UMatter – building positive relationships
Jamison High School has adopted the Mind Matters program as part of our commitment to student welfare and improving outcomes for all our students. Mind Matters is an Australian Government program with voluntary take-up offered to schools. Under the umbrella of Mind Matters, Jamison High School has developed UMatter – building positive relationships.
The UMatter Mentoring program sees all school teaching staff engage with students in a pastoral care style period once a week. The UMatter Mentor group runs as a weekly timetabled lesson, supported by UMatter homeroom where students meet with their mentor daily, during a 10 minute morning session. This allows students and their mentors to check-in and ensures they are ready for the school day.
During UMatter, students will work with a teacher on aspects of education involving resilience, time management, decision-making as well as mental health issues and personal well-being. Focusing on mental health in schools is not just about helping students who are having specific mental health concerns; it is about helping all students to achieve their best.
Some of the benefits of focusing on mental health are:
- sense of connectedness
- academic success
- social development
- personal resilience
- capacity to work with others and in the workplace.