Words for Wellbeing, Term 3, 2023
Welcome to Words for Wellbeing
To our Emmanuel College Community,
Welcome to the third 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.
Strong Girls
Strong Girls – Peeneeyt Parrayt
Strong Girls is a group ran every Wednesday at lunchtime for Year 9 girls at RICE campus. The aim of this group is to create a space for girls to feel safe and supported to talk about all things life, contribute, grow and have fun. Each week the girls participate in something different, ranging from seated yoga to working together to create a group dance routine through to talking about ways we experience influence.
Youth Showcase Events - Musicians, Bands, Dancers, Aerialists Wanted!!
The 2023 Warrnambool & Moyne Youth Showcase will come to life in September as part of the Victorian Youth Fest. The Showcase is a partnership between the Moyne Youth Art Collective and Warrnambool FReeZA and celebrates art in all forms - visual, performance, music, design, film, photography and more.
This year's Youth Showcase is a chance to share your talents, sell your stuff, connect with other young people and promote yourself! We're looking for people aged 25 years and under who would like to be part of the showcase as one of the below:
- Visual Artists and/or Content Creators, open to all types of media for exhibition in the Moyne Virtual Gallery Youth Showcase Exhibition.
- Stall Holders, for a Young Makers' Market.
- Performers, such as musos, dancers/dance groups, roving performers, aerialists, DJ's, spoken word etc. to perform at various Youth Showcase events.
They're looking for young musicians, bands, aerialists, dancers/dance groups, acrobats, etc. to perform at the Youth Makers’ Market, Youth Awards Presentation Event along with other Youth Showcase events.
If this sounds like you or anyone you know please apply below.
What overusing social media does to your brain
A quick snapshot at how overusing social media can lead to an addiction, and the connection with our brain. Explained by Dr. Andrew Huberman.
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.
R U OK DAY
The second Thursday of September is R U OK? Day – a day dedicated to inspiring and empowering everyone to meaningfully connect with people around them by asking the simple question “Are you OK?” Now could be a great time to ask your child “Are you OK?" and to support them in the event that they are struggling.
However as we all know, having a meaningful conversation with teenagers can be tricky. That’s why ReachOut Australia has created resources to help parents help their young people. Find out how you can effectively communicate with your child and some practical things to try to engage your teenager in a meaningful conversation.
Fact sheets for parents and carers
- How to have a great conversation: Get tips that might help to keep the channels of communication open with your child.
- Ask questions that encourage your teenager to talk: Find out how to actively listen to build rapport, understanding and trust.
- Effective communication and teenagers: Find out how to communicate effectively to help you and you child feel happier and more connected.
- How to communicate effectively with your teenager: Learn more on how to keep your relationship strong with your child through effective communication.
Emmanuel College celebrate R U OK day today by wearing a splash of yellow. Yellow hair ribbons, yellow socks, even yellow ties were seen across the school yard. Each of the school entrances were adorned with bunting the colours of R U OK Day - black and yellow - and met by staff and student leaders handing out lollipops and stickers and asking the crucial question R U OK?
Year 10 Fit4Life Day
This term our Year 10 students participated in an Emmanuel College Fit4Life day ran on Friday 21st July, and was facilitated by The Reach Foundation - an organisation founded by the late Jim Stynes and Paul Currie, that works to inspire young people to believe in themselves and get the most out of life. Our very own Rachele Sloane also facilitated a Youth Mental Health First Aid session, and students also had a BBQ lunch.
The Reach Foundation ran 2 session for our students; Mirror Mirror for those identifying as females, and The Locker Room for those identifying as males. The Mirror Mirror session encouraged girls to examine the constructs placed upon femininity and to better understand and embrace their authentic self, whilst being united as women. Opposingly, The Locker Room session focused on current male issues and how that contributes to unrealistic stereotypes, and encouraged students to discuss views of masculinity.
Emmanuel College Wellbeing Co-ordinator Rachele Sloane facilitated a Youth Mental Health First Aid session that encouraged our students to support each other in an appropriate way, and come together to learn about mental health.
Check out some of the students' feedback and reflections after Rach's session below!
Why are we still feeling disconnected? The continuing impact of the COVID pandemic.
Check out the link below to an 8 minute podcast below from The Resilience Centre about impacts that continue to show following the COVID pandemic.
Director of the centre and clinical psychologist Lyn Worsley, chats with Leigh Hatcher about how building resilience can also build connection.
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.
Headspace @ Emmanuel Athletic's Carnival
Emmanuel College had their annual Athletic Carnival at Brauerander Park on Thursday 26th August, with HeadSpace Warrnambool setting up a booth for students to chat about Headspace and 'Spin to Win' some free prizes - which of course was a hit. Students won prizes ranging from drink bottles, pens, badges, hats and yo-yo's.
It was great to have Kayla Mugavin, HeadSpace Community Awareness & Engagement Worker there as an advocate for HeadSpace Warrnambool engaging with our students, as Kayla is a former Emmanuel student.
Emmanuel Day 2023
We look forward to celebrating Emmanuel Day 2023 tomorrow on Friday 15th September as a great way to end Term 3. There will be plenty of activities for students (and staff!) to participate in covering all faculties of the school after the whole school liturgy. A highlight of the day and of all previous Emmanuel Day's, is Emmanuel's Got Talent, where students will perform in the Emmanuel Centre after lunch.
Whilst this newsletter will be published the day before, we acknowledge the awareness and funds raised by staff and students that are going to the Ruben Centre, Africa and Mercy Works.
Keep an eye out for photos of the wellbeing team and what we get up to on Emmanuel Day in the next edition of the newsletter!
South West Youth Fest 2023
September is Youth Fest! A month of celebrating our young people, their creativity, their talents and their incredible contributions to our community. Shining a spotlight on the energy and passion our young people provide to Warrnambool.
There are opportunities for young people as well as events brought to the whole community by young people. There is something here for everyone from book club, non-binary gamers club, Just Dance club to Mario Kart comp. Check out what's on below.
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.
Road Smart Interactive Workshop
The week of 7th - 11th August, our Year 9 and 10 cohorts participated in Road Smart - funded by the Victorian government. This was an engaging road safety and education program delivered here on site at Emmanuel College, which aims to support students in their foundational stages of learning to drive. The interactive session used fun technology like virtual reality goggles and eLearning, as well as a facilitator to build on knowledge, skills and behaviours to prepare beginner drivers for a lifetime of safe driving.
Journal Club
Journal Club continued in the Library after school on a Tuesday afternoon. Guest speakers present a prompt for the students to write about each week. This semester we had Caroline Garner, Renae Lenehan and Rachele Sloane each pass on some journalling ideas to the attendees. We are delighted to share with you some student journalling, with their permission.
"I believe" a journalling from a prompt "Love Stories" by Trent Dalton.
I believe in laughing with friends and siblings, the importance of passions, pets, opinions, lyrics, music, creativity, sunsets, taking photos or videos of moments, comfort food, comfort movies, getting dressed up for special occassions, all types of chocolate, being part of a community such as school, clubs or fan bases for sports or musicians, family holidays to Apollo Bay, Sydney, Christmas lunch, Summer at the beach, winter with hot chocolates and cozy fires, toasting marshmallows, inspirational people, starry skies far away from cities, the environment, getting lost in a book, wishing for things, happiness and love.
Emma Skilbeck, Year 8.
I believe in sleeping in, watching movies all day snuggled up on the couch, I believe in hanging out with friends, their laughs are the funniest thing. I believe in snuggles with my cat and I believe in annoying my cheeky little siblings. I believe in cheesy pizza and baking yummy cakes. I believe in waking up early on a Saturday to play netball. I believe in nice sunny days. #lovemylife
Matilda Bonnett, Year 8.
I believe in the smell of Summer. I believe in waves crashing into each other and salt spray. I believe in having bubble tea after school and chai that always burns my tongue. I believe in swimming every evening of Summer. I believe in finding a cute crochet pattern. I believe in sinking into the pages of a good book. I believe in staying up watching movies with friend or siblings.
Jess Kelly, Year 7.
I believe in
the way the rain falls on the earth
the way flowers bloom in the sun
I believe in the way my friends make me laugh
the way new books smell when you get them
the way my little brother is cringy
the way my cat rolls around on the floor looking like a rug
the way sea glass looks after you collect it off the beach
the way the waves crash on the shore
the way my dogs get excited by walks or food
the way flowers smell
the way love triumphs
the way ideas for stories come to me
I believe in these things
I believe in getting bubble tea with friends
the way I come up with ideas for endings.
Lexi Amarant, Year 7.
Fit4Life Parent Series - Greg Mitchell
On Tuesday 29th August, we had the pleasure of having Greg Mitchell here at Emmanuel College running a session for our teachers about praise and mindset in the classroom, and a session for parents about teenager emotional regulation.
Greg is an education consultant with over 40 years of teaching experience, with a huge depth of knowledge to empower school communities about a varity of extensive topics. Greg's enthusiastic and engaging persona was well embraced within the school community.
Fuse South West Training Opportunity
Prepare to work safely in the construction industry free course (white card), with limited spaces available so make sure to register using the link below. This course aims to deliver construction work health and safety induction training to people wishing to access building sites. Under legislation, in order to access a building site, work, deliver materials or even visit the site, a Construction Induction Card is required.
When: Wednesday 27th of September 2023
Where: South West TAFE, Portland
Free Defensive Driver Training: 18-25 years of age
Any Year 12 students or those aged 18+ who hold a valid driver's license and can supply their own roadworthy and registered vehicle, can attend this FREE defensive driver training offered through FUSE South West. The opportunity can help youth gain practical in car safety training through an in-car driving experience.
When: Monday 25th September 2023, 8.30am - 4pm
Where: Warrnambool Airport, Mailors Flat
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.
Asthma First Aid
Approximately 1 in 5 children will be diagnosed with asthma sometime during childhood, with most growing out of it. Coming into the spring/summer season, pollen can be a big trigger for young adolescents' asthma. It is important to remember asthma first aid, whether it be for your own child with asthma, their friends, or if you come across someone in the community. Find below some resources on asthma in general, and the first aid when treating asthma.
Stoked Surf Therapy
The Risks of THC Oil Vapes:
With an increase in vaping amongst teens being seen across the country and state, there has also been an increase in the use of THC oil in vapes. A recent Cancer Council NSW report showed that 1 in 3 young people have tried an e-cigarette, and the concerns about how e-cigarettes affect the brain development of young people is growing. Check out the latest Quit campaign and information, and an interesting article below that explaining what THC Oil vaping is and the effects of it.
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.
Headspace Guide to Meditation - Netflix Trailer
It's time to be kind to your mind. In partnership with Headspace, this 8-episode Netflix series shows how meditation can help in your daily life. From tackling stress to embracing gratitude, each episode first teaches the basics and techniques of the practice, and then concludes with a guided meditation.
Push play, close your eyes, and explore the many benefits of meditation, check out the trailer video!
Do you Flourish?
Click on the link to read "Flourish" - a workplace wellbeing magazine.
Articles of interest in this edition include :
- Vaping
- Burnout
- Friendship
- Gratitude
Useful Information
We hope your enjoy a lovely break over the holidays, we look forward to welcoming students back in Term 4 and connecting with parents then. Please find below a list of supports and engagement services should you need them over the holidays, as we will be enjoying the holidays as well.
- Your Fit4Life Team