Cammeraygal High School is committed to providing a positive and inclusive learning and working environment for students, teachers and support staff.
The importance of a safe, tolerant, friendly and secure environment underpins our discipline and welfare practices and ensures that students can embrace learning. Student wellbeing is of the highest priority both inside and outside the classroom. We want our students to develop resilience, a sense of identity and belonging and to graduate from Cammeraygal as confident, empathetic and responsible citizens.
Student wellbeing is the responsibility of all staff at Cammeraygal High School. In addition, a wellbeing team operates to focus specifically on providing a safe and supportive environment for all our students.
CHS Wellbeing Team 2023
Principal
- Ms Kathy Melky
Deputy Principals
- Pacific Hwy Campus: Mr Peter Barraclough (DP) and Ms Kate Richards (2nd DP)
- West St Campus: Ms Jodi Arrow (DP) and Mr Damian Reid (2nd DP)
Head Teachers - Wellbeing
- Pacific Hwy Campus: Ms Philippa Hicks
- West St Campus: Ms Jennifer Perry
Year Advisors, Assistant Year Advisors and Grade Head Teachers
| Year | Year Advisor | Assistant Year Advisor | Grade Head Teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Mr Trinh | Ms Lang | Mr Coles |
| 8 | Ms Cumberland | Ms Saunders | Mr Telfer |
| 9 | Mr P-Occelli | Ms Shorter | Mr Yang |
| 10 | Ms Oakley | Mr Nguyen | Mr Nowicki |
| 11 | Ms Hillman | Mr Everett | Dr Mirto |
| 12 | Ms Papikian | Ms Koparan | Ms Hakimi |
School Counsellors
- Ms Daisy Collins
- Mr Geoff Glassborow
- Ms Naomi Conaty
Supervisor of Girls
- Pacific Hwy Campus: Ms Tuskan
- West St Campus: Ms Gale
Anti-Racism Contact Officer (ARCO)
- Pacific Hwy Campus: Ms Cumberland
- West St Campus: Ms Gale
When should you contact the Year Advisor?
The Year Advisor should be the first port of call whenever you are concerned about your child's wellbeing. If there has been an incident of suspected bullying or your child is displaying unusual changes in personality and you are worried, you should call the relevant Year Advisor to check in. They will then consult with the Head Teacher Wellbeing to discuss an action plan or, if required, they will inform the Deputy Principal or the Principal.
You can also contact the Year Advisor to get an update on how your child is going at school if you are worried for any reason. Please keep in mind that although our Year Advisors are extremely hard working and amazing they do have over one hundred students to look after so they may need to collect a progress report from your child’s teachers before being about to inform you of how they are travelling.
When should I contact the Head Teacher Wellbeing?
If you know of an excellent school wellbeing activity or program, or you child participated in a holiday program and said it was amazing, the Head Teacher Wellbeing and the Wellbeing P&C Sub Committee would like to hear from you. We are always adjusting and expanding our wellbeing programs and value parent and community input.
If you are concerned about the wellbeing support your child is currently receiving or you are worried about a sensitive and confidential wellbeing situation, you can contact the Head Teacher Wellbeing to organise a meeting and discuss possible support strategies.
When should I contact a Year Grade Head Teacher?
If your child is on a support level 2 or higher (see Wellbeing Policy) and you would like to check their progress or discuss some feedback they received on their support level card, you can contact their Year Group Head Teacher. Students on a support level 2 they will be meeting with their Grade Head Teacher every morning to check in and discuss how they went the day before.
You can also contact the Year Grade Head Teacher if you have concerns about your child’s behaviour at school and would like to discuss possible support strategies to assist them in improving their behaviour and in turn, their academic outcomes and social/emotional health.
When should I contact the Deputy Principals?
If you have serious concerns for your child’s safety at school please inform a Deputy Principal (DP). You can also contact the DP if your child is on a support level 3 or higher to discuss how they are going or to ask about the feedback they have received on their support level card.
When should I contact the Principal?
While most wellbeing issues can be managed at the Year Adviser and Head Teacher Wellbeing level, if you feel your child is at serious risk of harm please contact the school immediately and attention the Principal and the DP.
Aboriginal student support
We are committed to closing the achievement gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. We know that we need to learn about, nurture and value the cultural identity of our Aboriginal students to help them be successful learners.
We welcome Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family members, parents and carers, as well as community members to our school so that we can get to know each other, learn about the local Aboriginal community and develop shared goals and plans for Aboriginal students.
The Aboriginal Education Policy confirms the NSW Department of Education’s commitment to improvement in educational outcomes and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
Multicultural education
Our school welcomes students, families and community members from all cultural backgrounds. We appreciate difference and diversity and aim to provide a culturally inclusive and responsive environment that benefits all students.
Our teaching and learning programs develop intercultural understanding, promote positive relationships and enable all students to participate as active Australian and global citizens. Our school fosters student wellbeing and community harmony by implementing anti-racism and anti-discrimination strategies that encourage engagement by parents and carers from all backgrounds.
The Multicultural Education Policy outlines the NSW Department of Education’s commitment to providing opportunities that enable all students to achieve equitable education and social outcomes and participate successfully in our culturally diverse society.
The Anti-Racism Policy confirms the department’s commitment to rejecting all forms of racial discrimination in NSW public schools and eliminating expressions of racism in its learning and working environments.
For more information refer to:
Supporting English language learners
Learning English is essential for success at school and effective participation in Australian society. We can provide specialist support to help students learning English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D).
For more information refer to: EAL/D education.
Supporting refugee students
Schools offer safety, support and security to help refugee students adjust to life in Australia and participate successfully in education. Targeted support strategies are provided to assist refugee students in NSW public schools.
For more information refer to: Supporting refugee students.
Learning support
The school’s learning and support team plays a key role in ensuring we meet the specific needs of students with additional learning and support needs, including disability.
The team:
- supports teachers in identifying and responding to the additional learning needs of students
- facilitates and coordinates a whole-school approach to improving the learning outcomes of every student
- coordinates planning processes and resourcing for students with additional learning and support needs
- designs and implements the support required to build teacher capacity so that all students access quality learning
- develops collaborative partnerships with the school, parents and carers, as well as other professionals and the wider school community.
For more information on programs and services to help students with additional learning and support needs visit Disability, learning and support.
Anti-bullying
Bullying of any kind is not acceptable in NSW schools.
The NSW anti-bullying website brings together information and resources for teachers, students, parents and carers. It helps to identify, prevent and respond effectively to student bullying, including online bullying. It provides information about online safety and what you can do if your child has been bullied, witnessed bullying or been involved in bullying.
For more information on anti-bullying strategies for NSW public schools refer to the department’s Bullying of Students – Prevention and Response Policy.
For information on racial bullying and anti-racism education for NSW public schools refer to:
Student leadership
Student leadership helps young people find their voices, participate in decision-making, and understand their rights and responsibilities as active citizens. It helps students have a real impact on their learning and school environment and prepares them to participate meaningfully in their community.
Students can be leaders in the classroom, through their actions in the playground, through their support for others, or their involvement in academic, sporting, cultural or local community events or projects.
For more information about opportunities in NSW public schools visit Student voice and leadership.