2024 Information Session

Hello! My name is Jo Finlayson and I am the Wellbeing Officer and Learning Diversity Leader at OLSH in 2024. I have worked at OLSH for almost six years, and prior to working at this school, I was employed in various roles within the community services sector.

I have three children of my own who range in age from 7 to 15 years old, and with the assistance of my children and my husband, I look after our school wellbeing dog, Indi, when she is not at school.

I am excited to be able to support the children and families of OLSH this year. Please see below for some information in regards to the types of wellbeing supports that are offered to our students and our wider school community.

If you have any questions, or if you require any assistance at all, please contact me via phone or email during office hours: jfinlayson@olshmerbein.catholic.edu.au

Student support is provided both individually and in group settings. Support is available for a range of reasons, including:

Anxious feelings and behaviours
Friendship issues
Family issues
Developing social skills
Grief and loss

Families can be supported with a range of issues including:

Parenting support and advice
Information and strategies
Support to access external services

Indi was introduced to our school at the start of 2023. Indi will be back at OLSH from the 12th of February, 2024. Indi will attend school three days a week, and she will spend time in each classroom throughout the week. Indi assists with:

Supporting students to transition to school in the morning.
Providing students with the opportunity to develop a sense of responsibility.
Encouraging a calm atmosphere in the classrooms.
Listening to students read.
Making people smile!

The Tuning in to Kids Program was developed by the University of Melbourne and is offered to parents and carers within the OLSH school community once a year. The six week program explores emotionally intelligent parenting. Emotionally intelligent parenting can improve your child’s ability to identify and label their emotions, problem solve and can improve their behaviour. Upcoming Tuning in to Kids sessions will be advertised in the School Newsletter and all parents, grandparents and carers in our school community are welcome to attend.

This week, we will be launching a new initiative called School TV. This is an evidence-based, impartial platform that is designed to support parents to navigate the ups and downs of modern-day parenting, with the aim of raising happy, resilient and self-assured young people.

At its core, SchoolTV adopts a parent-centric, preventative approach, recognising the crucial role parents and caregivers play in shaping children's wellbeing. The uniqueness of SchoolTV lies in offering diverse monthly topics, providing families with information on a varied array of topics.