Student Services : Wellbeing
Welcome back to Term 2, which sees us enter Waring (Wombat) season in the Wurundjeri calendar. We hope the school holidays offered students and families a chance to rest and rest for the term ahead. Waring season has already given us some beautiful cool and misty mornings, which the wellbeing team gets to appreciate from our office located in the centre of the school. We are located just near the library entrance, please see below for more information about the support we can provide.
We know that getting back into the school routine can be a challenge after two-weeks of sleeping-in. We’re hit the ground running, with a number of programs in place for students and parents. This week, our Year 7 students begin their Mental Health First Aid training, building skills to recognise when someone may be experiencing a mental health challenge and how to respond with confidence and compassion. We’re also pleased to have Raise Mentoring underway, which supports students to build confidence, resilience and positive relationships. Last week also saw the launch of this term’s Tuning into Teens program, it’s great to meet families and learn from each other. We’d like to thank the Darebin Family Services team for supporting us in the implementation of this important program.
As always, students can access wellbeing support through the school. Please see below for more information on accessing us.
We look forward to working with students and families as the term goes on.
About us:
Our team is made up of year level Student Wellbeing Coordinators and Mental Health Practitioners who work across the school. Students are welcome to drop into our office in The HUB or contact us through Compass to arrange appointments. Our team works with students, families and staff including:
- Confidential counselling support for students
- Whole school mental health and wellbeing programs
- Parent evenings and workshops
Financial assistance and referral services
If you have questions or would like to discuss the support we can offer, please reach out on 9488 2300.
| Head of Student Services | Peta Sirec |
| Student Wellbeing Years 7, 9 & 11 | Sabatinie Balasooriya |
| Student Wellbeing Years 8, 10 & 12 | Megan Simmons |
| Mental Health Practitioner | Jane Harrison & Kat Brissett |
| Secondary School Nurse | Bec Hodder |
Community resources:
- The Hub @ Northland is a vibrant youth centre running free programs and services for young people aged 12 to 25 who have a connection to Darebin. They offer a range of drop-in activities and support.
- ParentZone: this resource includes the latest news and information on programs and services to support parents across the Northern Region of Melbourne
- Reachout Parents: Free support for parents of teens. Helping you to support them, whatever challenge your teen is facing. Free expert advice, coaching and support for parents and carers in Australia.
Sexuality, consent and respectful relationships education
Our school aims to achieve a best practice, whole-school approach to sexuality, consent and respectful relationships education. Using evidence-based, age-appropriate resources as guided by the Victorian and Australian Curriculum, our education sessions reach students at all year levels. In 2026 this includes content provided by expert providers Talking the Talk Healthy Sexuality Education, Elephant Education and Austin Health’s Northern Centre Against Sexual Assault (NCASA). Below is a summary of the educational opportunities for each year level we are looking to run in 2026.
Year 7
- Health & Physical Education: Respectful Relationships and Sexuality Education unit
- Love Bites program
- Elephant Education
Year 8
- Health & Physical Education: Respectful Relationships and Sexuality Education unit
- Elephant Education
Year 9
- Health & Physical Education: Respectful Relationships and Sexuality Education unit
- Community Policing Unit: Consent presentation
Year 10
- Respectful Relationships delivered through the Enrichment program
- Love Bites program
- NCASA workshops on consent and respectful relationships
Year 11
- NCASA workshops on consent and respectful relationships
Year 12
- NCASA workshops on consent and respectful relationships
School-based learning is most effective when it’s complemented by conversations at home, including consistent examples of role modelling healthy relationships and behaviour. We’re grateful to Vanessa Hamilton from Talking the Talk, who is offering a free parent session on 15 June with practical tips and guidance on talking with your young people about healthy sexuality.
Details:
- Free online seminar by Talking the Talk: Human sexuality, consent and protective safety
- 8:00 pm, Monday 15 June 2026
- For parents/carers of students in Years 7 to 12 · Bookings essential: https://events.humanitix.com/sexuality-ed-northcote-hs-parents
NHS, in conjunction with Vanessa, would like to invite the wider community to attend the session so it is open to all local parents/caregiver.
In coming newsletters, we will provide other resources to support parents and carers in ongoing conversations with your young people about respectful and healthy relationships.
