Director of Student Wellbeing

SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY Visits 

This week Year 9 students participated in the SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTYSchools’ Program. Mitch McPherson, an Old Virgilian of the College established the organisation in 2013 after his younger brother Ty died by suicide. Now, Mitch shares his story, and Stay ChatTY works in schools, sporting clubs and workplaces across Tasmania to promote positive mental health messages.

The Schools Program workshop is grounded in evidence and is aligned with the Australia secondary school curriculum. The Schools Program aims to:

• demonstrate the importance of resilience and sharing emotions;
• increase the understanding of where to find help at school and out in the community; and
• encourage young people to think about how to look after their own mental wellbeing.

The themes of the workshop were mental health, grit and kindness. Students learnt about the mental health continuum and how it is normal to move along this continuum. They also brainstormed a range of tools they can have in their toolkit/things they can do to look after themselves, that help them to feel good. 

A Reshaping of the Ideological Stigma of Mental Health With Kylea and Callan 

Throughout Week 4 the Year 9 cohort, as class groups, have been fortunate enough to participate in an interactive SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY information session with Kylea and Callan. I myself was in the first session with my class 9A and it was a wonderful experience. I believe that it was a true step forward in breaking the stigma involving mental health. 

The reason why it was such a great experience is because the social stigma of mental health was broken down in a constructive and supportive way. Whilst facts and information was the main presence in the discussion it was interspersed with engaging activities and poles on various topics within mental health that conveyed the message of SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY in a great way. We owe a huge thanks to Mitch McPherson, the founder of Stay ChatTY and fellow Viriglian, and of course Kylea and Callan. 

Overall it was an amazing, informative and engaging experience. It truly was a bold step, towards the future and reducing the stigma around mental health.

- Riley Stocks, Year 9 student

Upcoming Year 7 Orientation Day

The Southern Schools Year 7 Orientation Day is Monday 27 November. On this day our 2024 Year 7 students will be joining us at Austins Ferry. This event is an important part of the transition process as students get to know each other and start to become familiar with our school grounds. We want students to leave the day feeling comfortable about their first day of Senior School in 2024, having connections with key staff and hopefully establishing new friendships. The day also provides an opportunity for us as staff to get to know our incoming cohort of students. Students and parents/carers are asked to be seated in Joyce Performance Center by 9.30 am. Please allow time for your son to collect his name badge and house allocation prior to this. Communication about the day has been sent home via email, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact our Year 7 Transition Coordinator Mr Greg Mills, gmills@stvirgils.tas.edu.au 

Wellbeing Spotlight: College Psychologist Miss Kelsey Odgers 

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When did you join SVC?

I started at SVC in Term 2 2019. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background. What were you doing before SVC?

I moved to Hobart from Burnie at the end of Year 12 to begin my undergraduate degree. After four years at uni I started studying a Masters of Psychology. I completed my placement for my Masters at SVC in 2018, and never left. 

What are you passionate about in relation to supporting students and wellbeing?

I strongly believe that every student will do well if they can. This is why I am passionate about helping students use the skills they already have to thrive. All students have the ability to reach their full potential but sometimes they need some support to remove the barriers in their way. I often tell students, if we can figure out what is getting in their way, we can find ways to help. Helping and supporting students to build their skills and realise the strength they have within them is the reason I chose this role. 

What do you most enjoy about your role?

I love having the opportunity to build relationships with students and truly understand who they are. I feel so honored to be able to provide a safe space where students can share some of their most vulnerable moments while also showing me their strengths and the things that make them, them. Being able to work closely with a student to understand what they need and then collaborating with staff and parents to ensure the student is able to thrive, is what keeps me coming to work every day. 

What does ‘wellbeing’ mean to you?

Wellbeing is more than simply ‘feeling good’, it is about looking after your mind and your body and having the resources to draw upon to thrive in the good times and to bounce back from the bad times. When we look after ourselves, we are better able to cope with change, navigate and manage challenges, and show the best versions of ourselves. A little saying that I love is; “Life will always get in your way. It is how you get around it that counts”. To me, this saying really sums up why wellbeing is so important. 

What are some of the ways we can support our students’ wellbeing at the College?

A quote that I have in my office is “When a flower doesn’t bloom you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” This is something that I think we can all keep in mind when supporting our students’ wellbeing; fostering an environment where resilience is always being developed will have a greater long-term impact than working at an individual level when challenges present. We are always working to build students’ capacity to cope and thrive by building relationships, keeping communication open, utilising their strengths, finding and removing any barriers and offering flexible and alternative solutions.

What are some of the challenges facing young people today?

We are increasingly finding that a big challenge that young people face today is their lack of emotional resilience and the increased trends of psychological distress. Many young people find it challenging to sit with discomfort and lack the skills to cope and overcome stressful situations or adversity. Young people tend to hold the belief that everything should be fixed, and that other people can solve problems for them, when in reality this will not always be possible. Something we all must learn is the ability to ride the wave of emotions that life will throw at us and know that bad times will eventually pass. Providing support in this area and developing resilience will remain an important part of our work with students. 

If you could turn back time, what advice would you give to your younger self?

There are several pieces of advice I would give my younger self. 

• Asking for help is not weak, in fact it is one of the strongest things you can do. 
• You will experience hard days because they are a part of life. But a hard day does not last forever and does not mean you have a bad life. 
• Don’t let anyone tell you that your dreams are out of reach, only YOU know your full potential. 

What’s one thing on your bucket list?

On my bucket list is definitely travel. However, apart from travel, I would love to ride in a hot air balloon.