WELLBEING

Engagement and Wellbeing Update

Term 2 has started off well for most students and staff. It is calm and orderly with happy healthy kids bustling around the campus and thriving in classrooms.

There is a lot happening this term.

The Year 9s have immersed themselves in the Geelong Tertiary Futures Program at the Gordon. They have completed two of the four preview days engaging in industry experiences across both the City and East Gordon campus. Reports from the Gordon commented on how respectful and engaged Western Heights Year 9s students were. Keep up the great work and embrace school pride!

Year 9 was also lucky enough to get away for a couple of nights to Kinglake on camp last week. By all accounts fun was had by students and staff. Students were fortunate enough to engage in high ropes, team building activities and more importantly building everlasting relationships.

This term Year 9 and in Term 3 Year 10 will be engaging in the ‘Love Bites’ program.

Love Bites is a Respectful Relationships Education Program for young people aged 15-17 years. It consists of two interactive workshops: one on Relationship Violence, and one on Sex and Relationships, followed by creative workshops and community campaigns. Love Bites is a flexible model with options to use a full-day or multi-session delivery approach. The program emphasises the importance of a whole-of-school commitment to respectful relationship education.

Love Bites aims to provide young people with a safe environment to examine, discuss and explore respectful relationships. All Love Bites programming takes a strength-based approach and views young people as active participants who are able to make choices for themselves and their relationships when supported with information and opportunity for skill development.

Love Bites education is focused on three critical areas for learning:

Knowledge: youth-led collaborative learning
Attitudes: critical thinking and decision making
Behaviours: problem solving and communication skills

The overall aims are to equip young people with the knowledge needed to have respectful relationships, encourage and develop their skills in critical thinking and assist them in being able to problem solve and communicate effectively. When equipped in these areas, NAPCAN believes that young people can make the right choices for themselves and their relationships that are free from violence and abuse.

If you or your child wishes to opt out of the program, or requires wellbeing follow up, please email info@whc.vic.edu.au (attention to Ricki O’Shannessy).

Keeping Compass Green

The Engagement and Wellbeing team started the year off on making Compass Green. This means acknowledging ‘school wide positive behaviours’ and awarding students with green chronical entries linked to the school values of Community, Courage and Integrity. Points are collected across the houses each term. The house that wins will receive a special lunch at the end of the term. Parents/guardians can go onto Compass to see your if your child has received a green chronical entry and chat about what they mean. Each of the year levels celebrate these entries in mentor groups and individual achievements in assemblies.

Attendance

We are so excited to announce that our Compass Kiosk is here! This means that students use their student IDs to scan in and out from the attendance office if arriving late or leaving early. This process is more time efficient.

Understanding the link between regular school attendance and achievement

Facts from the Department of Education

Attendance at or above 98%	These students have missed 4 days or less in a school year They have every chance of achieving to the best of their ability These students are likely to have positive friendship groups
Attendance 95 – 97%	These students have missed 5-10 days in a school year They are more likely to be achieving well at school With only occasional absences, these students will find it fairly easy to get back in touch with the learning program after absences
Attendance 90 – 94%	These students have missed 11-20 days in a school year These students may find it challenging to keep in touch with the learning program This student is at risk; aim to improve this student’s attendance
Attendance 80 – 89%	These students have missed 21-40 days in a school year These students have missed up to 1 day every week, which equates to 2.5 years schooling missed by Year 12 It will be very difficult to keep in touch with schoolwork and to maintain social connections These students need an individual Student Absence Learning Plan
Attendance below 80%	These students have missed more than 40 days in a school year These students have missed more than 1 day per week Students will be ‘disconnected’ from school. They are almost certain to experience academic and social difficulties These students need an individual Student Absence Learning Plan

Ricki O’Shannessy, Y7-9 Assistant Principal & Engagement and Wellbeing

From the College Chaplain

There have been some wonderful new things happening in the wellbeing space in recent weeks. Firstly at the start of this term, we have welcomed to our team our new Mental Health Practitioner, Jordy Morgan, who has hit the ground running.

The Raise Mentoring Program has commenced and will run for 20 weeks on Tuesday afternoons, involving 14 students from Year 8 and 9. We have a great team of mentors who are looking forward to forming constructive relationships with their mentees. Students have been very excited to be matched up and meet with their mentors each week to participate in activities and talk about goals and building confidence.

The Geelong Project will next week be commencing a small group program called Empower for 10-12 Year 7 and 8 students. We are very grateful for the support of the Geelong Project for this opportunity as well as their ongoing support of many of our students with wellbeing and mental health needs.

I have been very fortunate to be given a sizable donation of funds from Uniting Care to support with supplying students with winter uniform as the weather is turning cold. We are very grateful for this support as well as them having assisted numerous students and families with books and school requirements since the beginning of the year.

My work days are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Please do not hesitate to make contact should you need any support for your young person here at school.

Jenny Eastwood, Chaplain

Introducing our new Mental Health Practitioner

Jordy Morgan recently started as the mental health practitioner (MHP) at Western Heights College in Term 2. She has experience working with young people and adults who are experiencing a range of mental health or social difficulties. Jordy provides counselling support to young people, individually and in group settings. She is also able to support students to connect with external services. Jordy enjoys collaborating with the wider school community to promote mental health awareness and prevention. Welcome, Jordy!

Adolescent Health Promotions Nurse Update

Over the last few weeks, we have had the Dental Van at school with many students taking up the opportunity to have dental check-ups and some small dental procedures done. Health promotion classes, small group work and individual consultations continue to fill in the days.

The next few weeks will be busy with lots of Health Promotion activities happening within the school. A Wellbeing/Inclusion Day will be celebrated next Friday lunchtime with pizza cooked by our VCAL students, fun craft activities and a student v staff football match. The football match will be an awesome game to watch and participate in, I’m sure!!

Robbie Noggler from Victoria Police will present to our students in Year 7 and 8 on Cyber Safety, the risks, the law, your responsibilities and how to use social media safely.

The Youth team from the City of Greater Geelong will present to our senior students on Respectful Relationships through a program called Love Bites.

Also I'd like to let everyone know that my days of work at Western Heights College are now Mondays and Tuesdays.

Hoping everyone has a fabulous week ahead,

Lisa Cooper, Adolescent Health Promotion Nurse

School Lawyer Program

Hello from Emma and Madelaine – your School Lawyers!

We are here from Barwon Community Legal Service, to help students with any legal questions they have, and to run community legal education sessions in the classroom. We are part of the Wellbeing Team and you can find us in the Grey building on Mondays and Fridays.

We help students and chat to them one on one about common legal issues they might be experiencing, including:

Family violence or trouble at home
Consent in relationships, sexting and dating
Getting official documents like birth certificates
Issues with Police or Court
Cyberbullying, harassment and online safety
Vaping, Smoking and Partying
Scams
Feeling unsafe
Issues at work
Experiencing any harm
Fines

We are here to help students understand their legal rights and responsibilities. When a legal issue does arise, we can provide free and confidential legal help to students.

You can contact us by email (whcschoollawyer@barwoncommunitylegal.org.au), letting a teacher or staff member know you want to chat to us or dropping by the office in the Grey building.

Otherwise, you will see us in your classrooms soon chatting all things young people and the law!

We will be back in the newsletter over the year to discuss current legal topics and send through some helpful legal resources for young people.

Emma Cvitak and Madelaine Landini

Our Inclusion Team for 2023

Inclusive Practices Learning Specialist: Shona Scorringe

Shona is in her final year of a Master of Specialist Inclusive Education at Deakin University. She has previously taught English as an Additional Language and low literacy students in the Northern Territory and in China. Shona teaches Literacy in the Vocational Major (formerly VCAL) and is passionate about applied learning. Shona is leading our inclusion team and our transition to the Disability Inclusion reform.

Located in the Year 8/9 Building

Monday - Friday

Shona.Scorringe@education.vic.gov.au

Inclusion Support: Georgie Barker

Georgie is currently studying a Master of Disability Studies, specialising in Deaf and Hard of Hearing at Macquarie University. She also has a Master of TESOL with a background working with English as an Additional Language and low literacy students. Georgie teaches in our English domain and will be supports our Inclusion team with Student Support Group meetings and developing Individual Education Plans. She is looking forward to working with students to achieve positive learning outcomes.

PSD Coordinator, Inclusion Support: Kerryn Cramp

Kerryn has worked at Western Heights College for 23 years as an Education Assistant and as our PSD coordinator. She works in the classroom and within the Inclusion team, making referrals for assessments. Kerryn is a valuable member of our team who is passionate about the team she works with and grateful for her colleagues and students.

Located in the MYR Building

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday

Wellbeing Contacts:

Pastoral Care

College Chaplain: Jenny Eastwood

Located in the Purple/Grey building

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

jennifer.eastwood@education.vic.gov.au

Pastoral Care: Students, staff, parents
Loss and Grief
Management and Referrals – MHP/TGP
Mentoring Programs – GROW, RAISE, etc.

Health Promotion

Health Promotion Nurse: Lisa Cooper

Located in the Purple/Grey building

Monday & Tuesday

lisa.cooper@education.vic.gov.au

Classroom support: sexual health, cyber health, and special programs/activities – Idaho, diversity, etc.
Individual health support for students
Implements and leads supporting health programs – i.e., ‘Docs and Teens’
COG & Batforce liaison
Staff first aid training and other related professional learning

Legal

Barwon Community Legal Service: Emma Cvitak

Legal Education: classroom programs
Support for individual students

Engagement and Wellbeing

Learning Community Leaders: Marli McCarthy (7), Ben Cook (8), Louise Van Dugteren (9), Roger Conron(10), Claire Sullivan (11), Brett Bullock (12).

Supporting students in the relevant community with a focus on attendance, engagement and wellbeing.
Leading the implementation of SWPBS and Berry Street.
Contact point with students, families and mentors

WELLBEING SUPPORTS

If you are worried about your child, or any person and their mental health and well-being outside school hours or during weekends you can contact the Barwon Health Mental Health Triage for urgent support 24/7 on 1300 094 187.

Two important messages to promote are that all of us should seek help from others when we feel down or vulnerable and that young people should tell an adult if they are worried about a friend or themselves.

Please find the following helpful numbers and websites to keep us connected and provide the support necessary to maintain positive mental and physical health:

LOCAL SUPPORTS:

Headspace Geelong – 5222 6690, www.headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/geelong/
Bellarine Community Health – 5253 0400, https://www.bch.org.au/services/all-services/youth-services

GENERAL:

Lifeline – call 13 11 14 for this free Australia-wide crisis support service which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days per week OR TEXT: 0477 13 11 14 between 6pm – midnight, 7 nights a week
Kids Help Line – call 1800 55 1800 for free counselling and advice for young people between the ages of five and 25.
Headspace – eHeadspace is the National Youth Mental Health Foundation providing early intervention mental health services to 12-25 year olds. (Open 9am-1am daily.
Reachout – visit their website for information, tools and support for young people with mental health issues.
Alcohol and drug foundation – free health advice for young people on alcohol and drug use, including mental health.
Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636 https://beyondblue.org.au (Phone support all day, every day. Online support 3pm-midnight every day).
Suicide Callback Service – 1300 659 467. Phone support all day, every day, and follow-up calls.

Good self-care practices are important in taking care of ourselves and our mental health. Remember, it is ok to ask for help. Take care of yourself, and each other and do not hesitate to reach out to a member of our wellbeing team in our school community if you need some additional support.