Penbank Letter Home
Term 3 Reflection
While I am well into my third year as Principal of Woodleigh, I am still enjoying firsts. Traditionally ‘the quiet term’, this term has been the term where community engagement has sparked back into life.
A cornerstone in Woodleigh education, this was the first year since 2019 we could run Activities Week. I was privileged to join students at both Mt Hotham and Dinner Plain snow trips. As skiing is a passion of mine, this was a perfect way to connect with students and staff while enjoying the beautiful Victorian Alps.
During my career, I have taken students skiing and on snow trips many times, both in Australia and abroad. However, I have never enjoyed the company of our students as much as I did this year. There was an overwhelming sense of gratitude and appreciation shown by all. I have never felt so welcomed by students as I was during this trip. It was a great chance to see and appreciate how insightful, positive and respectful Woodleigh students are. In three decades of teaching, this stands them apart from students I have worked with before. In particular, I must thank the cross-country students, who patiently worked with their flagging Principal as he struggled to keep up on the trails and complained incessantly about blisters and a sore ankle. Quite pathetic really.
Activities Week is a different way of learning. Yes, it’s time away from the classroom, but it's not a holiday. It’s about giving young people the opportunity to immerse themselves in an activity and a group of people beyond their comfort zone, and to have the courage to have a go. This is a big thing for a teenager, where they are worried about making a fool of themselves in front of their peers. Kids learn teamwork, communication and organisational skills, confidence, and although the focus is on the activity – whether it be ceramics, surfing, or golf – they come away learning more about themselves in a context beyond home and school. It’s a powerful form of personal development.
It's also been a term where our Junior Campus students have attended camps in areas as diverse as Sovereign Hill, Alexandra, and the Northern Territory. Yes, camp is fun, but it can also be a powerful opportunity for growth. Our Year 6 Penbank students, for example, travelled great distances to live, learn and thrive within the Beswick Wugularr community, creating lifelong friendships and developing a deep understanding of aboriginal culture. These students will be the change agents of the future; to have this understanding of first nations perspectives from such a young age fills me with hope about our shared future.
You don’t have to travel as far as the Northern Territory for camp to be a growth opportunity. When we travel, it’s the change of context that allows students time to reflect on who they are, where they come from, and who they are striving to be. The journey here is an inward one, and it can’t be underrated as they find their way in the world, at Woodleigh and beyond.
Another incredible first this term was to finally attend school productions at Senior Campus. Almost Maine and The Little Mermaid were outstanding student-powered productions that left me in awe at the depth of talent we have at Woodleigh. I loved being immersed in a live theatre environment, and was completely drawn into the subtleties and nuances of the plot and the acting. Our dedicated drama and music staff allow our students to be their absolute best through coaching, mentoring and encouragement. Several Board members commented on the fact that Woodleigh kids do everything, in keeping with our philosophy as a school. Woodleigh kids do do everything, but that’s because our school fosters a culture where everyone is given every opportunity to have a go, play a part, take a risk.
None of this would be possible without our incredibly dedicated staff – teaching and non-teaching – but also without you, Woodleigh families. The school can only be as ambitious as the people that make up our community. Your engagement as parents is the key third ingredient in your children’s education and development as young people. As we shuck the shell of Covid, I would encourage you – like our students – to take up as many opportunities to engage with the school as you can. Whether it be through attending PFG events such as Fathers’ Day Breakfasts, Rock Quiz or Christmas in July; through our regular Parent Education Program (PEP) Talks, or through attending evenings such as our strategic plan launch, we encourage you to immerse yourself in our school community. These events are a chance to meet other parents, talk to staff, connect, unpack and reflect on your child’s journey at Woodleigh.
To those who did manage to attend our Learning to thrive Strategic Plan launches at Minimbah, Penbank and Senior Campus, thank you. The Board and I are incredibly proud of our plan, and very excited about the future direction of our school and the possibilities this will bring. I am grateful for the feedback we received and, most importantly, the encouragement to continue our journey and maintain a focus on our purpose as a school:
Have a great holiday and enjoy the spring sunshine.
DAVID BAKER
Principal
Learning to Thrive Strategic Plan video
For those of you who missed our recent Learning to Thrive Strategic Plan launch events, here is a video upload of the Senior Campus event on 5 September.
Notice of Withdrawal
Please note, in line with our Terms of Business, a full term’s notice of withdrawal from the School is required, otherwise a term’s fees will be charged in lieu of notice.
DAVID BAKER
Principal
Building a Positive Mental Health Toolkit
R U OK? Day is a annual event that aims to "inspire and empower everyone to meaningfully connect with the people around them and start a conversation with those in their world who may be struggling with life.”
It's a meaningful initiative, this year taken up by senior students to reduce stigma, encourage help-seeking behaviour and promote positive mental health and wellbeing.
To extend this conversation and create a meaningful and personalized resource, I want to share with you (an edited) article by Linda Stade:
Every child needs a Toolkit for Positive Mental Health.
What's in it?
Every day, our kids go off to school with a backpack full of all they need for the day. There will be books, possibly a device for schoolwork, and food or money for the canteen. Some days, there may also be special clothes for sports or after-school activities. Our children leave home seemingly ready to face the day.
All this equipment is important. However, it is nowhere near as important as the invisible toolkit our kids need to carry into school and life beyond school. They need a positive mental health toolkit and parents have the privilege of helping kids pack that toolkit over the course of their development.
Why is a mental health toolkit so important?
In Australia, research confirms 75% of mental health issues begin before the age of 25. More surprisingly, 50% begin before the age of 14. These facts are confronting but the intention here is not to scare parents. This knowledge should mobilise us into action.
By ensuring our kids are developing a well-equipped mental health toolkit, we can support them in building the resilience they need when facing the inevitable challenges life presents.
What belongs in your child’s mental health toolkit?
Trusted adults who listen
One of the greatest protective factors a child can have against poor mental health is at least one adult who is trustworthy, deeply present, listening, and who believes in them. Whether you are a parent or a trusted adult outside of the child’s home, like a teacher, counsellor, family friend, or an extended relative, you have the potential to make a significant difference.
Exercise
Exercise releases feel-good chemicals like endorphins and serotonin. They can improve mood and decrease anxiety and depression. Exercise improves self-esteem which is vital during the vulnerable years of adolescence. It also has the potential to connect kids with different groups of people which decreases feelings of loneliness and isolation.
A balanced diet
Our kids’ diet is everything they put into their bodies. It is the food they eat, the television they watch, the social media they absorb, and the conversations they have. The health of our kids’ bodies and minds relies on balance in all things.
Wide emotional vocabulary
Clinical psychologist, Kristina Morgan says, “Being a human means we ALL have the full range of emotion. No one is happy all the time. No one is nice all the time. We all get sad, disappointed, hurt, and angry. The broader the emotional language you use with kids, the more space you can provide to express emotions effectively.”
Freedom to express emotion
Children who live in a home where all emotions are allowed and valued are more likely to express and process their emotions in a healthy way.
“A child needs the opportunity to practice how to live with and respond to, their entire range of human emotion while they have you as their safety net. That way they can learn to respond in a way that’s healthy for themselves, and respectful of others.”
All emotions are acceptable, all behaviours are not; our kids need the opportunity to recognise that difference.
Emotional regulation strategies
Emotional regulation is the process of recognising, labelling, and then soothing emotions. Some self-regulation occurs naturally. We might sigh more when upset as it allows more oxygen which is calming. Crying is another natural self-regulation tool; it is an emotional release. Other regulation strategies can be learned. For example, exercise, enjoying music, focusing on the mind-body connection, or connecting with people they love and trust. Working with you, kids will be able to identify what works for them.
Gratitude
Gratitude is proven to change the way we mentally and emotionally approach life. Noticing the positive things that are in each day, even on the worst days, buffers your child against the times that are uncomfortable and difficult.
Humans have a natural negativity bias which was designed to keep us safe in our early evolution. It paid to be suspicious when there were sabretooth tigers wandering around! However, today we need to challenge our automatic negative filter and look for the good. Teach kids to acknowledge the good in their life by starting and ending every day with an acknowledgment of at least three things for which they are grateful.
Mindfulness practices
Mindfulness is the process of consciously listening to your thoughts and being aware of which ones are useful and which ones aren’t. Mindfulness practices keep the mind in the present and stop us from worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. Meditation, yoga, journaling, body scanning, colouring, and breathing exercises are all useful. There are also excellent apps like Smiling Mind.
Quality sleep
An action we can take immediately to improve the mental health of young people is to ensure they get enough sleep. Our kids need undisturbed, restorative sleep every night to cope with the ups and downs of their days. It’s a no-brainer, yet large numbers of Australian kids are not even getting the minimum for mental health, growth, learning, and development. As a guide, a primary school student needs between 9 and 11 hours of sleep, and a secondary school student needs between 8 and 10 hours.
Regular contact with nature
Regular time in nature has been shown to evoke positive emotions as well as developing individual resilience. It can also be useful as a way of counteracting some of the symptoms of mental ill-health. Both green spaces and aquatic spaces produce well-being benefits. More remote and biodiverse spaces have a greater impact, but even your local parks and trees can lead to positive outcomes.
Healthy friendships
Good friends, who respect boundaries and behave in a supportive way, provide connection and companionship. They are strong protective forces in our young peoples’ lives. There is no magic number of friends that a child needs. Some may need very few friends, while others will need many.
Access to professionals
It’s 2022 and so hopefully we are past the belief that talking to a good friend is just as good as seeing a psychologist. It isn’t. A psychologist, counsellor, or other mental health professionals have the training, skills, and experience to help our kids reflect, explore, come to realisations, and then employ strategies for growth. They are also able to recognise mental health disorders that require more specialised treatment. Please normalise seeing mental health professionals. There should be pride in that kind of self-care.
Helplines
Often kids don’t have the skills or confidence to arrange to see a health professional, but they do know how to use a phone. There are helplines for kids manned by trained staff who can listen and guide. EVERY child should have these numbers in their phone’s contact list. Have that conversation and help them enter these numbers today.
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (telephone and online counselling for ages 5 - 25)
Lifeline 13 11 14
They should also bookmark these websites:
eheadspace to chat online
ReachOut.com (youth mental health service) Visit the website for info or use the online forum
A sense of meaning and purpose
When our kids have a sense of meaning and purpose, spiritual or otherwise, they feel grounded and as though they are part of something bigger than themselves. Research shows that this sense of meaning can be correlated with greater levels of positive mental health.
Final thought…
If parents, and all significant adults, truly recognised their impact on children’s emotional development, we would be humbled, honoured, and deeply cognisant of our responsibilities. We can help kids face the world with a mental health toolkit that will give them the best possible chance of living their best lives.
In kindness,
DONNA NAIRN
Director of Counselling
Acknowledgements & further reading:
Every child needs a toolkit for mental health
Fathers, Friends and Footy at Penbank
A brilliant morning was had by all at our annual PFG breakfast on Thursday 1 September to celebrate the father figures in our lives. A massive thanks go to the volunteers and friends of the PFG for organising the brekky and to the families for starting your day with us.
Book Week Assembly
Some highlights from our week 8 Book Week assembly. Thank you students and teachers for putting so much effort into your costumes! You looked incredible.
Term 3 Soiree
Penbank parents and families are warmly invited to our term 3 Soiree on Wednesday 14 September at 7pm.
Guests will be treated to performances by our Junior and Senior Choirs, Junior and Senior Orchestras, Rock Band, Percussion and Guitar Ensembles in the hall.
Doors open at 6.45pm.
Please RSVP below to let us know you're coming!
REGISTER NOWFor those of you who missed our recent Learning to Thrive Strategic Plan launch events, here is a video upload of the Senior Campus event on 5 September.
Please note, in line with our Terms of Business, a full term’s notice of withdrawal from the School is required, otherwise a term’s fees will be charged in lieu of notice.
DAVID BAKER
Principal
R U OK? Day is a annual event that aims to "inspire and empower everyone to meaningfully connect with the people around them and start a conversation with those in their world who may be struggling with life.”
It's a meaningful initiative, this year taken up by senior students to reduce stigma, encourage help-seeking behaviour and promote positive mental health and wellbeing.
To extend this conversation and create a meaningful and personalized resource, I want to share with you (an edited) article by Linda Stade:
Every child needs a Toolkit for Positive Mental Health.
What's in it?
Every day, our kids go off to school with a backpack full of all they need for the day. There will be books, possibly a device for schoolwork, and food or money for the canteen. Some days, there may also be special clothes for sports or after-school activities. Our children leave home seemingly ready to face the day.
All this equipment is important. However, it is nowhere near as important as the invisible toolkit our kids need to carry into school and life beyond school. They need a positive mental health toolkit and parents have the privilege of helping kids pack that toolkit over the course of their development.
Why is a mental health toolkit so important?
In Australia, research confirms 75% of mental health issues begin before the age of 25. More surprisingly, 50% begin before the age of 14. These facts are confronting but the intention here is not to scare parents. This knowledge should mobilise us into action.
By ensuring our kids are developing a well-equipped mental health toolkit, we can support them in building the resilience they need when facing the inevitable challenges life presents.
What belongs in your child’s mental health toolkit?
Trusted adults who listen
One of the greatest protective factors a child can have against poor mental health is at least one adult who is trustworthy, deeply present, listening, and who believes in them. Whether you are a parent or a trusted adult outside of the child’s home, like a teacher, counsellor, family friend, or an extended relative, you have the potential to make a significant difference.
Exercise
Exercise releases feel-good chemicals like endorphins and serotonin. They can improve mood and decrease anxiety and depression. Exercise improves self-esteem which is vital during the vulnerable years of adolescence. It also has the potential to connect kids with different groups of people which decreases feelings of loneliness and isolation.
A balanced diet
Our kids’ diet is everything they put into their bodies. It is the food they eat, the television they watch, the social media they absorb, and the conversations they have. The health of our kids’ bodies and minds relies on balance in all things.
Wide emotional vocabulary
Clinical psychologist, Kristina Morgan says, “Being a human means we ALL have the full range of emotion. No one is happy all the time. No one is nice all the time. We all get sad, disappointed, hurt, and angry. The broader the emotional language you use with kids, the more space you can provide to express emotions effectively.”
Freedom to express emotion
Children who live in a home where all emotions are allowed and valued are more likely to express and process their emotions in a healthy way.
“A child needs the opportunity to practice how to live with and respond to, their entire range of human emotion while they have you as their safety net. That way they can learn to respond in a way that’s healthy for themselves, and respectful of others.”
All emotions are acceptable, all behaviours are not; our kids need the opportunity to recognise that difference.
Emotional regulation strategies
Emotional regulation is the process of recognising, labelling, and then soothing emotions. Some self-regulation occurs naturally. We might sigh more when upset as it allows more oxygen which is calming. Crying is another natural self-regulation tool; it is an emotional release. Other regulation strategies can be learned. For example, exercise, enjoying music, focusing on the mind-body connection, or connecting with people they love and trust. Working with you, kids will be able to identify what works for them.
Gratitude
Gratitude is proven to change the way we mentally and emotionally approach life. Noticing the positive things that are in each day, even on the worst days, buffers your child against the times that are uncomfortable and difficult.
Humans have a natural negativity bias which was designed to keep us safe in our early evolution. It paid to be suspicious when there were sabretooth tigers wandering around! However, today we need to challenge our automatic negative filter and look for the good. Teach kids to acknowledge the good in their life by starting and ending every day with an acknowledgment of at least three things for which they are grateful.
Mindfulness practices
Mindfulness is the process of consciously listening to your thoughts and being aware of which ones are useful and which ones aren’t. Mindfulness practices keep the mind in the present and stop us from worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. Meditation, yoga, journaling, body scanning, colouring, and breathing exercises are all useful. There are also excellent apps like Smiling Mind.
Quality sleep
An action we can take immediately to improve the mental health of young people is to ensure they get enough sleep. Our kids need undisturbed, restorative sleep every night to cope with the ups and downs of their days. It’s a no-brainer, yet large numbers of Australian kids are not even getting the minimum for mental health, growth, learning, and development. As a guide, a primary school student needs between 9 and 11 hours of sleep, and a secondary school student needs between 8 and 10 hours.
Regular contact with nature
Regular time in nature has been shown to evoke positive emotions as well as developing individual resilience. It can also be useful as a way of counteracting some of the symptoms of mental ill-health. Both green spaces and aquatic spaces produce well-being benefits. More remote and biodiverse spaces have a greater impact, but even your local parks and trees can lead to positive outcomes.
Healthy friendships
Good friends, who respect boundaries and behave in a supportive way, provide connection and companionship. They are strong protective forces in our young peoples’ lives. There is no magic number of friends that a child needs. Some may need very few friends, while others will need many.
Access to professionals
It’s 2022 and so hopefully we are past the belief that talking to a good friend is just as good as seeing a psychologist. It isn’t. A psychologist, counsellor, or other mental health professionals have the training, skills, and experience to help our kids reflect, explore, come to realisations, and then employ strategies for growth. They are also able to recognise mental health disorders that require more specialised treatment. Please normalise seeing mental health professionals. There should be pride in that kind of self-care.
Helplines
Often kids don’t have the skills or confidence to arrange to see a health professional, but they do know how to use a phone. There are helplines for kids manned by trained staff who can listen and guide. EVERY child should have these numbers in their phone’s contact list. Have that conversation and help them enter these numbers today.
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (telephone and online counselling for ages 5 - 25)
Lifeline 13 11 14
They should also bookmark these websites:
eheadspace to chat online
ReachOut.com (youth mental health service) Visit the website for info or use the online forum
A sense of meaning and purpose
When our kids have a sense of meaning and purpose, spiritual or otherwise, they feel grounded and as though they are part of something bigger than themselves. Research shows that this sense of meaning can be correlated with greater levels of positive mental health.
Final thought…
If parents, and all significant adults, truly recognised their impact on children’s emotional development, we would be humbled, honoured, and deeply cognisant of our responsibilities. We can help kids face the world with a mental health toolkit that will give them the best possible chance of living their best lives.
In kindness,
DONNA NAIRN
Director of Counselling
Acknowledgements & further reading:
A brilliant morning was had by all at our annual PFG breakfast on Thursday 1 September to celebrate the father figures in our lives. A massive thanks go to the volunteers and friends of the PFG for organising the brekky and to the families for starting your day with us.
Some highlights from our week 8 Book Week assembly. Thank you students and teachers for putting so much effort into your costumes! You looked incredible.
Penbank parents and families are warmly invited to our term 3 Soiree on Wednesday 14 September at 7pm.
Guests will be treated to performances by our Junior and Senior Choirs, Junior and Senior Orchestras, Rock Band, Percussion and Guitar Ensembles in the hall.
Doors open at 6.45pm.
Please RSVP below to let us know you're coming!
REGISTER NOW