Guidance Officers
Our Guidance Officers at Mackay North are Leanne Jarvis (Years 8,10 & 12) and Sharon Martin (Years 7,9 & 11).
Support from our Guidance Officer includes providing advice and counselling on educational, behavioural, vocational, personal, social, family, mental health, and wellbeing issues. Career development also forms an important part of the work Guidance Officers undertake to enhance positive educational outcomes and career pathways for all students. This may include involvement in the process of Senior Education and Training (SET) planning, career development and future pathway options counselling.
Our Guidance Officer also provide leadership and specialised support in response to student protection issues; critical incidents, psychoeducational assessments, mental health issues; suicide prevention and postvention support; the transition of students into alternative education programs, and student reintegration back into mainstream schooling.
Guidance Officers also balance the ethical issues of privacy and confidentiality for each student and maintain a comprehensive and professional record keeping system that complies with policy and legal requirements of parental and legal access to official records.
Our Guidance Officers lead our Student Support Services (SSS) Team, implementing plans and programs that are responsive to the needs of your child. Our SSS Team are all trained facilitators and proudly deliver SSS support programs such as: RAGE – Renavigating Anger and Guilty Emotions; Feeling Fantastic – strategies for anxiety and depression; Drumbeat – Social/Emotional Learning; Shine – for empowering females; Strength - for empowering males; Love Bites – Friendships; Chillax and Deadly Choices.
Contact:Leanne Jarvis - Years 8,10 & 12
Sharon Martin - Years 7, 9 & 11
Community Education Counsellors
Mackay North’s Community Education Counsellor (CEC) is dedicated to providing support and educational counselling to our indigenous students and their families. Our CEC plays an important role in managing students' attendance and encouraging social and academic participation. Our CEC also coordinates student wellbeing programs, links students with work experience opportunities and fosters connections with the greater community.
Tara Raikaki is available Monday to Friday and can be contacted on (07) 4963 1603 or email
traik3@eq.edu.au
Indigenous Health WorkerMackay North’s Indigenous Health Worker is dedicated to providing support, programs and health education to our indigenous students and their families.
Lorna Pai is available Wednesdays and can be contacted on (07) 4963 1666 or email lpai0@eq.edu.au
Chaplain
Our School Chaplain participates in the everyday life of school and provides support and pastoral care to students and the school community. Our Chaplain cares for children struggling with a wide range of issues, including family problems, friendship issues, peer pressure, self-esteem issues, bullying, stress and anxiety. He also attends excursions, school camps and coordinates different programs designed to build student resilience and self-awareness.
Our Chaplain also runs a Breakfast Club three mornings a week where students are provided with toast and a hot meal and also a space where they can feel welcome and supported.
Rob Ruge is available on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and can be contacted on (07) 4963 1734 or email
rruge1@eq.edu.au
School Based Youth Health Nurse
The School-based Youth Health Nurse works with the school community to promote health and wellbeing, rather than administer first-aid, and to create a healthy, supportive school environment.
The Youth Health Nurse can provide students with information about:
- healthy eating and physical activity
- feeling unhappy or stressed
- relationships
- healthy skin
- sexual health
- smoking, alcohol and other drugs
- personal and family problems
- growth and development.
Rachel Bradbury is available Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and alternate Fridays. She can be contacted via phone (07) 49631606 or via email on
rbrad160@eq.edu.au
Youth Support Co-ordinator
Mackay North has a Youth Support Co-ordinator (YSC) who is available to provide individualised support to any of our senior students who may need help in remaining engaged in their education or transitioning to alternate pathways. Our YSC provides academic and emotional support, monitors attendance and are involved in delivering programs that build student resilience and wellbeing.
Bee-Jae Lugo is available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and can be contacted on (07) 49631 607 or via email on
blugo0@eq.edu.au
School Based Police Officers
The School Based Policing Program is a joint initiative between the Queensland Police Service and Education Queensland. The main role of the program is to establish positive relationships between police and the secondary school community to contribute to a safe and supportive learning environment.
School-based police officers support students at risk of offending while encouraging school communities to adopt approaches that aid in crime prevention and proactive policing.
The School Based Policing Program helps high schools and the community by:
- addressing identified needs within the school community
- helping teachers develop and present curriculum material to meet police and school community needs
- undertaking initial response and investigation of offences within the perimeters of the school.
(Education Queensland maintains 'OneSchool' which records all interations with parents and students. Interations with a school-based police officer may be required to be included in 'OneSchool'. School-based police officers will aways exercise discretion and confidentiality)
A school-based police officer has an office within the high school, and is contactable through the Administration Office during school hours.
Our school based police officers are Tamara Cook and Jaime Brooks. If you would like to discuss any matters with Senior School Based Police contact:
Mackay Police: (07) 4968 3444
Anti-bullying
STYMIE
It’s important that all students feel safe at school, and to assist with this Mackay North has implemented STYMIE, an anti-bullying tool.
STYMIE.com.au is a website that allows students who witness another student being bullied, to anonymously report the incident and upload evidence including screen shots of social media discussions and text messages. The information is sent to appropriate staff at the school and contact will be made with the student being harmed so they know they are not alone.
Bullying - No Way!
Bullying. No Way! is a resource created by Australia's educational communities as well as students, staff, parents, agencies, education officers and community members. It is intended to support young people to be safe, supported, respected, valued - and free from bullying, violence, harassment and discrimination. The Bullying. No Way! website contains information and support for students on how to handle situations of bullying. For more information
visit the Bullying. No Way! website .
Online Games
Students and adults of all ages can play online multiplayer
games. To play, all one needs is an internet connection and a device such as a
computer, PlayStation, X-Box, Wii or a Nintendo console. However, these online
games can now be played on hand held devices such as smartphones, tablets, Nintendo
devices and other devices
with Wi-Fi connection.
With multiplayer games, students can communicate and chat
online with other players both locally and overseas. This allows contact with people
with whom your student is not familiar, and this may place your child at risk. Therefore,
Brett Lee, from Internet Safe Education, has put together a safety guide
handbook to assist parents with online games and to minimise that risk.
For your copy of the Game Handbook, please click on the link
below.