Yr 9 Wellness Day

During Wednesday’s Wellness Day our terrific Yr 9's were treated to some very special activities and presentations as part of transition week. In addition to making stress balls, doing an energetic fitness work-out with professional personal trainer Sarah and learning some relaxation exercises (for some it was hard not to fall asleep!) the students were privileged to have Claire Eaton from "ROC Teen" provide a range of tips and ideas on how to make the most of a new academic year.  Claire helped empower our young men and women by talking about the importance of facing those inevitable challenges that arise through adolescence, about the big (yes BIG!) changes going on in their brains and about accepting responsibility for their actions. She used a great visual metaphor about ‘above and below the line’ when it comes to the way we think/feel/respond to all the stuff happening in our lives – a great way of visualising positive and negative thought patterns to help stay more resilient, optimistic and confident.  Our students showed Claire much respect and honesty during the sessions.  We are certainly looking forward to having Claire speak next week to the Yr. 10's as part of their transition week.

Claire then returned in the evening to present to parents and caregivers.  We had a terrific turnout of around 35 people attending to hear Claire explain some of the concepts she'd shared with the students earlier in the day.  Throughout her insightful presentation Claire displayed a warm touch of humour and shared some of her personal parenting experiences which many parents acknowledged were very similar to their own.  We hope that parents took away some important messages about coping with the challenges that adolescence brings both at school and at home.   

Thank to you all the parents and caregivers who came along - I think it really shows the level of dedication and commitment to our school community and our young people as they make their journey towards adulthood.  

Warm regards, Ms Betti, HCC Social Worker