Mental Health at 

 

EVPS

Dear Families,

My name is Johnathan Patatsos, and I am going to be working as the

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader at Epping Views Primary School in 2023. I have had the opportunity to work across a wide range of year levels in my teaching career and I am looking forward to building many more strong relationships with students and families.  When I am not at school, I like to spend my time playing tennis, playing soccer with my son and going to the football to watch the Collingwood Magpies.  

This week, I have been spending time in classrooms and getting to know our wonderful students! I have heard wonderful stories, participated in intense Rock, Paper, Scissors competitions and enjoyed participating in a very competitive soccer match during lunch time play.

My Role as a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader is to build whole school capability with Mental Health and Wellbeing, and Social and Emotional Learning. During the coming weeks, I will be completing some online training which will help build my capacity. In the future, I will be working with teachers to help build professional knowledge and to improve practice in this area. 

I will also be helping some families whose students may need extra care in their journey through primary school. It may be simply checking in on some of them, building relationships and being available for them when required. 

Finally, my role involves a research component. The pilot program is run by the Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE), and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI). The pilot is called Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS). 

Please come say hello if you see me in the yard before and after school! I am always keen for a chat, and I am looking forward to meeting you in the coming weeks! 

Have a wonderful weekend and stay safe! 

Johnathan Patatsos

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader