Welcome back and especially ‘welcome’ to all new parents and students to the College. I hope that you enjoy this year. The Davidson Health Centre is situated on the Ground Floor next to the Tupou College Centre. It is well signposted between the Chapel and Le Couteur building.

I am in the Health Centre Monday–Thursday 8.00am–5.00pm and Friday 8.00am–4.30pm. We also have first aid coverage for Saturday sport in the first aid room just inside the back gates on Newington Road.

I would also like to warmly welcome Sister Erin Tidball RN who joins us this year as the Boarding House Adolescent Health Nurse.

Please let me know of any change in medical details for your son, new medication or of any recent injuries/illnesses so that I can update their files.

Parents, we have some boys at school who are receiving treatment for serious conditions. These students are recovering well but are nevertheless more prone to infections. Therefore, it is very important that if your son develops an infectious disease – in particular chicken pox, shingles, measles or whooping cough – that you contact me at the Health Centre. It is also important for your son to stay home if quite unwell with a fever/bad cold and cough or if they have a gastric infection, to help prevent the spread of infection to others.

The college is not a ‘nut free’ zone. There are, however, many boys at school with anaphylaxis to various nuts and so it would be appreciated if nuts and nut products were not brought to school. If your son is really keen to bring these items then please have a conversation with them about not sharing these foods and explain how some boys have a serious life-threatening allergy.

Spare EpiPens are located in the Health Centre, pool office, library, cafeteria, Common Room, Drama Centre, Tech kitchen, Concordia Gallery, Boarding House and Boat Shed.

For those with asthma, please try to remember to carry your reliever in your bag. At school Ventolin inhalers are available from the pool office, library and the Health Centre.

Vaccinations for Year 7 will commence on Tuesday 5 March. These vaccines are only free while your son is in Year 7. Consent forms will be handed out to Year 7 in Mentor time shortly and should be returned to their Mentor promptly.

Vaccines offered

• Boostrix (diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough booster) single dose
• HPV vaccine (Gardasil) in a 2 dose course (Newington uptake last year was over 95%)

Vaccinations for Year 10 will be on Tuesday 4 June. 

NSW Health will be offering the Meningococcal ACWY vaccine to all students in Year 10.

For more info on the School Program click on the link https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/schoolvaccination.aspx

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding immunisation, as it can be confusing.

I have a small supply of spare uniform in case an item has been forgotten or is damaged, which the boys are welcome to borrow. I would appreciate if these could then be returned ready for the next boy.

If you would like to discuss any concerns, please feel free to contact me at 9568 9426, mobile 0407 004 738 or email mbates@newington.nsw.edu.au

I hope we all have a great year at Newington.

Sister Margaret Bates
School Nurse