Senior School Report
Sofia Vearing
Senior Students Coming Back Stronger: Building motivation and reaching their goals
Already a vulnerable period for the development of mental illness, Covid-19 has added another layer of stress to the VCE year.
Recently released research from Swinburne University has confirmed the enormous impact Covid-19 is having on youth mental health. Results showed skyrocketing levels of anxiety and depression in young people and concerning levels of pessimism about the future. With unemployment on the rise, this pressure on youth mental health is only predicted to worsen.
Coming Back Stronger aims to proactively help students get back on track with their studies through the provision of evidence-based psychological strategies that improve motivation, energy, focus, and optimism for the future.” (University of Technology Sydney, Kidman Research Centre)
Years 11 and 12 students were asked to view this presentation prior to the Wellbeing lesson on Wednesday September 2, and then to discuss the content with their respective Homeroom teacher via a Google Meet.
Could I please suggest all parents/guardians query senior pupils on the content of this student presentation also?
Content included was:
| Normalisation of emotions and behaviours | Structured Problem Solving |
| Building motivation | Understanding ambivalence |
| Goal setting | Acceptance and Commitment Therapy |
| Links to external services | Distress tolerance |
The student link is: https://youtu.be/Hc61xmIe19Q
Last Friday, parents and guardians were sent information regarding their section of this program, with a suggestion to view the presentation which covered:
| Recognising your own stress levels | How to support your teenager |
| How to cope with the emotional ups and downs | Recognising abnormal behaviour |
| Identifying emotional reactions in your teenager | When is it time to get professional help? |
If you’ve missed it, the parent link is:
Sofia Vearing
Year 10-12 Coordinator