Wellbeing
Student Wellbeing Week Recap
The recent Student Wellbeing Week at our high school was a wonderful success, filled with activities that focused on connection, encouragement, support, and inclusion for students and staff alike. Here’s a look back at some of the week’s highlights and achievements.
Weekly Raffle and Gang Gang Hunt
Throughout the week, students collected raffle tickets by participating in daily activities, with an exciting prize awarded at the week’s end. Mrs. Lynch kept students on their toes with a daily "Gang Gang Hunt," hiding a toy Gang Gang around campus for students to find, claim a raffle ticket, and win a small daily prize.
Clothing Donation Initiative
We encouraged everyone to bring clean clothing donations for the local community, which will be delivered to the Warrandyte Rotary Op Shop by our very own Jake next week. This meaningful effort to support socio-economically disadvantaged youth brought our school community together for a wonderful cause.
Daily Themes and Highlights
Monday - Connection Day
Students participated in various connection-themed activities, including creating Gratitude Cards, a Scavenger Hunt, and joining in friendly lunchtime games in the Library. The "UNO No Mercy" game was a huge hit, bringing out competitive spirit and friendly laughs all around.
Tuesday - Encouragement Day
Tuesday focused on recognizing the hard work and positivity of our students. Morning fruit and encouragement jars were available during recess, and the student services team visited classrooms to award students for their daily efforts. The "Happy Pics" station was a popular lunchtime spot, with students capturing Polaroid memories with friends. In Period 5, “Warm n Fuzzies” spread positivity across classrooms with uplifting peer messages.
Wednesday - Support Day
Support Day started with a unique “Biggest Deep Breath” on the oval, as the whole school joined in a moment of calm. A meditation and mindfulness session in the DLC followed, providing a chance for relaxation. Our community police officer Sarah also joined us for lunchtime dodgeball, which was a fantastic opportunity for students to engage with her in a fun setting. During Period 5, students contributed encouraging words to the Wall Mural, which will be brought to life by Art Box students soon.
Clancy (therapy puppy in training) also provided some cuddle sessions during the day to staff and students during nominated classtimes. It was a great opportunity for students to spend quiet time with Clancy and Clancy definitely enjoyed receiving neverending treats and pats in the process.
Thursday - Inclusion Day
Inclusion Day encouraged everyone to embrace individuality with “Wacky Hair Day,” and the school was filled with colorful and unique hairstyles. The wellbeing team circulated throughout the day, handing out sweets and raffle tickets to participants, creating a cheerful and inclusive atmosphere.
Friday - World Teachers Day
The week concluded with celebrations for World Teachers Day. Students expressed gratitude to teachers in creative ways, and a lunchtime Gratitude Presentation saw students reading heartfelt messages to staff over the PA system. Friday was also "Pyjama Day," allowing students and staff to relax in cozy attire, and Period 5 was dedicated to games, letting everyone unwind and celebrate the end of a fantastic week.
Thank You to All Who Participated!
We’re grateful to everyone who made this week memorable. Student Wellbeing Week highlighted the importance of connection, encouragement, support, and inclusion within our school community, setting a positive tone for the rest of the school year. Thank you to students, staff, and families for supporting our initiatives and making Wellbeing Week a resounding success!
Peer Support Training
On 21st November, 15 Year 9 students attended their Peer Support Orientation Training as part of their commitment to becoming Peer Support Leaders for 2025. During the training they had skills development in understanding their roles, listening, communication, conflict resolution, problem solving and learning how to facilitate games and activities with students.
Being a Peer Support Leader is an amazing opportunity to step up as a school leader by supporting our newest students transition to secondary school. With our new Grade 6 students attending our school for Orientation soon, our Peer Support Leaders will be there to assist and suppport them during their day and help them to make positive connections with students at our school.
I am looking forward to seeing how our upcoming Peer Support Leaders develop their roles and new leadership skills over the next 12 months.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the 2024 Peer Support Leaders for their work and commitment this year. I enjoyed watching you all develop your leadership skills and become more confident in delivering and facilitating activities with the Year 7 students.
Love Bites Workshop
To finish off a challenging year, our Year 11 students participated in the Love Bites Workshop that was facilitated by Vic Police. Sarah Davis (Youth Resource Officer) and her colleague Verity spent the day with some of our Year 11 students before they commenced Year 12 transition.
The focus of the workshop was to educate our young people around consent and respectful relationships within intimate relationships. I heard that there were great discussions throughout the workshop and our participants received positive feedback from faciliatators.
Farewell Jake
As we get ready to finish off the school year, I want to take this opportunity to farewell Jake. Jake is currently completing his Masters in Clinical Psychology and will spend next year completing placements to work towards becoming a registered Psychologist.
Jake has been in the role of Wellbeing Coordinator for the past 2 years.
The school wishes Jake all the best in his endeavours as he ends a chapter with Warrandyte High School as a past student and recent staff member.