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Welcome to Wellbeing & Careers!
This page contains key information for families about the support and resources offered by student services at Mac.Rob. You can contact the Wellbeing team or Careers Coordinator by clicking on their "Contact" button below.
All families are encouraged to reach out to the Student Services, Year Level Coordinators, and Sub-School Leaders if they believe their child is experiencing stress, anxiety, or distress of any kind. These staff are here to support you!
Student Services Staff
Wellbeing Information.
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.
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 your child can contact at school if they need support. These include:
Connect Teachers - your child's 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 child's subject teacher is the person to contact.
Heads of School and Year Level Coordinators - Heads of School and Year Level Coordinators provide overall wellbeing support. If needed, they are able to refer your child to the Counselling Team for individual counselling.
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.
Little Lessons | Film & Podcast Series
Little Lessons | Wellbeing Video Series of Families
Welcome to Little Lessons - a series of short films 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.
Wellbeing Resources.
Wellbeing At Mac.Rob | Supporting Students During Exams
Mac.Rob Wellbeing staff take families of VCE students through steps and strategies for managing stress during the exam period. This resource is appropriate for all VCE families and students, as well as families interested in how best to support their child as they look ahead to VCE study.
Mac.Rob families can contact Dr. McPherson via email for more information and support.
Mac.Rob School TV
School TV is an online resource for students of Mac.Rob. It contains videos and articles on dealing with stress, anxiety, grief, mindfulness, sleep, and other important subjects to help keep your mind and body in tip-top shape. Students and families are encouraged to visit this resource often for new articles and information.
To visit Mac.Rob's School TV portal, click here.
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 Wellbeing Meeting Form button to the right, 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.
Referral to counselling flowchart _ student version.pdfEveryone 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), Lucy Kutrolli (Y10), Talia Hobbs (Y11), Stephanie Ruth (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
Beyond Blue provides information, advice and support, no matter where you are on the mental health continuum
Offers a range of options for young people aged 12–25, with a focus on supporting their mental health and wellbeing through everyday issues and tough times.
Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free (even from a mobile), confidential 24/7 online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. Qualified counsellors at Kids Helpline are available via WebChat, phone or email anytime and for any reason.
headspace provides early intervention mental health services to 12-25 year olds. headspace can help young people with mental health, physical health (including sexual health) alcohol and other drug services, and work and study support.
Butterfly operates a National Helpline that includes support over the phone, via email and online. The Helpline is staffed by trained counsellors experienced in assisting with eating disorders and body image issues.
1800RESPECT is the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. Support is provided for people experiencing, or at the risk of experiencing, violence and abuse, their friends and family.
QLife provides anonymous and free LGBTI peer support and referral for people in Australia wanting to talk about sexuality, identity, gender, bodies, feelings or relationships.
A nationwide service which provides 24/7 telephone and online counselling to people affected by suicide.
The Orange Door is a free service for adults, children and young people who are experiencing or have experienced family violence and families who need extra support with the care of children
Griefline provides free counselling support to anyone experiencing grief, loss and the many related feelings that occur as a result.
A national charity providing all Australians experiencing emotional distress with access to 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.
CAREinMIND™ Wellbeing Support Service is a free phone and online counselling support service. It is available for anyone of any age who is feeling the pressures and stresses of everyday life. It is a service which is available, 24-hour a day, seven days a week. Call 1300 096 269 to speak to a counsellor.
Careers Information.
At Mac.Rob, we work closely with students throughout their school life to provide them with the understanding and information they need to make informed decisions about their education, training and employment beyond Year 12. Mac.Rob's Careers Program is structured to foster thinking, learning, and research about possible courses and careers. A careers curriculum is in place across Years 9-12, helping develop self-awareness and employment related skills, and an understanding of the world of work and tertiary options. Mock Interviews and a 4-day Work Experience Program is offered in Year 10 and all students are encouraged to participate.
The careers program has a key focus each year upon which the student's careers curriculum and activities are aligned:
Year 9 - Discover
Year 10 - Plan
Year 11 - Decide
Year 12 - Action
As each student is unique, career advice is tailored to their individual needs throughout their schooling. Students are counselled in Year 10 in their Senior Years Program and every student at Year 12 level will have a one-on-one Pathway Planning interview at a minimum.
Our career development activities are guided by a professionally qualified Careers Coordinator, Tarsha Mautone, who provides comprehensive career information to students and families on options for their future, and supports them through the transition from school to further study or the workplace. The Careers Coordinator works closely with teaching staff to deliver an interactive careers curriculum, and also overseas our Distance Education students and VET students.
Careers hosts and shares annually with students opportunities to attend symposiums, webinars, and podcasts in key study fields, such as Health / STEM / Business and Legal with our leading alumni, the Palladian's Association. It is hoped in 2021 MacRob will host a Tertiary Expo in Term 3, encompassing Victorian and interstate lead universities. In addition, visits on program offerings from Ed USA, ADFA and tertiary institutions will be held across the year.
We welcome alumni and parents who can assist current students with career-related activities or who can provide mentorship in their field of expertise. For more information about careers guidance or to offer your experience or expertise, contact our Careers Coordinator, Tarsha Mautone on Tarsha.Mautone@macrob.vic.edu.au or 98647715.
CUE Careers Portal
The Careers, University and Employment (CUE) Portal is an online resource for students of Mac.Rob. Here you'll find information about upcoming University open days, pathway information, and links to employment, training, and work experience opportunities.
To visit the Mac.Rob CUE portal, click here.