20 May 2021
Year 8
SMASHED Live – Gibber Productions
To continue our commitment to a diverse curriculum, our year 8 students witnessed a live performance which correlated with their learning in the classroom (PDHPE Syllabus). SMASHED Live is designed to reinforce key learning objectives in a visual way whilst acknowledging that teenagers identify social media as a risky behaviour associated with underage drinking, and peer pressure. It incorporated the use of Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram into the performance, bringing the world of social media to life.
The performance was well received by the cohort, with key themes continued to be supported in the classroom to reinforce the dangers of underage drinking and associated decision-making processes. We would like to thank Gibber – Education for their interactive performance, resources and for supporting our students by delivering such an important message in a unique way.
On May 24th Brainstorm Productions will be presenting their student wellbeing performance 'Cyberia' for Year 7.
'Cyberia' is a live theatre experience that addresses mental health, (cyber)bullying, impulse control and the responsible use of technology.
Anxious and struggling with impulse control, Ruby is in danger of damaging her digital reputation. For Ruby's brother Tim, a lack of sleep and social interaction lead to mistakes, scams and misunderstandings online. He becomes isolated and withdraws into gaming. Tim and Ruby must restore their dignity, privacy and relationships if they are to find their way back from Cyberia.
'Cyberia' is part of our student wellbeing curriculum and has been developed by education and mental health professionals. Real student experiences are woven together to create a compelling narrative and theatrical experience. The performance poses questions about how we treat ourselves and others, both online and offline, and encourages resilience and positive relationships.
To further support our students and community with safe online behaviours, here are some useful resources:
Instagram - https://help.instagram.com/
There is a menu on the left-hand side of the page with links to information on Learning How to Address Abuse, Blocking People, Safety Tips, Tips for Parents and Reporting Something. There are additional tabs for further information.
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/safety
This is a very useful link, the menu is on the left-hand side of the webpage and provides a lot of information on the following areas – Safety Centre, Parental Portal, Bullying Prevention Hub and Online Wellbeing.
SnapChat - https://support.snapchat.com/en-US/article/report-abuse-in-app
This link is for specifically Reporting Abuse on SnapChat. There is a step-by-step guide as well as pictures to support the reporting process for parents and students.
Years 9, 10, 11 and 12
We would like to welcome back Em Thomson who is supporting our stage 5 and 6 cohorts.
Positive Mental Health & Emotional Intelligence Training at MVHS
As it has been established that Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is a skillset developed by both education and practice, an EQ program involving a series of FIVE (5) fortnightly workshops and smaller group sessions, will be presented to Years 9, 10, 11 & 12.
These will take place on Wednesdays commencing week 3, presented by Em Thomson supported by the Wellbeing team, Michelle Bedford & Hannah Christopher.
The aim is that the fundamental lessons and messaging within the program will be re-visited and consistently practiced within the SPHERE, establishing a consistent approach to dealing with emotional wellbeing.
Keep an Eye Out for – a little bit of fun while promoting our school values - 5 Ways to Wellbeing:
School Chaplaincy – Update and Staff Change
Mount View High School would like to welcome Daniel Collier to the Wellbeing Team as our new Chaplain, who will be working on Thursdays and Fridays in the SPHERE. Hannah Christopher will continue with us on a Monday and Tuesday in a similar role and Wednesdays as part of our Integration Team.
The Chaplaincy role is to support the school and its community by offering general care and advice in a wide variety of situations. We all go through hard times in our life and a chaplain can help students if they are facing difficulties in their situation and need a bit of support to help them back on their feet. These can include times of stress or anxiety around exams or social pressures, times of grief and loss, when help is needed setting goals, or it they have questions about life, or are facing issues with family, friends or colleagues.
A chaplain is a non-judgmental, confidential support person. Although he is an ordained minister at Beyond Church here in Cessnock, students don’t have to hold a faith or belief to access the chaplain. The chaplain is available for all people at all times and students can be sure that they will receive the utmost respect and honour due to all persons when they talk to a chaplain.
Chaplaincy is focused on supporting and empowering people to succeed on their own. As part of a holistic approach to wellbeing, the chaplain will be able to refer students to further help, like our school counsellors or other professional support persons and organisations, should they find that they need it. A chaplain is not a counsellor; it may help to think of a chaplain as a personal support where a counsellor could be thought of as a professional support. Our chaplain and counsellors work together to provide our school community with the best support and care.