THE FINISH LINE! š„³
After another quick holidays, we find ourselves in Week 5 of Term 4, suddenly! Weāre almost there. Letās recap this term so far.
PROGRAM NEWS!
InĀ TermĀ 3, we had many programs graduate, and are now planning into the new year for an exciting new series of groups! The crew at ChangeMakers are still going at it, and are looking to graduate in the coming weeks – great work!
Weāll see you all at Breakfast Club, our daily safe haven for students and staff – providing free food for Breakfast, and snacks for recess and lunch. Come down with your friends for a free feed every morning in A12 (Wellbeing)! See you there!
LUNCHTIME CLUBS FOR EVERYONE!Ā
Donāt forget about the clubs weāre running each week!
On Mondays, we hold our Year 7 & 8 Hang-out club, where the City of Casey Youth Services drop in and connect with our juniors around support available in the community. Looking forward to seeing how the club continues transforming. Join us in A12!
Every second Friday lunch, the 180 Youth Group from One Youth visit and run some mini-games and chats in H14! Weāll see you there in Week 2 nextĀ term.
We thank our friends at Bunjil Place for their work with our Seniors at Artfulness Club this year. For the second year in a row, weāve worked to support our seniors in busy times to connect with each other and the community over art; and hope we can run it again next year. Check out the Art Gallery at Bunjil Place for their newest exhibits, and their Youth Program – Arts Agitators, with Sarah!
https://www.bunjilplace.com.au/learn/young-people
We also celebrate our work with the Australian Muslim Womenās Centre for Human Rights – running their Sisters-Space club on Tuesdays throughout the year. We are excited to reconnect in the year ahead! We thank Farima for her time with us over the past 3 years, and look forward to hearing how her new adventures in the youth field go. Their service also provides valuable work for families who are newly arrived to Australia, and can provide case management for intensive family support. If you need support around these areas – please reach out https://amwchr.org.au/our-work/
WELCOME (BACK) CYNDEE & HARLIN! š
This term, we (re)welcome Cyndee Bautista, as our returning Health Promotion Nurse. Cyndee last worked with HPSC in 2019, and has come again to work with our community on Tuesdays and Fridays – and can meet with students around a variety of health – counselling needs; and will work closely with Prue Smith, our school Nurse, around health education at HPSC. Weāre excited to have you back!
One of our Wellbeing veterans, Harlin, is returning to us in Commencement – and we canāt wait to welcome her back. If you see her in the yard, make her feel welcome! Youāll see her in the Wellbeing and Careers spaces from late November!
FREE HELP ACROSS THE COLLEGE š¤²
Our DoctorsĀ in Secondary Schools Program is back up and running! Our new clinic Narre Warren Medical Centre, is very excited to start and will be here every Thursday from 10/9.
The doctor, also known as a General Practitioner or GP, is at the school to help you be as healthy as possible, so you can see them for free. There will be both female and male GPs available for students, and the appointments will be about 20mins on Thursdays.
You might like to speak to the GP to get some information or help with health issues like:
- Physical wellbeing ā including sleep and exercise
- Healthy eating
- Relationship issues ā including sexual health
- Drug or alcohol use ā including smoking and vaping
- Emotional wellbeing ā including feeling down or worried
- General health concerns
You can make an appointment for the GP by following the instructions in the guide below.
Your appointment will be put onto your Compass schedule as āmeetingā and you will get a confirmation message via Teams or your school email address. The appointments will be available during the schoolĀ termĀ (not over the holidays), and will be 20 minutes per appointment. Appointments will be held in the GP clinic near E Bock, by Fordholm Road.
Our School Lawyers are also available for free appointments weekly!
The Team at SMLS provide free, confidential Lawyer appointments and Education Sessions to students on Tuesdays – based in the Wellbeing Centre at the college. To book, go through Compass – check out the guide below. If you have a question, please come and speak to the Wellbeing Team and we can support with booking!
The Lawyers can help you with concerns or questions around:
- Immigration & Visa Helpāāā- Community Safetyāāāā- Law and The Police
– Drugs and Alcohol ConcernsĀ āāāā- Job Seeking
- Driving LawĀ āāāā- Study and Careers SupportĀ āāāā- Financial Concerns āāāā- Family Law āāāāāāāāā¦ and more!
Outside schoolĀ – the team at SMLS might still be available for support – get in contact with them through the details on their website, to see if they can arrange an in-person, or phone appointment with you or your family: https://www.smls.com.au/
They also run a free Counselling service for Young People aged 12-25, to help provide Mental Health support in the community. They can provide in-person appointments at theirĀ 3Ā Youth Centres, online support, or appointments over-the-phone. Referrals are easy, and wait times are quite quick. Check out the website and flyer below for more info! https://www.casey.vic.gov.au/get-counselling-support
GOOD LUCK, SENIORS! š
To all of our Year 11s and 12s on exams, or working through their pathways after school, goodĀ luck! You absolutely got this, and we know youāll smash it! Reach out if youāre needing help this year, and the college will be happy to support your initial transition from school where possible.
KEEP UP THE CONNECTION WITH THESE COMMUNITY SERVICES! šļø
The Wellbeing Team get to catch up on their Beauty Sleep and Self-care over the holidays (Yay!) ā but we want to emphasise that just because we arenāt available in that time, doesnāt mean Students arenāt without community supports. Hereās some ideas of local options you can check-out to help keep your Wellbeing in check!
- Free Sports Clubs? Yes Please!
- Reclink is the one-stop organisation for free Sports and Recreation clubs across the community! With a bunch of Volleyball, Soccer, AFL (and other sports) clubs across Casey and Dandenong ā lock in your newest hangout spot with your mates, and get involved in your favourite hobbies! Check out the details and locations in the link –https://reclink.org/
- Unitingās Komak Team also run a new exciting initiative for Afghan girls in the community – Keeping Afghan Girls Active!
Check out the info at this link for info and registration!
https://www.unitingvictas.org.au/event/keeping-afghan-girls-active-celebrating-our-journey/
- The School Doctor and Lawyers are away from the school for now, but are still out and about!
- Looking free Doctors and Health Services? Narre Warren Headspace (next to Fountain Gate) is your answer! Book online by the link below, set a date, and bring your Medicare care ā that simple! Book through this HotDoc Link: https://www.hotdoc.com.au/medical-centres/narre-warren-VIC-3805/headspace-narre-warren/doctors
- Free Legal Services are can be accessed by phone call through contacting Youth-Law. Check out this website for some contacts and information: https://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/rights-and-safety/know-your-rights/where-get-legal-advice
- When we come back, make sure to check in with our SMLS School Lawyer (weekly on Tuesdays), our free DISS Doctor (weekly on Thursdays), and ourĀ free Paediatrician! Check out the flyer for instructions for booking on Compass!
- There Wellbeing Team arenāt always available, and donāt work on the Weekends on Holidays, so itās important to know what services are out there. You or your child can get help through community services, helplines, and websites in this list. Theyāre available 24/7, online, and are free and anonymous!
- If you need any more help around accessing food, school materials, and help around the area ā The Cranbourne Community Information Support Service (CISS) are available for calls and drop-ins! https://ciscranbourne.org.au/
- Ask-Izzy is also an incredible directory for support! Put in your postcode, and it gives you proper guidance ā check it out! https://askizzy.org.au/
- The City of Casey also have an updated food-directory website, showing families where they can access food support for free – check it out here: https://data.casey.vic.gov.au/pages/food-resource-directory/
- We know the fragile situation in the Middle East can be distressing, and while weāre away, there are still services out there to chat to and get support from. Check out the Witness To War Hotline, which you can free call on 1800 845 198.
Weāll see you at the end of the year for our 2026 Wrap-Up! Ā Until then, weāre back to work!
The Wellbeing Team
Ā Ā Ā Youth Resources & Supports
The following resources have been compiled by the Wellbeing Team, in order to provide additional support to the adolescents in our college community:
Black Dog Institute ā Bite Back
City of Casey Youth Services Facebook
Love: the good, the bad and the ugly
Satellite Foundation ā Self Care Alphabet
Family Resources & Supports
The following resources have been compiled by the Wellbeing Team, in order to provide support to parents/carers and families:
Child Mind Institute ā Family Resource Centre
Department of Education:
Looking After Your Childās Wellbeing
Emerging Minds:
MindSpot ā Online Mental Health Tools
This Way Up ā Improve Your Wellbeing
This Way Up ā Multilingual Resources
Child Safety
The College takes seriously its commitment to child safety. For any concerns related to child safety, please speak to the Principal, Assistant Principals, Wellbeing Team, House Leadership Teams, Teachers, or in fact, any staff member in the College. Alternatively, you may contact theĀ Victoria PoliceĀ orĀ The Orange Door.