Canine Comprehension program

This term, a number of our students were involved in a Canine Comprehension program working with Lauren (the human trainer) and Neo (the very large Great Dane).

Canine Comprehension therapy dogs and mentor teams provide dog-assisted learning opportunities by working with small groups in schools. Through consistent weekly interactions and targeted program goals, young people experience a range of benefits. These include:

Increased motivation, connection, and positive experiences at school
Improved wellbeing and emotional regulation, boosting learning readiness
Enhanced awareness of social dynamics and improved social skills
Increased knowledge of mindfulness tools and techniques to reduce anxiety
Strengthened self-confidence, sense of achievement and willingness to learn
Improved tools and ability to positively manage transitions and change

The program ran at both Richmond and Coburg, and Neo was a hit with program participants and all that encountered him!

Wellbeing animal ‘assistants'

New members to the wellbeing team in term 1 include our two new Guinea Pigs. These are based at Richmond and provide a real sense of calm in the wellbeing spaces. The new ‘assistants’ are brothers, and students nominated and vote for new names for them. They are now called Kevin and Venus (full names are Kevin Chip Bartholomew III, and Venus Squimble ‘Radical Jerry’). Students at Richmond have been very proactive in helping clean their hutch and feed and care for them.

We have also added some cold-water fish to our wellbeing space in Richmond. This little school includes tetras and goldfish. The introduction of the fish is as a result of a student project, in which a tank was renovated and cleaned and set up. Thanks to the hard work of this student, we now have some restful fish antics for students to enjoy.

We will look to include some similar wellbeing ‘assistants’ to our Coburg site in the near future.

School Holiday programs

The Cities of Yarra and Merri-Bek are running school holiday program activities suitable for young people. For more information, please see:

https://www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/residents/child-youth-and-family-services/young-people/youth-programs

https://www.merri-bek.vic.gov.au/exploring-merri-bek/events/whats-on/teen-school-holiday-program-april26/

Term 2 dates	Activity
20/4/2026	Term 2 begins
23/4/2026	Student led conferences
25/4/2026	ANZAC Day
14/5/2026	School Council
18/5/2026	IDAHOBIT
26/5/2026	International Sorry Day
5/6/2026	World Environment Day
8/6/2026	King's Birthday - public holiday
9/6/2026	Curriculum day
16/6/2026	GAT
17/6/2026	Student Showcase (at BYCS Coburg)
18/6/2026	School Council
22-26/6/2026	Coburg & Richmond Year 10 work experience
25/6/2026	Semester reports
26/6/2026	Last day of Term 2
13/7/2026	First day of Term 3

Dates to Remember