Partnerships and Support

The Paralowie R-12 Wellbeing Hub is an integral part of the school community. It is a designated safe and supportive space located within the school complex. It provides a supportive environment that promotes wellbeing and health to students and their families. Students in Reception-12 can access a broad range of specialist health services to support their health and wellbeing needs. Wellbeing Leaders support school leaders, teachers and families to refer students to a range of external services.

The Wellbeing Hub aims to:

• provide a safe space to access a broad range of information which supports health and well-being, as well as access to school support staff and to specialist health services
• help reduce the risk of students requiring ongoing treatment or intervention for mental health and wellbeing issues as they progress to adulthood
• break down the stigmas associated with mental health

Paralowie R-12 School has a dedicated Reception-Year 6 Wellbeing Leader and two Year 7-12 Wellbeing Leaders who provide the following support to students:

• help to manage relationships with family, teachers and peers
• support to manage issues of concern
• provide course and career guidance
• support to encourage attendance and learning at school
• provide information about and referrals to external services through the Wellbeing Hub and other community organisations

The Hub links with the Paralowie R-12 Community Centre to strengthen family relationships, provide family support and to build knowledge and skills in adolescent development and parenting.

A range of external practitioners work with students and their families in the Wellbeing Hub to support their health and wellbeing needs including psychologists, dentists, a general practice doctor, an occupational therapist and speech pathologist.

The Wellbeing Hub provides a Pastoral Care Worker who works with students from Reception through to Year 12. The Chaplaincy Service is a partnership between the school and Schools Ministry Group and the Chaplaincy Support Group from the local church communities. The Pastoral care worker is able to provide students with individual support or works with students in a classroom setting.

In addition, the Hub engages with community services and not-for-profit organisations to support students to achieve positive wellbeing and education outcomes. These services include:

• MYSA – Multicultural Youth SA 
• CASSA – Community Access and Services SA
• Baptist Care Deadly Pathways mentoring and engagement program for indigenous youth 
• Centacare – Reconnect Mental Health 
• Centacare - ASCEND programs 
• The Smith Family 
• Kick Start for Kids – Mentoring program 
• Access 4 U – Support parents to navigate the National Disability Insurance Scheme

With around ten percent of the student cohort Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, Paralowie R-12 has developed a range of programs and initiatives that support their wellbeing and learning.

“Families and communities collaborate as partners with the school to support student learning, safety and wellbeing."

© The Department for Education. Released under a CC BY 4.0 licence

Paralowie school is part of the Northern Adelaide State Secondary Schools’ Alliance (NASSSA), which coordinates 45 vocational education and training (VET) courses across a range of industries on behalf of the school region.

Pathways, Work ready, SAASTA

Kaurna Language class at Paralowie R-12 School, Department for Education, South Australia

Kaurna is the language historically spoken by the Aboriginal peoples of the Adelaide Plains in South Australia. Although classified as extinct in 1931, Kaurna has undergone a sustained revival since 1990. This revival has seen the language embedded in the curriculum and Paralowie runs a successful Kaurna language program for students in years 3-6, acknowledging the critical link between language, culture and identity.

Tirkanthi is a Kaurna word for ‘a learning place’ and at Paralowie a centre has been dedicated to Aboriginal students, parents/carers and visiting community members with the central aim of supporting students’ learning.

Tirkanthi is a welcoming place for parents to visit and seek support and assistance relating to family wellbeing and education. The centre encourages this with a Monday morning drop-in session as well as visits on an informal basis.

This is a great example of how to enact the principle of Partnership from the Australian Student Wellbeing Framework:

Students R-12 are offered individual tutoring and mentoring to assist in their learning.

Students are encouraged to seek help with learning, engagement and wellbeing.

Tirkanthi promotes cultural awareness, and involves everyone in the school community by celebrating special cultural events.  Harmony day and Multicultural Week are highlights for Paralowie R-12.

Our Centre provides a supportive and welcoming environment where parents can come along and learn new skills, gain confidence and create strong connections with each other, with school and local services and develop positive wellbeing.

Our aim is to:

• connect families with other families, community activities and learning opportunities, and health and support services that best meet their needs
• facilitate opportunities for families to increase their knowledge and skills around parenting and early learning
• support parents to develop personally and build their skills
• encourage families to have a strong voice about the programs and services offered
• acknowledge and celebrate our multicultural community.

For a number of years now Paralowie R-12 has provided opportunities for adults to learn new skills and develop confidence to pursue interests and new pathways. Our Adult Learning Program is run through our Community Centre. The program has grown each year with adults moving into further study, some undertaking the SACE (South Australian Certificate of Education) at Paralowie R-12, and others moving to TAFE. A number of adults have gained employment and many have become more involved within the school and wider community.

Topics may include:

• Information Technology skills, basic computing, using the internet/email, social media
• Parenting Skills
• English Conversation, Communication skills
• Pathways to work
• Cooking healthy food
• Growing a vege garden
• Budgeting

Literacy support at home

Reading and Literacy are our key focus at Paralowie R-12.  We facilitate hands-on practical workshops for parents to learn more about school-based literacy programs, which helps to share new ideas about how they can assist their children at home.

Families join in a weekly session to enjoy learning though play, to gain confidence, to learn about their world and get to know others. This program supports a positive transition to school, and enables families to develop strong connections with school. 

Twice each year, we invite parents from diverse (CALD) backgrounds to a parent meeting and morning tea.  This is an informal opportunity for staff to connect with parents, to provide information about student learning programs, explain school expectations, and discuss wellbeing and Community Centre services.  Community Liaison Officers from the Department for Education assist in facilitating translations and linking with parents.  Families contribute food to a multicultural morning tea. 

Programs and services

The Community Centre works in partnership with other agencies to facilitate a range of programs and services including:

• playgroup for parents and carers that include Aboriginal families, refugees and newly arrived families and their children
• English conversation and computing classes through our Adult Learning Program
• parenting programs that include child development, early literacy, song time, music and movement, support groups and cooking 
• personal development programs to enhance literacy, career pathways, skill development, volunteering, TAFE and SACE studies