Wellbeing & Engagement

Shannon Ross

Wellbeing and Engagement

Assistant Principal - Shannon Ross

Attitudes to School

Over the last 5 weeks we have been completing the Attitudes to School Survey. This survey gives us valuable information about your child’s experiences at school. We use this data each year to make improvements and we value the voice of our students.

Student AtSS feedback has been instrumental in the development of the following: home groups, improved and increased student leadership opportunities, increased student voice over curriculum, such as our VCAL foundation class planning for excursions which link to their VCAL outcomes.

Thank you to all students who have provided us with this information in 2022.

Resilient Youth Survey

As mentioned previously, in Term 1 we completed the Resilient Youth Survey with all students. This survey differs from the aforementioned AtSS as it hones in on student mental and physical health and wellbeing.

The results of this survey have been confronting and yet enlightening for our community. It helps give us a picture of our student’s readiness to learn.

After analysing the data, our staff identified three main focus areas which we aim to address in the 2022 school year.

Relationships at school between staff and students and amongst the students as well as a broader connection to our school community. A large number of our students do not feel that there is a teacher at school who cares about them. We aim to address this across the classroom and home groups.
Healthy Bodies and Behaviours – the data demonstrated that a large proportion of our students do not demonstrate healthy behaviours such as eating nutritious meals, sleeping uninterrupted for the full night, keeping a regular schedule and maintaining a routine of physical activity. All of these things have a significant effect on the students’ ability to concentrate within the classroom and engage positively with learning. We are working with our Health and Physical Education staff to further develop educational opportunities to support students to build healthier routines and behaviours.
Safety at school – Many of our students identify that there are places within our school where they do not feel safe. Our job in the coming term will be to work our students to audit our school and find out from them what helps them to feel safe whilst at school.

School Programs in Term 3

Next term, we have applied for School Focused Youth Funding in order to run some intervention programs which will support many of our students feel more connected to school.

Blue Edge – Open to students in Years 7-9

A collaboration between Vic Police and Woodmans Hill focusing on fitness. Students selected to be a part of this program will attend school weekly before school starts and undertake a fitness program with a registered personal trainer. They will then share breakfast with the group and work together in a variety of activities which aim to connect to students to each other and to school. The goal is to develop leadership and improve engagement with school and lift attendance.

Engage with Woodmans

Engage with Woodmans will be an 8-week program run in both Term 3 and Term 4 as a targeted intervention program to support students who are not engaged positively with school or who have attendance issues.

This program will be run by a qualified Art teacher on staff at Woodmans Hill Secondary College and they will be supported by the Woodmans Hill Arts Leaders. It will aim to engage students with school, staff and peers through focused work on an art/environment project within the school. Through focused work on creative projects within the school, students will develop pride and connections to school, as well as developing their social and emotional skills. Each week the students will spend a double period in the program and have morning tea together at the completion of the session.