World Hearing Week (3 - 9 March), is a time to raise awareness about hearing health and the importance of protecting our ears. This year’s theme is "Changing Mindsets: Empower Yourself to Make Ear and Hearing Care a Reality for All." It’s a great reminder for us all, about how we can take small steps every day to care for our hearing and prevent future hearing loss for ourselves and our children.

How You Can Protect Your Hearing:

• Keep the volume down: When listening to music or watching TV, make sure the volume is low enough so you can still hear someone speaking to you from one metre away.
• Take breaks from headphones: If you use headphones or earphones, limit use to one hour at a time, then take a break to rest your ears.
• Use noise-cancelling headphones: If you can, try using headphones that block out outside noise, so you don’t have to turn up the volume as much.
• Wear ear protection: If you're in a noisy place, consider wearing earplugs or earmuffs to protect your hearing.
• Take breaks at loud events: At loud events like concerts or sports games, remember to stand away from speakers and take breaks to protect your ears.

Free Hearing Assessments at School

If you are worried about your child’s hearing, free hearing checks are available with School Health Nurse, Pia. Please feel free to speak with your child’s teacher or call the school office for more information on how to book a check.

Let’s all take the time this week to think about how we can protect our hearing – it’s one of our most valuable senses!