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TDSS TAKES A SMARTRISK |
If you need more information, contact Mrs.Kelly Graydon in room 230 at TDSS or call at 647-7336 ex.499. |
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TDSS TAKES A SMARTRISK |
If you need more information, contact Mrs.Kelly Graydon in room 230 at TDSS or call at 647-7336 ex.499. |
| INFORMATION
ON SMARTRISK |
SMARTRISK NEWS |
SMARTRISK
ACTIVITIES AND RECRUITS |
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WHY SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT INJURY? Did you know that injuries are the leading cause of death for young people in Canada? In fact, in the year 2000, 502 people between the ages of 15 to 19 were killed by unintentional injuries. That is more than any other single cause of death, including cancer. More than 2 million Canadians are treated for injuries every year and unintentional injuries alone cost the Canadian economy almost $9 billion annually. WHAT IS SMARTRISK? SMARTRISK is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to preventing injuries among all Canadians, with a special emphasis on children , youth and seniors. Smartrisk belives that most injuries are predictable and preventable. The situations in which injuries occur are often called "accidents", yet they are not accidental. Usually, bad choices lead to injury. For example, not wearing a helmet might mean a brain injury if you fall off your skateboard; driving without wearing a seatbelt could lead to death if you crash; diving into a pool without checking the depth first could cause a spinal cord injury. But we don't try to stop people from taking risks. Instead, we help people learn to take smart risks. So what is a smart risk anyway? A smart risk is a risk that is less likely to result in injury because you've thought about it and acted on the five key messages (Buckle up, Look First, Wear the Gear, Get Trained, and Drive Sober) A smart risk is one wear you buckle up your helmet, do your activity completely sober and focused, assess the enviroment, wear the appropriate gear, and get yourself trained before doing anything that mightpotentially cause injury. SMARTRISK'S 5 KEY MESSAGES Buckle up- Buckles are everywhere-seatbelts, life jackets,climbing harnesses-there are many ways to buckle up. Look First- Remember to look around you first and become aware of your surroundings before you go off that ramp, take that dive or go through that intersection. If you don't look first, you won't know what could hit you. Wear the Gear- People who take their sports seriously know not to go out unless they're wearing the gear. Get Trained- Getting trained will not only help you master your sport, but it will help you to determine where to draw your Stupid line(Stupid Line described below). Drive Sober- Cars, bikes, motorcycles, snowmobiles- driving sober means being 100% there when you are engaged in an activity. THE STUPID LINE The stupid line is the line of choice that seperates a smartrisk from a stupid risk. In understanding how individuals perceive and take risks, SMARTRISK believes that for each one of us there is a contiuum of risk. At one end of the spectrum are risks that none of us are prepared to take because we feel the risk is too high. At the other end of the spectrum are risks that we take so much for granted that we don't perceive the risk at all. In between these two extremes are situations involving risk that we consciously or subconsciously choose. For example, someone may run a yellow light at an intersection, or avoid putting on their seatbelt when they are just driving to the corner store. Where the Stupid Line is drawn is different for each person, and can change depending on the situation the person is in. For example, a trail you've rode on a hundred times and feel very comfortable doing, may not feel so familiar if a sudden storm blows through. In this situation, you may elect not to go snowmobiling because the weather can severly reduce you visibility. SMARTRISKS MISSION SMARTRISK helps people see the see the riskd in their everyday lives and shows them how to take those risks in the smartest way possible so that they can enjoy life to the fullest. THE FOURTH ANNUAL SMARTRISK VIDEOFEST Have
you ever dreamed of saving someones life? How about teaching people
to stay safe? How about making a short five muinute video and winning
a large cash prize? Well lucky you, The SMARTRISK Videofest is up and
running this year! Win prizes up to $600. Ain’t bad for a little
video taping… All we want you to do is create a short video that
promotes SMARTRISK and the SMARTRISK key messages. Check Out The SMARTRISK Website! |
Cycling : the risk of injury
Spring is here! With the new beautiful weather after winter and the anticipation of summer, it is easy to see why so many people are excited to get outside and play. Whether it is a long-term obsession for some or a quick occasional ride, cycling is popular as both a recreational and fitness activity. While it may seem simplistic, cycling harbours risks just like any other sport. Listed below are tips designed to manage such risks so you can continue participating in the sport you enjoy. Perhaps the paramount thing to remember when adopting a cycling lifestyle is to start slow and understand the rules of the road and practice proper safety and handling techniques. Cycling is a fun, healthy activity and is an inexpensive way to get around. Be equipped, know the rules, watch for hazards, and ride responsibly! Helpful Smartrisk Cycling Tips - Strap on a water belt to prevent dehydration. - Size your bike so it fits properly and is comfortable to ride. - Check your bike often to see if it is in need of any repairs. - Wear a helmet that fits correctly. - Know the hand signals for turning right, left, and stopping. - Watch out for surface hazards. Holes, and raised and slippery surfaces can cause you to lose control. - Wear clothing with reflective materials when cycling from dusk to dawn. Wear bright clothing during the day. - Make sure your seat and handlebar height are adjusted correctly. Proper positioning will help your pedalling and reduce strain on your knees. - Keep a space cushion around your bike to ensure you have time to react and stop safely. - Practice shoulder checking before signalling to make turns. Shoulder checking allows you to see what the traffic behind you is doing. - Walk your bike across a crosswalk (it is illegal to ride across a crosswalk). - Ride in single file on two-lane roads or when traffic is heavy on milti-lane roads. - Keep at least one metre apart from other cyclists and keep several lengths apart when going downhill at high speed. - Leave extra room when stopped behind a truck to prevent a "roll-back" collision. When a truck driver takes their foot off the brake to release the clutch, a heavy load can cause the truck to roll back. - Do not rely on your bell, horn or voice to alert the tuck driver of your presence. Respect the driver's limitations and keep a safe distance away.
SMARTRISK's five key messages, Buckle up, Look first, Wear the gear, Get Trained, and Drive sober. These messages will not only keep you from danger but others as well. So keep on the smart side of the stupid line and be road smart. THE TOP 5 CAUSES OF INJURY DEATHS 1.
Road crashes- kill 260,000 children a year and injure 10 million.
They are the leading cause of death among 10-19-year olds. 4. Falls- Nearly 47,000 fall to their deaths every year and hundreds of thousands more suffer less serious injuries from a fall. 5. Poisoning- More than 45,000 children die each year from unintended poisoning.
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SMARTRISK AT TDSS LOOKING FOR STUDENT RECRUITS!!! If you're a student at TDSS(Grade 9-12) and wanting to get involved with our SMARTRISK program your in luck! We are now looking for recruits to join our team to teach people how to take smart risks and to keep safe. If you're interested in joining our new program or would like more information please contact Mrs. Kelly Graydon in room 230. ACTIVITY IDEAS TO LOOK FORWARD TO! Mocktails- Our SMARTRISK team will be giving out mocktails, scratch tickets, and a "how to make your own mocktails" booklets at a future dance or lunch hour to raise money for our team. The point is to teach students how to have fun without alcohol. Survey- A short survey will be conducted during a lunch hour one day to see just how many people in TDSS are taking smart risks. There will be prizes for participants! Drive Sober Bananza- We will have 2 tricycles and 3 distractions 1) Drunk glasses 2) Cell Phone 3) Banana. It is a timed race in which the point of it is to show how hard it is to drive when not fully sober. Exam Craze- Our SMARTRISK team at TDSS will be giving away Exam Craze packs during and before exams. Subliminal Messages- Can you find our subliminal messages around the school? Well keep looking! We will be adding new things to the school to give you more information on SMARTRISK and facts about safty. Try and keep up! Wear the Gear Football- Coming soon to a field near you! Our SMARTRISK team is going to hold a touch football game in the snow. The only catch is that you wear some gear from goggles to knee pads to helmets any gear goes. Whoevers team wins will gets a pizza party, so listen to the announcements and keep posted! INTERVIEW WITH GRAEME Graeme, 31, lives in Toronto now but untill a few years ago lived and skied on Canada's West Coast. Graeme was well trained and experienced, having begun skiing at the age of 5 and having skied regularly with friend who are professional guides. Graeme usually skied in the backcountry, rather than on groomed trails. When he was 23, he and several friends went to Blackcomb, a mountain he was very familiar with. They headed into an area off trail marked, "Permanent Closure." These days, Graeme says, getting caught in such an area can bring a serious punishment, but seven years ago it was a slap on the wrist. On this day there was fresh snow and the contitions were ideal. He planned to ski down, head over a rock, land, and turn, and safely exiting before reaching a cliff. But when he went off the rock, he didn't hit the ground. Instead he kept sailing, right off the cliff, landing hard 13 meters below and breaking his back, but fortunately not damaging his spinal cord. Graeme realized later that Look First applies every time you ski, not just the first time you travel to a hill. " Had I approced it and looked, I would have known it wasn't a good idea." Graeme says now. Instead, Graeme spent the next month on his back at a friend's home. After another month, he was becoming more mobile and opted to test himself on the slopes, re-injuring himself and landing on his back in bed for another two weeks. For the last seven years, he's been in regular physiotherapy. " A very large portion of my lower back is scar tissue. The ligaments don't work right." Graeme says he'll never completely heal and his pelvis misaligns if he goes to long without physiotherapy. Although he remains physically active in a number of sports, " I mostly keep my skies on the ground now. My days cliff hugging have gone by the wayside." What did he learn? " It's not just a case of Look First the first time. As conditions change, what you're looking for is not necessarily the same." EXAMS ARE COMING!!! Exams may be coming but theirs nothing to worry about. Take smart risks and follow the Five Key Messages and exams will be an easy 123. Making sure you have your study notes is a way to Look First, Wearing comfy clothing and bringing the appropriate materials to your exam are ways to Wear the Gear, Studying and Studying and Studying some more is a way to Get Trained, Coming to your exam well slept and being completly 100% ready for your exam are like Driving Sober, and Buckle Up on your way to school (lots of people forget to buckle their seatbelts when worrying about exams). |
