Promoting Student Wellbeing
A message from the Mental Health Practitioner
Firstly, I would like to wish the entire VUSC community a very happy new year. I hope you are beginning 2023 feeling excited about what’s to come and feeling connected to your families and friends.
For those parents, carers, students and families who are new to VUSC, welcome. My name is Siobhan and I am the College’s mental health practitioner. Through my role I work 1:1 with students as a counsellor, and I also run groups and promote mental health and wellbeing across the College, through initiatives such as Wellbeing Club which runs every Monday lunchtime at the Junior Campus and Thursday lunchtimes at the Senior Campus.
I want to take this opportunity to tell you about a project that I am launching this year together with my colleague Bronwyn Anderson, VUSC’s Secondary School Nurse. The project is called ‘Staying Healthy with Hodor and Elsie’ and through this video series we will be introducing students to a range of topics related to physical and mental health. Our dogs Hodor and Elsie will be stars of the show, and they will be investigating various topics in order to present information to students in an engaging and accessible way.
We will be covering topics such as resilience, coping skills, sleep, nutrition, bullying, vaping, help-seeking and many more. We will be collaborating with students, teachers and other VUSC staff, as well as external professionals, services and experts.
If you have any questions about this project or would like to get in touch for any other reason, you can reach me at siobhan.neyland@education.vic.gov.au.
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Welcome from the Student Wellbeing Team
Dear parents, carers and guardians,
A very warm welcome back to the 2023 school year. A special welcome to new families who may be viewing our school newsletter for the first time.
Our school is committed to providing a safe, secure and stimulating learning environment for all students. We understand that students reach their full potential only when they are happy, healthy and safe, and that a positive school culture, where student participation is encouraged and valued, helps to engage students and support them in their learning. Our school acknowledges that student wellbeing and student learning outcomes are closely linked.
Student Wellbeing at Victoria University Secondary College is led and inspired by our College Principal Ms Elaine Hazim. She and members of the Principal and Campus School Leadership Teams regularly meet with the college’s designated Student Wellbeing Team to provide students with access to Student Wellbeing services in order to ensure that they are able to fulfil their potential in life and become positive and productive members of our local community.
We have a Student Wellbeing and Engagement Policy and a School Community Student Wellbeing Framework and these highlight our collective responsibility and commitment to:
- provide a safe and supportive learning environment for students
- consistently communicate and monitor expectations for positive student behaviour
- support students and families to access specialist support services.
What does Student Wellbeing look like at VUSC in reference to our school values? Some invited comments from some of our Junior Campus students first week back this term:
- The ladies at the front office are always open to conversation, they are kind and interactive, they always make eye contact
- It’s nice to be able to go into the Student Wellbeing Room, it’s a safe space to have someone to talk with about our emotions and to deal with conflict
- Talking with adults at school is relaxing and helps to get things in perspective sometimes
- We like it when our teachers give us positive praise and explain things to make sure that we understand our work and can always try to do our best
- We are always encouraged to speak and make suggestions about things to our teachers and to our school captains (there is a purple student suggestion box at the front office).
That’s it from me for our first newsletter for 2023. Feel free to contact members of the Student Wellbeing Team for any support we may be able to offer by calling the school (your call will be transferred to one of us): Junior Campus T: 9363 1155 and/or Senior Campus: 8312 0200.
Gail Inniss
Student Wellbeing Manager
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Detour and Reconnect Programs
Keeping young people connected to family and community: early intervention programs to keep young people safe and connected, and on track, to living a happy and independent life.
Families are invited to read the attached information about two support services now available to support our school community: Detour and Reconnect.
For a confidential discussion about these services and to discuss a potential referral to a service, please contact Gail Inniss (Student Wellbeing Manager) T: 9363 155
E: gail.inniss@education.vic.gov.au
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RRRR Program
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
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Mental Health Services and Support
The school community is welcome to access these services for mental health support:
Headspace
https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/mentalhealthhub
https://www.foodbank.org.au/?state=vic
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