Wellbeing

Welcome back to the new school year and hello to all the new parents and families at Marist Sion College. For those who are unfamiliar with the Counselling and Wellbeing Services Team, they are available at the college to provide students with counselling, advice and support. Students can access the Wellbeing Centre for appointments during the school day.

The Team consists of:

Jo John Director of Counselling, Psychologist

Mel Bradley College Counsellor

David Hobbs Youth Worker

Sally Pecoraro Specialist Support

Parents/guardians are welcome to contact the team at school via PAM, direct email or via the College Reception.

Starting Secondary School

Children starting secondary school might be concerned about getting lost, forming new friendships and peer relationships, handling an increased workload, and being bullied. Parents also worry about these issues, and about whether their child will have the confidence and skills to handle them. These worries are all normal.

You could try these suggestions:

Find out the name of the teacher responsible for your child’s overall care, attendance and social and academic progress. At our school this person is called a Tutor. Make personal contact with this person as early as possible to introduce yourself and ask questions.

Issues of a more serious nature can be directed to the Head of House.

Help your child explore new opportunities. Learning a musical instrument, trying a new sport or joining a drama class might help your child feel more engaged with their new school community.
Try to make your home as comfortable for study time as possible. For example, ensure your child has a quiet place to study, away from distractions such as the TV or a mobile phone. When the internet is necessary for study, you might want to keep an eye on the websites your child is using.
Let your child know that new friends are welcome in your home. Encourage your child to invite new friends over, or be ready to transport your child to their houses.
Talking to other parents can be a good way of checking whether your child’s experiences and feelings are similar to those of others. Sporting and school events are a good place to meet other parents.
Try to make sure your child gets plenty of sleep. The change to secondary school is likely to make your child more tired at first.
Be prepared for the early ups and downs. Adjusting to change takes time, but if things don’t stabilise after the first six weeks, talk to your child’s home-room teacher in the first instance.

Your child’s transition to secondary school is a big change for you too. Your relationship with your child’s primary school might be ending, and you’re likely to have a new and different sort of relationship with your child’s secondary school. It’s OK for you to have mixed feelings about these changes.

And don’t be surprised to find that your child doesn’t want you to be as visible at his/her secondary school as you might have been during the primary years. Remember that your support will still be needed outside of school, and that it’s all part of your child developing greater independence.

(Raising Children Network)

Our young people are experiencing life in a vastly different way to the generations before them, particularly with the ever-changing use of technology. If you and or your teen/s are experiencing difficulties and are not wanting/ready to discuss with others, start by using the technology available. Point teens to websites with information and help that is relevant to the situation or experience. Some useful information may be found on the following websites:

Reach Out www.reachout.com

Kids Help Line www.kidshelp.com.au

Headspace www.headspace.org.au

Youth Beyond Blue www.youthbeyondblue.com

Raising Children Network www.raisingchildren.net.au