This is included below.

Class teachers will be in attendance during lessons. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from the programme. For parents to do this, please fill in the slip at the end of the newsletter and return it to school prior to the programme starting. Parents are also welcome to sit in on the lessons. The timetable is outlined below.

Please choose which health provider you wish your child/ren to attend (Raukawa, Pacific Family Education or Community Health Waikato (Public Health Nurses) by filling in the slip at the end of this newsletter.

Sexual Development Education Timetable

Monday	21 August	Year 8	Girls	1:10 - 2:05
			Boys	2:10 - 3:05

Tuesday	22 August	Year 7	Girls	1:10 - 2:05
			Boys	2:10 - 3:05

Monday	28 August	Year 8	Girls	1:10 - 2:05
			Boys	2:10 - 3:05

Tuesday	29 August	Year 7	Girls	1:10 - 2:05
		Year 7	Boys	2:10 - 3:05

Tuesday	29 August	Year 7	Girls	1:10 - 2:05
			Boys	2:10 - 3:05

Monday	4 September	Year 8	Girls	1:10 - 2:05
			Boys	2:10 - 3:05

Tuesday	5 September	Year 7	Girls	1:10 - 2:05
			Boys	2:10 - 3:05

Sexual Development
There can be a cultural perspective to the teaching of sexual development by the Maori and Pacific Island Health providers. The content of what can be covered is outlined below. Contraception, sterilization and abortion are not covered.

Focus 1:	Growing
Objective	Students recognise that the rate of growth varies considerably and can relate to this personally.

Focus 2:	Changing
Objective	Students discuss some of the changes associated with puberty and they recognise that the changes that they are aware of in themselves are to be expected at their age. To include not only physical changes but emotional and intellectual.

Focus 3:	Getting Used to Physical Change at Puberty
Objective	Students relate the physical changes they are aware of to the internal changes that are also taking place during puberty and feel more confident in using conventional terms to describe some of these.

Focus 4:	Periods, Erections and Wet Dreams
Objective	Students talk about the cyclical nature of periods in girls and about erections and wet dreams in boys and discuss how to cope with these.

Focus 5:	Managing Pubertal Change
Objective	Students to discuss managing pubertal change which includes anxieties they may have, who to talk to and where to get additional information. Year 8 only.

Focus 6:	Forming Daily Routines
Objective	Students learn about the need to take care of the body’s changing needs at puberty.

Time Allocation: The sexual education aspect of sexuality will be taken over three, forty five minute sessions and will be co-ordinated so a level of the school will be taken by all health providers at the same time. Boys and girls are to be taken separately. It will be necessary to combine some of the focus areas or even to split a major one into more than one lesson. This is up to each health provider to organise but must be managed within the time allocation given.

Apart from “managing pubertal change” there will be a repeat of the Year 7 content in Year 8. This is necessary as many of the Year 7 students will not be mature enough to absorb the information or it will not be meaningful to them when the lessons are taken in Year 7.