Students at Rose Bay High School, with the assistance of our Lets Get Together program are working together to create a more respectful school environment. One brainchild of the program – a ‘Chill Out Room’ – was conceived by participating Year 7 students as a safe space where students would feel included.

Here is how Brodie, now in year 8, describes the concept:

“Ever since then this has still been up and running, going really successful[ly]. It’s making grade 7’s feel really welcome, especially coming into a high school, being a scary place obviously… it’s been really, really great for them, to feel safe, feel comfortable and just wanting to come to school.”

School nurse, Esta Armstrong, describes further:

“It’s a place where students can feel they can come and talk to me one-on-one or we can chat as a group about different ideas that have come up through the past week, and then if they feel comfortable, then certainly we can make appointments, and we can have a one-on-one chat.”

Brodie again:

“Well there was one student once, and he was sitting on a table, sort of distressed and upset, and he said to me, coz I was walking past, and said “hey are you ok?” And he said to me where can I go and I said “there’s a chill out room”. He went there and he’s still going since. But it’s really… yeah it’s really helpful. What the best thing about Grade 7 is, they can learn in Grade 7 and then they’ve got the abilities to cope when they are in Grade 8, 9 and 10.”