Wellbeing Matters

Helping Your Child Deal with Friendship Difficulties at School

Our young people have missed out on almost 21 months of essential social skill development due to COVID-19 and lockdowns. This can undoubtedly lead to some friendship misunderstandings through inappropriate comments or actions towards their friends. We need to assist our young people by supporting them through this stage. Here are some suggested steps to follow: 

• Encourage your child to come up with their own solutions and ways of tackling the problem and allow them to try it out. E.g. "I would like to message my friend and apologise for what I said."
• Guide your child with the appropriate language and statements to use, as this may be a relatively new area for them. E.g. "When you said_____, I felt hurt."
• If things do not improve for your child, encourage them to discuss the friendship difficulties with their GOAL Mentor or a teacher they trust.
• If your child is not comfortable with speaking directly to their GOAL Mentor then let them know that you will call the GOAL Mentor on their behalf.
• Your child may be more comfortable discussing and problem solving the issue with someone on our Wellbeing Team. Contact your GOAL mentor and request a referral to the Wellbeing Team.
• Finally, if the conflict persists, please contact your child's GOAL Mentor and request a meeting (a Student Support Group Meeting) to create a plan to support them further at school.

Please read the following article from the ReachOut parents' website for further information about teens and their friendships.

Year 7 Wellbeing Groups

This year we introduced two wellbeing groups with the aim of supporting some Year 7 students with transitioning into secondary school and to build up skills to set them up for success. We ran two small groups which were very creatively named by the students:

• Confidence is Key - coordinated by Rachel Felmingham
• R.S.O (Rostered Session Off) - coordinated by Jack Crameri 

The groups ran both in person and online and, with each skill that was learnt, a practical component followed to help with consolidating skill building. We focused on some key themes, which included: 

• Stress, anxiety & mindfulness
• Healthy sleep habits
• Team building
• Self-esteem 
• Healthy vs unhealthy friendships 
• Positive self-talk
• Confidence building 
• Thoughts & feelings
• Strength building

My Review of 2021 Confidence is Key

The program is called 'confidence is key' and it ran for 10 sessions. We spent some of our time doing things to get to know each other and a lot of it learning useful things like self-esteem and our strengths, ANT’s (automatic negative thoughts) and mindfulness, to name a few. We also did some fun activities relating to the topics we talked about, such as worry dolls, affirmation jars, kahoots and watching some online videos. The program has helped me quite a bit and I would definitely recommend it for younger year levels.  

Oakleigh McKenzie (Year 7)

My Review of 2021 R.S.O 

This year I was lucky enough to participate in RSO club (Rostered Session Off). I learnt so much about how I can tackle any problem that comes my way. I think that this club really helped me and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Peter Abernethy (Year 7)

Final 'Let's Talk Body Confident Children' - FREE Webinar

Monday, 22 November, at 7pm - 8pm AEDT, plus 15 mins for questions

Places are still available at our final webinar for parents/carers for 2021. Proudly supported by the NIB foundation, this session provides information and practical tips on promoting positive body image in the home for parents of primary and secondary age children.  

Topics include:

What influences body image | Why having a positive body image is important | The power of positive role modelling | Reducing toxic body talk | Developing resilience to social media pressures | What to do if concerned.

'What's the Best Parenting Style' - FREE Webinar

Tuesday, 23 November, at 8pm AEDT

Remember the classic movie 'Beetlejuice'? When main characters, Adam and Barbara, return home after their untimely demise, they find something waiting for them: Handbook for the Recently Deceased. A complete guide to help the unlucky couple navigate the afterlife. And while that would be no use to you or me, what if a 'Blueprint for the Battling Parent' mysteriously turned up on your coffee table one morning? Mistakes, bad habits, and misguided principles that could cause long-term issues with raising happy, healthy kids… all avoided thanks to this single book. Sadly, that kind of guidance only happens in the movies. Until now. In my upcoming free webinar, we’re going to explore...

• Each style under the microscope, and how to identify which is currently yours
• A closer look at the blueprint and why it works so well
• Behaviour 'gaps' that, when filled, lift your parenting to a new level
• 3 things the best parents all do to raise resilient, confident, and caring kids
• How to use this parenting style for yourself, starting right now!

Ms Dilek Yucel (Head of Wellbeing), Ms Rachel Felmingham (Mental Health Practitioner) & Mr Jack Crameri (Teacher/Counsellor)