Wellbeing and Pastoral Care
Woodville High School’s commitment remains steadfast in supporting the multidimensional growth in our students and staff. Each student’s journey is unique and all teachers recognise that every child’s social, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing underpins their capacity to learn and thrive.
Our Wellbeing Team
Sandro Bracci
Senior Leader Wellbeing and Inclusion
Jessica Michas
Wellbeing Leader
Jessica Curnow
Wellbeing Leader
Benjamin Rice
Youth Worker
Mariya Zubrayeva
Mental Health Practitioner
Sue Weidemann
Wellbeing Hub Receptionist
Dinah Balacco
Pastrol Support Worker
Alison Kendal
Tailored Learning Youth Worker
Student Wellbeing
Contemporary research is creating an increasing understanding of the integrated and dynamic nature of human development for wellbeing through the effective development of capabilities, knowledge and dispositions for learning. For our community to thrive we are committed to creating enabling conditions for our learners. By recognising and developing their disciplinary knowledge and key capabilities, we will support our young people to be comfortable and confident in who they are and give them the tools to flourish throughout their lives – from the middle years, through schooling, and beyond.
Our approach is based on Our Motto Reach for the Stars and our core values of Diversity, Integrity and Resilience. Our commitment to Restorative Practices strengthens our relationships and creates a sense of belonging and connectedness to our diverse community. Wellbeing involves care, concern, compassion, love and forgiveness, as well as establishing boundaries and learning from our mistakes. It includes curriculum, behaviour development, co-curricular activities, student leadership and social interactions.
Our Wellbeing Team is responsible for overseeing the implementation of our Wellbeing Policy and for ensuring that school staff, students and families are ‘well beings’.
Our teachers are committed to providing the best care for each student; care that focuses on empowering every student to fulfil their dreams with ambition, confidence and knowledge to shape an inclusive world for collective wellbeing and sustainable development. Our Woodville is a community where student’s interests, capabilities and aspirations are valued and nurtured to maximise achievement and growth for every learner through agency, human connectedness, belonging and the ability to transfer their learning to different contexts and situations. We believe that teaching our students the skills of resilience and perseverance, is essential in equipping them for the challenges of the future.
Our Wellbeing Services
Wellbeing Hub
The Wellbeing Hub is our centre of wellbeing and behaviour support. It is where students access support for their wellbeing and increase their capacity to engage in learning. Our Wellbeing Hub is staffed by our Wellbeing Team and House Leaders collaborating to deliver the best outcomes for students and families.
They support students to problem solve and address issues impacting their wellbeing, learning and engagement. Our Wellbeing Hub is a safe, supervised space for students to be coached to regulate their emotions and/or de-escalate following a crisis in order to re-engage with their learning.
Mental Health Practitioner
Our mental health practitioner is crucial in helping families and students improve their wellbeing. Our practitioner goes beyond traditional therapy and collaborates with other mental health professionals to provide personalised help.
By using this support network, families and students have access to a wide range of services, which improves their overall wellbeing and promotes longterm positive mental health.
Wellbeing Leaders, Youth Workers and a Pastoral Care Worker
Our team of Wellbeing Leaders, Youth Workers, and Pastoral Support Worker are responsible for supporting students in their social and emotional wellbeing. They work with students and their families to strengthen connections with school and link them with community agencies to provide support. Where needed, educational options and interventions are identified to provide positive experiences for students in the wider community that result in the overall enhancement of their wellbeing and successful engagement with learning.
Headspace
The Woodville High School Headspace clinic is a free and confidential health service for young people aged 12-19. The health service runs weekly at the school and students require parental consent to participate.
The student wellbeing leader will contact parents/caregiver to organise consent (if the student is under the age of 16) and initiate a referral to be triage by the Headspace triage team.
Alternatively, if you require support for your child a student wellbeing leader can initiate the referral process on your behalf. Please contact the school on 8445 9833 if you require assistance.
Reconnect
The Reconnect Program is a community-based early intervention and prevention program for young people aged 12 to 18 years (or 12 to 21 years in the case of newly arrived youth) who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and their families. Reconnect services provide counselling, group work, mediation, and practical support to the whole family, to help break the cycle of homelessness.
Reconnect services work collaboratively with schools and a range of services to make sure all clients presenting to or being referred to Reconnect either receive assistance, or are directed to more appropriate services, such as specialised mental health services.
Student Wellbeing Leaders can make referrals to the service if either the student or parents/carers request support to help stabilise ongoing concerns within the family. Reconnect will make appointments with students during school time and meet them at school with the support of Wellbeing Leaders.Please contact a Wellbeing Leader on 8445 9833 if you would like some support with family conflict or if there are concerns regarding homelessness.
School TV
Because parenting doesn’t come with instructions, SchoolTV is a wellbeing resource that can support you in the challenges relating to modern-day parenting.
This award-winning resource helps build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding and break down barriers to navigate a pathway towards better mental health and wellbeing for young people. It can assist in starting conversations on topics that are sometimes awkward or difficult to tackle.
Breakfast Club & Sanitary Supplies
In conjunction with Kickstart for Kids Woodville High School provides a daily Breakfast Club program.
This is a free and confidential service where students can collect food at the canteen prior to school starting (8am). With the support of the Lighthouse Foundation and Foodbank we also have emergencies lunches and toiletry products for students.
These items are kept in our Learning Hub and can be accessed by all students upon request. Please contact the Wellbeing Hub on 8445 9833 if you would like to discuss any of the food or product services available.
Our Future. Our Place. Our Woodville.
THRIVE
Contemporary research has created an understanding of the integrated and dynamic nature of human development for wellbeing through the effective development of capabilities, knowledge and dispositions for learning. For our community to thrive we are committed to creating enabling conditions for our learners. Our Thrive program was developed through student consultation with this this in mind to address the key areas of:
- Academic
- Careers Guide
- Community Outreach
- Connection to Our Woodville through core values
- Pathways Planning
- Peer Support
- Wellbeing
Our House Leaders
House leaders play a vital role for students in supporting their learning, attendance, engagement and wellbeing
The House Leader, in partnership with the Wellbeing Team, is primarily responsible for student wellbeing and for fostering a sense of belonging, inclusion and developing a high-performance culture. The House Leader will support students to develop a sense of personal responsibility in relation to students’ own learning, compliance with school policies and expectations, and their place as a member of our Woodville community. The House Leader will play an important role in creating, developing and fostering a positive culture within their house, which, whilst being unique to the individual house, will encapsulate Woodville High School’s motto, values and aspiration for excellence. Their leadership will ensure exceptional administrative and organisational detail such that the aims of the school house system are achieved. The House Leader works within a Restorative Practices framework, which informs how they interact with students, staff and families. House Leaders have a central role to play in its implementation, facilitation and development. The House Leader will be able to demonstrate a commitment and capacity to actively contribute to and lead whole school improvement initiatives in the domain of student wellbeing, manage major student activities, and a commitment to ongoing professional learning for self and others to enable further development of skills, expertise and teaching capacity.
The House System proactively supports all students to achieve success including using student data to monitor each student’s achievement and progress through the Australian Curriculum and SACE to shape a pathway beyond school.
Emily Kavanagh
Jupiter House Leader
Nigel Gramp
Mercury House Leader
John Katavatis
Neptune House Leader
Daniel Wilksch
Sirius House Leader
Our House System
Woodville High School’s House System fosters school spirit, teamwork, and a sense of belonging. Students are grouped into houses, competing in academic, sporting, and engage in cultural events throughout the year.
The House System encourages friendly competition, leadership, and collaboration, while celebrating diversity and unity within the school community.
As our school grows, we believe how we welcome and incorporate all students and families into our Woodville Community so that lifelong friendships are formed, a solid work ethic is nurtured, teamwork is fostered, and leadership will be promoted is vital. A Student commencing at Woodville High School becomes a member of a smaller community in their House. They are immediately part of a welcoming supportive environment. The House system is a structure that develops relational learning at Woodville High School and is focused on student learning and wellbeing. Our focus will be to strengthen staff and students’ sense of belonging, welcome, camaraderie and identity. Each House Group will have students from each year level as a vertical grouped, peer supportive environment. The House Group Teacher will stay with the House Group for 6 years to strengthen family relationships and house spirit. Woodville High School has four Houses: Mercury, Jupiter, Sirius, Neptune. The Houses have physical spaces where students will congregate. Within each House, lifelong friendships are formed, a solid work ethic is nurtured, teamwork is fostered, and leadership will be promoted. Students will elevate the spirit of their houses through Academic Awards, House Competitions, Events, Games, Carnivals, Activities, House Spaces, and the Buddy Program/Peer Mentor Program.
