People Who Can Help You
LEARNING ENGAGEMENT: Mareeba State High School provides Curriculum Support Services for students experiencing difficulty accessing the curriculum. Support options are tailored to meet student needs, varying from alternative teaching and assessment strategies and in-class support. Students are encouraged to initiate requests for support from the Learning Engagement Staff. All support personnel welcome parent contact and encourage you to meet with them to discuss any concerns you may have, please phone 4086 2777 for further information.
GUIDANCE OFFICER: The school's Guidance Officer, Ms Hazel Bensted can assist with:
- Physical Health - health problems e.g. drugs and referrals
- Social Health - friendships/being bullied, communicating with teachers, parents and students, peer pressure, solving clashes, careers and educational issues
- Emotional Health - coping, adjusting to change, new students, student experiencing behavioural difficulties, grief and crisis counselling, home problems, subject difficulties, relationship problems, bullying, fighting, aggresive behaviours, self-esteems building through problem solving and decision making.
- Spiritual Health - focussing on purpose: fullness in beliefs, achievement.
HOW?
- Advocating/talking on students' behalf to teachers, parents, other students
- Empowering students with skills to cope/problem solving
- Providing a wider knowledge base on issues
- Refer to other agencies for in-depth, confidential work
- Counselling individuals and groups
- Team work with U/18 Mental Health, Family Services, Alcohol and Drug Agencies and Tableland Sexual Health Service
- Career Education and Guidance
YEAR CO-ORDINATOR: Each year level has a Year Co-ordinator who assists with looking after students at Mareeba State High School. You will meet with your Year Co-ordinator once a week at your Year Level Parades. Find out who your Year Coordinator is and where you can find him/her if you need to talk to them. They are interested in supporting you to succeed.
COMMUNITY EDUCATION COUNSELLOR: As part of student support services, Mareeba State High School has a full-time Community Education Counsellor (CEC). The CEC supports the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students within the school, parents/guardians and the wider community, as well as giving support to the rest of the staff. If parents/guardians have any concerns and cannot get to the school for whatever reason, a home visit can be arranged. The CEC is also only a phone call away, and can be contacted through the school. Students are encouraged as much as possible to visit and talk with the CEC if they have any problems of concern. The CEC is located in Student Services and is available to talk to any parents/guardians or community members five days per week from 8:30am until 3:30pm.
SCHOOL CHAPLAIN: The School Chaplain can attend to any spiritual needs for students and is also available for prayer meetings and counselling. The School Chaplain is located in Student Services.
HEADS OF DEPARTMENT: Heads of Department are responsible for curriculum areas in the school. They also look after responsibilities with the Junior and Senior areas of schooling.
ADMINISTRATION TEAM: The Principal and the two Deputy Principals are responsible for the day-to-day organisation of the school and for coordinating all activities and policies required to run Mareeba State High School. They are also able to help you with your enquiries or concerns.
SCHOOL-BASED YOUTH HEALTH NURSE: The School-Based Youth Health Nurse, Sam Hales, works with students, their families and school staff to promote healthier school communities. The SBYHN works with students, staff and parents to:
- Address issues about health and well-being
- Create a supportive, healthy school environment
- Connect people to other support services inside and outside the school
The Mareeba SBYHN can provide information, support or referral on any of the following:
- Health and well-being
- Relationships
- Personal and family problems
- Sexual health
- Healthy skin
- Feeling unhappy or stressed
- Puberty, growing up
- Healthy eating, exercise, weight and eating problems
For further information about the SBYHN program, or to contact the SBYHN for support or information, please contact the school.
SCHOOL-BASED POLICE OFFICER: The School Based Police Officer, Snr Constable Matt Mitchell works with students and staff in a proactive manner to encourage positive relationships with police and assist students with supportive programs and activities.
TEACHER-LIBRARIAN: The Teacher Librarian is Mrs Daly and the Library is open from 8:00am in the morning and throughout the day. The Library will be an important part of your school life at Mareeba High. You will often have library lessons for your different subjects. Early in the year, there will be library orientation lessons during which you will become familiar with various aspects of research and how to access a range of resources for leisure reading. So come in and look around and you are welcome to borrow books from the first day. If you need assistance with choosing something to read or with research, the Library staff will be happy to help.