Student Support Services - Inclusion & Guidance Officer
Dear parents,
Our SSS team continue to support students with small group interventions to help with personal growth including Girls group, Boys group and Rock n Water. Participants are referred by teachers and parents but some students also self-refer. It is great to see our students developing self-awareness and aiming to show up as the best person they can be. Starting soon is the Love Bites program facilitated by our two Youth Workers. Permission slips will be sent home in the coming weeks.
Recently, I have been working with a handful of students in Year 10 on the STAR mentoring program which is a 1 on 1 mentoring program for students at risk of disengaging. It has been satisfying to see improvements in students. A key resource in this program is the My Wellbeing Journal by Lauren O’Brien and this might be a resource of interest to any parents wanting to build resilience in their adolescent.
I am also providing information for parents on the Partners in Parenting - Education (PiP- Ed) program. This is a free resource, a set of evidence-based parenting guidelines, which could be beneficial in supporting both school staff and families with students experiencing school refusal.
The guidelines contain practical strategies for parents to respond to their child’s school attendance difficulties. This organisation is currently conducting research to better understand how useful these guidelines are, and how they could be improved. If you would like to be a part of this research, please get in touch. The study is approved by the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (MUHREC; Project ID: 37577). You can find out more and download the guidelines at:
https://www.parentingstrategies.net/
SET Plan
It was an absolute delight to meet with families during the Year SET plan process and to see the array of Senior Schooling options on offer. Griffith recently provided information on “Griffith Eng”, a two-year part-time university course for Year 11 and 12 students, run through our GUESTS (Griffith University Early Start to Tertiary Studies) At-School program.
Year 6 to Year 7 Transition
Lastly, Ripley Valley SSC staff have been working behind the scenes to ensure the 2024 Year 6 to 7 transition is a smooth one for our new students. If you have not submitted enrolment paperwork and your child will be attending Year 7 at our school in 2024, we urge you to do so. There are many ways our School Support Services team will be supporting your Year 6 child with the jump from primary to high school but for now I’d like to promote our small group interventions.
In Term 1 of 2024, our support staff will be facilitating small groups programs for students who need extra support settling into a new environment and we need your help identifying who might benefit from these programs. Please read the descriptions below and email the Guidance Officer on jingr34@eq.edu.au so we can reserve a spot for your child. Our small group programs are popular, so to avoid disappointment, please reach out as soon as possible.
Girls Group
Who: Girls in Years 7, 8
When: Maths and English Extension Lines
Where: SSS - J207
What: Girls’ Group has been developed and facilitated by the RVSSC Youth Worker, Alicia Pickerill who has a background in Psychology and program development. Girls’ Group is designed to offer a fun and engaging way for female student to explore a range of topics including; self-esteem, confidence, friendships, body image, self-care, mindfulness and goal setting. Throughout this program, students will utilize arts and crafts to create and develop their own reflective journal that they can keep and reflect back on as needed.
Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAP)
Who: Students in Years 7 and 8
When: Term 4: English and Maths Extension Lines
What: RAP was developed to build resilience and promote positive mental health in teenagers. The program specifically aims to prevent teenage depression and related difficulties. It engages participants to think about what it means to be resourceful, as well as develop new strategies that will build their resilience. The program addresses issues such as managing stress, managing emotions, building self-esteem, promoting family harmony, and keeping peace with others.
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Rock and Water Program Who: Students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 When: Thursday on rotating roster Where: B Block (Community Hub) What: Rock and Water is a program designed to decrease bullying and depressive feelings, and increases self-esteem, self-regulation and social acceptance. It also aims to build self-confidence, self-respect and self-reflection through psychophysical training. Rock and Water is delivered as a course of lessons consisting of different exercises and games. |
YSC Boys Group
Who: Boys in Years 7 and 8
Boys group is a program designed around building community within a small group of students while exploring a range of topics together such as: Confidence, Respect, Responsibility, Purpose and Perseverance. These are all topics that young men have heard before, however boys group aims to go deeper into why these topics are important and what they truly mean for each student personally. All exploration of topics have been designed to be engaging, fun and will be explored through discussions, videos, activities and interactive games.
Janet Ingram
Guidance Officer