Life Education
On Monday Life Education came and ran three workshops with our students.
With the goal for Aotearoa to be smoke-free by 2025, we believe our young people are paying the cost. Vaping is promoted as an alternative to smoking, the promotion of vaping targets young people. Flavours such as watermelon and strawberry appeal to our young people. The Government appears to need significant evidence and research before acting. However, while we wait, our young people are becoming addicted to vaping.
Until recently, we have been fortunate that our students have not adopted the vaping trend. With the opening of the Vape Shop in Kilbirnie, we are aware of a sharp increase in our numbers. Our Pastoral Team has worked hard to find education to support students and highlight the dangers. We know from experience that a punitive approach rarely works and encourages our young people to be secretive. Halina McDonald and Sophie Hamilton arranged for Life Education to work with our students on Monday to educate them about Vaping. Check out the TV3 news item featuring St Catherine's.
Our Year 11 students took part in SMART$ - financial literacy. It covered;
- you can join kiwisaver anytime
- Employers cannot tell you you are not eligible
- Employers must contribute once you are 18
- Dangers of credit cards and not making payments on time
- How we can make better choices with money
- For a full list of scheme providers go to ird.govt.nz/kiwisaver
The Year 10 students participated in an Alcohol Education seminar, 'SMASHED'.