Your wellbeing is important

“I am not crazy” “I am not sick” “I can handle it myself”.

You do not have to be sick or crazy to speak to someone or seek out help. The most talented and greatest athletes in the world are constantly speaking to people to improve themselves, what makes us so special to try and do things on our own?

I am the new Student Support Officer at Cecil Hills High School - a new position the NSW Department of Education is implementing across the State to better support students when it comes to wellbeing.  As a Student Support Officer, I work closely with the welfare team to provide an extra set of ears and an outlet for students to go to when facing anxiety, stress, feeling down, have any type of concerns or would just like to have a chat with someone. I am not a counsellor and I am not a teacher.

As part of my role, I am also introducing external organisations into the school.  So far this term we have worked together with the Blue Datto Foundation, Mission Australia and the running of two additional programs through MTC Australia.

I come from a background of running programs in high schools helping young people with goal setting and mind setting.  My biggest goal is for students to increase their emotional intelligence and better equip themselves when dealing with stressful situations.  I have encountered many challenges in my life and this has led me on a mission to educate and support young people. This mission saw me go into schools as a guest speaker and share my personal life story and the obstacles I have encountered along the way. 

This journey now sees me at Cecil Hills High School, where I am looking forward to having a positive impact on the students' lives. 

Jonathan Brancati

Student Support Officer