Wellbeing at WGC

Important School Contacts

Guidance Counsellors

Our Guidance Counsellors are:

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

Email karen.swain@wgc.school.nz for an appointment

Ms Pat Hay
Registered art therapist with a background in education, psychology and visual art
In school 3 days a week: Wednesday, Thursday & Friday

Email pat.hay@wgc.school.nz or call 04 4946123 for an appointment

Ms Sally Kendall
Counselling/ therapy training working with adolescents and using the arts
In school 4 days a week: Tuesday to Friday

Email sally.kendall@wgc.school.nz or call 0274997306 for an appointment

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.

Nurses

Our Nurses are Bernie & Beth Leadbitter.

Bernie works Tues 8.00 – 2.30/Thrs 8.00 – 2.30 during term time. Bernie has many years of experience as a practice nurse, in hospitals and as a lecturer at Massey’s Nursing school.

Beth works Mon 8.00 – 2.30/Wed 8.30 – 3.00/Fri 8.00-12.00 during term time

They can be found in the Wellbeing Centre which is in the prefabs closest to Murphy St

The clinic will have an open door policy 8:00am – 8.45am, during wānanga time, at interval and at lunchtime.

For appointments during class time, students will need to email nurse@wgc.school.nz and they will be sent a time to come to the clinic.

Our nurses are available to see students about most health topics
· Can test, treat and help prevent many health conditions and illnesses like… sore throats, STI testing and treatment, bladder infections, contraception, sleep problems, pregnancy tests, skin problems, depression, vision problems
· What you talk about is confidential unless your safety is at risk or you wish to share your info

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

We all know that you can’t concentrate on work if you aren’t well. That applies to students as well as adults.
In recent years we have seen an increase in medical conditions which are impacting on student wellness. The most significant of these are in the area of mental health – something most teachers have little knowledge of and no training in. We know that one student with a serious illness will have an impact on many other people – her family, friends, her classmates, her teachers and other people on the periphery who may not know her but may have been through something similar in their lives.
Over the course of 2013-14 we gathered information from parents and girls about the causes of the stress that was being seen at school and also their ideas about how we could address it. We have made several changes as a result of this information.
This site is one 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

Christchurch Tragedy Resources

Below are a number of really useful resources that may help whānau support each other

A safe place for you to talk about anything at all

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.