Breakfast Club Update

A reminder that Breakfast Club is available to students each Tuesday and Thursday morning from 7.45 am to 8.20 am. We encourage students who have not had a bite to eat to come along and get some toast and hot milo.

The breakfast club team of helpers is also looking for anyone who would like to volunteer their time, one or both of the days we provide breakfast club. Please let the Wellbeing team know if you can help out. We also love donations to go towards Breakfast club – Margarine, Cheese Slices, and Milo are the things we would greatly appreciate.

Respectful Relationships Update

In Term 3, members of our Respectful Relationships Implementation team attended an all-day briefing. This day provided the team with a greater understanding of the work we will do as a lead school moving into 2022.

During term 4, more professional development will be offered to staff as we start to look at building Respectful Relationships in classrooms. This will be new to Lowanna College involving a lot of learning for everyone.

To complement our Respectful Relationships work, we also highlight the importance of days such as RUOK? day. Unfortunately, due to lockdown, we were unable to go ahead with the special activities we had planned to recognise this day. The wellbeing team is hoping to reschedule this event for term 4.

RUOK? day encourages action in the prevention of suicide. Although we know it as one day a year, the message using 4 key actions is ongoing …..

Ask someone RUOK?
Listen with an open mind
Encourage action and offer support
Make a time to check in with them

As a community, we can support those around us and change someone’s life for the better. If you are concerned about someone and looking for supports to offer them, the following numbers are a great start

Lifeline (24/7) – 13 11 14

Beyond Blue (24/7) – 1300 224 636

Kids Helpline (24/7) – 1800 551 800

1800RESPECT (24/7) – 1300 737 732

Men’s Line – 1300 789 978

Suicide Call Back Service (24/7) – 1300 659 467

Achievement Program Update

Mental Health Benchmark

We are continuing to work through our second benchmark, one that we have had a strong focus on in 2021. To improve the service we offer in the mental health space at Lowanna we have developed a mental health presentation that has been delivered by Paul and Emma in various classrooms. This opportunity will continue to be made available to all classes.

Our new Mental Health Practitioner, Michael Naughton has commenced at the school and will be available to work with students to help them develop good mental health and strengthen their wellbeing. Respectful Relationships and our participation in RUOK? day strengthens our focus on mental health and builds our community's understanding around such a vital topic.

Paul and Michael will continue to expand the wellbeing team's knowledge and skillset around mental health through the delivery of professional development and the use of external professionals.

The final part of the mental health benchmark will be to develop a policy that meets the Healthy Victoria standards.

The Achievement Program is aligned to the World Health Organization's model for Health Promoting Schools and Healthy Workplaces 😊

Free Moe Breast Screens

In Lowanna’s commitment to supporting the health and wellbeing of our wider community, from 18 October – 22 October 2021, BreastScreen Victoria’s hot pink van will return to Moe to provide free breast screens to the community.

It is important for women aged between 50 and 74 to have a breast screen every two years. Breast screens are the best way to detect early signs of breast cancer, in order to receive treatment which is most successful if symptoms are caught early.

All breast screens are with a female radiographer, in a friendly and safe environment. You don’t need a doctor’s referral or Medicare card, and screens only take 10 minutes.

BreastScreen Victoria has safety measures in place to protect clients and staff against the risk of COVID-19. This includes mandatory face masks and spaced appointments times to allow for physical distancing and cleansing of surfaces in between appointments. More information about screening during COVID-19 can be found on the BreastScreen Victoria website.

The van will be at Coles Supermarket – 92 Albert Street, Moe.

Appointments for the Moe van can be made online at breastscreen.org.au or by calling 13 20 50.

Links:

Bookings: https://bookings.breastscreen.org.au or call 13 20 50

Facebook: Moe van event page; BreastScreen Victoria

Website: www.breastscreen.org.au

Families Matter

Healthy family relationships and safe and supportive home environments are central to children and young people’s development and wellbeing.

When young people are provided with social, emotional, and physical support, they are likely to reach their full potential and experience better health outcomes in adulthood.

The home environment and family functioning are the biggest influences on development, with the learning environment the next most influential setting.

What can families do to actively build strong and healthy family relationships –

Spending regular quality time together as a whole family even if it’s just for a short time each day.
Offering help and support to one another.
Doing fun things and laughing together.
Talking to each other.
Telling each other what you like about your family.
Having family discussions to organise events and to work through difficulties.
Including all members of the family (including young people if it affects them) like giving them choices to make a decision.
Teaching and modeling problem-solving skills to young people so they become more confident at resolving their own conflicts appropriately.
Getting support from family, friends, or professionals when someone needs help.

Paul Fry

Wellbeing Leader

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