Engagement & Wellbeing Page

Student Voice and Agency at Surfside

This week at assembly, our Student Voice & Agency (SVA) leaders – Harvey, Harry, Pacey and Zac – proudly introduced themselves and shared some exciting updates with the Surfside community.

Student Voice & Agency is about ensuring every student feels heard, valued and able to contribute to decisions that shape our school. Our SVA leaders and class representatives meet regularly to gather feedback, explore ideas and take action on initiatives that strengthen belonging, connectedness and wellbeing across Surfside.

Online Wellbeing Check-Ins

The SVA team announced the introduction of a new online student check-in system for students in Years 3 – 6. These check-ins will take place each Friday and will give students the opportunity to reflect on their week, share how they are feeling, and identify ways teachers can continue to support them.

The questions will focus on belonging, connectedness and wellbeing, helping us better understand student experiences and where improvements can be made. This is an important step in ensuring student voice informs our practice.

Lunch Clubs for 2026

The SVA leaders also shared updates about lunch clubs for this year. After gathering feedback from all students across the school, the team has identified the most popular options and generated a range of new ideas to bring to Surfside.  And it looks like amongst many others, that many of our various sports clubs and Swiftie Club are some of our most popular and will be back this year.  Popular new ideas included a Dance Disco Club, Mr Walsh Tiggy and Animal Club; watch this space find out which Lunch Clubs 

Over the coming weeks, posters and timetables will be displayed around the school outlining the clubs on offer. We look forward to seeing strong participation as these opportunities roll out.

We are incredibly proud of our SVA leaders for speaking confidently at assembly and for their ongoing commitment to strengthening student voice at Surfside. We encourage families to continue conversations at home about how students can contribute ideas and feedback that help make our school an even better place to learn and grow.

Stay tuned for further updates in upcoming newsletters.

Local parenting programs – free and low-cost

We also encourage families to take advantage of the excellent parenting programs offered through City of Greater Geelong. These sessions are evidence-based, practical and designed to build parent confidence at different stages of childhood.  Having participated in some of these myself, I can personally vouch for their positive impact, regardless of your prior knowledge or experience.

Programs cover topics such as:

• starting school and managing transitions
• emotional regulation and behaviour
• building connection and resilience
• supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing

You can view upcoming courses and workshops here: