Student Wellbeing News
Lots of exciting things are occurring in the MCC wellbeing space. The “Year 11 Wellbeing Team” have been focusing on a wide range of activities that not only reflect their social justice mindset and their desire to destigmatise all things mental health but also generate a greater awareness of supports available….and they are having some fun along the way!!!
One of the focus areas a group of students had been working on was “International Women's Day”. This significant day is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement. International Women's Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women.
A small group of students worked together to create a range of activities to be promoted throughout the week. This was a great opportunity for students to embark on their social justice journey and provide the catalyst for future activities and campaigns.
One of the driving forces within the group is Anna Ooi who provided this reflection of the activity as well as two examples of the quotes that were shared with their school community.
“The objective of our project was to raise awareness about the significance of International Women’s Day and to promote discussions about gender equality within our school community.
To achieve this, we conducted daily announcements during homeroom that entailed a quote and a statistic. The announcements aimed to educate and inspire students by highlighting the ongoing barriers and achievements of women globally and nationally.
We displayed informative posters around the school to bring attention to International Women’s Day, highlight its significance and encourage student engagement.
Students had the opportunity to wear pink, white or purple ribbons, symbolising solidarity and recognition for the cause. The colours represent justice, dignity and hope for the women in our nation and the women in our lives.
To further engage students in an interactive way, we created a Kahoot quiz solely focused on International Women’s Day. The quiz covered topics like the history of the holiday, symbolic elements associated with the holiday, historical female figures. The Kahoot was distributed to all Homerooms, allowing students to participate and learn in a fun, educational setting.
Our project was a success and we are appreciative of the opportunity to contribute to an incredibly meaningful cause.”
Quote: “The women in our lives should be recognised and appreciated every day. Our mums, grandmothers, sisters, wives or girlfriends who nurture us and work tirelessly to provide for us. International Women’s Day does not just honour the iconic women who have changed history; it encourages our generations to dream big and believe that anything is possible.”
Statistic: Globally 130 million girls are unable to attend school, despite education being one of the most significant tools for breaking the cycle of poverty and inequality.
Quote: “To the women before me, my undying gratitude. To the women beside me, my unwavering loyalty. To the women after me, all the love and blessings I can give. Happy International Women’s Day MCC.”
Statistic: Women comprise 50% of the global population, yet occupy less than 10% of leadership roles. We must keep pushing for change!
The students are to be congratulated for their commitment and their mature approach to a sensitive topic. Feedback from students and staff has been very positive and it is a credit to the group for the discussions and greater awareness that have taken place. Moving forward, the group hope to create more activities and events to address such issues as family and domestic violence and continue to campaign for a more inclusive and equitable society.
Next week we will be acknowledging and celebrating Harmony Day at MCC. This is a fantastic opportunity for our diverse school community to promote and share their cultural food, music and dance with their school. This is yet another example of how we promote a sense of belonging across our school. The feeling of excitement is building as students and staff alike finalise the preparations for what has become a significant MCC event.
Also occurring next week students from the “Year 11 Wellbeing Team” will be conducting a range of activities to acknowledge “National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence”. The students have a range of activities available and resources for students so that they have a better understanding of the various types of bullying, the roles or upstanders versus by-standers and what supports are available within the school, within community and in particular in the realm of social media. Throughout the year the group will expand on this information and look at other acknowledgement days with a similar theme to ensure all students have a range of strategies and resources to access if required now and in the future. The group have activities planned for each day and will promote in homerooms and on Compass announcements over the coming days.
Next Wednesday, 19th March students are encouraged to
- wear a blue hair accessory or
- show solidarity and support the event by wearing a blue ribbon around their wrist (available to students during lunch) or
- have one nail painted blue by team members to represent that they acknowledge and support the call to say “BULLYING, NO WAY!” more details and photos will be included in the next newsletter.
Finally, I have attached the flyer from the “Youth Advisory Council” (YAC) which may be of interest to some of our students. The NSW Youth Advisory Council (YAC) plays an important role in advising the NSW Government on subjects relevant to young people across the state. For more information or to complete an application, students are advised to follow the links on the flyer.
I hope that you all have a wonderful week and happy to make contact with your child if they would like to be involved with our games group, happening during lunch times in the library or if you would like some information regarding our wellbeing activities here at MCC.
Regards Sue Hone
(Student Wellbeing Support Worker)