Why Tyndale - Wellbeing

We begin every student’s journey at Tyndale with a personal touch. By having one-on-one conversations with each new student, we make sure they’re connecting, engaging, and thriving from day one.

At Tyndale, our heart is set on smoothing the path for our students, ensuring nothing stands in the way of their educational adventure. We’re dedicated to helping each student see and reach their full potential, creating a ripple effect of positive change for generations to come.

As we look to the future, we’re excited about building deeper ties with our families, strengthening our community bonds, and fostering collaborative partnerships. We’re all in this together, committed to achieving remarkable successes and life-changing experiences for every student.

At Tyndale, we prioritise the health and well-being of our students through a holistic approach to student care. We recognise that a student’s well-being is essential for their physical and mental health, academic success, and overall development. By creating a nurturing environment, we empower our students to excel in all areas of their lives. Our dedicated health care team, present across all campuses, works diligently to provide comprehensive care, addressing physical and psychosocial needs. We believe that healthy students are more engaged, motivated, and capable of achieving their full potential.

Health is the foundation of life. Our health care team comprises qualified nursing staff and first aid officers who serve as compassionate caregivers, educators, and advocates for student well-being.

Our health care services include:

• Early identification of health and developmental issues
• Proactive health education, prevention, and intervention
• Expert management of chronic health conditions
• Psychosocial support
• Health counselling
• Emergency and crisis management
• Health advocacy
• Referral services – medical, mental health, social, and allied health

Our approach to health care is thorough and attentive. We carefully review each student’s health concerns, considering underlying factors to ensure comprehensive care. In partnership with families, our goal is to ensure every student enjoys the best possible health, supporting their overall educational journey at Tyndale. We recognise that health is a platform for life.

At Tyndale Chrisitan School, our Family Service Coordinators are dedicated to supporting our vibrant Tyndale communities of Salisbury East, Murray Bridge and Kadina. They work closely with families to provide essential resources, guidance, and emotional support, ensuring every student has opportunity to thrive both academically and personally. By fostering strong relationships and addressing individual needs, our coordinators play a crucial role in building a compassionate and inclusive school environment.

Family Service Coordinators periodically offer parenting courses to further develop caregiver skills and strengths. With case management at the heart of their role, enhancing the capacity of Tyndale families through partnership and coordination is a key focus.

Our Family Services team work with parents and carers across Foundation to Year 12, readily tailoring services across the lifespan and diversity of needs.

They play a vital role by:

• Serving as a vital link within our school community
• Ensuring support is readily available for both staff and families
• Liaising with staff, caregivers, school leadership and service providers
• Offering expert consultancy to address diverse needs
• Providing tailored service to enhance family and school engagement
• Delivering customised referral options
• Engaging with school events
• Connecting families with community within and outside our schools

Our Coordinators are here to partner with families, ensuring needs are seen, strengths utilised, and a supportive educational environment is fostered for all.  

At Tyndale Christian School, our counselling services embrace a holistic view of wellbeing. We recognize that mental and emotional health is crucial for academic and life success. Our dedicated counsellors, both male and female, offer their expertise in unique spaces like the Junior School’s ‘Reef’ and the Middle and Senior School’s ‘Aquarium’ at Salisbury East, as well as in the nurturing environments of our regional sites.

Our counsellors use age-appropriate resources and activities to provide tailored support. Proactively engaging with new students, offering specialized sessions for Year 12, and participating in classroom lessons, our team is committed to fostering mental resilience and providing psychoeducation to help students navigate daily challenges.

We understand the importance of a supportive network and adopt a systemic approach for complex cases, working collaboratively with families and external agencies. Our ‘team around the child’ philosophy extends to offering Family Therapy, strengthening the ties within our school community.

For those in need of support, accessing our services is straightforward. You can reach out through an online  ‘concern form’ available here on the left-hand side of this page. These forms can be utilized by pastoral care teachers, support staff, or directly by students and families, ensuring everyone in our community has the help they need, right at their fingertips.

At Tyndale, we offer Family Therapy to support families of all kinds through life’s many changes. Whether it’s welcoming a new baby, dealing with loss, adjusting to a teenager’s growing independence, or moving homes, we understand these events can both challenge and strengthen family bonds.

Our approach recognizes that families usually adapt well to changes, but sometimes, a fresh perspective is needed. That’s where our Family Therapy comes in. We delve into how family dynamics, backgrounds, neurobiology, and life stages influence relationships. Our therapists help bring these aspects to light, offering a space for families to understand and address their challenges collaboratively.

In Family Therapy, we focus on understanding the problem from each family member’s viewpoint. It’s not about ‘fixing’ a family, but responding to specific needs and working towards solutions that consider everyone’s wellbeing. This often involves exploring the issue’s roots and deciding whether to seek change.

We see the Family System as inclusive, often involving school staff, nurses, and other specialists. Their insights are invaluable, especially in understanding a child’s experience in the school environment. This comprehensive approach allows us to view the presenting problem from multiple angles, fostering more flexible thinking towards solutions.

Whether it’s parents, children, counselors, or other professionals, everyone’s voice is important in our Family Therapy sessions. This collaboration can lead to a better understanding of the problem and more effective strategies for moving forward.

At Tyndale, our therapy dogs are vital members of our school community, bringing comfort and joy every day. They play a crucial role in enhancing the wellbeing of our students and staff. At Tyndale Salisbury East, we are fortunate to have two therapy dogs: Aussie – a golden lab, will be 6 in 2025; and Vector is 2 years old and  has been a new face mostly around Senior School since 2023.  Our beloved and first therapy dog Zena, passed away in 2024 aged 13. She was a much-loved part of the Tyndale community.

The impact of these therapy dogs is significant and multifaceted. They assist in easing the anxiety of students, particularly during challenging times like the start of the school year or during critical assessments like Year 12 exams, subject to SACE Board approval. As non-judgmental members of our Counselling and Wellbeing Teams, these dogs provide comfort in various settings – from the Counselling Office to the Health Care Centre and during school events like Immunisation Day.

Our therapy dogs contribute positively to the school environment and can be seen out-and-about bringing smiles every day! Offering a calming presence that has been shown to lower stress and increase positive hormones, as noted in research by institutions like Johns Hopkins Medicine. Their role in our community goes beyond companionship; they are integral in fostering a supportive and nurturing atmosphere at Tyndale.

Navigating the challenges of modern parenting can be complex, especially when it comes to raising happy, healthy, and resilient children. Parents today are often inundated with information, making it difficult to find clear and reliable guidance.

Enter School TV: an innovative online resource created to empower parents.

It cuts through the noise, offering trustworthy and practical advice to help you confidently support your child’s wellbeing. School TV is more than just information; it’s a tool for continuous, realistic support, designed to guide you through the intricacies of modern-day parenting.

A recent addition to Tyndale of Dr Justin Coulson’s Happy Families Schools is another way our families can access excellent parental education and support through free learning. Dr Coulson prioritises the equipping of families with knowledge and strategies they need to foster healthy relationships.

 With the introduction of Consent 2 Go (C2Go), our families can easily manage their child’s details and consents while navigating the busyness of family life. The C2Go Parental App offers the flexibility and peace of mind to handle these tasks on-the-go, making it easier for families to stay organised and connected.

 Logging concerns regarding students’ wellbeing using our Posimente platform, is yet another way Tyndale cares for, and supports our students and their families. Easy access reporting through our website ensures the wellbeing of our students is promptly addressed, fostering a safe and supportive environment for everyone.

At the heart of our strengths  approach to student and family support is our multidisciplinary team.

• Allied health professionals, bringing diverse expertise to student health
• Medical practitioners
• Psychologists
• Community service supports, ensuring a broad network of care

This collaborative approach allows us to offer well-rounded and effective support, tailored to the unique needs of our students and their families.