Wellbeing Update | Term 3, 2022
Term 3 has been a very busy time at Mac.Rob! A range of programs and events have been facilitated, many of which have focussed on improving the wellbeing of our students.
Our Connect program has continued, with Year 9 focussing on help-seeking and emotional intelligence. Year 10 have been learning about healthy friendships, Year 11 have explored the nature of relationships, and Year 12 have learnt about stress management. I strongly encourage parents and carers to talk to their children about Connect, to find out more about the focus and ideas that have been explored. You might like to ask your child about aspects of Connect that they’ve found to be helpful, or whether the content in Connect has prompted them to change any aspect of their life. We are also now preparing the program for Connect in 2023, and we will be inviting parents to participate in a survey providing feedback on the current program, and suggestions for next year’s program.
The Learning Mentor Program has continued this term, with most students now having attended six lessons with their Mentor. After focussing on improving sleep, time management, and social connection, the program evolved to help students to think about motivation and gratitude. A feedback survey undertaken earlier this term indicated that many students have found this program to be helpful; some students also provide suggestions for improving the program, which we have taken into consideration as we devise the program for the remainder of this year.
We also recently celebrated Mac.Rob Week and RUOK? Day – two very significant events in the Mac.Rob calendar. Both were immensely successful. During Mac.Rob Week, we marked the birthday of our school’s founder, Sir Macpherson Robertson, and our School Captains, Ananya and Aditi, facilitated activities and events that promoted connection and belonging, highlighting that Mac.Rob is a community of unique and united individuals. The theme for RUOK? Day was devised by our FAM Captains, Wendy and Naina, and it encouraged students to Unwind, Connect, and Check in. It was a huge day, featuring carnival games, a petting zoo, a disco, sausage sizzle and lolly bags! The Wellbeing and Engagement Team at Mac.Rob is so proud of the students who worked tirelessly together to produce this incredible event.
As part of the mental health unit in Year 10 Health, one of our counsellors attended every Year 10 class to answer anonymously submitted questions about wellbeing. The questions were fantastic! Students were very interested to learn about stress management, motivation, supporting friends, and what being a Psychologist is like, including how much we get paid!
I provided further professional learning to our staff at Mac.Rob this term, including a session on managing anxiety in the classroom, and a session on understanding and responding to perfectionism in students. Further training on these themes will be provided in Term 4.
Finally, we hosted a wonderful event this term, with 32 students, family members and staff members attending a performance of Laurinda at the Melbourne Theatre Company. The play was adapted from ex-Mac.Robbian Alice Pung’s novel of the same name. The story explored themes of family, culture, and racism; it cleverly used humour and drama to illustrate the tensions that many young people face during their adolescent years. It was fantastic to meet students and their family members at this event, and to share this experience with them.
In Term 4, we will continue to work with students to help them to improve and sustain their mental health. We are also providing a Parent Seminar for parents/carers of Year 11 and 12 students, focussing on managing stress during the exam period; this will be held on Thursday 13th October.
We are also hoping to communicate with families about what you need from us to help you to support your child during their educational journey at Mac.Rob. I will be hosting several focus groups in Term 4, to give parents and carers an opportunity to provide feedback and make suggestions about how we can engage with families. These groups will be facilitated in a number of different languages. I would love to meet as many parents and carers as possible in Term 4, so please keep an eye out for more information about these focus groups.
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or feedback about wellbeing at Mac.Rob, at bridget.mcpherson@macrob.vic.edu.au. You can also access SchoolTV at any time – this is an online resource that provides parents with information to assist with ensuring that our young people are psychologically well. You can explore SchoolTV via the “SchoolTV Portal” link, or via this direct link.
I wish you all a relaxing and restful break over these school holidays and look forward to continuing our work with your children next Term.
Dr Bridget McPherson, Head of Wellbeing and Engagement