With the bushfires at the end of last year - and the ongoing crisis we saw over the summer - I hope that you and your family remained safe and that the holidays were as relaxing and enjoyable as they could be.

A new year at school brings a new teacher and classroom as well as some new faces - staff and students alike!!

Remember that it takes some time to adjust to change. If your child is feeling worried about a new teacher or different kids in their class reassure them that it is natural and OK to feel nervous when starting a new year.

Gently remind them that they most likely felt the same last year and everything worked out well.

‘The Zones of Regulation’ (introduced  across the school last year) offers great tools for kids to use when they feel in this ‘yellow zone’ (worried, nervous, excited).

As the school counsellor it is my role is to work with students on a short term basis who might be struggling with school -  both emotionally and educationally. They may be struggling with friendships, have limited coping skills, feel worried, feel nervous or are having trouble concentrating. I aim to help students become more aware of what the signs are when they are feeling stressed, worried, upset, distracted or sad and then use these signs to find strategies to help improve their coping skills, change their thinking and help them to feel more confident in their school work, friendships and social interactions.

I am available Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 4:00pm.

Referral forms are available from your class teacher or at the front office.

If you have any concerns at all for your child, the first step is to check in with your class teacher to see what can be done in class.

If you and the teacher feel that further counselling support is needed, you can complete a referral form - which you can collect from the front office.

The wellbeing team will then further discuss your referral to ensure that the best support can be provided - this may include a referral to an external health professional.

If your child is already under the care of other health professionals, we recommend that you seek their support initially. The school can then liaise with them appropriately for support.

If you would like to meet with me to discuss any concerns you may have for your child please feel free to contact the office on 65833848 so we can organise a convenient time.

Other helpful phone numbers are:

Lifeline - 131114 - 24 hour crisis line

Mental Health Access Line - 1800 011 511 - 24 hour triage line from NSW Health - available for carers as well as people with a mental health issue to access the best service for them

Kids Helpline - 1800 55 1800 - free, private and confidential 24 hour phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25.

Beyondblue - 1300 22 44 36 - 24 hour phone service to listen, provide advice and point you in the right direction for support.

Parentline - 1300 1300 52 - Available 9am - 9pm Monday to Friday; 4:00pm to 9:00pm on weekends - telephone counselling, information and referral service for parents of children ages 0 to 18 who live in New South Wales.

Raising Children Network - https://raisingchildren.net.au/ - Provide up-to-date, evidence-based, scientifically validated information about raising children and caring for yourself as a parent or carer.

Kelly Russell
School Counsellor