Mental Health Week 2024

On Thursday 24 October, Fairhills High School proudly celebrated Mental Health Month—a time dedicated to raising awareness about mental health and wellbeing. This event encourages everyone to reflect on their mental health, regardless of whether they have experienced mental illness or not. It’s also a reminder of the importance of looking after our mental health in daily life and reaching out for support when needed.

To mark the occasion, we teamed up with local support services to bring a fun, interactive day to the school! Throughout the day, students explored open booths, participated in activities, and joined in a scavenger hunt with prizes like chocolate, lollies, and fidget toys.

We welcomed the following organisations:

• Knox Youth Services

Knox Youth Services offers a range of programs for young people aged 10 to 25 years and their families within the City of Knox. Programs include art groups, Dungeons and Dragons Club, Crafternoon, tabletop games club, counselling, and even a learner driver mentor program (L2P). Most programs are free, and they also organise special activities during school holidays.

• Headspace Knox

Headspace Knox provides free, confidential mental health support for young people aged 12-25. With a team of friendly professionals, Headspace offers a safe space for youth to discuss their wellbeing and access support and health advice.

• Satellite Foundation

Satellite Foundation empowers children and young people who have a family member living with mental health challenges. Their programs focus on creativity, communication, and building supportive friendships. Satellite offers both in-person and online programs and is passionate about using lived experiences to promote mental health and emotional wellbeing.

A big thank you to Mariani Lim for organising these incredible activities and bringing together such valuable resources for our school community.

This was a great opportunity for students to learn more about the local services available and to engage in a day filled with positivity, connection, and awareness. Let’s come together as a school community to prioritise mental health and wellbeing.

Positive Use of Social Media for Student Communications

In today’s digital age, social media can serve as a valuable tool for student communication and connection. We encourage our students to use these platforms positively and responsibly to enhance their friendships and engage in school activities. However, it’s crucial for both students and parents to be aware of the potential risks associated with social media use, particularly on apps like Snapchat.

Monitoring and Appropriate Use:

Parents are encouraged to monitor their children’s social media activities and discuss the importance of maintaining a respectful and safe online presence. Snapchat groups can sometimes lead to misunderstandings or inappropriate interactions, so it’s essential to talk to your child about the potential dangers and the importance of reporting any concerning content or behaviour.

By fostering open communication about social media use, we can help students navigate these platforms safely and responsibly.

SWPBS Shop Update and Behaviour Reminders

This term, students have been enthusiastically participating in our School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) program, accumulating points by demonstrating positive behaviour in line with the school’s values. These points can be exchanged for rewards at the SWPBS Shop, which has become a highlight for students!

Popular Items in the SWPBS Shop: The SWPBS Shop offers a range of exciting items that students can redeem with their hard-earned points. Some of the most popular items include:

• Sporting equipment (footballs, basketballs)
• LEGO kits for creative builders
• Portable speakers
• Stickers for personalization
• Fidget toys for focus and fun
• Lollies and treats

The SWPBS Shop is a great way to encourage positive behaviour while rewarding students for their efforts in maintaining a respectful and positive learning environment.

A heartfelt thank you to Emma O’Connor for organising and running the SWPBS Shop with the help of our student volunteers. Your hard work and dedication make a significant difference in our school community!

The 4-R Positive Classroom Behaviour Process

To support a positive learning environment, we follow the 4-R Positive Classroom Behaviour Process. This process helps manage classroom behaviour while giving students the opportunity to correct their actions and re-engage in learning.

Level 1 – Remind/Redirect Learning:

The teacher will remind the student of the expected behaviour and guide them back to their learning.

Level 2 – Relocate/Recall:

If a student continues to disengage, they will be relocated to another seat or outside the classroom for 2-3 minutes. During this time, the student is encouraged to reflect on their behaviour and agree to follow classroom expectations.

Level 3 – Remove to Another Class:

For more serious disruptions, the teacher will use a Red Card to signal the need for removal. A responsible student will notify the office, and a member of the leadership team will escort the student to another classroom. The student will then complete a restore and re-entry agreement to ensure they understand the behaviour expectations before returning. The removal will be documented by the teacher on Compass as a red post.

Level 4 – Restore Prior to Returning to Class:

Before re-entering class, the teacher and student will meet to agree on expected behaviours moving forward. This conversation will be documented on Compass.

Non-Negotiables – Immediate Red Card Removals:

Certain behaviours result in immediate removal from the classroom through the Red Card system.

These Non-Negotiables include:

• Bullying & harassment
• Dangerous or violent behaviour
• Destruction of property
• Repeated refusal to follow instructions
• Swearing or threatening behaviour towards others

Consequences for major behaviours will be applied in line with the FHS consequence matrix.

Keep up the positive work, Middle School! Remember that showing respect and responsibility not only helps you grow but also earns you points to spend at the SWPBS Shop!

Term 3 House Points

Congratulations to Blue House for winning the Term 3 points competition. Students earned points for excellent behaviour, values and work ethic, along with participation in Diversity Week and other school activities.

It was a lovely day for Blue House students to receive their free bbq lunch.

Final results-

Blue – 2353
Red – 2242
Yellow – 2189
Green – 1656

Term 3 School Wide Positive Behaviour Points

Congratulations to Lachie for winning this Terms SWPB points shop Raffle.