Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Wellbeing

Articulated in the 2025-2027 Business Plan are the strategies and resources (planned and in place) to support social and emotional wellbeing for all students. To provide a safe, inclusive environment where the entire school community feels valued and heard, and to ensure the specific needs of all students are individually met.

Student Wellbeing Officer

Our Student Wellbeing Officer (SWO), Jarna French, makes valuable contributions to the social and emotional wellbeing of many of our students and their families. Working in classrooms across a range of learning areas and ages and providing lunch time opportunities to connect with others results in building meaningful relationships with many students. The SWO is funded through the National School Chaplaincy Program. Our provider, onPsych gives tremendous support to our SWO and supports the school to operate within appropriate guidelines.

Breakfast Club

A hearty, healthy breakfast helps fuel students so they can fully participate in their education program. All students are welcome to share breakfast (fully supplied) on Monday to Friday mornings between 8.00 AM and 8.30 AM in the Home Economics Room. There is also an opportunity for students to read to an adult at this time. Parent volunteers are greatly appreciated. If you would like to assist, please contact the school office.

Wheatbelt and Beyond Youth Mentoring Program

Wheatbelt & Beyond Youth Mentoring (WBYM) is a dynamic program that supports young people in rural, regional, and remote communities as they navigate the transition from adolescence to adulthood. It aims to reduce the impact of isolation by fostering meaningful connections and broadening students’ horizons.

Established at Bruce Rock District High School in 2011, WBYM has evolved into a flexible, inclusive, and cost-effective initiative. Informed by years of feedback and data, the program now operates in eight district high schools across the Wheatbelt.

Dowerin District High School joined WBYM in 2022. Through the program, our secondary students are matched with mentors from outside the local area, engaging through regular email correspondence, occasional video calls, and face-to-face meetings. These interactions expose students to diverse perspectives, career pathways, and life experiences beyond their immediate environment.

WBYM enhances the educational experience and empowers students to make informed, confident decisions about their futures. To learn more, visit the Wheatbelt & Beyond Youth Mentoring website https://www.wbym.com.au/

Support Dog

The school introduced a Support Dog Program in 2020 with the aim to enhance the wellbeing of students and staff. The program has been an invaluable addition to our school, fostering a supportive and nurturing environment for everyone.

They are used in a variety of ways and over a range of ages, providing: 

• Emotional Support: they offer unconditional love and companionship, helping to alleviate anxiety and stress. 
• Improved Mental Health: Interaction with dogs can boost mood and overall mental health, contributing to a happier school environment. 
• Enhanced Learning: The presence of a dog can improve focus and engagement in students, leading to better academic performance. 
• Social Skills: Students can develop better social skills and empathy through interactions with the therapy dog. 

The following guidelines are to be followed when students are in the company of a school support dog: 

• Do not pick us up or give us food.  
• If we are sleeping, eating or drinking please do not approach us.  
• Please only approach/pat us if the teacher/handler says its ok.  
• Only greet us one at a time and be sure to take turns with others that might be waiting.   
• Please don’t be too loud or it might scare us.  

Our current support dog is gorgeous cavoodle, Luna. She attends school regularly, interacting with students in classes and in the playground.  Luna belongs to our Science teacher Steph Hibbitt and, if she is not booked for a class, can be found with Steph in the Science Room. Although Luna is a calm and friendly dog, please consider her welfare and look for signs of stress while in your class. Teachers can request Luna come to their class.

Physical, Social and Emotional Health Professionals

At times, some students may feel or be unable to cope with aspects of school.  This can have a negative impact on their social and emotional wellbeing so the school liaises and engages with a number of agencies to identify ways in which the school can support the student and, if required, their family.

Professionals and agencies regularly involved with the school include:

• Department of Education School Psychologist
• School Nurse
• Occupational Therapist
• Speech Pathologist
• Wheatbelt Mental Health
• Disability Services
• Dental Van

Restorative Practices and Dowerin Virtues

The restorative approach to behaviour management, coupled with explicit teaching and reinforcement of the Dowerin Virtues, promotes an environment where students consider how their actions impact on others and encourage positive relationships between all students. Positive student behaviour is acknowledged through Behaviour Points, Good Standing, certificates at assemblies and verbal affirmations of desired actions.

Protective Behaviours

An important part of our curriculum is teaching protective behaviours to our students. We teach protective behaviours to empower students with the knowledge and skills to recognise unsafe situations, build confidence in their ability to stay safe and learn how to seek help when needed. The focus leads to a prevention of abuse and harm and equips students with the tools to navigate challenging social situations.

School Camps and Excursions

Engagement in camps and excursions encourages students to develop resilience and independence by offering less familiar challenges. These opportunities also facilitate the growth of relationships with peers by providing a variety of environments for social, academic and non-academic interactions.

Camps are offered approximately every two years for students in Year 5-10. In 2023 students in Years 7 to 10 attended camp in Canberra for a week to explore the attractions in the country’s capital. Engagement in camps and excursions encourages students to develop resilience and independence by offering less familiar challenges. These opportunities also facilitate the growth of relationships with peers by providing a variety of environments for social, academic and non-academic interactions.