Wellbeing News
wellbeing@gec
We celebrated World Sleep Day at the end of last term with a lunchtime nap in the gym! Sleep is so important to the overall wellbeing of students including the capacity to focus and learn. Eight to ten hours sleep is recommended for 14 to 17 year olds. Check out the link below for further health information on sleep from Headspace.
https://www.headspace.org.au/young-people/sleep-fact-sheet/
Sleep is more important than homework in terms of supporting academic progress – so get to bed on time and improve your learning progress!
Year 12 Lifestyle Checks were completed in term 1, thank you to our Adolescent Health Nurse Christalia and Student Support Worker Morgan for delivering this program. During the sessions with our Year 12 students it became clear that there were some concerns around healthy eating and regular exercise.
The Wellbeing team has now organised for follow up sessions with Year 12s. Caulfield Community Health Service will be working with Morgan and Christalia to provide workshops on healthy eating and exercise for VCE students.
In addition we have obtained sponsorship from Woolworths in Glen Huntly to provide a weekly delivery of fresh fruit and vegetables for Year 12 students in the VCE centre.
The Student Wellbeing Committee is meeting each Tuesday lunchtime in the Wellbeing Centre, working to support the identification and delivery of wellbeing programs and activities in the college.
Safe Minds is a mental health program designed to support the early identification of mental health concerns for young people. It is used by the Wellbeing Team in identifying and supporting young people with mental health concerns. Our Year Level Coordinators have also completed professional development on Safe Minds, supported by Christalia our Adolescent Health Nurse. Early identification is key in ensuring that we are able to work with students and families to provide effective support for young people experiencing mental health challenges, before they become major issues.
Headspace is a great resource for young people and families seeking support and advice around mental health issues – they have an office in Elsternwick, below is the link to the Elsternwick Headspace website.
https://headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/elsternwick
The Victorian Department of Education and Training has a great resource for school communities at the Student Wellbeing Hub. This is where you will find information and resources about important topics to help your child have a safe and positive experience at school. There is information for students, parents and teachers in the Wellbeing hub.
https://studentwellbeinghub.edu.au/
wellbeing@gec.vic.edu.au We have activated a wellbeing email account for students to utilise to report any wellbeing concerns they may have or suggestions for wellbeing activities. This is checked daily and any concerns raised by students are followed up.
Respectful Relationships education is being delivered in Year 7 Health including work on identifying strategies young people can use to build their resilience. Overwhelmingly the Year 7 students have identified the importance of their families in supporting their resilience and the trust they have in their families to support them when life gets a bit difficult. The maturity of student responses in all areas of the work on respectful relationships has been impressive.
The Wellbeing Centre is being well utilised by our student community – it is a safe and welcoming space in which students can be supported. We have applied for funding through School Focused Youth Services for funding to establish a sensory space as part of the support provided in the Wellbeing Centre. This will enable students to check into the centre and utilise a range of strategies to assist them to destress before returning to class. Students developing strategies to take care of their own wellbeing is a key focus of the wellbeing support provided at GEC.
Jenny Sanchez
Wellbeing Leader
wellbeing@gec.vic.edu.au