Wellbeing At Mac.Rob | Term 4 Update
Therapy Dogs at Mac.Rob!
During exam week this term, we welcomed some very special guests to Mac.Rob - Rider and Jodee, and Gracchus and Peter! Rider and Gracchus are therapy dogs, and Jodee and Peter are their handlers. Organised through Lead The Way Australia, these gorgeous dogs were at school for the day, supporting students to feel calm and relaxed before and after their exams.
Animal-assisted interventions are evidence-based practices that support the wellbeing of young people. Our students responded very well to our visitors, with large groups spending time with Rider and Gracchus throughout the day. The dogs were extremely calm and the atmosphere was a very positive one; many students used the dogs to help create a sense of calmness and confidence before they embarked on an exam, whilst others visited the dogs after their exam, enjoying the serenity.
We are very grateful to Rider, Gracchus, Jodee and Peter for visiting our school, and we hope to welcome them again in 2025.
Dr. Bridget McPherson | Head of Wellbeing and Engagement
Gifted Outreach Program
The Gifted Outreach Program is an initiative undertaken by all four selective entry high schools in Victoria - Mac.Rob, Melbourne High School, Nossal High School, and Suzanne Cory High School. It aims to provide valuable learning experiences, increased challenge, enrichment opportunities, and collaborative experiences to high-ability primary school students. It also hopes to build connections amongst like-minded peers and provide access to peer mentoring.
Ten Year 10 Mentors and 25 Year 5 and 6 primary school students participated in the Gifted Outreach Program at Mac.Rob in 2024. We were fortunate enough to welcome students from seven schools - Thornbury Primary School, Abbotsford Primary School, Docklands Primary School, Yarra Primary School, Richmond West Primary School, Kings Park Primary School, and St Kilda Primary School.
Our Mentors have guided small groups of students through five online sessions and one onsite day here at Mac.Rob, and our students have worked very hard to be able to present proposed solutions to a real world problem related to the UN Sustainable Goal of physical and psychological health and wellbeing. Groups worked on issues such as cyberbullying, the impact of social media, vaping in young people, mental illness, and sexism and misogyny in classrooms. Once they had developed a solution to their chosen issue, they presented this solution to their teachers, family members, friends, and members of their school communities, as well as the Mac.Rob community, at our Gifted Outreach Program Student Showcase 2024.
The Student Showcase was a magnificent event - our involved students were very proud of their work, and it was wonderful to see our families and guests interact with students to learn more about their issues and solutions. The atmosphere was joyful, and the work produced by our participants was quite phenomenal.
We are very grateful to our primary school participants, Mentors, primary school coordinators, and families for their involvement in this program. We are very much looking forward to leading the Gifted Outreach Program in 2025!
Dr. Bridget McPherson | Head of Wellbeing and Engagement
Ms. Annette Rollinson | Learning Specialist