Student Services 

Wellbeing Team Update!

The Wellbeing Team has been off to an incredibly busy start in Term 3! 

We recently welcomed The Flourish Journey and The Man Cave, where they spent an impactful day running workshops with our Year 8 students. 

We also hosted the Knox Youth Hive team for a lunchtime drop-in session, helping students connect with the fantastic youth services our local council has to offer.

All of these programs share a single, vital goal: equipping our young people with the tools they need to navigate life's ups and downs. With that in mind, wellbeing are placing a focus on a superpower every student needs to develop resilience. 

Below, you will find two quick guides on how to handle academic pressure and bounce back from mistakes, written for both parents and students.

Parents / Carers: 

 Helping Your Child Bounce Back from Mistakes

Mistakes are uncomfortable. Whether it is a failed math quiz, a missed goal at soccer, or a forgotten homework assignment, watching your child face academic pressure and setback can be hard.

As parents and carers, your instinct may be to fix the problem or shield them from the discomfort. However, the secret to long-term academic success isn't avoiding failure - it is learning how to recover from it.

Why Mistakes are Necessary

Brain science shows that our brains actually grow and form new connections when we make a mistake and correct it. Perfection leaves no room for learning. When we normalize setbacks, we change the narrative from "I am not smart enough" to "I am still learning this."

3 Ways to Build Resilience at Home

• Shift from Outcome to Effort: Praise the hours spent studying rather than the final mark. This builds a "growth mindset."
• Model Healthy Failure: Share your own minor daily blunders. Let your child see you laugh it off and try again.

• Avoid the Rescue: If they forget to hand in their homework, let them experience the natural consequence. It builds problem-solving skills.

   

Handling Academic Pressure

High expectations can sometimes lead to anxiety and avoidance. If your child is feeling crushed by school pressure, remind them that their worth is not tied to a report card.

Encourage regular brain breaks, prioritise eight to ten hours of sleep, and keep open lines of communication.

Remember, resilience is a muscle. Every small challenge your child navigates today prepares them for the bigger obstacles of tomorrow.

For Students:

The Comeback: How to Bounce Back When School Gets Tough

We’ve all been there. You get a test back, and the grade is much lower than you expected. Or you freeze up during a presentation. Your stomach drops, your face gets hot, and that annoying voice in your head starts saying, "I’m just bad at this."

Academic pressure is real, and failing at something feels awful. But here is the secret: the most successful people aren't the ones who never fail. They are the ones who know how to make a comeback.

Resilience is your ability to bounce back when things go wrong. It is like a muscle- the more you use it, the stronger it gets. Here is how you can start building yours today.

1. Separate Your Grade From Your Worth

A bad grade is just a data point. It tells you what you need to work on next time. It does not define how smart you are, and it definitely does not define your value as a person. You are more than a percentage on a screen.

2. Change the Self-Talk

When you make a mistake, notice what you say to yourself. Replace negative thoughts with a growth mindset.

• Instead of: "I can't do this."
• Try: "I can't do this yet."
• Instead of: "I'm terrible at math."

• Try: "This topic is tricky, but I can figure it out."

   

3. Audit the Mistake

Instead of hiding the bad grade at the bottom of your backpack, look at it. Be a detective.

• Did you misunderstand the questions?
• Did you leave studying until the night before?
• Did you get anxious and rush?

Figuring out why things went wrong gives you a specific roadmap for how to fix it next time.

4. Ask for Backup

Needing help is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength and maturity. Reach out to your teacher, talk to a classmate, or drop by the school counselling office.

Mistakes are just proof that you are trying. Take a breath, reset, and get ready for your comeback.

The wellbeing team are excited to announce our Private Practitioner Program here at Scoresby. 

We have an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and a Registered Psychologist on-site one day a week to offer private psychology sessions that are 100% bulk-billed. 

Spots for this program are very limited, so if you feel your child requires this external support, please reach out to the Wellbeing Team for a discussion.

 Further information on Support Services:

Ms Alicia Alpuim & Ms Su-Nhi Kim

Wellbeing Team