School Counsellor News

What a great time of the year! Welcome to families old and new. As your School Counsellor, I work to ensure the wellbeing of all students in the school. I offer individual counselling, group counselling, psychometric testing, class guidance lessons, and support the co-ordination of whole school wellbeing initiatives.

This year SSPS is working towards further embedding Wellbeing into our school culture. We have had the privilege of welcoming Sue Chandler, from Transformative Schools to deliver professional development to all staff on restorative practices, and we look forward to continuing to work with Ms Chandler this term to grow our capabilities in this space, continuing to place mental health and wellbeing as a priority for our students.  

As a school, we are continuing to offer weekly Positive Education Enhanced Curriculum (PEEC) lessons. PEEC is research-based explicit curriculum that was designed in consultation with world-renowned researchers in the field of positive psychology. We look forward to using concepts and skills learned through PEEC to continue fostering our wonderful SSPS community.

All families also have access to SSP Wellbeing Hub. Here you will find a variety of social and emotional resources for caregivers and students alike on a range of topics, including external service providers and support. This is where you will also find our Bullying Reporting Form (for Grades 4-6) – a digital and confidential way for students and families to report any bullying concerns.

Lastly, I’d like to warmly welcome Ms Constance Bailey! Ms Constance will be joining SSPS in 2024 as a Wellbeing Officer, providing support to students on the playground in the classroom to ensure they feel happy, safe and included at school. Ms Constance and I will be working closely together on a variety of initiatives and look forward to sharing more information about these with you in the near future.

If you have any concerns regarding your child’s wellbeing or adjustment to the new school year, please speak with your child’s class teacher. Alternatively, if you have a general enquiry about the School Counselling service, PEEC, or other wellbeing initiatives, please don’t hesitate to contact me at anne.woodcroft-brown@twb.catholic.edu.au

Wishing you all a fantastic start to the 2024 school year.

Anne Woodcroft-Brown