What I Have Learned from Working Alongside Wellbeing

While filling in for Jeremy Woods in the Acting Assistant Principal role, I have had the privilege of working more closely with our Wellbeing Team.

I already knew that Maddie, Fosia and Haiyi cared deeply about our students. Seeing their work from this perspective has given me an even greater appreciation for their expertise, professionalism and compassion.

Wellbeing work is rarely simple. It requires careful judgement about student needs, family expectations, staff responsibilities, safety, confidentiality and what information genuinely needs to be shared. The team approaches these decisions thoughtfully, with clear processes, high standards and the young person at the centre.

I have seen the same care across our broader wellbeing network, including our sub-school teams, Learning and Wellbeing Leaders, International Student Coordinator, nurses and other colleagues who support students and families. They generously share their expertise, challenge and support one another, and take their responsibility to our young people seriously.

It has been a joy to learn from them.

A reminder from an unlikely source

I have recently been rewatching Glee, which is not necessarily the most realistic portrayal of secondary school, unless spontaneous musical performances are far more common elsewhere than they are at WHSC.

For all its melodrama, questionable decisions and “teenagers” who look suspiciously old enough to have mortgages, it has reminded me that adolescence can feel intense.

Young people are navigating friendships, identity, family expectations, social media, artificial intelligence and an uncertain world. Adults may not fully understand every pressure they experience, just as teenagers may not always see the complexity behind the decisions adults make.

We do not need to understand every part of someone’s experience before treating it seriously.

One of the most valuable things we can offer another person is our curiosity. That means listening before judging, asking questions before making assumptions and approaching people with positive regard, particularly when their behaviour or reaction does not immediately make sense to us.

A useful question when someone shares something difficult is:

“Would you like me to listen, help you think it through, or help you find some support?”

That question can be used by parents, carers, staff, students and friends. It recognises that people do not always want an immediate solution. Sometimes they first need to feel heard.

Finding what works

Working alongside the Wellbeing Team has also prompted me to reflect on the strategies that support my own wellbeing.

They do not work perfectly every day, and they may not work for everyone.

Traditional meditation, for example, has never been the easiest fit for my brain. Other people find it enormously helpful. I often reset more effectively through music, movement, humour, connection or becoming absorbed in something I enjoy.

Wellbeing is not about discovering one perfect strategy that fixes everything. It is about developing a toolkit, trying different approaches and noticing what helps us in different situations.

Even a good strategy will not work every time. That does not mean we have failed. It may simply mean we need something different that day, including support from another person.

Sometimes, “do it scared”

Playing music is one of the things that works for me. I love playing in a band and performing live, although improvising solos on trumpet is something I have always found daunting.

You can practise scales, patterns and musical ideas, but when the solo arrives there is no script. You have to listen, trust yourself and accept that not every note will be perfect.

A Year 8 student recently used the phrase “do it scared”, and I absolutely loved the sentiment.

Courage does not always mean feeling fearless or completely ready. Sometimes it means taking a healthy and worthwhile step while still feeling nervous.

For a student, that might mean entering a new classroom, joining an activity, attempting difficult work, performing in front of others or asking for help. For adults, it might mean starting a difficult conversation, trying something unfamiliar or reaching out when we need support.

For me, sometimes it means taking a breath, trusting the band and playing the solo anyway.

Bravery is also one of the 24 qualities identified in the VIA Character Strengths framework, alongside strengths such as gratitude, humour, kindness, creativity, curiosity, teamwork and hope.

I like the idea of character strengths because it gives us a positive language for understanding ourselves and one another. Instead of focusing only on what we need to improve, we can also identify what is already strong in us, celebrate it and think about how we might use those strengths when things become difficult.

Students, families and staff might enjoy exploring their own strengths through the free VIA surveys:

VIA Character Strengths Survey (There is one for adults, and one for Young People)

You might be surprised by what appears at the top of your list, or perhaps it will confirm something you already know about yourself.

Connection and gratitude

Two other things that consistently support my wellbeing are connection and gratitude.

The World Health Organisation describes high-quality social connections as “essential to our mental and physical health and our well-being.”

For me, those connections include my wife, Yana, our six-month-old daughter, Bonnie, family, friends and colleagues.

Bonnie has certainly brought some interrupted sleep and a completely new set of challenges into our lives, but she has also brought an extraordinary amount of joy, perspective and gratitude.

On the long drive home, Yana and I often make a point of identifying something we are grateful for from the day. We still talk about what went wrong, but we try not to let the difficult moments become the only story we tell ourselves.

Gratitude does not mean pretending everything is fine or ignoring things that need to be addressed. Research into gratitude practices has found benefits for mood and mental wellbeing. For me, it simply helps make room for the good alongside whatever was difficult.

My cat, Nyong, is another reliable source of emotional support. He has no formal wellbeing qualifications and a questionable understanding of personal boundaries, but he is usually available for a cuddle after a difficult day.

Connection also comes through catching up with friends, playing social netball and making music with other people. Sometimes the activity itself is less important than the opportunity to belong, laugh and spend time with people who help us feel like ourselves.

Reminders of what matters

Our recent school production gave me another powerful reminder of the importance of connection and belonging.

We farewelled a special group of Year 12 students, many of whom have been involved in productions with me since they were in Year 7. Saying goodbye after their final show was difficult. At the same time, I am incredibly grateful for the years of rehearsals, performances, mistakes, laughter and shared experiences.

They gave me an emotional-support teddy, which now sits in my office.

On challenging days, it will remind me of them, the relationships we built and why I chose to work in education in the first place.

I think that is ultimately what I have taken from my time working more closely with the Wellbeing Team.

Wellbeing does not always need to involve a sophisticated strategy. Sometimes it is professional support and expertise. Sometimes it is having someone genuinely listen. Sometimes it is movement, music, sport or creativity. Sometimes it is recognising a strength in ourselves that we can draw upon. Sometimes it is doing something worthwhile even though we are scared.

And sometimes it is a conversation with someone we trust, cuddling a cat, laughing at an absurd episode of Glee, noticing something good from our day, or keeping a teddy nearby that reminds us why things matter.

None of these strategies will work for everyone, and none will work every time. The important thing is to keep building our toolkit, noticing what helps and reaching out when what we can do ourselves is not enough.

If you would like to try that this week, perhaps ask yourself:

What helps me reset?
Who helps me feel connected?
What is one thing I am grateful for today?
Which of my strengths could I draw upon?
Is there a healthy and worthwhile step I might need to “do scared”?

You do not need to have the same answers as anyone else. Finding what works for you is part of looking after your wellbeing too.

David Gill

Acting Assistant Principal

Calendar of Events

Creating Futures Together

Upcoming Events - Term 3 Calendar