Student Wellbeing and Pastoral Care
At Cobram AGS, we believe in the power of open communication between parents/guardians, teachers, and school staff to create an enriching educational experience for your child.
We encourage parents and guardians to actively engage with our teaching staff, homeroom teachers, Year Level Coordinators, and the Heads of School when issues or concerns arise. A parent’s finely tuned understanding of their child's academic, social and emotional needs can provide the school with invaluable insights that enable our staff to provide effective strategies that can be adopted both at school and at home.
Your child's wellbeing is our top priority
At Cobram AGS, we are very aware of the link between student wellbeing and the ability to learn effectively. Mental health directly influences cognitive functioning, concentration, and academic performance. Students facing mental health challenges may struggle with focus, memory, and problem-solving, impacting their ability to learn and succeed in school.
Our school is committed to providing wellbeing support to our students through a range of services and initiatives. We employ a psychologist, Dr Kevin Quin, who is accessible to parents, guardians and students by appointment at school. Dr Quin offers clinical advice and is a tremendous resource to our students in providing wellbeing support. We also employ a registered social worker, Ms Meg Denson, who is available to students seeking support.
We recognise that positive mental health is closely tied to the development of social skills and healthy relationships. Wellbeing support offered at Cobram AGS promotes social-emotional learning, helping students build effective communication, empathy, and conflict resolution skills that are crucial for successful interpersonal relationships and a fulfilling school experience.
It is also worth noting that the coping mechanisms and resilience skills learned during school years have a lasting impact on a person's ability to navigate challenges throughout life. Wellbeing support offered at Cobram AGS equips students with the tools to manage stress, setbacks, and uncertainties effectively.
We are advocates for reducing the mental health stigma
Our school is passionate about promoting positive mental health and we are supporters of local initiatives such as Moira Live4Life, a registered health promotion charity that brings together rural and regional communities to improve youth mental health and wellbeing. This program empowers students to coordinate mental health promotion activities throughout the year. We also support R U OK Day each year and use this event as a fun way to engage with our students in discussions around mental health.
In 2023, we introduced the education program ‘Seasons for Growth’ in our Junior School curriculum. This program is overseen by school psychologist Dr Kevin Quin School and School Counsellor Meg Denson, and provides a safe space for our students to learn knowledge, skills and attitudes which help them understand and respond to experiences of change, loss and grief. Seasons for Growth is set to expand in 2024, with more students having the opportunity to participate in the program.
Additionally, the majority of our staff have undertaken Teen Mental Health First Aid training, in which they obtained the skills and knowledge that are needed to recognise and respond to a student who may be experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis. At Cobram AGS, we consider wellbeing to be a whole-school priority, with students, parents, guardians, teachers and support staff working together to improve outcomes.
Additional Student Support
Our Year Level Coordinators provide student management and wellbeing support in addition to our Wellbeing team. The following staff members hold the position of Year Level Coordinator in 2024:
Foundation to Year 2 - Ms Dakota Bennett
Year 3 to Year 6 - Mrs Fiona Clark
Year 7 to Year 9 - Mrs Melissa Knight
Year 10 to Year 12 - Mrs Carolyn White
The Year Level Coordinators along with our homeroom teachers, Heads of School and the Wellbeing team provide support for all students across our school.