Student Wellbeing
MARTIAL ARTS THERAPY
BE STRONG • BE CALM • BE KIND • TRY HARD
This term, a number of students from Year 4 – Year 9 have been participating in the Martial Arts Therapy (MAT) Program which is run by non-profit organisation TESSA Inc.
The program combines the principles of physical and mental wellbeing with those of traditional martial art training techniques. Facilitated by a trained Martial Arts Therapy instructor, its format engages and empowers young people to learn life skills, and to better manage the challenges in their lives. The sessions are non-contact and the weekly sessions are continuing for the next few weeks.
Through a range of exercises and fun activities the students have been learning about:
- Expressing their emotions appropriately
- How and when to express their frustrations
- Making choices
- Learning from their mistakes
~ Claire Volpe, Brookside School Counsellor
Feedback from Matthew Renehan, a participant in Year 8:
‘I like going to the MAT program because it teaches us the life skills to do well in whatever we choose to do. We have fun and it’s not just routine and boring. Guy (the instructor) doesn’t tell us what we need to do, but gives us the tools to help form us as young adults.
We communicate our struggles and help each other to try and be more understanding, and lift each other up. Sharing our ideas helps us learn and benefit from each other.
I’ve learnt that we don’t have to do physical harm to each other to learn some martial arts skills and that it’s not always a competition. It’s important with palm strikes to focus on technique rather than strength and to learn how to do it correctly rather than just beating the other person. We learn to bring other people up so we can make each other better.
With school and with my siblings it’s helping to build my mental resilience and to think of situations differently. ‘The Rock’ activity teaches us how to manage our emotions, to take a breather and is helping me to improve how I react to situations.
Guy (the instructor) is relatable - we can have fun but also have serious conversations at the same time. Sometimes there’s a stigma about going to therapy that you have to have something really wrong with you…but with Martial Arts Therapy it’s really about learning from an activity that you enjoy.’
Please contact a member of the Brookside Student Wellbeing Team if you would like further information about the MAT Program.
White Ribbon Day at Brookside College
Last week, from Monday to Thursday Brookside staff and students took pride in promoting White Ribbon Day. Every class in Years 7 to 9 was shown a brief but moving presentation about why we support and promote this day at school and indeed all around Australia.
There were four days of combined student and teacher-student sports activities with great support and participation by students to show their endorsement of White Ribbon Day! There was absolutely superb involvement, sportsmanship, and skills shown by all and a beautiful atmosphere of common goals to enjoy.
On Monday 19th students and teachers signed a pledge to stand up, speak out and act to prevent violence against women, and family violence, which will be displayed.
On Tuesday the Year 7 students and their teachers had an energetic and enthusiastic game of Downball in the gym loudly enjoyed by all!
Wednesday was the turn of the Year 8 students and teachers who had a thrilling and very skilled game of soccer to the delight of the crowd.
Year 9 students and teachers had an enthusiastic game of basketball with loads of cheering and spectators enjoying the opportunity to watch the combined game.
So why do we support White Ribbon Day? The shocking statistics show that every week at least one woman is killed by a partner or former partner, and this has to stop. In 2018 so far we have lost 61 women and 16 children. Eleven of the women during just two weeks in October alone. That is way more than one woman a week.
White Ribbon Day’s aim is to not only raise awareness but to motivate and encourage men who witness violence to stand up, speak out and take action against it in a safe way. Men doing this is incredibly powerful, and makes a life changing difference. Taking a stand helps to remove the silence around disrespect and violence. Disrespectful attitudes towards women can turn into violence. We all deserve respect and safety.
All of our students have the right to be safe now and when they are adults. The riskiest age for women is 18 to 28 years old. Our community needs to be safe and free of the threat of gender based violence. This includes children, mothers, sisters, daughters, aunties, grandmothers, cousins, nieces, family friends and community members. We do it for the women and children who should not have been killed. They should still be here with their families.
