Welcome to Term 1 2023! It was heart-warming to see so many smiling faces back at our College. When discussing well-being and the flourishing mental health of students, current research highlights some key findings. Firstly, prevention is the most effective strategy that we can provide for our students to support their mental health compared to the treatment of mental illness. Preventative strategies recommended by researchers are whole school social and emotional programs. Furthermore, there are key themes identified throughout the research that are found to prevent mental illness in our young people. These themes are resilience, coping strategies and connection - to peers, family and school etc. Hopefully you can see that if a student has little resilience or coping strategies and nobody to turn to during a difficult time, can lead to their poor mental health. For your reference, here is a brief outline of our social and emotional programs that are taught at school:

Early years: Zones of regulation

Middle years: Bounce Back (Resilience) – Headspace (see table below) LifeChanger (Resilience, leadership, connection) – more information in the coming newsletters.

Senior years: Headspace, Life Changer

Headspace is visiting our College in Week 6. If you think your student may be triggered in these sessions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Riki from Headspace will also be delivering a parent and carer information session on Tuesday, 28 February at 5:00pm. Please refer to the flyer for details. Although the flyer states that the presentation is for supporting the mental health of adolescents, I would recommend all parents and carers attend, regardless of your child’s age. Strategies discussed by Riki can be implemented immediately into the household. I promise lots of 'ah ha' moments. Closer to the event, I will email an online form for carers and parents to RSVP to.

Lastly, if you want to contact me, please do not hesitate to email me: Katrina.Ballantyne@twb.catholic.edu.au or call the office to transfer through to me. High school students can self-refer and I will need a parent consent form completed and signed, for primary aged students. If you do miss me, I will reply within 48 hours (business days). May ours and our children’s mental health flourish!

Katrina Ballantyne

College Counsellor