In the last edition of our newsletter, Stuart McCormack (Deputy Head of Student Wellbeing) introduced the concept of wellbeing and explored how we as a college consider it to be core school business. There are many facets to the wellbeing team and the areas of student wellbeing that we contribute to. One aspect of this is the counselling team. Mental health comprises one aspect of wellbeing, but it is a vital one. According to Youth Beyond Blue, one in seven young Australians experience a mental health condition, and evidence suggests that three in four adult mental health conditions emerge by age 24 and half by age 14. This means that we have a important responsibility towards the students at THAC to address their psychological wellbeing to both prevent the impact of mental health difficulties and to equip them with the necessary skills to treat any current mental health concerns. This is often done in a one-on-one capacity, however we also connect with year groups, pastoral care classes, and the College as a whole. As part of the wellbeing team, we collaborate with Year Advisors, Wellbeing Staff, and teachers to provide cohesive and collective support to students. We strongly believe that we achieve better outcomes in respect to Student Wellbeing when we are able to combine our individual skills and knowledge and approach student issues and concerns as a team.
A significant part of our work within the wellbeing team includes supporting projects which promote human flourishing and increasing wellbeing. The Pastoral Care programs have been designed to assist our students to develop the skills to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of College life. This links directly into our Positive Learning Model, where students are encouraged to be engaged in their learning, value their learning and that of others, respect and respond to teachers’ instructions, manage their distractions & reactions and persist through challenges.
By supporting students with their psychological health, we contribute to the greater goal of overall student wellbeing