Newington marked R U OK? Day this week with a whole-school gathering on Johnson Oval, alongside student-led reflections and personal appreciation notes during senior assembly.
Continuing an annual campus tradition, students and staff met on the turf of Johnson Oval to stand together and form a large-scale visual representation of the day’s message.
During the weekly assembly, Student Representative Council members shared anonymous student submissions addressing experiences with loneliness. The readings highlighted simple day-to-day actions, such as saving a desk in class or bringing someone into a lunchtime circle, as effective ways to look out for peers.
Head of Counselling Briana Hennessy addressed the cohort on active listening, followed by guest speaker Suzie Miller, who spoke on the impact of open conversations and shared stories. Throughout the morning, boys also wrote short notes of appreciation to friends, mentors, and support staff. Pastoral teams distributed contact cards and wellbeing resources across house mentor rooms to wrap up the day.
Article by Sunny Zhang (Year 12)