Wellbeing News

Loneliness Awareness Week

Earlier in the term, the Wellbeing team hosted a variety of lunchtime activities to mark Loneliness Awareness Week. It was a timely reminder of the vital role we all play in fostering a connected and inclusive school community.

While many students may appear socially connected, loneliness can often go unnoticed, affecting their wellbeing, engagement, and learning. Throughout the week, the Wellbeing team created a safe and welcoming space where students could come together and take part in activities such as bracelet-making and mindful colouring.

The response was fantastic, with a strong turnout each day. The initiative was so successful that we’re excited to continue offering these activities every Friday at lunchtime in W9 throughout Term 3.

Bullying. No Way! Day

Our school community came together to celebrate Bullying. No Way! Day – and what an incredible day it was! The atmosphere was filled with colour, kindness, and connection as we stood united with messages like "Take a stand together", "Create communities where everyone belongs", and "Be kind, be brave, be you."

At lunchtime, students and staff enjoyed watching our specially created Bullying No Way video on the big screen, which sparked great conversations about inclusivity and respect.

The canteen annexe was buzzing all day with activities. At recess, our cupcake stall was a sellout, and at lunch, students lined up for activities such as hairspray, nail polish, lemonade, paper chain making, kinetic sand, and games. A special highlight was our friends from Multipride, who hosted a stall for writing messages of kindness to display on our Kindness Wall, and it’s now overflowing with heartfelt notes.

A big thank you to everyone who helped make the day possible. Together, we showed that at our school, bullying has no place and kindness always wins. The funds raised will go directly to Beyond Blue, who provide free online and telephone support for people experiencing depression, anxiety, or other mental health challenges. Thanks to the generosity of staff and students, we raised a total of $224.30.

Wellbeing Committee

A huge thank you to our Wellbeing Committee for their ongoing support. Whether it’s helping to host events at the college, putting up posters, or coordinating activities, they are always the first to step in and lend a hand.

Your commitment and enthusiasm make such a difference, and we genuinely appreciate all that you do.

Group Programs

Throughout Term 3, students from various year levels are participating in a range of Tier 2 group programs, including RAISE Mentoring, Canine Comprehension, Pasifika, Men’s Talk, Inclusive Connections, Mindful Minds, Red Tent and the Blue EDGE Program.

Blue EDGE

This term, we were pleased to welcome back the Blue EDGE program, involving a select group of Year 7 and 8 students. Blue EDGE is designed to Educate, Develop, Grow and Empower young people. It is an evidence-based program designed to increase engagement, resilience and wellbeing through activity-based learning. Blue EDGE specialist facilitators partner with Victoria Police and provide students with a unique learning experience not available through other programs.

It has been wonderful to see students embracing the program and engaging positively with both their peers and mentors. We are excited to watch the program continue to grow over the term and look forward to seeing the skills, friendships, and experiences that students will take away from it.

Dog for a Day

During our recent Curriculum Day, staff were thrilled to welcome Kendall and Marley from the Canine Comprehension Program. Having them with us throughout the day brought a wonderful sense of calm and positive energy. Marley’s warmth and gentle presence added an extra layer of joy, creating moments of connection and smiles all around. It was a real treat to see the way the staff engaged with Marley, and it was a lovely reminder of the positive impact a therapy dog can have on our school community.