Our school cares about the safety and wellbeing of our students and their families. Sometimes things at home or in a relationship are not OK or families can be worried about the wellbeing of their children or young people. The Orange Door can help you to get the support you need, quickly and easily. It’s free and you don’t need a referral. The Orange Door can help families. They provide support for concerns with parenting, relationships, and family violence.

The Orange Door is a free intake and assessment service for:

• families requiring support for their child or young person’s wellbeing or development

• families needing parenting support

• young, isolated, or unsupported families

• individuals and families experiencing family violence

• adults using family violence

• young people using violence in the home.

If you contact The Orange Door, they can help by:

• working with you to identify the help and support you need

• supporting you with the wellbeing and development of your child or young person

• helping you make a safety plan if someone is making you feel unsafe

• connecting you to services that can help like counselling, accommodation, mental health and drug and alcohol services, parenting support groups, services for children, financial help, or legal assistance

• supporting you to access funding for basic living expenses and some other costs

• supporting you to change abusive or controlling behaviour.

Each Orange Door location across Victoria has their own phone number and email. Students and their families can also visit their local Orange Door in person for support, Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm for support.

No appointment is needed. To find your local service, see: locations near you.

How schools connect with The Orange Door:

Our school might talk to a student and/or their family about The Orange Door. We might encourage them to contact their local Orange Door to get advice and help if needed. Ideally, a student and/or their family will get in touch with The Orange Door to seek advice and support. Sometimes, schools might make a referral to The Orange Door without the student or their family’s knowledge or consent.

Schools will do this if:

• informing a student and/or family increases the risk to their safety or wellbeing

• not linking a student to support increases the risk of their safety and wellbeing.

You can learn more about:

• The Orange Door and how they can help you and your family here. The Orange Door | orangedoor.vic.gov.au

• how our school keeps our students safe by reading our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy and our Child Safeguarding - St Mary's Rushworth Child Safety Code of Conduct.

Respectful Relationships (Weeks 8–10): Stress Management

During Weeks 8–10, students across Prep to Year 6 will be exploring Stress Management as part of our Respectful Relationships learning. Stress is a normal part of life and can be experienced by children as well as adults. Through age-appropriate activities and discussions, students will learn to recognise how stress can affect their thoughts, feelings and behaviours, while developing healthy ways to manage challenging situations.

Using a Respectful Relationships lens, students will explore strategies that help them care for their own wellbeing and build positive relationships with others. By learning how to manage stress in healthy ways, students strengthen their resilience, improve their emotional regulation, and develop the confidence to navigate everyday challenges with respect and kindness towards themselves and others.

Students may participate in activities such as:

Identifying what stress feels like in our bodies and minds
Learning to recognise personal stress triggers
Practising mindfulness and relaxation techniques
Using breathing exercises to calm strong emotions
Exploring positive self-talk and growth mindset strategies
Developing problem-solving skills for challenging situations
Creating a personal toolbox of healthy coping strategies
Role-playing ways to seek help from trusted adults
Discussing the importance of sleep, exercise and healthy habits for wellbeing
Participating in games and activities that build resilience and emotional regulation
Reflecting on ways to support friends who may be feeling worried or overwhelmed

These learning experiences help students develop the skills and confidence to manage stress effectively, build positive relationships and support their overall wellbeing.

If you are looking for some practical tips about managing stress, either for yourself or your child, pleas have a look at this SchoolTV special report

How to make stress your friend - Kelly McGonigal | St Mary's School - Rushworth

Your chance to WIN!!

At St Mary's, we are committed to supporting the wellbeing of every child and family in our community. By completing our parent and families Wellbeing Survey, you'll help us gain valuable insights into your family's experience and identify ways we can continue to strengthen the support, programs and opportunities we provide.

As a thank you, all families who complete this 5 minute survey and email a screenshot of their submission to ssefton@smrushworth.catholic.edu.au will go into the draw to WIN a Gus & Ollie's gift card!

Thank you for partnering with us to help make St Mary's the best it can be for all families.

Parents and Caregivers Wellbeing Survey 2026 – Fill out form

Prayers and Acknowledgments

Thought Of The Week

Value of the week

Lylaa Harvey