Student Wellbeing 

Students have settled into the rhythm and rigor of College life on the whole. I’m pleased to report that leading into the first Positive Culture reward for the year, a record 107 students, (almost 80%), have qualified with zero Demerit Points for the year-to-date. We are working with all students to assist them to achieve their goals through the use of appropriate behaviours and asking for help when it is required. Overall, I feel we have made an extremely positive start to the year.

I mentioned in the previous Chatter, that we were rolling out the Open Parachute program for Wellbeing resources. I have started delivering a lesson to students each week and we are currently focussed on managing stress and understanding the role of our core values in decision making. These lessons are generalised and use case studies of students their age and there is no requirement to share anything personal. Students are encouraged to think about how the various situations may apply to them. The School Psychology Service is available at the College two days a week, if students would like to discuss deeper personal issues and get advice on personal mental health strategies. The College is also connected to a broad range of external service providers, from stop smoking to suicide prevention, that we can connect students with. 

The online Open Parachute program has also been made available to College staff with resources tailored to the challenges of their work, and some training has been provided on what is available and how to access the resources. We are currently preparing to make the Open Parachute resources available to parents, with videos specifically tailored to working with teenagers. I am hopeful that I will be able to provide information on how parents can access these materials in the next Chatter. I am also trying to organise the access so that parents can view the materials that are being presented to the students. 

Stay safe.

Paul Lock

Wellbeing Coordinator