Wellbeing News

Last week was another very busy one for students and teachers at Greensborough College and our social and emotional learning program! Tuesday saw our first Mancave experience for our Year 11 male cohort. And then on Thursday we had the program for our Year 9 male students. We were fortunate at Greensborough to receive this program free of charge and we embraced the opportunity. 

The Man Cave program states its purpose is to help address the issue of suicide as being the leading cause of death for men aged 15-44 in Australia.  This shocking statistic is a wake up for us all to be thinking about how we can do relationships with ourselves, and others, better. The program (which was staffed by our many wonderful supportive male teachers) was about providing our young adult males with a special day where they could explore their emotional and psychological development, and their developing manhood in a safe way.  Thanks to all who participated and gave generously with their words and experiences. 

For parents of our young adult male Year 9 and 11 students Please see the link below to the Man Cave website for more information. 

The Man Cave | Facilitating healthy masculinity for boys and young men. 

Also check out this webpage from Our Watch, about the release in 2019 of the Man in Focus report  Tough man stereotype can hurt women and men: report - Our Watch 

For our female students in Year 11 and Year 9, we booked an online respectful relationships session with Consent Labs. Consent Labs | Changing the culture around sexual education  

Consent Labs is a not-for-profit organisation that delivers evidence based respectful relationships programs to schools. The online program was very engaging with quizzes and well-designed graphics and information. 

Melissa, the secondary school nurse then delivered a program called Core of Life to the Year 11 students. This program about pregnancy, childbirth, early parenting, and breastfeeding was developed by midwives for secondary school students. The aim of the program is to help reduce rates of teenage pregnancy and promote positive choices around sexuality and childbirth and planning for these unique lifetime events. 

The Year 9’s received a school program with group activities around friendship, leadership, utilising your strengths and seeking help. 

In the afternoon, the year 11’s were treated to a session of boxercise with Paul from YMCA Macleod. The students really seemed to love this physical challenge and really got into the exercises and games and excelled at the opportunity to punch each other with safety equipment! Thanks to YMCA Macleod. 

The Year 9’s had a delightful yoga session with Tilly the yoga teacher from YogaHood. Yoga is much more of a physical activity that you may think. Apart from stretching and striking various poses, there was some lovely meditation and relaxation activities. Some of the girls could accomplish the “crow” and a few treated us to handstands at the end. Thankyou to Tilly and YogaHood.  

And thanks to all the students who attended school and participated in these days. At Greensborough college we feel that paying attention to our students physical and mental wellbeing is paramount to helping them learn at school and in life.  

Melissa Lenten,

On behalf of the Student Wellbeing Team