We are fortunate at Red Hill Primary School to have a Defence Support Mentor (DSM).
The DSM program provides support to children of Australian Defence Force (ADF) Members and their families, particularly during their transition into and out of a school on posting. The program aims to assist the smooth transition of mobile Australian Defence Force children from school to school and across the States and Territories.
Why do we have a Defence Support Mentor in our school?
The DSM assists children and parents to quickly become part of the school community. The DSM answers basic questions about the school and provides a link from families to the school. The DSM provides support to children during times of parental absence. The DSM also helps build the school's long-term capacity to support mobile children and their families.
Children respond differently to relocation and change. Some make a positive transition into the new school, while others may experience difficulties. These difficulties may present as changes in behaviour, loss of self-esteem or diminished academic performance. The DSTA works in conjunction with classroom teachers to monitor the transition of both new and leaving students and provide assistance to support the social, emotional and academic wellbeing of these students.
What does our Defence Support Mentor do?
A DSM is not a teacher but a member of the school team.
The duties of the DSM may include the following:
· assisting children and families to integrate into the new school and local community,
· coordinating appropriate welcome and farewell activities,
· smoothing the transition from school to school and between different education systems (including minimising the impact of relocation on learning outcomes),
· monitoring the social, emotional and academic wellbeing of Defence students,
· helping students develop self-confidence, self-reliance and resilience,
· referring students to services, or school and community programs that meet their needs,
· enhancing awareness and appreciation of the unique Defence lifestyle in schools and communities, and
· providing support to children during times of parental absence,
· contributing items of interest to the school newsletter.
It is not intended that the Defence Support Mentor work with an individual child on a long-term basis.