Wellbeing Update

Inclusiveness at Lowanna

 Support for our Indigenous Community

Koorie Excursion

Recently our Koorie students travelled to the Melbourne Art Centre to watch “Horizon” by the Bangarra Dance Theatre Company.

“Some call it a feeling, some call it the mother spirit. Horizon is the place where sea meets the sky, a place we look towards but can never physically reach, a place that guides us to our sense of home. “

The students were able to watch story telling through performance art around First Nations perspectives, spirituality, and biculturalism. Bangarra Dance Theatre’s production of “Horizon” is a cross-cultural program consisting of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander works together with Maori perspectives. The cross collaboration is the first performance of its kind in Australia. Horizon honours the land, seas and skies that their cultures call home and the spirit that calls them to that home.

Students were left mesmerised and enchanted by the wonderful performance that then provided many conversations on a long train ride home. For some of our students this is their first exposure to dance theatre, and they enjoyed the opulence of the Art Centre.

General Wellbeing Information

RUOK? Day

Last week we celebrated RUOK? Day.

RUOK? Day encourages responsible public discussion of social isolation and its negative consequences such as suicide. The key message is that social connectedness and positive help seeking can assist people in crisis and is a whole of community responsibility.

At the college, we had visitors from different agencies providing information to students about the services they offer and how their services can support young people’s mental health. The SRC provided a BBQ lunch which was enjoyed by all students. We also had Natalie O'Shea attend, who of a staff meditation session at lunchtime.

We used this day to also celebrate Wear It Purple Day and to celebrate the college’s involvement in the Live 4 Life initiative by using the day as our L4L school launch.

Body Kind Month

This September for BodyKind Month, we encourage everyone to be body kind to your body and others. Finding ways to like, accept, love or even feel positive about your body can be challenging in the world we live in today, but we can all try to be a little kinder. Being Body Kind is how we nourish, nurture, and move our bodies. It’s about the language we use out loud, online and in our heads – to ourselves and others.

Attached is an information sheet with tips on how to be body kind.

The Butterfly Foundation is offering a free 75-minute webinar tomorrow night, aimed at parents of teens to teach practical strategies for reducing the focus on appearance and body comparisons, increasing self-compassion and body appreciation, supporting healthy attitudes towards eating and movement in teens, responding to negative self-talk and appearance-related teasing, and what to do if you are concerned.

Date: Tuesday the 17th of September (via Zoom)

Time: 7pm-8.15pm, plus question time

Register here: Event Details (butterfly.org.au)

Youth and Teen Mental Health First Aid Training - Live4Life

Congratulations to our Year 8 students who participated in, and successfully completed, the Teen Mental Health First Aid course this term. A big thank you to Dr Michael Naughton and Emily Vernon for facilitating these sessions. In Term 4, the Year 10 students will be participating in this course. These sessions support our Live 4 Life Initiative and will be delivered to all Year 8 and Year 10 students each year. This will ensure that all students have completed the course by the time they leave our school. 

The Teen Mental Health First Aid course teaches students how to provide initial peer-to-peer support to a friend or classmate who might be experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis, until professional help is received, or the crisis resolves.

Students learn about the signs and symptoms of common mental health problems in adolescents, how to recognise and respond to an emerging or worsening mental health problem, and the interventions and supports available. The course covers: recognising warning signs; responding across a range of crisis situations; learning skills to have an open, supportive conversation about mental health; and reducing stigma and increasing support for a peer experiencing a mental health problem.

Blue EDGE Program

The Blue Edge Program has been running well this term and will continue into Term 4. Later in the year we will be putting out expressions of interests to school leaders for students to participate in the 2025 program.

Blue EDGE (Educate, Develop, Grow, Empower) is a well-established fitness based experiential learning program run by Blue Light Victoria in partnership with Victoria Police, combining physical training, personal growth, and life skills. The program covers a range of topics including:

•  Communication and Teamwork
• Diversity
• Healthy Decision Making
• Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Alcohol and Other Drugs
• Safety in the Community

The program ends with a reflection about what the students have gained from participating.

Breakfast Club

A reminder that Breakfast Club is available Monday to Friday from 8am to 8.30am. We encourage students who have not had a bite to eat to come along and get some toast and a hot milo. A healthy breakfast is just the thing we need to help us start the day well.

We are looking for anyone who would like to volunteer their time to help the Breakfast Club Team on the days we provide Breakfast Club. Please let the Wellbeing Team know if you’d like to help. We are also looking for donations of Milo and cheese. Any donations can be given to the General Office or Wellbeing. Thank you.

Paul Fry

Wellbeing Leader