Wellbeing
Year 9 Anti-Bullying and Wellbeing Program
Our Year 9 students recently attended The Hurting Game, a live theatre production delivered as part of our whole-school anti-bullying and wellbeing program.
The performance provided students with an engaging and relatable opportunity to explore important issues that many young people face throughout high school. Through the story of two childhood friends, Maddie and Tom, students were invited to reflect on topics such as friendship challenges, rumours, exclusion, peer pressure, online behaviour, body image, anxiety, digital reputation and the importance of seeking help.
The production also highlighted key wellbeing messages around resilience, self-compassion, online safety and the value of maintaining authentic and supportive connections with others. Developed in consultation with a clinical psychologist and informed by real student experiences, The Hurting Game provided a powerful stimulus for meaningful conversations about mental health, relationships and the online world.
Following the performance, students will continue to unpack these themes through Q&A opportunities and curriculum-aligned classroom resources. This experience supports our ongoing commitment to building a school culture where students feel safe, supported and empowered to make positive choices.
For more information see our School TV articles
https://stlukesmarsdenpark.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/bullying
Bullying and Children: What Parents Need to Know
Earth Week Stewardship Challenge
During Earth Week, our Stewardship Leaders invited students to take part in a meaningful challenge that encouraged them to care for our common home and show respect for the environment God has entrusted to us.
Students were challenged to pick up 22 pieces of rubbish around the school grounds. This was not a reward-based activity, but rather a personal invitation for each student to take responsibility for their actions and contribute positively to the community around them.
Through this initiative, students were reminded that stewardship is more than a concept we speak about — it is something we live out through our choices each day. By taking part in this challenge, students demonstrated pride in their school, care for creation, and a willingness to serve others through simple but important actions.
Earth Week provided a valuable opportunity for our students to reflect on how they can be active stewards of God’s creation. We are proud of the way many students embraced this challenge and helped make our school a cleaner, safer and more welcoming place for all.
ANZAC Day dawn service
Pivot is coming to St Luke’s
Pivot Professional Learning has collaborated with wellbeing, education and mental health experts to identify the key components of wellbeing and the impact these have on a student’s ability to learn at school. From this research, Pivot has created a new tool to measure, track and support student wellbeing.
SPECIAL REPORT: Celebrating Mother's Day
The very first Mother’s Day was celebrated in West Virginia in 1908. It was organised by Ann Jarvis as a memorial to honour her beloved mother who spent much of her life helping others. Ann’s mother devoted her life to educating mothers and improving sanitary conditions to stem her community’s appalling infant mortality rates. By 1911, Ann had successfully campaigned to have Mother's Day recognised as a national holiday in most US states honouring all mothers, living and deceased.
It was not until 1924 that Mother’s Day was officially celebrated in Australia with the help of Janet Heyden. She had campaigned for donations to assist lonely and aged mothers in a Sydney hospital making personal requests to many leading business houses and enlisting the help of local school children to help fill small bags with donated goods.
Today, Mother’s Day is a more of a commercial venture, but it is important to remember the true nature and meaning of Mother’s Day and mark it with sincerity, especially now in the post-pandemic environment we currently find ourselves in. Mothers have played multiple roles over recent months providing care and support to those they love under difficult circumstances, often putting the needs of others ahead of their own. However, Mothers sometimes need reminding to also take care of themselves, especially when it comes to mental health. A mother who experiences good mental health, is more available to her children and family, more alert to their needs, and more able to engage in everyday activities.
If you are a Mum and struggling a little bit, it is advisable to seek help from a medical professional. Or, if you just want to talk to someone who understands, you can always call Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36.
Watch the video here: https://stlukesmarsdenpark.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/celebrating-mothers-day