Mount Roskill Grammar school has a comprehensive and holistic Student Services Department.

We are passionately committed to the proactive support of the mental, social and physical health of our rangatahi. We are proud to work under the school’s core values of Whanaungatanga, Manaakitanga, and Tūmanakotanga and we share a commitment to social justice and affirming diversity.

Our Student Services Department contains a Guidance Counselling team and a Health Clinic.

The counselling team consists of six counsellors, several itinerant specialist counsellors and an itinerant Freshminds Psychologist.

Our school has an enhanced school based health clinic with four Nurses, a Doctor and a Physiotherapist.

Our building is next to the Hall. When you walk in, one of our friendly receptionists will help you access the services you need or you can make an appointment by email or online. Referrals are welcome from students, from staff and from family members.

If appropriate students can be referred free of charge for psychological support to the school psychologist who works in our team or to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, either the Kari Centre (at Greenlane Clinical Centre) or Whirinaki (South Auckland). Referrals can be recommended when students face chronic or severe depression, severe anxiety, panic attacks or other mental health challenges.

Itinerant Counsellors from Auckland Sexual Abuse Help and Community Alcohol and Drug Services work from our premises for students who request specialist help.

Travellers

Travellers is a school-based mental health promotion programme for small groups of young people identified in Year Nine. It enhances connectedness and supports changes in life’s journey. Changes rangitahi may need support with include:

• Changing schools
• Changing friendships
• The loss of something or someone close, such as family member or pet
• Changing residence such as moving cities or countries
• Changing family status such as parental separation or remarriage
• Changing state of wellbeing e.g. self-esteem, illness or injury

Peer Mediation

Peer Mediation is about students helping students. Mediators aim to resolve conflict in a constructive way. Conflict is a normal part of our lives, and it is how we choose to deal with it that can make the difference.
The New Zealand Peace Foundation provides the mediation training in our school. Mediators learn to respect diversity and to value differences.
The role of the Mediators is to not only help students resolve conflict behind closed doors in a confidential mediation room. It is also about being “Ambassadors of Social Justice”. Mediators lead in the school community by promoting and modelling fairness and respect for others, watching out for harassment and bullying, and by supporting students to get help when needed. They aim is to help the school to be a safer place.
Mediators lead in the celebration of International Peace Week with a variety of activities including assembly presentations, painted banners and white ribbons, face painting, stall day, visit to a retirement village and a community Peace march.

Our school-initiated Peer Mediation services in 1994. Today we have over 230 trained Mediators. Annually over 100 students apply to become Mediators, and 50 – 60 students are selected to do the training. Students interested in applying need to be in Year 11 and 12. Applications are invited at the beginning of each year.
Advanced Mediation training in Human Rights issues is provided the following year. We presently have 80 Advanced Mediators.
Students are welcome to see our receptionist at Student Services or their deans to request a Mediation. Confidentiality assured!

This programme is coordinated by Counsellor Tara English

Manaakitanga

Manaakitanga is our Year 9 anti-harassment programme. To learn effectively, students need to feel emotionally safe and connected at school. Manaakitanga, Whanaungatanga and Tūmanakotanga are our school’s overarching values.
Harassment, bullying, mocking and shaming cause long-term psychological damage. At Mount Roskill Grammar School we take all harassment seriously. We don’t think it’s a “normal part of growing up”, we don’t believe it’s helpful to ignore it, we don’t think it’s “just a bit of friendly mocking”. We proactively work on preventing it, and actively deal with it when it does occur.
In term one each year, all Year 9 core classes have a workshop in the “Sunshine Room”, the large group room of the Counsellors that can seat a whole class in a circle. We explore harassment through this interactive workshop. Students learn about our fierce commitment to fight harassment and bullying, and some of the effective processes we use to stop it when it occurs. We also talk about the need to reach out for support, and the importance of referring yourself or your friend to a Counsellor if they feel low, and notice suicidal thoughts.

Peer Sexuality Support Programme (PSSP)

We are proud to be part of the Auckland District Health Board’s Peer Sexuality Support Programme.
This programme started two decades ago when increasing evidence became available that advice and information given by peers is effective in influencing adolescent attitudes and behaviours. Young people have knowledge of the culture, language and concerns of people their own age. This way young people can be empowered to make informed decisions about their social and sexual health.
The trained students then act as support, resource and health promotion people both within their peer group and within the wider school. Our students help the counsellors teach classes on relationships and sexuality within the Year 10 Health programme. They actively promote values like respect and communication, and initiated the now nationally spread “Consent Awareness Week”.

Skittles

Skittles is our school’s Diversity group, co-facilitated by a group of trained student leaders and staff.
It is an inclusive alliance of people who share a firm commitment to social justice. We work towards creating a safe and supportive school for rainbow students and staff.
It also is a place that provides belonging and connectedness in a warm atmosphere of acceptance and celebration of different sexual and gender identities. We proactively avoid labelling and judgement.
The group participates in the Rainbow Games and in the national Secondary School Pride Week.