The SHAC (Student Health Advisory Centre)

The SHAC is a purpose built area staffed by a Registered Nurse who is available to see students Monday -Thursday during school hours. Ana McFarlane is the Student Health Nurse specialising in Adolescent Health, appointed by the WBOP Primary Health Organisation, to provide this service at our school.

If a student wants to see the Nurse, they need to fill in a slip in the foyer area where the Counsellor and Deans are located. Ana will send for you when she is next available.  If extremely urgent, please write URGENT on the form but please do not abuse this.

Students need to come to the SHAC with staff permission or upon request by the Nurse only, please do NOT just 'drop in' unless it is during interval or lunch breaks as she is often interrupted and this is not fair on the student she is seeing.

Students seeking first aid treatment must go to the Student Office. Mrs Bansgrove is the school first aider and she will treat you accordingly.  If she requires the Nurse’s help, she will contact Ana directly. Please DO NOT go straight to the SHAC for treatment. If Mrs Bansgrove is unavailable, then please see the office staff.

First aid covers injuries sustained at school, bee stings, cuts, burns, splinters, headaches, sore stomachs, asthma relief, taking any medication sent to school with the student including insulin, sores that need looking at, feeling dizzy or sick etc.

Where possible Mrs Bansgrove will contact a student’s parents/caregivers before a referral to the Nurse and she will also contact parents/caregivers if the student is unwell and needs to go home. This is preferable to student’s texting parents/caregivers as school staff will still need to make contact with home before the student can be signed out of school.

We also run a school doctors' service at the SHAC twice a week on Monday and Thursday at lunchtimes. The Nurse will refer students or they may request to see the Doctor themselves. This is a free service aimed at acute concerns, NOT for long standing or chronic health problems, those students need to see their own GP. The Doctors are local GPs who also work at Katikati Medical Centre; Dr Pamela House on Monday and Dr Vicki Jones on Thursday.

ATTENTION: It is important that the student office has an updated list of any illness/ allergies and medications pertaining to students that we need to be aware of. Please contact Mrs Bansgrove or the school office as soon as possible with this information. (Phone: 5490434 ext 218)

Year 9 Health Assessment

The School Health Nurse will be providing youth friendly services that will give the students the opportunity to access a Registered Nurse.

As part of an agreement between the Ministry of Health and the Western Bay of Plenty Public Health Office these Health assessments are offered to randomly selected Year 9 Students.

These assessments include development checks, hearing, vision, weight and height, blood pressure, home situation, education, eating, activities, drugs and smoking, sexuality, moods, and safety discussions.

The goals of our Nursing service for all students are to support early detection, referral and treatment of students' problems related to vision, hearing, behaviour and development, and other health and disability conditions, to support learning, school performance and positive youth development.

Please contact Ana ph 5490434 ext 233 if you have any concerns or want your child to opt out of accessing this service.