Principal
On Tuesday I was fortunate to attend a meeting of local Principals, from Catholic and Education Queensland schools, arranged by our supportive State member for Nudgee, Ms Leanne Linard. The special guest at that meeting was the State Education Minister, Grace Grace. The conversation covered many topics of the education agenda – capital works and funding, NAPLAN, school leadership and COVID-19. The greater part of the meeting however focussed on student wellbeing and mental health.
It was agreed around the table of primary and secondary school Principals that in each of our schools this was an ever increasing problem. This is supported by evidence from the Productivity Commission (Mental Health Draft Report, 2019) that three-quarters of people who develop mental illness first experience its symptoms before they are 25 years old.
Mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention have received prominent coverage over the past week, including from the highest levels of the Australian Government.
Last week Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced increased funding to a range of youth service providers such as Headspace, Kids Helpline and Beyond Blue. He stated that “suicide prevention was one the Government’s highest priorities” during the COVID-19 pandemic. This increased funding had a particular focus on Year 11 and 12 students, as well as young people who have lost jobs and university students.
On an even broader scale, last week Australia joined other nations to release the first International Declaration on Mental Health Crisis Care. The intention is to generate a blueprint for quality mental health crisis care that should be available for everyone, everywhere and every time it is needed.
The Catholic Church has also responded to the emerging crisis. Their annual Social Justice Statement 2020-21 has just been released and mental health is its focus. The Statement ‘To Live Life to the Full: Mental Health in Australia Today seeks to make mental health a priority. The Statement considers mental health more broadly than just schools and young people and was decided on as a focus even before COVID-19 highlighted mental health further.
Nurturing the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of our students continues to be a priority at Nudgee College and is named as one of five priorities contained in our Strategic Plan. Within the College the increasing demand on our counselling department over the past year or two has required us to appoint an additional counsellor. In addition, to Mr Matt Ryall and Dr Tracey Muscat we have appointed Dr Lorraine Slaven. Both Tracey and Lorraine are clinical psychologists and Matt is a social worker. Dr Slaven’s role includes a focus on our boarders and she works some evening shifts so that she is available to these boys and their families after regular school hours. These three highly qualified professionals provide excellent care and support to our boys and their families. Their work is complemented by the pastoral work of the House Deans and Heads of Boarding House. It is further reinforced by a variety of programs that operate across all year levels, such as our Student Formation program, our Retreat program and our outdoor Camp program.
It is a reality that the lives of our boys are more complex and complicated than in previous generations. It is also true that not only are more boys suffering a range of wellbeing issues, but they are doing so at a younger age. Through the support and care of all our staff as well as the programs mentioned above we aim to develop personal qualities and capabilities that will help to inoculate our boys from this insidious illness of the current era.
Important Morning Drop-off Information from the Director of Sport
I am writing to you about an escalating road safety issue that is occurring at morning drop-offs for Football and Rugby training on Northumbria Road.
Over the course of this term, the College has received regular complaints from local residents in Northumbria Road about unsafe drop-offs at morning trainings.
I ask that you please do not park across residents’ driveways, over yellow lines, or stop in the middle of the road to drop-off your son. For morning training on Ross and Wilkes ovals, please instead use the designated College drop-off zone on campus near the McKennariey Centre.
The local residents have now involved Queensland Police, so a presence from QPS may be imminent in the mornings.
To ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students, residents, and fellow morning commuters, I ask for your cooperation with this matter.
Mr Peter Fullagar
Principal
