Student Wellbeing
This semester, Student Wellbeing has introduced our very own Brick Club at the Junior Campus!
Brick Club is a weekly LEGO-based lunchtime program designed to help young people develop skills such as teamwork, problem solving, communication, and creativity.
At Brick Club, students build LEGO models in small teams. Each team member is assigned a different role: The Builder, The Supplier, or the Engineer. Each role requires students to practice different skills and is essential to the success of the team. Students are then supported to engage in a group discussion in which they reflect on their experiences and share something about their finished product.
Brick Club is facilitated by Jocelyn (Health Promotion Nurse) and Liz (Mental Health Practitioner). We believe Brick Club provides an exciting opportunity for inclusive and playful mental health promotion which is enjoyable for students.
Brick Club is running in classroom C2 every Tuesday at lunchtime. Students require consent from their parent or carer to participate in Brick Club. Please contact Student Wellbeing if your child is interested in coming along.
Student Wellbeing Events
This term we have a number of student wellbeing events coming up. Events and programs such as these are critical to promoting positive mental health fitness, positive behaviours, inclusivity, connections and belonging in our students:
Year 7 – 10 Flipside Incursions
The Flipside is a live theatre experience that explores themes of bullying, cyberbullying, online safety, digital citizenship, bystander behaviour and online ethics. The performance encourages empathy, respect, and personal responsibility in both online and offline spaces.
RUOK Day Friday 12th September
Year 12 VCE VM students prepare and deliver lessons to Year 7 students in strategies on how to recognise when someone isn’t OK and how to ask ‘RUOK’. The students also run lunchtime BBQs at the Junior and Senior campuses. SRC students organise lunchtime activities including music, positive messages boards and performances.
Year 9 Batyr Program
The Batyr program centres around real-life lived experiences of young people overcoming mental health challenges. These safe stories are carefully developed to focus on help seeking, hope and the positive outcomes of reaching out for support. The delivery style of the program is interactive and informative, engaging students in a fun and energetic way. The program is designed to boost mental health literacy and upskill students with practical tips on how they can look out for their friends as well as their own wellbeing.
Wear It Purple Day
Wear It Purple day will take place on Friday 29th August. Both the Junior and Senior SRC students work extremely hard to recognise ways to support 'Wear it Purple Day" within our school community.
The principles of Wear It Purple are to:
• Advocate for and empower rainbow young people
• Celebrate and promote the value of diversity and inclusion in all community settings
• Raise awareness about sexuality, sex and gender identity and challenge harmful social cultures and
• Champion rainbow role-models to help young people establish the confidence to be who they are.
It sits within our college’s school value, Respect Yourself and Others and seeks to build Emotional, Social and Spiritual Wellbeing capabilities. This also aligns with the Rights, Resilience and Respectful Relationships curriculum by creating a safe environment for all students at VUSC.
This year VUSC will implement Wear It Purple day by:
• encouraging students to wear a purple accessory item or a purple ribbon
• providing information in home groups and
• making a pledge wall.
Foodbank
At VUSC we promote healthy eating and drinking. We would like to remind students to please remember to pack a healthy lunch and snack and bring their water bottle to school every day. In the event students have forgotten their lunch/snack, they can come to the Student Wellbeing Room, at the Junior Campus in C-Block courtyard and at the Senior Campus building D before school only to grab some healthy food options.
Breakfast Club
Breakfast Club is available for students on the following days:
- Junior Campus Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:15—8:55am in Room A4
Senior Campus Wednesdays and Fridays 8:15am—8:45am in the Building B kitchen.
Student Wellbeing Support
Students may access the Student Wellbeing Team through a referral process from family, their teacher or self referral where they are able to meet with a range of professionals. These professionals are able to assist in ensuring that the student feels supported throughout their time at VUSC.
eSafety Information
VUSC is committed to helping students develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to be safe and respectful users of technology. We are also aware that students’ online experiences often move seamlessly between school and home, and are therefore aiming to develop, with your support, a whole-of-community approach to keeping our students safe online.
We will be sharing a range of information, tips and resources for parents and carers from the eSafety Commissioner (eSafety.gov.au) that you can use with your family to help create positive experiences for your children online. We encourage all parents and carers to keep an eye on our school newsletter and website for information you can use to build your knowledge, skills and understanding of online safety.
Online Gaming
Online gaming provides children with lots of opportunities for skill development, beneficial play, creativity, self-expression, belonging, and social connection. To make sure they get the most out of gaming, parents and carers also need to help them build skills to navigate risks and put in safeguards.
Are you familiar with the benefits or the risks your child might be experiencing whilst playing online games? Regardless of the console or device they use, what type of game they play, if they play alone or with others, or how often they play, it is important to understand your child’s unique gaming experience. Playing online games with your children is a great way to learn more about their interests, while also developing a greater understanding of how they interact and communicate with others online.
When adults get involved in positive ways it can also strengthen family relationships and enable families to manage conflict about gaming in more productive ways. For more information on gaming and simple tips for how you can make this a safer and more positive experience, go to the parent's page of eSafety Commissioner's website.
The eSafety Commissioner also has an eSafety Guide (eSafety.gov.au/esafety-guide) which includes the latest games, apps and social media, with information on how to apply safety and privacy settings, whether there are any risky digital features, and how to report abuse or other harmful behaviour.
Doctors in Schools Program
Victoria University Secondary College is fortunate to be part of the Department of Education’s Doctors in Secondary Schools Program.
As part of this program, we have a Doctor and Nurse from IPC Health in Deer Park available to see VUSC students for FREE appointments at school every Monday at the Senior Campus, in the portable behind Building E.
Parents of Junior Campus students may also make appointments with the Doctor on Mondays, however they must transport their child to the Senior Campus.
What does Doctors in Schools mean for our students?
It makes primary health care more accessible
It provides support to students through early identification of health problems
No cost – this is a free service.
What can the Doctor assist our students with?
The same services at school as those provided by GP’s in the community
Physical Health
Mental Health
Health advice and support
Appointments can be made in advance via a Teacher or the Wellbeing team. They will book the appointment and advise the student of the date and time via Teams chat. Students are also welcome to self-refer using the QR code in their planner.
If you have any questions regarding the Doctors in Secondary Schools program, please contact the Senior Campus on 8312 0200 or download the attached factsheet.
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RRRR Program & Support Services
VUSC is implementing the Rights, Resilience and Respectful Relationships program, which is a primary prevention initiative to reduce family violence through promoting and modelling respect, positive attitudes and behaviours. If you are experience family violence, or would like information or support, please visit the site below or call 1800RESPECT.
https://www.vic.gov.au/family-violence-statewide-support-services
The school community is welcome to access these services for support:
The Orange Door | orangedoor.vic.gov.au
headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation
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