Wellbeing News

Wear it Purple Day!

For the second year in a row, we here at Dandenong High School officially celebrated 'Wear it Purple Day' on Friday 25th August. Every year thousands of schools, community organisations and workplaces hold similar events across Australia. Wear it Purple Day is a significant day as it focuses on our LGBTQIA+ youth and the issues they face, whilst showing them they have the right to be proud of who they are and who they are becoming. Wear it Purple Day is a day of expression, celebration and support. By wearing purple, we as a school demonstrate to all of our LGBTQIA+ community that they are seen, they are supported, and we as a school community respect them.

Our staff turned out in their best purple outfits to show their support for LGBTQIA+ youth and to let our students know that we are united in celebrating diversity and inclusion. Our students were invited to celebrate by wearing an accessory item that is purple in addition to their school uniform and it was pleasing to see that students across the school too took up the invitation to show their support donning tops, scarves and purple ribbons. Also visible on the day were a number of Wear It Purple wrist bands and stickers. This is an important day to remind us all that every individual is special and an important part of our school. We hope that all of our school community will continue to get behind this in the future.

Mr Lloyd and and Ms Breheny

Saver Plus is a free financial education and matched savings program offered to lower-income families to help them budget and save for education costs. In the 10-month program, participants gain financial knowledge, learn healthy savings habits by saving $50 a month, and have their savings matched up to $500 to be used towards school costs such as uniforms, books, laptops, and sports fees.

At Saver Plus, we pair participants with a savings coach while they budget and save over the next 10 months. Participants attend online Zoom workshops to learn tips, tricks, and information to grow their budgeting and savings skills. Once they reach their agreed savings goal, their savings are matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $500. Participants can use that money towards education costs such as uniforms, textbooks, laptops, or extra-curricular activities such as sport or music.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: You could be eligible to join Saver Plus if you:

• Are 18 years or over
• Are a parent or guardian of a student attending school, or be attending or returning to vocational training yourself
• Have a current Health Care card or Pensioner Concession card
• Have some form of income, for example, yourself or your partner may have casual, part-time, full-time, seasonal, or cash-in-hand employment
• Are in receipt of an eligible Commonwealth social security benefit, allowance, or payment

 *Many types of income and Centrelink payments are eligible.