Meet the Team

Celine Tsang-Student Wellbeing Leader/Counsellor

Celine.Tsang@education.vic.gov.au 

Fosia Mohamud-Mental Health Practitioner

Fosia.Mohamud@education.vic.gov.au 

Madeline Mitchell- Art Therapist/Counsellor

Madeleine.Mitchell2@education.vic.gov.au

Annette Paterson- PSD Coordinator (Program for Students with Disabilities)

Annette.Paterson@education.vic.gov.au

Wellbeing Student Placement Program

We currently have five counselling students onsite providing support to our students until the end of the year. They are in the process of completing their Masters of Counselling at either Monash or Victoria University.

Having these counselling students provides a valuable resource for our student body, offering increased access to mental health support at school.

Our goal is to provide a safe and supportive space where students wellbeing and mental health are our top priorities. We encourage both parents and students to reach out early if there are any concerns so that we can offer timely interventions. Please be assured that counselling sessions are strictly confidential unless safety risks are identified. Parents can contact our Learning and Wellbeing Leaders to discuss concerns and initiate referrals.

For students, your first point of contact is your teachers and the relevant Learning and Wellbeing Leaders. Students can also self-refer for wellbeing support using our student referral form  Click Here. The referral forms are also accessible through the wellbeing office, which is open to all students. A member of the wellbeing staff will get in touch with you as soon as possible to schedule a session.

Year 7 Healthy Minds Program

We are excited to announce a fantastic opportunity for our Year 7 cohort, who will be participating in the Healthy Minds Program this term, starting on the 26th August 2024 and continuing through to the beginning of Term Four, finishing on Friday, 8th of November 2024. The entire cohort will take part in eight workshops, followed by classroom activities exploring key concepts related to mental health and wellbeing, and learning essential coping strategies.

This initiative is an evidence-based program designed to provide students with a comprehensive framework for understanding and managing their personal wellbeing. The program takes a preventative approach, focusing on recognising and addressing early signs of anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.

To ensure parents and carers are engaged with the program, we will provide access to weekly modules. These modules will allow you to follow along with the core content your child is learning, enabling you to have meaningful conversations with your child about their learning and experiences.

Parents/Carers Session

As part of our commitment to student wellbeing, we invite parents and carers of Year 7 students to a special evening workshop on Tuesday, 27th of August 2024 at 6:00 pm - online. The workshop, titled "Seven Secrets to a Healthy Mind," will be led by the director of the Healthy Minds Program, Tom Nehmy. It will cover key strategies and conversational prompts to help support your child with self-regulation and managing their mental health.

We strongly encourage all Year 7 parents and carers to attend this valuable workshop.

Please confirm your attendance by filling out the form below by the 23rd of August 2024.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=N7Ns2Ycaz0S2mzzsM0pMH_harB7k9mFBmTBye7kybxpUNDJKRlRZN0xQT0JEUUpZSEc3RkE3Rk9RMS4u

Fosia Mohamud (Mental Health Practitioner) will send out the zoom link via email closer to the date. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Fosia via email (Fosia.Mohamud@education.vic.gov.au).

Note: If you are not a parent of a year 7 student and would like to join the session, please email Fosia directly.

We look forward to your participation and to working together to support the wellbeing of our students.

This week marks Bullying No Way Week, from 12 to 16 August 2024, Australia’s leading initiative dedicated to bullying prevention. This initiative unites schools and communities across the country to develop practical solutions for tackling bullying.

At our college, we've embraced this important cause by promoting harmony and fostering a culture of kindness. As part of this effort, students have taken part in an activity where they wrote messages of kindness in their classrooms. This initiative is aimed at cultivating a sense of unity, respect, and compassion among our students. By encouraging them to express kindness, we strive to create a more supportive and inclusive environment within our college.

We've received some wonderful feedback about the positive conversations that took place in classrooms during the activity.

We invite all staff and students to visit the display in the library, which showcases the inspiring messages written by our students.

A huge thank you goes out to the following students for their efforts in supporting this initiative and helping to set up the display wall: Hannah Wright, Molly Downie, Stella Aye Pe, Roselyn Kleinman, Layla Wright, Kim Pillig, Shay Coxhead, Erin Freame, and TJ Cunningham.

Fosia Mohamud

On behalf of the Wellbeing Team

External supports you can access:

Headspace: 24/7 phone counselling service for 12 to 25-year old’s.

P: 1800 650 890 www.headspace.org.au

E-Headspace: 24/7 online counselling service for 12 to 25-year old’s.

www.eheadspace.org.au

Beyondblue: 24-hour Phone and online counselling for mental health.

P: 1300 22 46 36 www.beyondblue.org.au

Beyondblue also have a series of podcasts on various topics. 

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/not-alone

Lifeline: 24-hour phone crisis support and suicide prevention services.

P: 131 114 www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/online-services/crisis-chat

Kids Help Line: 24/7 free phone and online counselling for 13 to 25-year old’s.

P: 1800 55 1800 www.kidshelpline.com.au

WHSC Newsletter

Respect | Excellence | Creativity

Issue 10 · 15 Aug 2024

In this issue