StepUp Wellbeing Program

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are pleased to announce that this year we have started the roll out of our StepUp Wellbeing Program for Year 7 and Year 8 students. This program incorporates delivery of skills and strategies using the Open Parachute Mental Health Platform.

This platform helps us address issues of stigma surrounding mental health in young people, encourages help-seeking, and aims to further develop a culture of mutual support and respect for any struggles that students may face.

Open Parachute was developed by Dr Hayley Watson, an adolescent clinical psychologist who has been developing programs globally for the past 15 years. This platform is also supported by the Guy Sebastian Foundation.

There are a variety of resources that we will provide to you as a parent, with practical tools for supporting the well-being of your child. We will be sending you links to access these resources as your young person progresses through the program.

Dr Hayley Watson, the founder of Open Parachute, explains, "We are so pleased that your child is taking part in this program. I developed this resource because I want every child to learn practical mental health skills, so they can live life to their fullest potential.

This program aims to build a strong foundation of resilience so that your child can learn to trust in their own abilities, relate to their own feelings in a healthy way, and change any unhelpful patterns that may hold them back at any point in their lives."

If you have any questions about the program, please contact the teachers currently facilitating implementation of the StepUp Program:

• Year 7: Ms Tammy Hawkins (tammy.hawkins@stphilips.nt.edu.au)
• Year 8: Mrs Michelle Fleming (michelle.fleming@stphilips.nt.edu.au)  
  and Ms Alex Pollitt (alexandra.pollitt@stphilips.nt.edu.au)

Keep an eye out for more information coming your way.

~ Ms Tammy Hawkins

Deputy Principal - Wellbeing