Wellbeing at WGC

Important School Contacts

Deans

The Deans provide pastoral support to students and whānau, to ensure that young people at WGC get the support they need. Deans are classroom teachers who have responsibility for a cohort of students. Deans focus on student wellbeing: they help students manage social issues; offer academic guidance; and support students to build resilience. Deans liase with teachers, external agencies and guidance staff where appropriate. Each Dean is supported by a Deputy Principal.

2020 Deans

Guidance Counsellors

Please email guidance@wgc.school.nz for an appointment and the first available counsellor will respond to you. If your request is urgent, please state this in your email.

Ms Karen Swain

Karen is our Head Of Guidance. She has a wealth of guidance experience and works
alongside our other counsellors, deans and nurses to provide a comprehensive guidance service for you.

In school 3 days a week. Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday

Ms Sally Kendall

Counselling/ therapy training working with adolescents and using the arts

In school 4 days a week: Tuesday to Friday

Ms Adri Van Lith

Adri’s background is in teaching and the Arts, before training in Narrative Therapy. She utilises the art of mining the stories young people tell, to make more available the hidden gems and knowledges they can harness, to reduce the hold of the adversities they experience.

In school full time: Monday to Friday

Where Guidance Counselling can help

If you are having problems and you want to talk to someone
If you are struggling and you don’t know why
If you feel consistently hopeless
If you feel you are being bullied
If you want help with friendships or relationships that aren’t going well
If school is getting too hard and you feel you are not coping
If you want someone to speak on your behalf
If you have been out of school for any reason and need help settling back in

Some of those solutions might be

Together finding out what is troubling you then finding what solutions can help
Together, if necessary, finding out who else to talk to who can support you
Understanding and finding ways of healing from past hurt and sadness
Understanding and adapting to grief and loss – yours and others
Finding better ways of managing relationships
Understanding and better managing stress, depression and anxiety
Developing practical strategies to make school easier
Supporting wellness

You can expect your Guidance Counsellor to

Listen to you carefully and sensitively
Respect you and your whānau
Support you in making the changes you choose to make
Help decide when to include parents/caregivers
Respect your confidentiality (with the exception of you or others being at serious risk of harm)

The Guidance Counsellors are not medical professionals, so are unable to diagnose or prescribe. They are specialised education professionals.

Nurse

Our Nurse is Kim Fraser.

Kim works Monday to Friday 9.00am until 3.00pm during term time. Kim has many years of experience as a practice nurse, in hospitals and in operating theatres.

She can be found in the Wellbeing Centre which is in the prefabs closest to Murphy St (R07).

The clinic will have an open door policy at lunchtime and appointments can be booked via the Care Bookings system or email nurse@wgc.school.nz.

Kim is happy to see students for their wide ranging health needs. If further assessment is required then students are advised to make a G.P appointment with their usual Doctor.

What students talk about is confidential unless student safety, or the safety of others is at risk or they wish to share information.

Peer Mediation

We have a small team of Year 12 students trained in peer mediation. This service is aimed at supporting Year 9 & 10 students who are experiencing friendship issues. The mediation service is supervised by a Deputy Principal and counsellor.

To make an appointment email anna.simonsen@wgc.school.nz

Physio

Our PHYSIO is Kirsten Davie

· Sprained ankle? back pain? sore knees? painful shoulder? Kirsten works on site to ensure you can recover from injury
· Clinic times are Monday and Thursday, school hours
· Bookings are made at the Student Office
· Assessment is free of charge
· For follow-up appointments – payments are outlined in information sent home

Youth Worker

Our youth worker is Saida Albaddai

· Works for the Youth Services in the Wellington region, offering additional support for young people ages 16-17 (until they turn 18)
· Saida can help by drawing up plans with students which involve what they are doing in the future.
· Contact Saida at saida.ALBaddai004@msd.govt.nz for an appointment
· Saida is at school every Tuesday afternoon.

As part of Wellington Girls’ College Wellness focus, this page has been established to support our students, staff and parents. It is a work in progress and we will continue to add useful links and resources.

Introduction

Since 2013, WGC has done a lot of work gathering information about student and staff wellbeing and we have made changes each year to try and make things better. We all know that you can’t concentrate on work if you aren’t well. That applies to students as well as adults.
The interesting thing is that we were once a lone voice with this work – now we’re part of a national discussion and we have more places to go for advice and support.

We now look at all initiatives in the school through a wellbeing lens – is this activity going to help or hinder wellbeing for our staff and students?
We have made several changes as a result of this information – additional counsellors; a school nurse; Wellbeing days; programmes during wānanga time that aim to build resilience; tutorials in the senior school; no set homework; a school dog; common goals across our Kāhui Ako regarding student wellbeing …and every year we try and tweak things further.

This site is another of those changes. You asked for resources and articles to help you understand and learn about wellness issues. We have started collecting. We take no responsibility for the information contained in them – we believe they are sound and we know they have been used in other educational settings, but if you have specific concerns we’d always recommend that you consult your GP or another health professional.

Julia Davidson
Principal

Transition Back to School After Lockdown

During the COVID-19 students sent in questions about wellbeing during lockdown. Our counsellors and nurse have answered these. You can watch the full discussion video or dip into the areas that interest you. Please note that information and advice about anxiety runs through all the topics.

You can contact our guidance counsellors, nurses and deans by using the details at the top of this page.

I love lockdown - how to go back?

Loneliness

Ability to socialise

Comparing my work to others

COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) Resources

Although our young people are skilled at accessing online information, we know there is a lot out there on COVID-19 to make sense of. You may find these resources helpful.

Netsafe Advice to Parents on navigating increased social media issues

Dealing With Anxiety Resources

Wellbeing for Students

The journey between childhood and becoming an adult isn’t always easy. There are lots of new things to think about and make choices around. Sometimes talking to your friends is not always helpful because they may not have experienced or found answers to these issues themselves. Here are some useful resources to help you navigate some of the of the major areas that you and your friends may experience.

Cyber Safety

PDF Resources

External Website Resources

Netsafe is New Zealand’s independent, non-profit online safety organisation. They provide online safety help, support, expertise and education to people in New Zealand

Drugs & Alcohol

Alcohol
Alcohol is a drug that slows down the brain and nervous system. It is the most widely used drug in New Zealand. The effect of alcohol varies greatly from person to person. It is illegal to buy alcohol if you are under 18 years of age and it is also illegal to supply alcohol to anyone who is under 18. It is important that you know your legal position and the responsibilities that go with that.
Illegal Drugs
Illegal drugs include such things as marijuana, magic mushrooms, LSD, ecstasy, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. Possession of any of these drugs is against the law and carries at penalty that may include imprisonment.
Tobacco
In New Zealand it is illegal for any under 18 to purchase tobacco. It is also illegal to smoke tobacco under the age of 16. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug contained in all tobacco products. Nicotine affects the chemistry of the brain, regulating thinking and feelings. Early use of tobacco can predispose adolescents to depression which can lead to other drug use. Here are some useful links.