Wellbeing 

Wellbeing Support Over the Holidays

As 2020 draws to a close and we prepare for the summer holidays, it’s important for families to continue to be aware of student wellbeing. For many students, the daily school routine has become exhausting and they are eagerly awaiting the summer break! 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 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 all students and families to remain aware of wellbeing and opportunities for support outside of the College over the school holiday period. Monitoring your student’s wellbeing over the summer break and maintaining open communication is critical to supporting their wellbeing. Over the holidays, frequent sleep-ins or late nights out with friends can sometimes be a barrier to connecting as a family, so extra effort is sometimes required from parents and carers to reach out to young people and spend quality time together!

This year, the impact of COVID-19 has raised awareness of the importance of wellbeing for all, and along with that, an increased pressure on mental health services. If concerns for a student’s wellbeing go beyond what a family feels they can manage themselves during the holidays, please visit a GP for a professional assessment and support. Doctors can identify adolescent mental health issues and formulate mental health care plans, including referrals to a psychologist or headspace Youth Mental Health Service where necessary. 

Kids Helpline is also a great service, and many parents and carers are unaware that they can call this service together with a young person to talk through tough situations and have some strategies for immediate support. The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) is a free community-based mental health service provided through SA Health's Women's and Children's Health Network and is another service that families can self refer to Ph 1300 222 647.

There are also many great online resources on sites such as 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 adolescent mental health and wellbeing, with the introduction of many COVID-19 specific resources this year. For staying safe out and about, the Emergency Plus app is also one we encourage all students to download and use in the event of an emergency, as it utilises GPS technology to help emergency services access critical locations. Read more about the app at https://emergencyapp.triplezero.gov.au/.

I encourage our students to take time over the holidays to rest, rejuvenate and prioritise their wellbeing, ready for a positive start to the school year in 2021. We look forward to sharing details of our new wellbeing space in the new year, which will be an invaluable resource for supporting wellbeing in the school community. 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 2021, so we can support their positive transition back to school.

Wishing all families a safe and happy Christmas and new year!

Marni Harding

College Counsellor