Wellbeing News

Dogs Connect 

Dear Cranbourne Secondary College community members,

We are excited to announce that we are about to launch the Dogs Connect program in our school. This is a whole-school wellbeing program which will see the introduction of a wellbeing dog into our community. Our school wellbeing dog will become a much-loved and important member of our community.

The Dogs Connect program will support us in implementing this gradually, thoroughly and considerately. At this stage, we encourage anyone who would like to know more about the program to look through the website link below: 

https://dogsconnect.net.au

Have your say – community considerations

As we prepare to introduce the program, we would also like to hear from our community. We invite families to complete a short survey to help us identify any considerations that may be important when planning and implementing the Dogs Connect program at Cranbourne Secondary College.

The survey will provide an opportunity to share information about individual needs, preferences, concerns, or considerations that may help our team ensure the program is introduced in a safe, inclusive, and respectful way.

Please keep an eye out on COMPASS for additional information. 

Please complete the DogsConnect Community Considerations Survey by scanning the QR code below:

We are very excited to be introducing our wellbeing dog soon. We have a team of staff who will lead this program and look forward to sharing more information with you in the coming days.

We would also like to assure the community that this program will not involve anyone who does not wish to be involved. We know that this work will have a positive impact on many people in our community, and we acknowledge and respect that connection with our wellbeing dog will be offered on a great variety of levels.

Hygiene Packs for students 

We are very grateful to the generous charities who have donated hygiene packs to support our students and community.

Backpacks 4 Kids have kindly donated a range of hygiene packs, each presented in a handy toiletry bag. The packs contain deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, sanitary items, soap, and a toothbrush and toothpaste. They have generously provided us with a selection of both male and female bags.

Blessing Bags have also generously donated hygiene bags containing deodorant, a toothbrush and toothpaste, soap, and shampoo and conditioner.

We also still have a good supply of Pinchapoo bags, which contain a toothbrush and toothpaste, sunscreen, soap, and shampoo and conditioner. 

If you would like support with any of these products, please reach out to your Year Level Engagement Coordination team or the Wellbeing team.

We are extremely grateful and appreciate the generosity of these organisations and their support in helping us provide these essential items to our students.

Raise Youth Mentoring Program – Year 8

We were thrilled to celebrate another group of Year 8 students graduating from the Raise Youth Mentoring Program. Once again, the program was a great success. The Year 8 Raise Youth Mentoring Program is designed to support students through a pivotal stage of their academic and personal growth. Throughout the year, each student is paired with a mentor who offers guidance, encouragement, and tailored support. The program helps students build confidence, develop essential skills, and set meaningful goals for their future. We are deeply grateful to Raise for providing this valuable opportunity for our young people. The graduation ceremony is always a special occasion, giving students the chance to thank their mentors and celebrate the progress they have achieved together over the year.

Students were given the opportunity to share a few words with their mentors, and it was wonderful to see so many of them take the opportunity to express their gratitude publicly. Below are some of their reflections:

• Thank you for turning up every week and listening to me.
• Thanks for making me feel welcome and for understanding me.
• You’ve been someone I can talk to and trust, so I just want to say thank you for that.
• I really appreciated you knowing when I didn’t feel like talking and just being there to listen when I was ready.

Le Mana Empower Pasifika

Le Mana Empower Pasifika has been supporting our students to develop a stronger sense of belonging and pride within the school community. Through the program, students are encouraged to develop strategies that support positive learning goals and outcomes, build positive peer relationships, strengthen resilience when overcoming personal challenges, and deepen their cultural identity.

During one of their final sessions, our students had the pleasure of being introduced to Māori culture and learning about the importance of Whakapapa, exploring their ancestry and the connections they have to family, ancestors, culture, and land. Students also had the opportunity to join in singing “Kiwi Noho Papa E,” creating a meaningful and enjoyable experience that encouraged connection, participation, and cultural appreciation.

Bullying No Way + Loneliness Awareness 

The Wellbeing Committee, together with the Wellbeing team, hosted Bullying No Way and Loneliness Awareness lunchtime activities, raising awareness of the impacts of bullying and social isolation while encouraging connection, kindness and support across our school community.

Students enjoyed bracelet making, Giant Jenga, Connect 4 and our giant friendship paper chain, where students and staff added positive affirmations and messages of encouragement. Our information board also encouraged meaningful conversations about bullying, safe spaces and trusted supports within the school.

It was great to see students and staff come together, have fun and start important conversations. 

Wear It Purple Day 

A huge thank you to all staff and students who came along to our lunchtime activity to support the Wellbeing Committee in celebrating Wear It Purple Day! We had a range of activities throughout lunchtime, including coloured hairspray, face painting, bracelet making, an information and resources board, and our giant paper chain, which continued from our Bullying No Way activity day.

We also had cookies and lemonade available in exchange for answering a question or sharing a positive affirmation, encouraging students and staff to spread messages of kindness, acceptance and support.

A huge thank you to Erica Sherlock for supporting us in creating badges for the day, which were a great addition to the awareness day.

Wear It Purple Day is an important reminder that everyone deserves to feel safe, supported and proud of who they are. The day promotes inclusion and celebrates LGBTQIA+ young people, while encouraging our school community to stand together against discrimination and create an environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging.

Thank you again to everyone who participated and helped make the day such a positive and meaningful celebration 😊. It was a fantastic team effort, and a BIG thank you to all the staff who attended and showed their support. Your involvement was greatly appreciated! 

R U OK? Day

On Thursday, our school community came together to recognise R U OK? Day and promote the importance of checking in with one another.

Staff enjoyed a free drink from the canteen, generously provided by the school, along with food in the staffroom. It was fantastic to see so many yellow cups making their way around the school, helping to spread awareness of the day. A special thank you to George for organising this initiative.

The Wellbeing Committee also ran activities in the Canteen Annex, with a wonderful turnout from students. Participants answered questions about where to seek support, how to help a friend who may be struggling, and ways to check in with others, all in exchange for some delicious cookies.

Most importantly, the day was filled with positive energy, meaningful conversations, and students enjoying each other's company. Congratulations to Azalea Paulse, who won the Guess the Lolly Challenge!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of the day, including the Wellbeing Committee, Wellbeing Team, staff, and students who participated and showed their support.

Women’s Health Week

On Friday, the Wellbeing Committee celebrated Women’s Health Week with a range of engaging activities designed to promote awareness, connection, and wellbeing.

A special thank you to Rosanne, who put together a fantastic display of purple, pastel, and orange balloons that helped create a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere for the day.

Some lucky students received care packages containing women’s hygiene products, lollies, and other goodies in exchange for sharing their knowledge about women’s health. Students also enjoyed making bracelets, face painting, and writing affirmations and words of encouragement for other women.

It was wonderful to see so many students come together to learn, reflect, and spread awareness about women’s health. The positive energy and enthusiasm throughout the day showed the importance of supporting and celebrating the health and wellbeing of women in our school community.

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make the event such a success.

SchoolTV

Our school community is very fortunate to have access to the SchoolTV website, an award-winning online resource aimed at supporting better mental health and wellbeing for young people. 

SchoolTV can help to build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding, and break down barriers by helping provide information and strategies to assist parents, young people, and families to navigate the challenges of adolescence and start conversations on topics that are sometimes awkward or difficult to tackle. 

SchoolTV consists of a wide range of videos, articles, links, podcasts, interviews, and more on topics including:

• Cybersafety
• Mental Health
• School Survival 
• Healthy Body
• Positive Parenting
• Diversity and Inclusion
• And others

This is a great resource for parents of young people who are struggling with things like school refusal, friendship issues, sleep issues, exam jitters, managing screen time, neurodiversity, and many others. Each week we share links to remote specific SchoolTV topics and resources via Compass, the school website, and the school Facebook page. Families can also access SchoolTV using the QR code or via the link below: https://cranbournesc.vic.schooltv.me/

Smile Squad 

During Term Three, we were fortunate to have Smile Squad onsite providing free dental assessments. Based on these assessments, they have estimated that approximately 137 treatment visits are required across the student cohort, with students requiring support across a range of year levels. 

Of these, approximately 10 Year 12 students have been identified as requiring further care. As Year 12 examinations will soon be commencing, and many students may also be undertaking educational studies, work placements or other commitments that could affect their ability to access care while the treatment van is onsite, they will offer these students appointments directly through the Cranbourne Hospital Dental Clinic.

Smile Squad will be returning on Monday 12 October and, at this stage, we anticipate the treatment service will attend the school for approximately five weeks during the term to complete the required care for other year levels. 

School Lawyer Program

Free, confidential legal support and education delivered within your school community. Peninsula Community Legal Centre helps students navigate legal issues before they become barriers to their learning, wellbeing, and engagement.

How we help students and their families: 

• One-on-one legal advice and case management
• Support with criminal and civil law matters including but not limited to family, fines, personal safety, victims of crime, family violence, and consumer legal issues.
• Warm referrals to legal and non-legal support services
• Confidential and accessible support within the school setting

Contact the school lawyer, Mona Gholami, on 03 9783 3600 or mgholami@pclc.org.au for confidential legal support.