Culture and Wellbeing

Wellbeing over the Summer

For many students, the daily school routine can become tiring and frustrating by the end of the year and the summer break provides a welcome relief! However, once they are away from the school environment, some students can feel disconnected and become isolated from others and the usual support which the daily school routine can provide. Over the holidays, and beyond for our graduating class, there may be times when students require support for their mental health and wellbeing, at a time when the school is not available to assist.

As such, I encourage families and students themselves to be more mindful of student wellbeing and opportunities for support outside of the College over the school holiday period.

Monitoring your student’s wellbeing over the summer break and keeping the lines of communication open is critical to supporting their wellbeing. Frequent sleep-ins or late nights out with friends can sometimes be a barrier to connecting as a family. Over the holidays extra effort is required from parents and carers to reach out to young people and spend quality time together.

If concerns for a student’s wellbeing go beyond what a family feels they can manage themselves during the holidays, a well-timed visit to the GP can provide an opportunity for a young person to express feelings and receive any additional professional support they may need. Doctors can identify adolescent mental health issues and formulate mental health care plans, including referral to a psychologist where necessary. Involving the GP can role model the importance of managing our health and wellbeing in a holistic way, and allow for early intervention to potentially prevent more serious concerns.

There are also free services that can provide counselling and support for young people experiencing wellbeing concerns, including youth mental health service, headspace. For more information, visit https://headspace.org.au/eheadspace/ and https://au.reachout.com/ These websites are ideal for young people, but also provide helpful advice for parents and carers about how best to support the adolescent mental health and wellbeing.

I encourage our students take time over the holidays to rest, rejuvenate and prioritise their wellbeing, ready for a positive start to the school year in 2020. If you are concerned about your child’s wellbeing at the start of the year, please don’t hesitate to make contact with the College in late January 2020, so we can support their transition back to school.

Marni Harding

College Counsellor