Queensland sunshine is part of our everyday story. It greets us at morning drop off, shines over the Prep playground, and follows our students out onto the oval at lunch.
When I think about sun safety, my mind often drifts back to when my own children were little. Long afternoons outside. Dust on their shoes. Hair sweaty and stuck to their foreheads. Big grins that said they had squeezed every drop out of the day.
They never once stopped mid game to think about UV levels or long term skin damage. They were simply being children. As parents, though, we stood on the sidelines with a hat in one hand and a bottle of sunscreen in the other, knowing that the same sunshine lighting up their faces was also something we needed to treat with respect.
It is a memory most of us share. The tug of war between letting kids be carefree and quietly stepping in to protect them for a future they cannot yet see.
That tension sits with me often. The joy of outdoor childhood. The reality of long term health.
Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Research tells us that close to half of a person’s lifetime sun exposure happens before the age of 20. In other words, what happens in primary school and high school matters far more than most of us realised when we were children ourselves.
Many of us grew up in the slip slop slap era, or perhaps before it. Zinc stripes. Cricket all day. A little sunburn was almost a badge of honour. We know better now. And as a school, knowing better means doing better.
Why Sun Safety Matters All Year Round
If you are like most Queensland families, sunscreen is second nature in summer. But in spring, autumn, even winter, it is easy to relax. The surprising reality is that UV levels in our region regularly sit at 3 or above right through the year. That is the level where protection is recommended.
UV damage is not about temperature. It is about exposure. That damage adds up quietly over time.
The encouraging news is that it is largely preventable. A hat in the playground. Sunscreen on exposed skin. Choosing shade instead of full sun. Small decisions, repeated often.
School, Shade and Students: A Team Effort
At Glasshouse Christian College, sun safety is not a box to tick or a summer only conversation. It is part of our duty of care.
From Prep to Year 12, students are explicitly taught why sun safety matters. In Primary classrooms, it’s normal for teachers to assist students through how to apply sunscreen properly. Not a quick swipe and run, but covering ears, neck and shoulders. In secondary, it becomes a conversation about long term health and personal responsibility.
Our staff model it too. Hats on duty. Shade during sport where possible. Gentle reminders before lunchtime. Consistency matters. When students see the same message reinforced in every term, it becomes normal rather than negotiable.
National evidence supports this approach. Schools with comprehensive sun protection policies see stronger sun safe behaviours in students, which can reduce long term health risks. It is one of those rare areas where prevention is both simple and powerful.
What You Can Do at Home
The partnership between home and school makes all the difference.
Pack a sun safe kit each day
A broad brimmed hat and labelled sunscreen. Even on cloudy mornings, UV can be high.
Apply sunscreen before the school run
Twenty minutes before leaving the house is ideal. It can become as automatic as brushing teeth. For sport afternoons or water play, a quick reapplication helps too.
Teach shade awareness
Make it a game for the little ones to find the shadiest spot possible wherever they go. Hopefully by the time they grow up it’s second nature. It is simple, but it builds lifelong awareness.
A Shared Responsibility
This is not about fear. It is about stewardship. It is about teaching our children to care for the bodies they have been given and to think ahead, even when they are only eight years old and focused on winning the lunchtime race.
When I see that sunshine smile in the playground, I want it to last a lifetime. Not just the joy of childhood, but the health that carries them into adulthood.
Thank you for partnering with us in the practical things that often go unnoticed. A hat packed. Sunscreen applied. A quick reminder at the door.
Together, we are not only protecting students during recess. We are shaping habits that will quietly protect them for decades to come.
Mike Curtis, Principal