Mac.Rob Family Portal

Welcome to Wellbeing at Mac.Rob!

Here at Mac.Rob, we are focussed on ensuring that the wellbeing needs of our students are met. Our primary goal is to provide students with an environment in which they feel safe, capable, and important, and to help students to build a strong foundation for mental health, emotional intelligence, resilience and independence; these factors help to prevent students from experiencing mental health issues.

Our secondary goal is to help students to manage any emotional distress that they might experience. We know that young people are unable to learn optimally if they are experiencing emotional difficulties, and we therefore aim to help students to resolve these difficulties, so they can make the most of their educational journey.

Dr. Bridget McPherson is the Head of Wellbeing and Engagement at Mac.Rob. Dr. McPherson leads the Wellbeing and Engagement Team, and develops and implements programs to support student wellbeing. This includes developing the Connect curriculum, providing seminars and workshops to students, training staff to build their capacity to respond to students' wellbeing needs, and helping parents to build their skills in supporting their child's mental health.

Wellbeing Staff.

➲ Accessing Support.

➲ Help at School.

Little Lessons | Video & Podcast Series.

Wellbeing Resources.

Wellbeing Staff.

Bridget McPherson

Head of Wellbeing and Engagement

Contact

Katrina Adams

Wellbeing Coordinator / Clinical Psychologist

Contact

Benifer Billimoria

Student Counsellor / Social Worker

Contact

Jessica Francois

Student Counsellor / Psychologist

Contact

Clair Griffiths

Mental Health Practitioner / Social Worker

Contact

David Nguyen

Mental Health Practitioner / Psychologist

Contact

➲ Accessing Support.

At times, students at Mac.Rob might experience emotional difficulties that they feel unable to manage. There are a number of people that you can contact at school if you need support. These include:

Connect Teachers - Your Connect Teacher is the first point of contact at school. They can help with general support, tips about wellbeing, and coping strategies.

Subject Teachers - For all matters relating to studies in a particular subject, your subject teacher is the person to contact.

Sub-school Leaders and Year Level Coordinators - Sub-school Leaders and Year Level Coordinators provide overall wellbeing support. They are able to refer you on to the Wellbeing Team for individual counselling, and can work with you to implement strategies and healthy behaviours to manage any challenges that you are facing.

Assistant Sub-school Coordinators - These are also part of the overall Sub-school Wellbeing team.

Counselling Team - The Counselling Team is led by Katrina Adams, who is a Clinical Psychologist. The team also includes three other counsellors that can provide students with support - David Nguyen (Psychologist), Jessica Francois (Psychologist), and Clair Griffiths (Social Worker). The fundamental goal of the Counselling Team is to help students to resolve any difficulties that are impacting their ability to learn at school.

➲ Help at School.

Not feeling quite right? Feel like talking to someone? If you'd like to talk to someone, please consult the Referral flowchart for student access to counselling (right).

Then, click on the Student Referral Form for Counselling button below, print the form, fill in and give it to a teacher at the Sub-School office and a member of the wellbeing team will contact you.

➲ Student Referral Form for Counselling.

Student Referral Flowchart (2025).pdf

Little Lessons | Video & Podcast Series.

Welcome to Little Lessons - a series of short videos and an accompanying podcast created for parents, carers and family members of Mac.Rob students. Little Lessons has a specific focus on wellbeing, and the role wellbeing plays in student learning. Wellbeing and learning are inextricably linked - students can’t learn well if they don’t feel well, and they can’t feel well if they’re not learning well.

While this series of podcasts and videos are designed primarily for our students and families, it discusses ideas and concepts that are universal. Feel free to share the podcast with friends or family members, even if they’re not a direct part of our Mac.Rob community, if you think they may find it interesting or helpful.

Hosted Dr. Bridget McPherson, a psychologist who works specifically with children and young people. She is also the Head of Wellbeing and Engagement at Mac.Rob. Her role at our school is to lead our strategy for optimising our students’ mental health, and preventing them from experiencing mental health difficulties. In the Little Lessons learning resources, she’ll discuss some of the ways we do this, and explore approaches that may be useful to you in your life as a parent, carer, or educator of young people.

Mac.Rob families can contact Dr. McPherson via email for more information and support.

➲ Click here to see the full video playlist.

Wellbeing Resources.

Everyone has the right to be safe and be protected from abuse.

No one should behave in a way that makes you feel unsafe or afraid, including anyone in your family, anyone at school or anywhere else in the community. Tell a teacher or any adult at your school if you feel unsafe.

__________

At Mac.Rob, you should immediately report any concerns of this nature to:

Year Level Leaders and Middle or Senior School Leaders: Thin Naing (Y9), Grace Power (Y10), Stephanie Ruth (Y11), Lucy Kutrolli (Y12), Josie Phillips (Middle School), or Daniel Crowe (Senior School).
Our Wellbeing Team members: Katrina Adams, Benifer Bilimoria, Clare Griffiths, Jessica Francois, David Nguyen, or Dr. Bridget McPherson.
Ms. Harrap or any member of the Principal team: Michelle Pride, Samuel Crocket, or Daniel Mechelen.
Any trusted staff member.

Further information & resources: www.education.vic.gov.au/protect

Mac.Rob Protect Poster.pdf

HELP OUTSIDE SCHOOL: Who to contact if you need help?

For urgent safety or medical concerns, please call 000 immediately.

Click on the buttons below to access the best support for you.

Beyond Blue

Information, advice and support, no matter where you are on the mental health continuum.

Reach Out

Support for young people aged 12–25, with a focus on mental health and wellbeing for everyday issues and tough times.

Kids Helpline

Counsellors at Kids Helpline are available 27/7 via WebChat, phone or email anytime and for any reason. Free and confidential.

Headspace

Headspace can help young people with mental health, physical health (including sexual health) alcohol and other drug services, and work and study support.

Butterfly

A national helpline staffed by trained counsellors experienced in assisting with eating disorders and body image issues.

1800 RESPECT

Counselling support for people experiencing, or at the risk of experiencing, sexual assault, domestic or family violence, or violence from their friends.

Q Life

Anonymous and free LGBTI peer support for people wanting to talk about sexuality, identity, gender, bodies, or relationships.

Suicide Callback Service

A nationwide service which provides 24/7 telephone and online counselling to people affected by suicide.

The Orange Door

A free service for adults, children and young people who are experiencing or have experienced family violence.

Griefline

Free counselling support to anyone experiencing grief, loss, and the many related feelings that occur as a result.

Lifeline

24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services for Australians experiencing emotional distress.

Care in Mind

A free 24/7 phone and online counselling support service for anyone feeling the pressures and stresses of everyday life.

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