Words for Wellbeing - Edition 13 - August 26th, 2021

Welcome to Words for Wellbeing

Welcome to your fortnightly Wellbeing newsletter.

This is a special lockdown edition filled with information for coping with lockdown fatigue. We've had special permission to share a webinar from psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg and the Resilient Kids Conference's Sharon Witt. There are tonnes of fact sheets from the Australian Psychological Society, videos for teens by teens, some cracking pump-up tunes, and some unedited, unfiltered, silliness from us.

To our entire Emmanuel Community stay safe. We'll see you soon.

xo

Words of wisdom from our 2020 Year 12s for studying in lockdown

Riding the Coronacoaster with Sharon Witt & Michael Carr-Gregg

Resilient Kids Conference experts Sharon Witt and Michael Carr-Gregg have given Emmanuel College Warrnambool special permission to share the video of their latest webinar on coping with lockdown 6.0.

This 75 minute webinar is packed full of helpful information, tips and tools for all of us to support our students and ourselves as we experience another lockdown.

They have also invited our school community to join them at their upcoming Reslient Kids Conference online. Many of our staff and families have already attended this conference and would highly recommend it.

RKC invite any parents or staff who are interested to purchase a ticket for their first virtual RESILIENT KIDS CONFERENCE on Saturday 23rd October.

Early bird registrations are $20 off at the moment. So tickets for all 6 sessions are $59 Link here: 

Teen Voices: Coping with the pandemic

There can sometimes be a disconnect between teenagers and adults. Teenagers often feel misunderstood and can't imagine there was ever a time when the adults around them were ever young! 

While some things never change, so much also does.

In this video, we share thoughts and ideas around living through the pandemic with teenage voices.

Coping with lockdown fatigue

We're in, we're out, we're in, we're out, we're in.

Last year we were able to find joy in our newly discovered sour dough-making skills, but this year, we're just tired. Fatigued in fact.

The uncertainty around ... well, life. The fact this hasn't 'gone away yet', is weighing heavily on our nervous systems.

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) have released a series of fact sheets to help us cope. This one is about lockdown fatigue.

Wear It Purple Friday August 28th

Hi there,

SAFE in the South West & Yumcha Diversity Groups are encouraging schools and workplaces to Wear It Purple - Friday August 28th.

This is a significant day for LGBTIQA+ young people, where we can demonstrate active support LGBTIQA+ people and show our support to our diverse community.

Wear it Purple celebrates 11 years of championing against anti-LGBTIQA+ bullying and fostering supportive, safe, empowering and inclusive environments for rainbow young people.

To participate in this day Splash some purple on FridayShare your purple with us (and across your networks/communities)Instagram/Facebook: @Yumcha.Media #WearItPurpleWarrnambool

Official Wear It Purple Resources - Print & online https://www.wearitpurple.org/wip-day-resources

Attached: Thrilled to be sending these Wear It Purple Post Art Cards Created and designed by Yumcha participants.

With Pride,

Sparklez Hernan

Paralympics 2021 - Aussie Aussie Aussie!

Australia are set to send our biggest overseas squad to #Ready Set Tokyo for the 2020 Paralympics from August 24th to September 5th.

Did you know, the Paralympic values are…

 Determination • Equality • Inspiration • Courage

Visit this link for all Athletes competing

https://www.paralympic.org.au/athletes/

"What lies ahead for this exceptional Australian team (179 in total) is the unique hard-won honour of representing our nation in what is now the world’s third-largest sporting event," Paralympics Australia chief executive Lynne Anderson said.

"This moment is about celebrating our elite Para-athletes. It’s also about continuing to build on the work of generations of Paralympians who have made Australia one of the top Para-sport nations."

"It’s a record of excellence that has impacted Australian society in a profoundly positive way and helped change the narrative around disability."

https://www.paralympic.org.au

C'mon Aussie!

Which events will you be watching and who will you be cheering on?

Learning Diversity Tips for Virtual Learning

Inclusive Education: Essential for some, but good for ALL!

Virtual learning is a challenge for all of us, but especially for those of us who might encounter specific learning difficulties and other challenges.

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) have produced this secondary school series of tip sheets for assisting students learning from home in a number of areas including maths, literacy, focussing attention and managing organisational skills. 

See the downloadable resources below and always ask Learning Diversity for support when needed.

Strong Spirits - Free Youth Art Program

Are you a young person aged between 12 and 25?

Are you into art?

Well the Strong Spirits Youth Art Program could be for you.

Check it out!

Book Week

Between 21 and 27 August 2021, we will celebrate Book Week with others across Australia. 

Book Week is an opportunity for the College community to talk about books and reading. 

We've all been in lockdown, but that doesn't mean we can't disappear into another world by opening up and reading a book. In fact, reading can be an excellent coping tool and is a wonderful source of pleasure, not to mention a boost to creativity, inspiration and motivation.

Let us know, what's a book you simply can't put down?

Book Week

You Can! Ask That

You Can! Ask That, a new way for you to access information and answers to the questions you're not sure how or who to ask, is up and running.

We'll be inviting experts in our community to answer some of your questions and in each edition of Words for Wellbeing, you'll find video and text responses to your questions.

The best part is, it's all completely anonymous so you don't have to feel shy about asking us something you've been wondering about, and it can be about ANYTHING.

Click on the link to access the QR code to scan and submit your question. Or, go to www.menti.com and enter code 4943 9306 to do the same thing.

There will be posters all over school with the QR code and link, and you'll also find them in each Words for Wellbeing newsletter.

So what are you waiting for? You Can! Ask That!

24/7 Mental Health Services Phone Numbers

Fit4Life, Wellbeing @ Emmanuel College

Your 2021 Fit4Life Wellbeing Team are, from left to right, Jodie Fleming (School Psychologist), Rachele Sloane (Wellbeing coordinator), Claire Wrigley (Assistant Principal Students Wellbeing), Tracey van Rooy (Student Wellbeing Intake Officer). 

A school Wellbeing Team is very different to a clinical practice. We are here to support our students and families to optimise their social, emotional and learning outcomes within the school environment. Sometimes that means we see students with mild to moderate mental health difficulties and assist them to build the necessary skills to function at school in a social and academic sense.  Mostly, you'll find us in classrooms, running health promotional-type programs, on camps and excursions, enhancing relationships within the school community and even putting together Words for Wellbeing.

It's very important to understand that we do not offer or provide treatment or therapy in any way. That would be unethical and inappropriate from a duty of care perspective because we work in a school setting. Instead, if you or your child require clinical intervention for any issues that are moderate to extremely severe, we will do our best to assist you to engage with an external service provider, usually via a referral from your general practitioner. In fact, we welcome a number of external services and service providers to come and see our students onsite so as to avoid the barrier of having to leave school to attend appointments.

If you have any questions at all about how we can assist your student, please don't hesitate to contact us.

We look forward to supporting you with your secondary school career.

You’ll now find us upstairs in the Convent, at the end of the Year 7 corridor, directly above the Heritage room.

Can’t follow my instructions? Here are some videos coming from The Stage, the front office, and from the Year 7 corridor. Simply click on the links for a speedy tour.

We also have spaces on Rice and Goold campuses. Teachers, parents and guardians and students are all able to refer students to us. If you'd like to catch up, simply email us at wellbeing@emmanuel.vic.edu.au

Fit Bits

Our weekly Fit Bits links are designed to energise, motivate and encourage us to take brain breaks and mindful moments throughout each day for our minds and our bodies.

Pump Up Song #1

Pump Up Song #2

Pump Up Song #3

Pump Up Song #4

We hope you’ve found something useful in this edition of Words for Wellbeing.

Our past editions of Words for Wellbeing contain useful reminders about how to cope with many different scenarios. You’ll find all of our 2020 past editions online - just follow this link and enter Words for Wellbeing in the search bar or search the archives of the SchoolZine APP: 

Stay tuned for our next edition of Words for Wellbeing!

In the meantime, if you need to contact Wellbeing, please email us at wellbeing@emmanuel.vic.edu.au to organise a catch up or just to check in or offer us any suggestions or feedback on our Words for Wellbeing.

Stay safe and well everyone.

Love from your Wellbeing Team