Student Wellbeing
Introduction of PULSE for Years 7-12
At the beginning of March all year levels will be introduced to the wellbeing tool called PULSE. This tool is a simple 60 second check that students will complete to gauge how they are travelling from a wellbeing perspective.
We have introduced this as another tool to assist us in caring for the members of our community.
It allows our staff to monitor if students have any concerns in areas such as connection to school, how they are feeling about friends and their learning. Staff will then be able to follow up any concerns that may be raised by the student.
We successfully trialed this process last year with our Year 8’s and 10’s and we have decided to use it across the school in 2023.
In future editions of the Marian we will keep you informed of the trends and key aspects of information that we have collected from the students.
Information provided by Educator Impact about PULSE is included below:
FAQs for Parents and Guardians
What is Pulse and why are we doing it? How does it work and what information is collected?
What is it?
ei Pulse is a tool for measuring the week-to-week wellbeing and engagement of
our students. It tracks the wellbeing of individual students so that the school can
respond to those who express a need. It also tracks anonymised student
sentiment about their engagement with the school so we can make changes
based on student voice.
Why are we doing it?
Research strongly indicates that measuring student wellbeing in a way that is
both comprehensive and timely will enable schools to provide better support at
both the individual and cohort level. We are using ei Pulse to get more useful and
actionable insight than traditional long-form wellbeing surveys.
How does it work?
Once a week, students will be prompted by email to complete a ‘Check-In’ via a
web app. The check-in consists of 5-6 questions. The entire process is very
simple and we expect students will spend less than 5 minutes a week on the app.
Students are asked to check-in on a weekly basis and are asked a small number
of questions each week.
What information are we collecting & who is going to see it?
We are collecting two kinds of information: Identified and Anonymous. With
each check-in, students will be asked ‘How they are feeling?’. This question is
asked every week of every student and is ‘identified’ ie. the student’s identity will
be attached to their response. This is particularly important if a student asks for
help. The remaining questions are all anonymous. The school will not be able to
see the student’s identity.
Immunisation Information from the Government
Please find below information that we have been asked by Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools (MACS) to share with our community about changes to the Immunisation Process for our students.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine information for parents/guardians
From 6 February 2023, the routine two dose HPV vaccine schedule provided to young people aged 12-13 years through the National Immunisation Program (NIP) has become a single dose schedule using the same Gardasil®9 vaccine.
What is the HPV vaccine?
The Gardasil®9 vaccine protects against HPV infection, which is a common viral infection, usually affecting the genitals and spread through sexual contact. The vaccine is most effective when given before exposure to the virus, that is before a person becomes sexually active. More information about HPV and the HPV vaccine can be found here.
How has the HPV vaccine schedule changed?
From 6 February 2023, the recommended HPV vaccine schedule for most people has changed from two-doses to a single dose course using the same Gardasil®9 vaccine. There is no change to the amount of vaccine that is given in the single dose.
The schedule has not changed for immunocompromised people. A 3-dose schedule of HPV vaccine is recommended for people with severely immunocompromising conditions, regardless of their age when they started vaccination.
Why was this change made?
The change is based on advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), who have considered and reviewed the latest international clinical evidence. ATAGI support the large volume of clinical findings that a single dose of HPV vaccine provides about the same protection as two doses of HPV vaccine.
What do you need to do?
Your council immunisation service will seek your consent for vaccinations delivered to students at school as usual.
If you would like to discuss the change, or clarify any information about the HPV vaccine please contact your local council.
Further information
Better Health Channel https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/human-papillomavirus-hpv-immunisation
Kerrie Williams
Assistant to the Principal – Student Wellbeing