Wellbeing News

Transitions to High School

At Orana we take great pride in a smooth transition from Primary School to High School.  This began back in Term 3 with a meet and greet, spending time in the High School and has been followed up with transition surveys and interviews in Term 4. In Week 7 we will hold our Transition day for current Year 6 students as well as new students who will join the cohort in Year 7 in 2027.

One of the highlights of this process has been SPY SCHOOL which occurred in Term 3.  During two sessions, our Year 6 recruits presented to High School classrooms and were put through their paces learning about codes, dossiers, spy agencies, patterns, and problem solving.  

We were super impressed with the high level of knowledge, skills and teamwork demonstrated by these recruits and were grateful for their assistance to locate the elusive Mr X.  Their stellar drawing skills allowed them to generate identikit pictures of Mr X and with the help of the Senior College Drama Class, were able to identify him from a line up.  

You will be pleased to know Mr X has now been returned to custody, and both his cat Trevor and lizard Neville are safe and being cared for by neighbours. 

Kellie and Kirstie (AKA Agent Edwards and Agent Brass)

Menslink

We have been grateful for the support of Menslink in facilitating sessions for our Year 10 boys in Week 1 and for future sessions that will occur for Years 8 and 9. 

Menslink Unplugged is a brand new 1-hour program that helps young guys identify where their consumption of social media and technology may be affecting their values, decision making and mental health and dovetails with the topics covered as part of our PE Health units.

“Youngs guys are searching for answers as they try to find their place in the world. In this search they are all too often starving for guidance and community, while drowning in information and unfiltered stimulus online. In a world that is supposed to be more connected than ever, we are seeing an epidemic of isolation and loneliness. Menslink Unplugged helps young guys take an objective look at the issues that they are faced with while engaging with and living in an online world. The program also invites them to shift from unconscious consumption of technology and media into conscious decision making around their use of technology and how it intersects with their daily lives.”

Fearless Future for Young Women

We have also been grateful for the support of Fearless Women in facilitating sessions with our girls in Years 8,9 and 10 over the past two weeks.

Fearless Future is an introductory well-being program that has been developed with young women in the ACT. It uses a gendered approach and local, national and international resources to provide girls and young women with the knowledge and skills they need to help address the challenges they face in everyday life. 

The sessions explore strategies for building self-awareness, self-esteem and confidence. The aim is to provide girls with the knowledge and skills they need to address the challenges they face in everyday life. 

Key messages highlighted to our young women include;

• You are not alone; everyone goes through tough times 

• It’s OK not to be OK all the time 

• Seek help - speak up if you are not comfortable; trust your gut 

• Give help - speak up and support your friends. 

• Differentiate between positive and negative emotions and examine what 

   might cause them, including social media and bullying 

• Reflect on personal strengths/qualities

• Identify and create a support network for themselves 

• Know how to support someone who reaches out for support.

A Gender Agenda

Orana has been working with A Gender Agenda and The Paediatric Gender Service who support gender diverse young people.  Our intention is to increase staff awareness and to ensure that all students feel safe and supported at school. 

A representative from A Gender Agenda will attend the Staff Faculty meeting in coming weeks to provide information on how we can be more inclusive and better meet the needs of gender diverse students in our community.

Lunchtime Groups

We also have a wide variety of lunchtime groups for students to attend with something on each day of the week.  These include; Club Hub, Art Club, Woodwork Club and Rainbow Club.  Stay tuned for all the details in the next Leaflet in Week 7!

Kellie Edwards
Wellbeing Learning Support Assistant – High School