WELLBEING
Hello Families,
As we begin Term 3, it is a good time to touch on a few ‘wellbeing’ topics at Gladstone High School.
Student Wellbeing Leaders in Schools
Student wellbeing leaders are qualified teachers who broaden their professional knowledge and develop expertise about student wellbeing and mental health.
Student wellbeing leaders promote and safeguard student wellbeing to optimise learning. They work in partnership with:
- students
- parents and carers
- educators
- the wider community.
Student wellbeing leaders do not offer therapeutic intervention or a professional counselling service but can help with referrals to external services.
They can support students by providing:
- advice and referral to therapeutic and other support services beyond the school
- encouragement for attendance, positive behaviour and learning at school
- strategies to support positive relationships
Student wellbeing leaders keep records of all conversations. They must keep information confidential.
They might ask for your consent to share information if this is necessary to help resolve complex problems. They will only share information without your consent if they:
- must do so by law
- are concerned about someone's safety.
Benefits of regular attendance
One aspect of my role as Wellbeing Leader at GHS is to monitor and contact families of children who have not been attending school regularly. Attending school regularly has a number of benefits for a young person’s development. These include:
- Building friendships
- It helps them learn, grow and reach their potential
- It impacts on the choices that will be available to them later in life. Including their ability to work and manage day to day
If you have any concerns or would like some assistance in supporting your child’s engagement in school, please do not hesitate to contact me.
RAGE
This week, it has been exciting to start two new RAGE groups. The RAGE program stands for Renegotiating Angry and Guilty Emotions. RAGE is a strengths-based, solution-focused, hands-on, practical, and fun program. The program is run over six weeks, with students participating in one weekly lesson with the support of myself, Celeste Kuske and Sue Foulis. I really enjoy facilitating RAGE with our young people and have seen huge success in students who have completed the program.
In RAGE, we touch a lot on having empathy for others. We discuss that when someone opens up to you about their personal struggles, remember not to judge them or attempt to solve their issue – do not try to “point out the silver lining” either. Connecting with people is more important. Brene Brown is an expert on empathy; click on the link below to see a fantastic description she has created on empathy – one worth showing all our young people and providing a space to discuss it:
If you would like any more information or believe that your child would benefit from this program, please let me know.
Don't hesitate to contact me at any time if you would like to discuss any concerns or if you have any questions about your child's engagement and wellbeing at GHS. I can be contacted via email: kate.richardson347@schools.sa.edu.au or by calling the school. I am happy to chat and work with families to support our wonderful young people.
Kate Cameron - Wellbeing Leader