As we reach the end of Term 4, it’s a good moment to pause and reflect on what has been an incredibly full and fast paced term for our whole school community. With summer on the doorstep, the holidays approaching, and Christmas just around the corner, we hope this section offers a mix of reflection, celebration, and self-care reminders for students, families, and staff.

RFLECTING ON TERM 4

Our Year 12 students began the term stepping into the final exams of their schooling journey. This can be an exciting time of celebration and possibility, but also a stressful and emotional transition. For many young people, leaving the familiar structure of secondary school and entering university, work or training can feel uncertain. It’s important to remember that these feelings are normal. Year 12s can support themselves and each other by staying connected with friends, talking openly about how they’re feeling, and reaching out to trusted adults if things feel overwhelming. Support is available through friends, family members, your doctor, and youth services such as Headspace.

Following this, the whole school moved into exam season. Exams can bring pressure, but they also help students build organisation, problem-solving and time-management skills which they will use long after secondary school. We recognise the effort students put into preparing and showing up to these assessments, and we acknowledge the families and staff who supported them along the way.

Once exams ended, commencement began, launching all year levels into their 2026 timetables. This period of transition can feel exciting for some and challenging for others. Change affects each person differently e.g. a Year 7 student has just completed their first year of high-school, or the Year 9s transition into senior school and Year 11s step into their final year of schooling.

It’s completely normal for students to experience mixed feelings such as excitement or even worry, during these changes. What matters most is that we continue supporting each other. Staying connected with friends, talking to teachers and family, and taking time to settle into new routines can make a big difference.

Overall, Term 4 has been a term of endings, beginnings, and everything in between. It has carried moments of achievement, challenge, adaptation, and connection. Through it all, our students, families and staff have shown remarkable resilience and community.

THE BODY PROJECT AUSTRALIA

In Week 3 of Term 4, the wellbeing team ran the Body Project Australia (BPA) workshop for the Year 9 GIRLS. The program was delivered to help the year 9 GIRLS learn strategies to challenge appearance or body ideals promoted by society. The program was delivered in two days to a group of fifteen girls. The girls also learnt different ways to appreciate and embrace their bodies. The girls did a great job contributing to the workshop by providing insightful thoughts about current body trends and different ways they could have conversations about body image comments with their community.

VISION BOARD 2026 LUNCH TIME GROUP

The Wellbeing team recently hosted a two-day lunchtime vision board activity, giving students the chance to pause, reflect and set positive intentions for 2026. Across both sessions, students explored their aspirations using images and quotes to bring their goals to life. The activity encouraged them to think about what motivates them, what they want to improve next year, and how they can take small steps toward bigger dreams. The sessions were energetic, engaging, and full of laughter, with many students sharing how much they enjoyed the creative activity in their day. By the end, everyone walked away with a vision board (or two!) and a renewed sense of excitement for the year ahead.

RESP

The Refugee Education Support Program (RESP) team have been working with Foundation House and the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) over the past two years on numerous projects to support the families from refugee backgrounds at Kambrya. Through an auditing process, some changes and new inclusions were made around developing an enrolment/orientation checklist (including translating our school policies), creating visual social stories of the school, providing PD opportunities for staff, updating signage, providing compass information and more.

The major project undertaken by the team was the creation of the Kambrya Open Doors: Family Engagement Sessions in partnership with Southern Migrant and Refugee Centre (SMRC). These sessions ran over Term 3 and Term 4 and were prepared and delivered by the team. They addressed topics such as; wellbeing and mental health, Compass, parent/teacher/student conferences and understanding BRICKS.

The goal of the sessions was to support families from refugee backgrounds experience an increased sense of belonging and connection within the school community, increase their confidence and capabilities to engage with school and the Victorian education system and to support Kambrya in strengthening our ability to engage effectively with students and families from refugee backgrounds and developing appropriate resources and structures to achieve this.

ACKNOWLEDGING KEY AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS - TERM 4

Throughout the term, our team recognised several important national and international awareness days that encouraged our community to reflect, learn, and support one another:

• Mental Health Awareness Month (October) – promoting mental health literacy and encouraging conversations that reduce stigma.

• International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3 December) – recognising the contributions, achievements, and rights of people with disabilities, and reinforcing our commitment to an inclusive school culture.

These campaign days remind us of the strength found in understanding, compassion, and building a community where everyone feels valued and supported.

SELF-CARE AS WE FINISH THE SCHOOL YEAR

As the term wraps up, it’s important for everyone take steps to recharge. A few simple end-of-year wellbeing reminders:

Allow time to rest and decompress after a busy term.
Maintain routines where possible, while still making space for flexibility.
Reach out to supports if the end-of-year period brings stress or overwhelm.
Celebrate achievements, big or small—acknowledging effort builds confidence and resilience.

SELF-CARE OVER THE HOLIDAY PERIOD

The holiday season can be joyful, but it can also be busy and emotionally demanding. If things feel overwhelming, or if someone you care about seems to be struggling, it’s worth checking in.

The R U OK? website offers helpful tips for navigating holiday pressures, starting supportive conversations, and taking care of wellbeing www.ruok.org.au/holiday

Taking small moments to connect, pause, and reset can make the holiday period more grounding and enjoyable for everyone.

HELPFUL RESOURCES

Ask Izzy – www.askizzy.org.au | Access local support services.
Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800 www.kidshelpline.com.au | Free, confidential support for young people.
Headspace – www.headspace.org.au | Mental health and wellbeing for young people.
Parentline – www.parentline.com.au | Free online, confidential support parents and carers.

CLOSING

Thank you to all students, families, and staff who have engaged with our wellbeing initiatives so far this year. By working together, we continue to build a culture of respect, inclusion, and support at our school.

- The Student Health, Wellbeing and Engagement Team

Environment and Sustainability Committee