Student Services

The Wellbeing team had a very busy start to Term 4! 

We farewelled our Year 12 students and wish them all the very best for their exciting futures ahead!  Good luck with your exams, we are sure you will all do well.

We are delighted to announce that Julian Couzins, Psychologist has joined our team and is providing counselling to our students each Friday at school.  To see Julian, individual students will need to have a mental health care plan, which is arranged through your local Doctor. This is the same arrangement for Mel from OzChild who has been supporting individual students for the last few years.  Maddy from Foundation House started with us in Week 4 and is providing invaluable support to our students.  

Wellbeing Events during Term 4

Thursday 10th October - World Mental Health Day. 

At lunchtime, we had a ‘Walk and Talk’ around the school oval.  Physical exercise is such an important part of maintaining good mental health and we didn’t let the rain dampen our enthusiasm!

Friday, 11th October – Open Mic

Staff and students participated in the first ever ‘open mic’ event.  Students wowed us with their musical performances!  The special guest performer was our very own Youth Worker, Alisha Gibson, who did a couple of impromptu performances with students with the audience clapping and singing along.

Lunchtime Program – ‘Mindfulness’ with City of Casey Youth Workers

Students have been participating in fun activities each Wednesday at lunchtime to promote mindfulness and get their creative juices flowing!

360 Bus -  City of Casey Youth Services

Students enjoyed interacting with games, music and dance during lunchtime.

r her contribution to our students during her time with us.

Wellbeing Updates

Extended Hours for Casey Youth Services

With the support of the council funds have been granted to provide additional hours for two of the Youth information Centres.

These will include extending an evening session at the Cranbourne Youth Information Centre, with Thursdays being open 9.30am-8.30pm and the Hampton Park Youth Information Centre being open 11am-4pm Saturdays.

Grade 6 Transition

The wellbeing team are now contacting our feeder Primary Schools to provide additional support and gather important information for students in their transition to Hampton Park Secondary College in 2020.   Parents/carers are welcome to contact the Wellbeing Team direct on 8795-9400 if you would like a chat about the support available for your child.

Farewell and Thank You

Farewell to Cyndee Bautista, our Health Promotion Nurse who started with us during Term 3.  Cyndee is off to greener pastures in a new role as a mental health clinician at a school in the southern suburbs of Melbourne.  We wish Cyndee all the best in the future and sincerely thank her for all her hard work.

School Leavers Information Sessions

For students with additional learning and support needs

Still not sure about 2020? The National Disability Coordination Officer (NDCO) is holding an information session in your area.  You will have the opportunity to hear information more about;

• Support available to plan your journey beyond school
• Supports for further education
• Supports for employment
• NDIS supports to further education and employment goals

Individuals will be provided with the opportunity to make times to speak with one of the representatives. Bookings are essential.

PLEASE NOTE: These sessions are intended for youth with disability and their supports, including guardians and education staff. 

Bookings by service providers cannot be accepted for this event.

Frankston

Time: 3.30 pm – 6pm

Date: Monday 18 November 2019

Bookings: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/school-leavers-information-session-frankston-tickets-74649056337

How To Study Mindfully

Have you ever been reading a book and found that you’ve just read an entire page without digesting a single word – or caught the train home and been staring blankly out the window only to realise that you’ve missed your stop? Now what about doing two hours of ‘study’ while managing to check Instagram 11 times, contributing to three different Facebook group chats and finding yourself deep down the rabbit hole of YouTube? If you can relate, you’re certainly not alone.

These are all examples of ‘mindlessness’ – when you’re awake and functional, but distracted and not capable of giving 100% attention to a single task. People can often find themselves in auto-pilot mode however, when it comes to study, this is not a state you want to be in.

As the name suggests, the ideal state to be in is a ‘mindful’ one. A mindful person is focused and grounded in the present moment. The good news for students is that mindfulness can be used as a powerful tool to boost your study efficiency and get you energised and ready to go come exam day.

Here are some tips to bringing the mindful edge to your study sessions:

1. Meditation and breathing exercises: Meditation brings you into the present by forcing you to focus on your breath. Before studying, practice breathing techniques that block out distractions and energise your mind. Mobile Apps such as Smiling Mind are great for helping you do this. Don’t worry if you’re not good at it to begin with!
2. Get in the (study) zone: Creating a space for study where you know you’ll be free from excessive noise and distractions will help you get more done. For some, this is a desk at home, for others it’s a library or a quiet cafe. Sitting on your bed staring at your messy room, not so much.
3. Switch off: It might be difficult in this day and age, but turning off your phone (or putting it on ‘do not disturb’) and staying clear of tv or Netflix is super important to helping you stay focused. Remember, mindfulness is all about the here and now – these technologies take you away from the present.
4. Break up your study sessions: It can be hard to stay in a state of mindfulness for over an hour – even people who have been practicing for years still find it difficult to keep the concentration. Take regular breaks to refresh and re-energise. If possible, get outside during these breaks and have a healthy snack.
5. The usual suspect: You’ve heard it a million times – ensure you get a good night’s sleep. But it’s especially important when it comes to mindfulness and study. You’ve probably realised by now that if you’re going off two hours sleep, it becomes a whole lot harder to concentrate. Try cutting down on caffeine and energy drinks, especially after 4pm.

Think about walking into an exam room. Now imagine walking into a sports arena with 100,000 screaming fans. The situation might seem scary to most but many athletes work on making sure they feel energised and ready to perform at their peak. A key reason behind this is a secret performance-enhancing weapon – mindfulness. Some sports teams even employ a mindfulness coach, something previously unheard of in the ‘macho’ world of sport. Players are taught to be ‘right here, right now’ in high-pressure situations. As with anything, this takes time to develop and a big part of the process is about acknowledging when your concentration is drifting and bring it back to the present.

The challenge is to see your exam as an opportunity to thrive, not to fail. Mindfulness can help you get there.

SOURCE: 

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/personal-best/pillar/wellbeing/how-to-study-mindfully

Careers

MONASH ACCESS 2019

Access Monash were delighted to celebrate the 2019 Year 12 Mentees from Hampton Park Secondary College who graduated from the Access Monash Mentoring Program. An end of year celebration was held at Monash University’s Caulfield Campus on Thursday 10 October to commemorate the achievements of each mentee.

Each mentee received individual mentoring from a current Monash University student throughout the year. Mentors provided invaluable advice and support to their mentees - providing insight into university life, clarifying future goals and supporting mentees with study tips throughout year 12.

Congratulations to the following students who graduated from the program this year:

• Arezoo Sharifi
• Masuma  Ghulami
• Masoumeh Tavasoli
• Sediqa Ali
• Meena Hassani
• Farzana Afzali
• Hoda  Hussaini
• Rahila Rezai

Thank you to all of the mentors,parents/guardians and teachers who helped support the program throughout the year.

To find out more about Access Monash and their mentoring program visit monash.edu/access

MONASH ACCESS 2020

Mentee applications for the 2020 Access Monash Mentoring program are now open. This program is open to all students studying VCE in 2020.

As an Access Monash mentee, you will be matched with a current Monash University student who will mentor you throughout Year 11 and 12.

Mentors in this program are current high achieving Monash University students selected by Access Monash based on their commitment to leadership within their community.

Some benefits of the program include:

- Receive individual mentoring from an experienced Monash University student

- Gain insight into university life

- Clarify future goals

- Explore your study and career options

- Gain support and study tips from someone who has recently completed VCE

- Exclusive access to certain Monash University programs

- Make new friends and expand your network

Want to know more?

Watch the experiences of current mentees and their mentors - Arnav & Pranav and Ankita & Ali

If you are interested in becoming an Access Monash mentee in 2020, please click on the link to register your interest. Access Monash will then send further information on how to apply. Applications close Friday 29 November.

Looking for Careers help?

Ms Rackham and Ms Kruse are available to help you with your Careers questions. You can find them in the Careers Office in the CRC.