Wellbeing

2026 Knox-Ravenswood Student Wellbeing Conference

On Friday 5 June, six emerging student leaders from Year 11 attended the Knox-Ravenswood Student Wellbeing Conference at Knox Grammar.

The conference’s theme this year was Empathy: Breaking barriers and Building Bridges. Keynote presentations from James Castrission and Alex Moffat were highlights. James re-told the incredible story of his adventurous life, including being the first unsupported crossing of the Tasman Sea in a kayak, and then again unsupported, the first return journey from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole on foot, both adventures with his friend Jonesy. James made an important point of celebrating progress, as much as reaching an end goal or destination. Alex, a neuroleadership practitioner and award-winning magician, encouraged students to keep an open mind and understand the malleability of their brain.

Knox and Ravenswood students then ran wellbeing workshops before our own students presented to the 350 delegates on our Compass wellbeing initiative. Chaitra Avernini, Georgia Clunas, Phoebe Johnson, Steven Collins, Tom Nelson and Noah Martin spoke to the audience about the challenges facing rural students and families in dealing with mental health issues due to reduced professional support services and ongoing stigma in the bush. They clearly articulated the aim of Compass explicitly teaching the skills rural students need to strengthen resilience, build healthy relationships, and holistically improve the mental health outcomes for our community. 

After finishing the day with an appreciative inquiry, our students reflected on the strengths of wellbeing at Kinross Wolaroi, including strong teacher-student relationships built around our Mentor Groups and classrooms, the unique fabric of our boarding environment that creates a strong sense of belonging and cultural understanding, and our rejuvenation of the Peer Support program to support our Year 7 transition and provide Year 11 with leadership opportunities.

Thank you to Mrs Nic Byrne for accompanying me on this valuable experience. It really highlighted that all the things we currently do at Kinross Wolaroi, from Round Square initiatives like service, to our existing House based pastoral system, and many other things I could list, put us often ahead of many other schools when it comes to supporting the wellbeing of our students.