The $20,000 Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network grant will allow the school to partner with MyStrengths to provide early intervention support for students experiencing mental health challenges including anxiety, depression, self-doubt and suicidal ideation.
The program will run over five days and will support both staff and students from Year 7 to Year 10.
The approach focuses on building practical, strengths-based skills that help young people understand themselves, develop resilience and improve emotional wellbeing.
DHS head teacher wellbeing Donna Van Lieshout said the program is to delivered in week one of the new school year.
She said while the program was locked in before the fire which destroyed a large portion of the school on November 29, its outcomes take on greater meaning as the school continues to recover from the blaze.
“Programs like these are especially important to our school in light of the fire and its impact on our staff, students and community,” Mrs Van Lieshout said.
“Our students have shown incredible strength and resilience since being relocated to alternative sites for their education, and anything we can do to build on this and support their development will only have positive impacts.
“By training our own staff in these programs, we are further showing that 'together we are stronger" and we will make Deni High bigger and better.”
The program will be run in the same week students make their return to the DHS campus.
Classes will be held in temporary classrooms until the fire damaged building can be assessed, demolished and permanently replaced.
Day one of the program will see eight DHS staff complete strengths facilitator training, designed to build internal capacity within the school and support long-term, sustainable delivery.
On days two and three, Year 7 and 8 students will participate in the MyResilience program based on building emotional awareness, self-regulation skills and positive self-talk in a supportive learning environment.
On days four and five, Year 9 and 10 students will take part in the discovery program, empowering them to identify their top five strengths and explore what makes them unique.
31°C