The Wellbeing Hub

The Wellbeing Hub was established in 2019 at PHS to provide a safe place for all students who needed some assistance with their wellbeing. It is staffed by a fulltime teacher and Youth Support Officer. They run programs internally and externally to assist students to deal with any wellbeing issues. The programs change each term of each year, depending on need and the availability of facilitators and funding. Below is a sample of what was offered in 2020 and 2021.

CHILL (CHOOSE HOW I LOOK AT LIFE) PROGRAM -YEAR 7 & 8 BOYS

CHILL was an 8 week program for 1 period a week in Term 4 for Year 7 & 8 boys, which focused on coping strategies. Utilising a variety of activities to assist students to regulate their emotions when they get into a fight or flight situation e.g. decelerating from Red (Explode) to Green (Calm)

Using movements such as body weight exercises, boxing workouts, stretching through to breathing techniques. Identifying the student’s strengths and weaknesses and focusing on the consequences that come with inappropriate reactions. CHILL promoted a wellbeing theme and benefited students through providing an awareness of positive reactions.

FIT 4 LIFE - MIXED GROUP

Fit For Life is an early intervention program designed to engage youth aged 10 to 17 who are at risk of poor choices and anti-social behaviour. Through physical fitness, nutrition and social engagement, Fit 4 Life aims to improve overall wellbeing as well as prevent and divert youth from offending behaviours. Fit for Life was run at Cabramatta PCYC before school on Thursday mornings.

SENSEABILITY - MIXED GIRLS' GROUP

SenseAbility is a strengths-based resilience program designed for young Australians. It consisted of a suite of modules developed to enhance and maintain emotional and psychological resilience. The program is based on cognitive-behavioural principles, the evidence-based approach which says that our thoughts play a critical role in influencing feelings and consequent behaviour. The modules focused on helpful thinking and self-talk, improving communication skills, emotional recognition and regulation, planning and time management, life problem-solving and self-care. It was run by Ms Bond on Thursday afternoons.

U-Fit In  - MIXED GROUP

COOL CONNECTIONS - YEAR 7.8 AND 7.7 STUDENTS

Cool Connections is a social skills program for Year 7 students. The program  was conducted for 1 period a week with Ms Bond and focused on improving the following areas for students: Communication Skills, Self-esteem, Relationships, Feelings and Anger, Dealing with Conflict, Bullying and Personal Safety.

PACE - YEAR 9 GIRLS

PACE (Positive Attitude Changes Everything) is an innovative program run for identified students, led by Mission Australia (SWYPE) and aimed at empowering young persons to build and enhance a positive attitude. PACE is a small group workshop based program where participants work with a range of external agents to discuss how they can develop a positive mindset.

RAGE - YEAR 7 BOYS

RAGE is an anger management program being run in conjunction with Mission Australia - SWYPE (South West Youth Peer Education). Over the course of 7 sessions, students explored issues relating to anger and developed strategies to assist in managing anger in a proactive manner. 

Through engagement in the series of workshops, students understood how to identify anger, ways to address the triggers for anger, develop skills in expressing anger in a healthy way, understand the effect of guilt and how to manage competing emotions, plus learn how to apply exercise, diet and relaxation as part of a holistic approach to managing anger.

LOVE BITES - MIXED GROUP

LOVE BITES was a Respectful Relationships Education Program for young people aged 15-17 years. LOVE BITES aimed to provide young people with a safe environment to examine, discuss and explore respectful relationships. All Love Bites programming takes a strength-based approach and views young people as active participants who are able to make choices for themselves and their relationships, when supported with information and opportunity for skill development.

LOVE BITES education is focused on three critical areas for learning:

- Knowledge: youth-led collaborative learning

- Attitudes: critical thinking and decision-making and

- Behaviours: problem solving and communication skills.

The overall aims of the program are to equip young people with the knowledge needed to have respectful relationships, encourage and develop their skills in critical thinking and assist them in being able to problem solve and communicate effectively.

EMPIRE PROGRAM - YEAR 9/10 PACIFIC ISLAND STUDENTS

Empire is a program run by Daystar and it aims to develop students' leadership skills by helping them apply their talents to a social and community area of focus. The program ran at school over 8 weeks. Each session helped students develop skills in working to lead strategies for a wider social benefit. The program was led by Mr Brooke Williams, the Youth Project Manager for Daystar Foundation.

ART THERAPY - YEAR 10 MALE AND FEMALE STUDENTS

Art Therapy is engaging students in a therapeutic process of using drawing as a tool to activate self-expression. By facilitating the Art Therapy program in our school, we focused on creating space for students who have experienced or are experiencing crisis, social isolation and trauma to shape their own narrative. In this case we used it as a stress management tool for Year 10 boys and girls about to start their Preliminary/HSC and give them skills to cope with the upcoming year. 

Our program aimed to unpack the innate resilience that lives within each individual, and how story-telling through art creates the atmosphere for positive social change. Sometimes, creativity can be the best fine tool to find some inner peace, and express feelings and emotions. Art Therapy was facilitated by Bashar Hanna, who is one of our Community Liaison Officers and an Art Therapist.