Wellbeing 

Dear parents and carers,

The college Wellbeing Team are excited to announce that we will soon be beginning some group programs to support young women who identify that they are dissatisfied or unhappy with their bodies. The aim of these programs will be to support young women to;

- Challenge appearance ideals that are promoted by society that our young women can feel a great pressure to conform to. 

- Start to develop strategies to learn how to appreciate and embrace their bodies. 

- Be able to self identify body dissatisfaction and understand that a view of self can look different for all. 

- Have a greater understanding around the concerns surrounding body and self image 

The program from Eating Disorders Victoria is evidence based and has shown to be effective in improving body image and reducing the risk of young people developing an eating disorder.

One of our Wellbeing Team staff, Cassie Palmer, has completed training to deliver and facilitate this program, which in itself has been delivered world wide. Cassie is enthusiastic about delivering this program to support students who identify as female within the college.

Students who wish to participate need to be aware of the following;

- The program is suitable for secondary age students and groups will be formed in line with current Year level cohorts

- This program will not be suitable for those who are currently experiencing an eating disorder. If further support is therefore needed, please feel free to contact the college wellbeing team directly so that we can provide some additional supports options if required.

The program will take place over a 4 to 5 week period, with each session being an hour in length. The exact dates and times of the program will be confirmed at a later date with each cohort.

There will be some homework tasks that participants will be asked to complete between sessions. This work will be reflected upon and form the basis of discussions within the program setting. Participants will be able to speak with someone in wellbeing should this be required before, during or after the program sessions.

To register interest for this program, students will be asked to speak with their relevant Year Level Co-ordinator or any member of the college Wellbeing Team. Following registrations, a member of the Wellbeing Team will then make contact to ensure that the program is the right fit for them.

For any further information or support, please direct questions directly to Cassie Palmer, Wellbeing, cassandra.palmer@education.vic.gov.au or Jake Phin, Wellbeing Co-ordinator, jake.phin@education.vic.gov.au

Sincerely,

Jake and the Wellbeing Team.

The Smile Squad

The Smile Squad team, from Central Bayside Community Health Services (CBCHS), are now offering free dental care to every student at our college. Smile Squad is the Victorian Government school dental program that enables all students to access free dental check-ups, preventive services and treatment. 

Students will be seen at:

Central Bayside Community Health Service Dental Clinic, 

335 Nepean Highway, Parkdale 3195

How to access free dental care 

Parent/carer consent is required before services can be provided. You can sign up to Smile Squad using the following link - https://bit.ly/smilesquadvic

The electronic consent form can be translated into more than 100 languages, and the paper form is available in 13 languages. Paper copies of the consent form are also available from the college front office. 

Once your completed consent form has been received, the team at Central Bayside will be in touch to arrange an appointment Monday through Friday. For further information, or if you would like to call and make an appointment directly, you can call the Smile Squad team at CBCHS on 8587 0350.