Meet our Director of Student Wellbeing
With the commencement of Lyn Henshall as Director of Student Wellbeing in 2008, St Catherine’s has seen a renewed focus on student wellbeing. Several new school initiatives have been introduced to further support our students, ensuring that they have every opportunity to succeed and thrive.
Tell us something of your working and educational background.
I am a psychologist and teacher and my various roles have included teaching and counselling in a number of institutions and schools, being Head of the Primary and Middle Schools and then Vice Principal, Student and Family Welfare at Tintern Schools. In all these roles I have been interested in providing programs for students experiencing difficulties with learning and programs for students needing extension.
Prior to arriving at St Catherine’s, I worked at the Association of Independent Schools (now Independent Schools Victoria), providing advice to independent schools on issues around student wellbeing, administering grants to schools to promote and improve the resilience of students, liaising with the Government and Catholic school sectors and organising professional development for teachers in independent schools.
What have you found to be the best part of your role?
I have really enjoyed the way the staff at St Catherine’s are interested in the learning needs of all students and their support of programs to assist the students. Building on the Educational Support programs offered in the Junior School, we now have a formal Educational Support subject which offers assistance to students from Years 7 to 12, and extension and enrichment programs. I have also enjoyed returning to counselling students and the work I do with the girls and their parents.
What initiatives are you working on in the coming year?
I will be continuing to work closely with our Careers Coordinator, Pauline vander Poel, as we explore the possibilities of offering various pathways to our Senior students, such as school-based traineeships, and Vocational Education and Training (VET) subjects. This initiative has already begun and is working very well.
Aside from your work, what other interests do you have?
My other love is choral music and I am fortunate to be conducting some choirs at St Catherine’s. I am Deputy Musical Director of the Victoria Welsh Male Voice Choir and Musical Director of the Maroondah Singers. I play the piano and the ‘cello but as I don’t have time to practise, I could not claim to do either very well these days!