A focus on wellbeing
Hillcrest Christian College proactively supports our students, families and staff to realise their potential, cope with normal stresses of life, work productively and contribute to community. To do this, we promote five habits that support the wellbeing of the Hillcrest community.
Hillcrest Christian College’s five wellbeing habits
Care – to be aware of what you and others are facing. Lead – to be spiritually, mentally and physically active. Learn – to embrace new experiences, seek opportunities and surprise yourself. Connect – to be present, engage, build connections and strengthen relationships. Serve – to encourage others with love, contributing to the broader community.
Why wellbeing is integral to Hillcrest VLC
When students learn in a virtual environment, daily, sustained contact with peers may not be possible. Building meaningful connections is especially needed when learning in a virtual environment. Our program provides students with the life and work skills they need to succeed in an online environment and everyday life.
We encourage our students to develop meaningful relationships through our wellbeing initiatives. Setting boundaries, being physically active, knowing where to go for support, and showing empathy are other factors that can set a student up for success in an online environment.
How we support VLC
student wellbeing
The VLC aims to take the ‘distance’ out of Distance Education by establishing an online community of learners where strong relationships flourish, leadership (of self and others) is encouraged, and service is valued.
Our program contains explicit teaching of cognitive, social, emotional and strategic skills through the SECRET Skills framework, which includes goal-setting alongside a number of coaching and mentoring opportunities.
Support through
in-person events
For students able to attend Gold Coast locations, we offer a number of events where students and their families can connect and form relationships. This includes face-to-face social events, and on-campus enrichment days.
We also provide a number of opportunities to serve the local and wider community, such as Design-Centred Learning (DCL) projects and local outreach opportunities. Our VLC students can also participate in sporting events, such as on-campus carnivals and district/regional competitions.
Support through
College programs
We understand that emotional and spiritual wellbeing may require external support from time to time. That’s why we ensure our Chaplaincy staff are available to our VLC students during school hours for online support.
Our Life Group lessons are a non-academic class centred on building relationships, goal-setting, serving others and helping each child discover who they are. These lessons are an integral part of individual learning plans, which explore each child’s aspirations, strengths and challenges.
