By Roxanne Millar
STUDENTS at Bellbridge Primary School got a jump on growing up last week with a special program to prepare them for their teenage years.
Grades five and six students met counsellors, youth groups and sporting clubs on Wednesday to find out what support was on offer when they might need help battling teenage blues.
Bellbridge Primary School counsellor Kelly Ryan said the school hoped it would help give students options when they felt they could not talk to their parents.
“We tried to identify support groups so that kids would take it in before they are teens and when puberty hits and they think everyone is against them,” Ms Ryan said.
“It is a new thing the school is trying.
“It is getting in early because in grades seven and eight some children need that support.”
Wyndham City Council statistics show 14.7 per cent of Bellbridge residents are aged between five and 11 compared with 12.7 per cent for the rest of the city.
More than 20 per cent of Wyndham City residents are aged between five and 17, with five to 11-year-olds making up almost 13 per cent of the population.
Anglicare Werribee placement support services manager Spiros Drakopoulos said it was essential for schools to help students get ready for high school and teenage life.
“Some students fall when they leave primary school because it is a big jump and so providing (support) information is very important,” Mr Drakopoulos said.
“Schools are a good starting point for that stuff, particularly in terms of taking problems to a teacher a student might identify with.”
Australian Family Association spokeswoman Angela Conway said schools had to be careful they did not intervene in parental roles when providing support.
“Kids need stuff relevant to them,” Ms Conway said.
“And developmentally (in grade five and six) they’re not at an age where they should seek outside intervention.”
