Meet the Team!

Kerri Haworth (HAW)

Director of Wellbeing

Daniel Ferdinands (FSD) Nella Foley (FOL) Jane O'Callaghan (ONJ)

Youth Engagement Officer Mental Health Practitioner Les Twentyman Youth Worker

Donna Hurst (HTD) Josh McEvoy (MYJ) Jackie Teese (TEE)

School Counsellor Psychologist School Counsellor

Patty

Therapy Dog

*We also employ a Placement Student Provisional Psychologist and Placement Student Counsellors and Social & Youth Workers.

We currently have a number of Tier 2 workshops being run by the Wellbeing team members.

Social Stencil - all Year 7 girls are currently engaging in sessions run by Nella (Mental Health Practitioner), Jane (Les Twentyman Foundation Youth Worker) and assisted by Greg, Shane or Lucy (Counsellors). Students take part in hands-on activities focusing on peer relationships, emotional literacy and problem solving. The program runs for four sessions and the students attend one session per fortnight throughout Term 2.

MPOWER GIRLS - all Year 8 girls are currently engaging in sessions run by Jane (Les Twentyman Foundation Youth Worker), Nella (Mental Health Practitioner) and assisted by Greg, Shane or Lucy (Counsellors). Students take part in hands-on activities focusing on peer relationships, empowering each other, challenging each other respectfully and problem solving. The program runs for four sessions and the students attend one session per fortnight throughout Term 2.

TAFE Visits - a select number of Year 10 boys are engaged in a program with Holmesglen TAFE. The students are engaging in a TAFE Tester program with Dan (Youth Engagement Officer) where they are learning hands-on trade skills. This was an opt-in program taken up by 11 students who are leaning towards a VCE VM pathway for 2027. The students are learning skills associated with the tiling, plumbing, electrical and construction trades.

RAISE Youth Mentoring Program

Twelve of our Year 8 students are taking part in the RAISE Youth Mentoring program. This program is overseen by Kerri (Director of Wellbeing) and runs every Wednesday during period 5 for a total of approximately 15-17 weeks. RAISE is Australia’s leading one-to-one youth mentoring charity, connecting trained and trusted volunteer mentors with young people aged 13-16 across Australia. RAISE youth mentors are expertly trained to guide adolescents through the RAISE program curriculum and focus on developing the individual skills they need to tackle the challenges that come in those early teen years. A supportive relationship with a trustworthy adult is one of the single best predictors of wellbeing for young people facing life’s challenges. A mentor can really change the course of a young person’s life with research showing that a young person’s confidence and self-respect increases following expert mentoring.

Year 7 Transition Check-ins

We have also completed our Year 7 Transition check-ins, with each student receiving an individual introduction to a counselling session in the Wellbeing Centre. Some students have opted to continue with ongoing support from the Wellbeing team to work on goal setting, time management skills, personal development, peer relationship advice and psychoeducation for their mental health.

We will shortly begin follow up check-ins with our Year 8 students from their transition check-ins from last year. This will enable us to ensure they are successfully navigating and managing the workload of Year 8 and their peer relationships, and will continue to build on the foundations of their emotional literacy with age and developmentally appropriate psychoeducation. Students who are already linked in with Wellbeing will have this session with their regular counsellor for continuity of care.

Kerri Haworth

Director of Wellbeing

Don't forget about our Breakfast Club, which runs every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 8:15am to 8:45am, offering cheese toasties and fruit cups. We also have free apples available in the front office for all students, and we kindly ask that they be mindful of where they dispose of apple cores. Organic waste bins are conveniently placed throughout the school grounds, particularly in the large courtyard outside the canteen.

Wellbeing Contact Form

Contact our Cheltenham Secondary College Wellbeing team directly with any concerns or issues and one of the team will get back to you. The form can be accessed here.

Helpful Contacts

Headspace

http://www.headspace.org.au/

Headspace Centres can be a one-stop shop for all young people who just need some help with everyday stuff or wellbeing and physical health.

Kids Helpline

https://kidshelpline.com.au/

Kids Helpline is across Australia, it is free, private and confidential 24/7. Mainly for young people aged 5 to age 25.

Call them on... 1800 55 1800

Lifeline

https://www.lifeline.org.au/

Provides all Australians everywhere experiencing a personal crisis allowing 24-hour support. Call them on... 13 11 14

Beyond Blue

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

Provides information and support which helps tackle head-on the effects of mental health issues no matter where or what age.

Call them on... 1300 22 4636

Parentline

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/serviceprofiles/parentline-service

Fantastic service for parents and carers of young children from a few days of age all the way up to 18-year-olds. This service offers counselling and support which is confidential and anonymous on all issues around parenting. Call them on...13 22 89.

Middle School (Years 7, 8 and 9)

Meet the Team!

Meet the Team!

Middle School
(Years 7, 8 and 9)