Wellbeing News

Le Mana Empower Pasifika Program

In Term Two, several of our students from all different year levels participate in the Le Mana Empower Pasifika Program, an inspiring initiative that celebrates and promotes Pasifika cultures within the Australian education system.  The program aims to empower young Pasifika youth by developing their leadership skills and supporting their engagement in education. Fostering connections and helping our students celebrate their cultural backgrounds enhances students’ cultural pride and promotes inclusivity and diversity within our college community. During their most recent session, the group began with a formal introduction song, "Pepeha" by New Zealand band Six60. 

In small groups, students each learned a segment of the music and then combined the segments to sing the whole song. Students learned the meanings of key words from the song, like mana (spirit), aroha (love), and moana (sea). The group explored Pasifika cooking practices and customs, such as the umu or hangi, and the different gender-specific roles assigned to various individuals when cooking and gathering as a family.  The students participated in a special group activity, preparing cocoa rice. They were highly engaged throughout and thoroughly enjoyed tasting their creation.

We look forward to seeing this group continue to celebrate their culture and meaningfully incorporate it into their educational journey.

The Red Tent Program

The Year 10 Girls Red Tent program is a supportive and empowering space where girls celebrate their individuality and shared experiences. It emphasises that everyone is on their unique journey, some may feel like unfinished products, still growing and finding themselves, and that’s perfectly okay. In a recent session, the girls were invited to wrap sticks with wool and hang pebbles from them, expressing the special people in their lives.

We have displayed the sticks in W9, with some in a semi-finished state and others complete, all joining as one installation, which made an excellent metaphor for how we are all ‘unfinished projects’ and all ‘interconnected’.

Healthy Teens

The Year 7 Healthy Teens program is designed to support students’ social and emotional wellbeing by offering engaging activities and workshops that promote emotional intelligence, life satisfaction, and resilience. The program encourages self-awareness, goal setting, and practical coping strategies to help students thrive in a nurturing school environment. The students are enjoying the program, and seeing their confidence grow as the weeks pass is wonderful.

Wellbeing Committee Updates

We want to acknowledge the valuable contributions of the Student Wellbeing Committee in supporting whole-school events. So far this term, they have played a key role in Athletics Day, IDAHOBIT Day and Do It for Dolly Day, and they are currently working on an exciting project to be showcased during Harmony Week. The success of these events is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the students and staff involved.

Pat Cronin Be Wise Presentation (One Punch)

On Monday, May 19, we had the Pat Cronin Be Wise One Punch presentation for the year 9 cohort. The Be Wise Presentations are designed to change students’ perceptions of social violence. They help students explore ways to resolve conflict that avoid aggression, and that violence is never the answer. Through storytelling, the presenter explains the impact of fighting for victims, families, friends, and perpetrators.  Using practical examples, they demonstrated how students can prevent a heated situation from escalating into violence. The presentation was informative, and the year 9 students were engaged and moved by the shared real-life experiences.  

Life Choices 

Recently, the Year 10 cohort had the opportunity to attend the Life Choices presentation. Presented by Andrew Fisher, the Life Choices High School Program challenges teens to stop and think through the consequences of some of life’s significant choices for themselves. It encourages them to choose the path that is ‘right’ for them. The Program provides evidence-based information and real-life stories that inspire young people to stand firm in the face of difficulties and negative influences. The year 10s all enjoyed the presentation and highly recommend it for other year levels. At the end of the presentation, the students joined Andrew outside to look at his car, get a picture and an autograph.