Principal's Message

Wellness Week

As a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition, Trinity College has at its very centre, a genuine concern for the safety and wellbeing of every student. While delivering specific curriculum pathways and providing a wide variety of opportunities and experiences for our boys is how we assist in their formation, their ongoing health and welfare is of particular importance. The respective formation programs, pastoral support structures, health and fitness curriculums, and the number and quality of dedicated support staff such as Heads of Year, Psychologists, PCG Teachers and Education Assistants are all evidence of such care within our school. The great success of The Resilience Project within our College, and the more recent introduction of the ‘Wellio’ wellbeing program, has added even more in this important area.

At a time when aspects of children’s physical and mental health is becoming increasingly topical within our wider society, it is most reassuring and very encouraging to see the efforts of our staff and student leaders to focus on student wellbeing as part of our upcoming ‘Wellness Week’ (Week 7:  31 August – 4 September). While we look forward to an enjoyable week, we are very keen to deliver important messages about student wellbeing matters. While many definitions of wellbeing exist, it is generally considered that student wellbeing is ‘a sustainable state of positive mood and attitude, resilience, and satisfaction with oneself, others and experiences at school’. It is widely acknowledged that student wellbeing directly affects most aspects of a student’s functioning, sense of connectedness and their ability to learn and succeed at school. While wellbeing levels can fluctuate and are very much contextual, the ability to self-monitor such levels are vitally important, as is understanding that positive choices around diet, fitness, sleep and mental care can make a significant difference. Access to sound advice and health professionals in these areas is readily available and boys are certainly encouraged and directed to seek such advice as deemed appropriate, particularly as part of next week.

Throughout our Wellness Week focus, our College will present a particular focus on mental wellbeing. Our boys will have the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of activities and hear from a variety of speakers on topics such as developing a healthy self-esteem, stress management and anxiety, managing emotions, cyber safety, resilience and mindfulness. Importantly, our boys will be immersed in important health and welfare information sessions and have access to resources that focus on their personal wellbeing. Wellness Week is also seeking to assist with Shopfront, a well-known Charity Organisation that supports hundreds of Perth families every day with essential food and household items. Following the theme of ‘Fill the Shopfront’, each year cohort has been asked to bring in particular goods to provide important items for those in need. The program for the week has been sent to all families and can be found below. It will provide specific developmentally appropriate presentations regarding mental health and general wellbeing to respective Year cohorts. I encourage parents to speak to their sons about being involved in the many activities available. Further to this, it could present an opportunity to speak more generally about wellbeing issues.

At a time when we continue to be faced with troubling statistics about children’s health, it is important that Trinity College continues to work in collaboration with families and community groups to support our boys’ mental health and wellbeing. 

I look forward to a fun and informative Wellness Week and congratulate and thank the many staff and students who have been so enthusiastic, hard-working and considered in bringing the program together. As always, we seek to form good young men who are resilient and aware of their own wellbeing.

Live Jesus in our Hearts.

Mr Darren O’Neill 

Principal