Wellbeing News

Student Service Team Updates

Year 7 Camp!

Some of the Wellbeing staff members attended Year 7 Camp this term, and it was awesome to get to know the students in a different way. The best part was joining in on the fun and doing some of the adventurous activities, such as archery, raft making, high ropes, bushman’s breakfast – where we got to make pancakes; and much, much more. It was a really wonderful experience for us! See some of the highlights.

Career Expo!

On Tuesday 6th May the Wellbeing team were very fortunate to have a stall at the school’s Careers Expo, to showcase the Student Support Services Team; what we offer and inform students of the supports available for them. We even shared our career journey with students and gave them some tips! The atomsphere was spectacular, the students raved how fantastic it was, and we thank the Careers Team for inviting us along!

🥪 Term 2 Wellbeing Lunchtime Clubs:

Guess what is returning this term! Our Lunchtime Clubs! But, we have even included more activities so there is a bit for every student, and much more fun to be had. Have a look at the poster below. These clubs will begin next week. So, keep an eye out on Compass and around the school!

Over recent years, there has been significant growth in our understanding of the importance of student wellbeing. 

With a tiered approach, our Counselling and Wellbeing Team at Dandenong High School work hard to provide whole school education opportunities, small group interventions and supports, and one on one, individual counselling.

Research shows that a strong focus on wellbeing leads to improved learning outcomes, enhanced motivation, resilience, social and emotional connection, and more responsible life choices. Here’s a more detailed look at why Wellbeing in schools is so important:

1. Academic Success

When students feel safe, supported and connected, they are more willing and able to engage in their learning. From a physical perspective, when someone is in a state of stress, their brains and bodies prioritise survival and responding to any actual or perceived threat over everything else. This makes it extremely difficult to sit in a classroom, focus, absorb, process and retain information that is not directly linked to their immediate survival. In other words, the learning part of our brains, can only be fully activated when we feel safe and settled. 

In addition to this, student wellbeing has a direct relationship with attendance, motivation and engagement. Each of these factors contribute significantly to academic success.

2. Resilience

Wellbeing programs help students to be able to identify when they are not ready to learn, and to utilise strategies that help them to regulate, adapt, and respond safely to various challenges. These are essential skills in building resilience and the ability to bounce back after set backs; a skill that is important throughout our lives. 

3. Social and Emotional Connection

A sense of wellbeing, connection and belonging, and having the skills to navigate different types of relationships, help our students to understand personal boundaries and consent, rights and responsibilities, and rupture and repair of relationships. These skills are necessary in keeping oneself and others safe, in engaging respectfully and cooperatively with others, and in building and maintaining different types of relationships in different environments.

4. Responsible Life Choices

Research shows that enhanced awareness of self, others, rights, responsibilities, impact, consequences and empowerment, are all linked to making positive choices within the school, social, home and professional environments. When we are under significant stress, we become reactive, rather than responsive, and tend not to make thoughtful, positive choices. 

Students and families are welcome to connect with our team, by contacting their House Leaders, who will make a referral. 

Cindy Zevallos

Wellbeing Team

Doctors in Secondary Schools Program

The Doctors in Secondary School (DiSS) program is an initiative of the Department of Education. The program funds doctors in selected secondary schools across the state. It provides free access to GPs in schools for a period of time each week at no cost to the students or parents.

Dandenong High School currently runs their DiSS program on each Thursday during the school terms. Our doctor is available between 9.30am and 1.30pm and any Dandenong High School student can make an appointment and see our doctor.

Appointments can be made for students by their parents or students can make their own appointments. For parents to make appointment, please contact the General Office at the school and speak with office staff. Students can also make their appointments at the General Office or through their House Leadership Team or the Wellbeing staff in A26.

Dandenong High School has made it a priority to have a doctor who has a local practice in our community, which means that students can make appointments with the same doctor at times when the they are not available at the school. These would include other days when the doctor is not at the school or during the holiday breaks when the school is closed.

Sporting Change

Have a legal issue? Our school lawyer, Ariz Ansari, and youth worker, Milly Lefau, are here to help!

Our Sporting Change program helps students learn about their legal rights through sport, while also providing access to a free and confidential school lawyer. Over the past few years, we’ve helped students with everything from getting unpaid wages back to understanding their work rights, fines, tenancy, and migration issues.

Think you might have a legal problem? Come by for a chat! Or just join us for a fun game after school and learn more about your rights along the way.

The School Lawyer program runs at room A25 every Thursday from 9am to 3:15pm. You may speak to your teacher, well-being staff or email school.lawyer@smls.com.au to make an appointment, or just walk in at Room A25 from 9am to 3:15pm.

The Sporting Change program runs after school every Thursday from 3:30pm to 5pm at Melaleuca.

Community Noticeboard

The eSafety Commissioner (eSafety) is Australia’s independent regulator for online safety, and given adolescents are navigating the online world, they have provided some information and resources for parents & guardians. Should you have any have any concerns for your young person please visit their website here. 

Online Safety and Gaming Webinars for Parents/Guardians 

eSafety has some free webinars for parents & carer with knowledge, skills, and tools to support children to have a safe, positive online experiences.