Wellbeing

Below is a list of the wellbeing support provided by the College, to assist each student’s social, emotional, intellectual and physical health whilst they are at school.

Advisory Groups

Each year level is part of an Advisory group that has an allocated teacher who is responsible for informing the students of their daily activities and acting as a morning check-in before classes begin. Advisors will make referrals to the wellbeing team if there are any concerns with student presentation in the morning.

Advisory groups will usually include students from the same class and year level to ensure that positive social relationships are built with peers. Students in years 7-10 also have an extended advisory group, where they undertake structured Social Emotional Learning activities and learning related to the Department of Education’s Respectful Relationships program, which also is taught to students in their core Health & Physical Education classes.

Social Worker

Keely provides 1:1 counselling to students in need of wellbeing support, it is as easy as knocking on her office door or sending her an email/XUNO message. If students are not comfortable in reaching out themselves, they can speak to their parent/guardian or another College staff member first.

Keely supports families to ensure students’ uniforms are cleaned if they do not have the facilities to do so themselves, as well as supplying food hampers upon request.
Keely can educate students and families about services available to them in the wider community and assist with referrals where needed.

Confidentiality is important in Keely’s role, and it is important that students know that unless Keely feels they (or someone around them) are at risk of harm, that the information discussed will not go outside of her office, including to parents/guardians or other staff members.

The Wellbeing Team have a referral box outside their office. This is available for all students if they would like to seek support but are not feeling overly confident to do so. Referrals can be written for Keely, Sarah or Janaya. Referral forms are situated outside their office, in N-block and with Miss Russell in Primary, however, students can also write a letter of their own choosing if they wish.

Outside the Wellbeing Office you can also find a range of different resources relating to bullying, mental health, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander support and Legal services. These are available for anyone to take.

Inclusion Coordinator

Amanda works to ensure students with a disability or additional needs are engaged in education and meeting their learning goals. She works collaboratively with the student and their family as well as the school’s leadership, teaching staff, wellbeing staff and allied health team.

Amanda conducts regular Student Support Group (SSG) meetings and creates Individual Education Plans (IEPs), she also applies for external support and additional funding through the Disability Inclusion program as required.

Mental Health Practitioner

Sarah brings a wealth of knowledge from previous experiences in a variety of settings that enable us as a College to enhance our Wellbeing experience and offering of services to students.

Sarah’s role involves some of the following:
– provide direct counseling support and other early intervention services for individual students and groups identified as at-risk and/or experiencing or demonstrating mild to moderate mental health needs
– coordinate supports for students with critical needs both within and external to the school, including proactively working with regions and other health professionals to engage further support as required
– enhance promotion and prevention activities in the school by contributing to whole school health, wellbeing and engagement plans, building the capability of teaching staff and school leadership to manage student health and wellbeing
– help embed mental health promotion and prevention programs and strategies in the school.

Secondary School Nurse

The Secondary School Nurse works as a part of the Student Wellbeing Team to improve the health and wellbeing of students and the school community. Students are better prepared for learning when they are healthy safe and happy. The School Nurse works closely with teachers and other members of school leadership to facilitate health education activities within the school.

The School Nurse has the ability to assist the community to:

– Encourage healthier school communities
– Enhance the health of students
– Support students to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing
– Work with teachers to deliver health education sessions
– Facilitate student wellbeing programs to improve students health and wellbeing
– Engage staff and students to discuss health issues relevant to the community for the purpose of inclusion in health promotion and health education sessions

In 2024, our Health Promotion Plan focuses on Vaping, Healthy Eating and Positive Body Image.

Our wellbeing dog Whroo

In 2023 we introduced Whroo to the College. Whroo is our Wellbeing Dog through Dogs Connect.

There is increasing evidence about how a well-trained dog can help in a whole range of settings. Scientific evidence shows that being near a dog can reduce stress and anxiety and decrease the heart rate.

For children, animals can help with emotional regulation, social connection and communication. They can help engage students in many curriculum areas by supporting children in feeling less self-conscious than they may feel around teachers and peers.

In adults, dogs can help with trauma, anxiety, the escalation cycle, leadership and communication. They can build empathy, awareness of others and self, increase social regulation and decrease reactivity.

School Based Activities

Keely and Sarah are trained facilitators of the Love Bites Junior and Senior Programs (11-17 year olds) through the National Association of the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN). Love Bites aims to provide young people with a safe environment to examine, discuss and explore respectful relationships. All Love Bites programming takes a strength-based approach and views young people as active participants who are able to make choices for themselves and their relationships when supported with information and opportunity for skill development.

Love Bites education is focused on three critical areas for learning:
– Knowledge: youth-led collaborative learning
– Attitudes: critical thinking and decision-making and
– Behaviours: problem solving and communication skills

The overall aims of the programming are to equip young people with the knowledge needed to have respectful relationships, encourage and develop their skills in critical thinking and assist them in being able to problem solve and communicate effectively. When equipped in these areas, NAPCAN believes that young people can make the right choices for themselves and their relationships that are free from violence and abuse.

The Wellbeing Team have a strong relationship with the Big Sister Experience and The Man Cave and we are very proud to host them every year to inspire and educate students in Years 7-12. In 2023 we rolled out ‘Why Worry Wally’ incursion to our Primary students which worked fantastically, we hope to create a yearly tradition of having their team back too.

Food ROCKs (Rushworth Onsite Community Kitchen) operates every day for Breakfast, Recess and Lunch. Fruit is available for the Primary student fruit break. Food ROCKs even caters for students attending excursions. Take- home hampers are available for families if you contact Keely or Sarah.
Structured lunchtime Activities – The stadium is opened at lunchtime every day for a range of activities available to all students, other days during the week have Art Club, Mindfulness, Minecraft Club and Wellbeing Wednesday.