Students at Queensland’s Warwick State High School have been learning about good health thanks to their School Nurse.
School Nurse Denise Dixon told the Warwick Daily News that the school took a health focus for a full week to teach students various aspects of health.
Students made stress balls and discussed mental health and stress relief. They also learnt about the importance of exercise, nutrition and avoidance of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
‘We're teaching students things they can do today to improve their health in the long term,’ Denise said.
‘Health is everything - without it you don't have a good life.’
Denise said it was important to convey information in innovative ways. When discussing the dangers of smoking, a Smokelyzer was used to measure carbon monoxide in the breath.
‘Students who smoked could see their levels and how it affected their health,’ she said.
‘Rather than just saying something, you need something outside the box with young people.’
Denise said she strives to grab students’ attention and hopefully get the education message across.
‘Education is key - it's the only way to change their perceptions of health,’ she said.
‘Ultimately it is their decision but we're giving them facts about the consequences and helping them make the best choices for their health.’