Words for Wellbeing, Term 2, 2023
Welcome to Words for Wellbeing
To our Emmanuel College Community,
Welcome to the second edition of the quarterly, Words for Wellbeing for 2023.
Words for Wellbeing includes all six components of the Fit4Life Framework: Social; Mental; Cultural; Cognitive; Physical; and, Spiritual.
Within each section, you'll discover articles, self-help tools and resources.
At the end of the newsletter, you'll find an updated list of school and external services and contacts for your information.
As always, if you need any assistance with your social, emotional learning, don't hesitate to reach out to us - your Fit4Life Wellbeing team.
Social Wellbeing
Developing the skills to navigate social connections and relationships is a significant part of adolescent development. In this section you will find a selection of resources not only to support young people throughout this stage of life, but that may assist all of us in the varied relationships within our lives.
IDAHOBIT Day
The month of May was Diversity Month. Emmanuel College celebrated Diversity month in many ways. On May 17 - IDAHOBIT Day - each Year level was allocated a colour and came dressed in casual clothes in the colours of the rainbow. The college was a bright sea of colours across the campus, well done to students for getting involved.
On that same day at lunchtime, Matilda, Estelle and Luke performed a wonderful Open Mic session, and the performance definitely lifted spirits in the school yard.
In extended homeroom on May 18, students completed an activity where they decorated paper people chains by colouring them, and writing supportive and positive comments about accepting diversity, to raise awareness about sexual and gender diversity. They were then displayed in the lounge area near the canteen.
Pat Cronin Foundation
On Friday May 12th, Year 9 students visited The Stage to view a presentation from the Pat Cronin Foundation, a foundation that is working to raise awareness to end the 'Coward Punch' in memory of Pat Cronin.
Pat was a well loved 19 year old, who went out on Saturday 16 April, 2016 for a few quiet drinks with mates after playing his first senior football match alongside his big brother. He wasn’t a fighter, it just wasn’t his scene. But when a brawl started to build outside the pub, being the loyal and caring mate he was, Pat stepped in to pull a friend away. It was then that Pat was punched in the head from behind.
He stayed on his feet, checking all his mates were ok, but soon after he started to develop symptoms, had a seizure and was taken to hospital unconscious. Two days later, the agonising decision was made to turn off his life support.
Check out the video clip and website link below for more information about the Pat Cronin Foundation.
Project RockIt Presentation
Year 7 & 8 students attended a presentation on May 10th as part of their Fit 4 Life Day by Project RockIt. Project RockIt was founded by Rosie and Lucy Thomas, sisters who saw an opportunity to create an impact in schools regarding bullying. They deliver their engaging and powerful anti-bullying messages through cyber safety workshops, and students were fortunate to have Project RockIt visit Emmanuel College.
Their workshops are a vehicle for cultivating peer connection and utilising a 'power in numbers' to establish cultural norms where kindness is cool, and bullying is cringe. Rather than presenting a lesson, motivational talk or lecture, the workshops take a 'show not tell' approach - using a toolkit of high energy activities, role plays, discussion, experiments and 'aha' moments to break through stigmatised issues and allow students to explore their own learning and beliefs.
Youth Advocacy Opportunity
Do you want to know how to lead change in your community and be heard by decision makers?YACVic Rural have an exciting opportunity for you to level up your advocacy skills and amplify your voice for positive change!
When: Thursday 29 June 2023, 2:00pm - 4:30pm
Where: Archie Graham Community Centre, 118 Timor St, Warrnambool
How much: Free!
Topics covered: What advocacy is and isn’t, Types of advocacy, Motivation, Who do we advocate to?, Putting ideas into action.
To secure a spot and let tell YACVic Rural know about any access needs you might have, please register via the link below.
Mental Wellbeing
Mental health is a term we often hear, yet often confuse with other terms, such as mental illness. We all have varying degrees of mental health. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood but aiming for 'good' mental health isn't enough. What if we were to aim to be flourishing instead! Building a strong mental health foundation is very important, but in this section, we share a variety of topical articles, resources and self-help tools for you to build on that foundation, to help you to flourish in your life.
Mission Australia Youth Survery 2023
Now in its 23rd year, the Mission Australia Youth Survey continues to be the largest annual survey of young people of its kind in Australia.
The Youth Survey enables young people to share their values, challenges and ambitions and to 'speak up' about the issues that they care about.
It is widely used by Governments, non-government organisations and community groups to develop policies and youth programs.
We encourage 15-19 year old Emmanuel College students to take the survey before it closes on August 11. Our unique school code is 23008.
Triple P Positive Parenting Program
The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program has been developed here in Australia and is now the world’s most widely researched parenting program with hundreds of clinical trials and real-world studies to back it up. Triple P is a toolbox of strategies, skills, and knowledge. It can help you create a closer bond with your child as you support their learning, development, life skills and emotional wellbeing. Triple P It can work for you too—and it’s online!
Thanks to funding from the Victorian Government, all parents and carers have FREE access to Teen Triple P Online.
The 6 module interactive online course offers simple, realistic ways that parents and carers can positively influence their pre-teen/teen and equip them with life skills, including problem-solving, social skills, managing emotions and much more.
Headspace Warrnambool Peer Support Services
Headspace Warrnambool offer peer support services for family and friends of youth, and also have a disability peer support worker who support those living with a disability aged 12-25.
See the flyers below for more information and contact details.
Cultural Wellbeing
Cultural Health refers to having a deep awareness of your personal culture and life experiences and understanding how they influence your value system, worldview, and practices; recognizing and respecting the culture and life experiences of others and intentionally taking time to empathize with, understand, and respect other perspectives. Ultimately, it refers to appreciating a diversity of culture and experiences and working with others to enhance personal and community well-being through culturally responsive action.
Kgshak Akec
Winner of The 2021 Dorothy Hewett Award for an Unpublished Manuscript
Kgshak Akec is a writer, poet, storyteller and a lover of words. Since the moment she learned how to write in English at the age of six, Kgshak has been writing out the stories that live inside her mind. Fascinated by human experience, the untold words and unsung songs of the day to day, as an early-career writer, Kgshak finds herself drawn to stories that challenge perception and go against the grain of the typical while also being grounded in truth. Kgshak’s deep love of stories and world-building is existential.
“To fall into the pages of a book and emerge into an entirely new world is more than just escapism, it’s magic. To write is not only my passion, it’s my power.”
Akita’s family have always kept moving to survive. Sudan to Cairo. Cairo to Sydney. Sydney to Geelong.
Each new place challenges Akita, her siblings and her parents. Just when eight-year-old Akita is feeling settled for the first time in her life, her parents decide to relocate to Geelong. The move is the beginning of a downward spiral that threatens to unravel the fabric of their family and any hope for finding peace and belonging. Told through the interchanging perspectives of Akita and her mother, Taresai, this coming of age story shines a light on the generational curses of trauma, complex family dynamics, and how it feels to love someone unconditionally, even when it hurts. Individually, the female narrators experience racism, rejection and despair, but together their narratives reveal a resilience of spirit and determination to transcend expectations of what a daughter, a sister, and a mother can be. Hopeless Kingdom gives a voice to the silent heartache of searching for acceptance in an adopted society which can’t look past the surface of skin colour.
On Thursday May 11 Emmanuel College welcomed Author Kjshak Akec who presented to our Year 9 and Year 10 students.
National Reconciliation Week
National Reconciliation Week was celebrated from May 27 until June 3 here at Emmanuel College in many ways. It was opened by a whole school assembly, which started with an acknowledgement of country of the Peek Whurrong people of the Gunditjmara-Maar Nation, followed by a Reconciliation Week reflection and prayer.
A highlight of the assembly included a performance by local Indigenous artist Lee Morgan, who sung his reconciliation song to all staff and students.
National Sorry Day was also included in the NRW activities; see below for what students got up to.
National Sorry Day
National Sorry Day was recognised here at Emmanuel College on Friday May 26th. As a community, we came together to remember and acknowledge the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities, which we now know as 'The Stolen Generations'.
Students were invited to the LRC to decorate purple flowers whilst acknowledging the strength of Stolen Generation Survivors, and reflect on how we can play a role in the healing process for our people and nation.
The purple native hibiscus flower was chosen by members of The Stolen Generation, to symbolise the scattering of the Stolen Generations across Australia, and the colour represents compassion and spiritual healing.
Cognitive Wellbeing
Cognitive brain health refers to brain function such as attention, learning, memory, language and executive function. This includes higher order functions, like decision-making, goal-setting, planning and judgment.
In the education setting, optimal cognitive functioning assists with learning. In this section, you will find information related to a variety of ways to maintain and enhance our cognitive health.
Tania Rowan - ADHD Coach & Consultant
Tania is a certified ADHD and Personal Development Coach in regional Victoria who knows that living with ADHD can be extremely challenging and often leaves those living with it feeling overwhelmed and misunderstood. She works with individuals and families to help them understand their ADHD then work with them to overcome roadblocks and challenges to create the change they want.
Tania also coaches teenagers and adults who may not have ADHD but feel like they need help to move forward to create change in their life.
We were lucky enough to have Tania present to our Emmanuel community this term and would love to share this valuable tool to assist our students with planning their study routine! (see below)
Thank you so much for all of your wisdom and help Tania!
How to get your teenager more organised
Check out the link below to The Understanding Boys website, a website created by Brighton Grammar Melbourne, with 4 handy tips to help your teen be more organised.
Cyber Culture MVG Virtual Exhibition 2023
Moyne Shire Council is calling out to young artists across Southwest Victoria aged 12 – 25 to create artworks for the Moyne Virtual Gallery (MVG) as part of the Emerging Curators Development Program in response to the theme of ‘Cyber Culture’.
The theme of Cyber Culture is important and thought provoking. Questions are raised such as ‘How does the living in a digital era affect your day-to-day life?’, and ‘with access to an infinite amount of knowledge, communities and media, is the influence of the internet a positive, negative or both?’
We’re asking artists aged 12 - 25 from Southwest Victoria to think about this subject, create a piece that resonates with their personal relationship with the theme, and submit their artworks.
30 pieces will be selected to feature in the online exhibition curated by Rose Owen. Rose was successful in her application for the Moyne Shire Emerging Curators Development Program in 2022 and is curating this virtual exhibition.
Some prompts to consider:
- The rise in AI technologies
- Global connection & communication
- A place of freedom & self-expression
- Access to education & knowledge
- Online discourse, ‘cancel culture’
- Nothing is removed from internet history
We are looking for young artists between the ages of 12 and 25 living in Southwest Victoria to respond to the above prompts, showcasing talents in any medium.
Photography, Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Textiles, Digital, Audio & Video are all accepted. This is a fantastic opportunity to have work viewed in an exhibition displayed in the Moyne Virtual Gallery, a space that is making art accessible to an audience across Victoria.
The exhibition is being supported by prominent organisations within local creative communities, with successful applicants being paid $100 for their time and effort. Plus ALL entries have the chance to receive one of below opportunities to further their creative practice:
- One year membership to The F Project
- One Day Studio experience
- Voucher to Blarney Books
Artwork details:
- Please keep artwork to a PG theme; no violence, gore, sexual images, or nudity will be considered.
- Photographs of your artwork must be supplied as either a Jpeg or PNG file
- When submitting your artwork ensure they are of high-quality resolution (images must be a minimum of 1024 pixels high x 1024 pixels wide and no more than 2048 pixels high x 2048 pixels wide)
- Video/audio files are to be shared via a file sharing platform
- When submitting your artwork ensure files are clearly labelled with artist name, title of work and year work was created (e.g. SSmith_Danger_2019)Applications are now open and will be closing on 28/07/2023.
Applications Close 5pm 28 July 2023
Physical Wellbeing
Physical activity is a great way to keep you physically healthy as well as improving your mental wellbeing. Research shows that doing exercise releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins in the brain. Even a short burst of 10 minutes brisk walking can improve your mental alertness, energy and mood.
Whether you’re tending your garden or running a marathon, exercise can significantly improve your quality of life. Finding an activity you enjoy can make you feel less stressed, more focused, and give you a sense of purpose.
In this section, you'll find some other interesting tools to care for your physical health.
Sleep Hygiene
Check out this position paper published by Understanding Boys on the importance of sleep, and some tips to improve your child's night sleep.
Vaping
Check out the podcast below created by The Royal Children's Hospital about e-cigarettes and vaping. The podcast is hosted by paediatricians Dr Anthea Rhodes and Dr Lexi Frydenberg who speak with Dr Moya Vandeleur, a paediatric respiratory specialist, about vaping. Topics covered include health risks for developing bodies, the presence of addictive chemicals (such as nicotine and THC), pathways to smoking and how to start a conversation with your child about e-cigarette use. More information and resources from RCH about e-cigarettes and vaping can be found below.
First Aid and Lifeguard Training Opportunities
Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity for youth aged 14-25 years, to participate in Free Level 2 First Aid Training and Free Lifeguard Pool Training, ran by Fuse South West in conjunction with the Moyne Shire Council.
Port Fairy First Aid
HLTAID011 Provide First Aid
When: Thursday 6th July 9am-4:30pm
Where: Port Fairy Yacht Club, 1 Griffiths Street Port Fairy
Note: Bookings Close 5pm Thursday 29 June
Port Fairy Lifeguard Training
Delivered by Life Saving Victoria, this course equips participants to work as a professional Pool Lifeguard in Victoria.
When: Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th August 2023 10am-5pm
Where: Belfast Aquatics, 37 Campbell Street Port Fairy
*This is a blended course which requires candidates to hold the following prerequisite unit: HLTAID003 or HLTAID011 Provide first aid
Note: Bookings close 5pm Wednesday 16 August
Spiritual Wellbeing
Spiritual wellbeing is often a misunderstood concept. It refers not to any particular religious or spiritual practice or ideology but to the human need for meaning, purpose and connection to something greater than ourselves. In this section, we aim to share information about different things that allow us to connect to one another, nature and to ourselves.
Mountain Meditation
One of Jodie’s favourite meditation practices is the Mountain Meditation by her favourite guru Jon Kabat-Zinn. The purpose of the Mountain Meditation is centred around grounding and accessing our inner strength and stability when faced with stressful and challenging circumstances both internal and external.
We believe this ties in beautiful with Emmanuel’s theme this year – the Courage to Climb – and we invite you to listen to the audio recording Jodie did of this beautiful 10 minute practice.
Mindfulness and Grounding Exercises
Caritas Australia Donations
During the celebration of Diversity Month, students raised money to donate to Caritas Australia. Funds were raised by a gold coin donation on IDAHOBIT Day when students were in casual clothes and by a cake stall that was held at lunchtime on the same day.
Students identified Caritas as the chosen charity as they strongly align with the work that Caritas drive, in committing to work alongside the most vulnerable and address the imbalance of power by including those affected in the decisions impacting their lives.
The Caritas Australia Mission is to work in partnership with communities in Australia and overseas to achieve their development goals and thrive, keeping in the spirit of the Gospel.
Useful Information
Please note; wellbeing staff are away during school holidays as well, if you need supports please utilise the contacts listed below.