The government reports that one in seven children aged four to 17 has experienced a mental health disorder. The positive program at Pembroke School focuses on developing students’ self-worth so they are equipped to flourish. Pembroke’s Dean of Student Wellbeing, Rebecca Forrest, discusses the school’s wellbeing initiatives and how parents can tackle big topics at home.

You’re the Dean of Student Wellbeing– tell us more about your role.

The Dean of Student Wellbeing is an important role at Pembroke focusing on safety, respect and care for all. My position includes leading the School’s team of counsellors, psychologists and registered nurses, and ensuring we are meeting students’ wellbeing needs. I oversee Pembroke’s Social, Emotional and Personal Development (SEPD) program along with our Pembroke and Parents Partnership series of keynote speakers.

Why is it important for students to make time for their wellbeing?

Statistics show that mental heal this becoming a bigger issue in society, and students present with mental health issues younger and younger. We need to be proactive about this. At Pembroke, we focus on positive strategies for young people and talk about the importance of exercise, nutrition and social interactions while also explicitly teaching wellbeing tools. Students are individuals and everyone needs to take a different approach to their wellbeing; we provide opportunities for students to discuss what brings them joy and plan how they will incorporate this into their everyday lives, along with advocating for strong help-seeking skills when life presents challenges.

Stress is commonly experienced by school students – what wellbeing tools can be used to mitigate this?

We explain to students that some stress is helpful and we all require it to perform at our best, but when this is out of balance, students can feel overwhelmed. We discuss the importance of sleep and organisational skills, along with outlining the link between perfectionism and procrastination. We ask students to monitor their self-talk and use strategies to silence their inner critic. We also explicitly teach self-compassion, gratitude, mindfulness and empathy.

The SEPD Program caters for students from ELC to Year 12, but features a specific curriculum forYears 10 to 12 – what kinds of topics are covered in these classes?

We have a bespoke RespectfulRelationships curriculum for students in Years 10 to 12. Recent media coverage around consent, gender identity, violence against women and appropriate models of manhood has reinforced the importance of this program. Our other three main SEPD topics are Mental Health and Wellbeing, Safe Partying, and Social Responsibility and Justice. Our Year 11 students have a student-led unit where they decide on a wellbeing topic, investigate it further in a group, and present their findings. We have also initiated a Student Charter onRespectful Relationships constructed by our students, which sits alongside our School Aims.

Seminars are also held for Pembroke parents each year…

As a school, we are passionate about being in true partnership with parents.I am flooded with questions from parents on a wide variety of subject matter, so we decided to run regular parent evenings with keynote speakers from Adelaide and interstate on topics like digital wellbeing, respectful relationships and raising teens. We also opened it up to the wider community– the response to which has been very positive with parents from over 40 different schools attending these popular events.

What is your advice to parents wanting to unpack those big topics with their children?

Talk around the dinner table, in the car or on a walk – try to make the conversations feel relaxed. Tell your young person you love them no matter what, that they can talk to you about anything; you may be disappointed or shocked, but you’re still going to love them, that you’re a team, and there’s nothing they can’t tell you. I think parents need to explicitly say this and not just hope it’s already understood.

Pembroke & Parents Partnership Event

Tuesday 13 June 2023
Hosted by Taryn Brumfitt – Embrace Kids
Topic: Body Positivity

Wednesday 9 August, 2023
Hosted by Dr Justin Coulson
Topic: Happy Families

For more information on these free events for parents, visit the School’s Facebook page closer to the time.

Pembroke School
342 The Parade, Kensington Park
08 8366 6200
pembroke.sa.edu.au
CRICOS Provider Number 00367B