Student Support Services is a team who works together with students, parents and staff for the health and well-being of students, enabling them to have healthy, happy and productive lives. To this end, Bray Park State High School has established networks of support personnel who provide different levels of support for the individual needs of students. The Student Support Services staff are committed to helping students make the most of their experience at school.
The Student Support Services team can supports student in the following ways:
Assist students with learning and study plans
Help student to manage their behaviour
Provide career education, guidance and planning
Provide personal support
Facilitate mediation
Liaise with other support agencies and make referrals where applicable
Specialist support within the school exists in the form of:
Guidance Officer
The Guidance Officers provide information, on educational, personal and vocational issues. In addition to support and counselling the Guidance Officer also provides psycho educational assessment, feedback and recommendations to actively help students and their families or carers. An appointment can be made at the office or by ringing the school office.
School Based Youth Heath Nurse
The School Based Youth Health Nurse works collaboratively and in partnership with the school as part of the school support team to promote health and well-being for the young person and the whole school community.
The Youth Health Nurse provides a confidential, accessible, appropriate health service for students, teachers and parents. They may be referred as issues have been identified by HOD/Admin or self-refer re issues that impact their health and well-being i.e. relationships, feeling unhappy or stressed, healthy skin, sexual health, personal and family conflict, smoking and alcohol problems, growth and development and mental health.
School Based Youth Support Officer
Our School Based Youth Support Officer assists with students at risk of not transitioning into and through the senior phase of learning. The Youth Support Officer works to create supportive environments for learning, resolve issues that impact negatively on students schooling and develop young people’s social and personal skills. They may also work with young people’s families as part of their support work.
School Based Police Officer
The School Based Policing Program (SBPP) seeks to enhance the community’s safety and security and increase confidence and satisfaction with police by building positive relationships with, and providing a quality policing service for, members of the school community. The School Based Police Officer is someone you can talk to about issues involving the law, feeling safe and being safe.
School Chaplain
At Bray Park State High School, our Chaplain, Chappy Hannah, is an integral part of our Student Services Faculty and a valued member of our school community.
Chappy Hannah provides ongoing support to students and their families throughout the year, offering a listening ear, practical help, and encouragement when it’s needed most. She assists students with school resources, including stationery items such as books and pens, for those who may need a little extra help from time to time.
Chappy Hannah often organises a free BBQ breakfast on Thursday mornings, often a sausage sizzle or pancakes, supported by local churches in our community. She also helps run The Breakfast Club each morning from 8:15am to 8:45am in the Home Economics Kitchen, where students can drop by for cereal or toast before school.
Chappy Hannah plays a vital role in promoting the wellbeing of our students, staff, and families, always ready with a kind word, a caring heart, and a commitment to serving our school community. Support or guidance in the area of religion and spirituality will always be done only with parental consent.
If you would like to reach out to Chappy Hannah, she is available Tuesdays to Fridays and can be emailed at hbong0@eq.edu.au.
Defence School Mentor (DSM)
A Defence School Mentor (DSM) provides dedicated support to children of Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families, particularly during times of transition such as postings, relocations, and long-term deployments.
The DSM is a school-based position funded annually by the Department of Defence to promote the best possible educational and social outcomes for children of Defence families. This program is administered by Defence Member and Family Support (DMFS) and reflects the strong partnership between Defence, education authorities, and schools in supporting Defence members and their children.
The position was established in recognition of the unique challenges Defence children face, including the academic and social difficulties that can arise with frequent school moves. As the DSM, Sandra's role is to help students adjust to new environments, build connections, and settle into school life as smoothly as possible. She also provides ongoing support to all Defence students whenever they seek or need assistance.
Here at Bray, Sandra often describes her role as being the “school Aunty.” Sandra is the supportive adult students can turn to, someone who can share a laugh, lend a listening ear, and provide guidance when needed, but who will also hold them accountable when necessary. In her time here and in the DSM role, Sandra has tried many methods to support students and as such a range of strategies programs and initiatives designed to foster resilience, strengthen community connections, and help Defence families navigate the unique experiences of being a mobile family.
- Welcome BBQ at the beginning of the year, open to students and families
- Helping families settle into their new school community
- Supporting children when a parent is away on deployment
- Assist in the school in understanding the needs of ADF parents and their children
- Monitoring new students and helping them when necessary
- Weekly Drop In aimed at forming friendships
- Encouraging fellow students to look after new students and adopting a buddy system
- Assisting families to collect work portfolios and academic records or reports for the new school
- Help the school commemorate special events such as ANZAC Day, Long Tan Day and Remembrance Day commemorations
- Supporting students in meetings with other staff members (Deputy, YLC, GO)
- Monitoring day to day children's personal issues such as friendships
- Act as a point of contact for ADF families within the school
- Assist with guiding families to support services available for Defence
- Transition support in and out of posting locality support and farewelling students
- Supporting community connections via our Community Connections Program at Anam Cara Aged Care Facility
If you need to make contact with Sandra, she is available Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, by phone 07 3881 6666 or email sgard121@eq.edu.au.