Advisory Group

Sue Roffey, University of Western Sydney: For many years Sue was a teacher of children with emotional and behavioural difficulty - she then became an educational psychologist and from 2001-2006 was closely involved with school counsellor training at the University of Western Sydney. She is now an Adjunct Fellow at the Centre for Educational Research focusing on aspects of emotional literacy. Sue provides seminars and professional development on behaviour, relational values, the development of caring school communities and emotional literacy. Sue also offers Circle Time Solutions training. She can be contacted here

Sue has written extensively on issues related to behaviour and relationships in schools. Her books have been recommended both by teachers and other educationalists such as Bill Rogers. Two have been translated. Sample chapters can be downloaded here.

Toni Noble, Australian Catholic University: Toni is a former classroom teacher now working as a senior University lecturer in education and psychology at the Australian Catholic University National in Sydney. She is widely known as the co-author with Dr Helen McGrath of many practical best-selling teacher resource books. These books include Eight Ways At Once on differentiated instruction; Different Kids, Same Classroom and the BOUNCE BACK! A Classroom Resiliency Program. The BOUNCE BACK! Program is the 2003 winner of the Robin Winkler Award for applied research in Community Psychology awarded by the Australian Psychological Society. Toni is a founding member of Wellbeing Australia and on the Advisory Board for the National Centre Against Bullying and is Co-Editor of Bullying Solutions. Evidence-Based Approaches to Bullying. Her newest book (in press) with Helen McGrath on student engagement is titled HITS and HOTS (High Impact Teaching Strategies & Higher Order Thinking Strategies

As well as a University Teacher Educator, Toni is a psychologist and an educational consultant for all school systems and has widely presented on student and whole school wellbeing both nationally and internationally. She has been awarded a Carrick Citation for her outstanding contributions to University teaching in the field of educational psychology and teacher education. Toni was also a Principal Investigator on the Australian Government's (DEEWR) 2008 Scoping Study on Student Wellbeing. Toni is currently on the Review team for a revised National Safe Schools Framework. She is also an Academic advisor for the Australian Positive Psychology Association. Toni can be contacted here, and see her website Bounceback.

Alison Soutter, Educational Psychologist: Alison currently works for the Deparment of Community Services. In her previous role with the Department of Education she initiated many programs to develop positive relationships in schools. Her mentoring programs LEAPS and LAMPS have received wide acclaim. Alison can be contacted here

Peta Blood is the director of Circle Speak and an international contributor to the field of restorative practices, with a particular focus on building sustainable practice in schools. She has worked in areas of policing, organisational change and currently within education. Peta has co/authored a number of articles on the implementation of restorative practices in an educational context and is co-founder of the International Centre for Restorative Practices and Peace Building (ICRPPB). Circle Speak offers training, facilitation and consultancy in restorative practices and circles & classroom management.  Peta and her colleagues facilitate school professional development sessions and a range of tailored workshops. Contact Details: PO Box 854, Brookvale. NSW 2100 Ph/Fax: (02) 9402 1273 Email: circlespeak For more information: website: www.circlespeak.com.au

Robyn Hromek, District Guidance Officer and School Counsellor: Robyn has used emotional literacy in her work in schools and has now written about this in Planting the Peace Virus.  She has also developed a series of therapeutic games to teach emotional and social literacy through board games. Nine of these are published in a book called 'Game Time' with a further 7 (plus Reflection sheets) in Emotional Coaching. These books come with a CD from which to print the games. Emotional Coaching was shortlisted for the NASEN award in the UK. Australian versions of these games are available at  Theragames: Promoting Emotional Resilience.  Robyn has also delivered training in therapeutic games and emotional coaching in Australia, UK and Spain.

Tim Corcoran is a psychologist, now working at Sheffield University in the UK. Over the past decade he has worked in penal and education (P-12 State schools) contexts.  Tim's PhD thesis provides a discursive psychological understanding of State sanctioned exclusion in Queensland.  The investigation draws attention to an existing discursive context steeped in moral and psychological deficiencies which does more to disable than enable the person under sanction.  Consequently, the thesis calls for future sanctioning practices to embed principles of psychosocial health promotion and to adopt a psychological model supportive of personal, relational and collective wellness in communities.

Adam Blakester is a freelancer working for improved social wellbeing in ways that are environmentally and economically sustainable. His current work includes the New England Sustainability Strategy, Solar New England Region Project, Travelling Stock Route Coalition, Keepit Region ACES (Aboriginal Community Employment Strategy), NSW Aboriginal Child Sexual Assault Prevention Plan and the Sustainable Living Expo '09 (Armidale).

Adam believes that the way we grow up and educate our children is of profound importance to the sustainability and wellbeing of society and life on Earth, particularly in regards to their consciousness of themselves and their connection with others and life itself.

Adam is Chair of the Minerals Policy Institute, Director of Greenpeace (Australia Pacific), Treasurer of the Antarctic & Southern Ocean Coalition, Sydney Leadership alumnus and a member of the Great Transition Initiative and Vibewire Youth Services Advisory Council. Contact details: 61 419 808 900 | 61 2 6775 2501 | Skype: adam.f.blakester
www.paradigmplay.net

Jill Pearman, National State Co-ordinator Mindmatters "Every teacher is a teacher for wellbeing".

Louise Rowling, Associate Professor, Sydney University: Louise has established over a 30 year period a National and International reputation for work on school drug education, health promoting schools, loss and grief in schools and school mental health promotion and prevention.  She has been a consultant to the World Health Organisation on several occasions and has contributed to the development of materials for the WHO Global School Health Initiative. She is the Immediate Past President of 'Intercamhs' the International Alliance of Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Schools. Louise was co-director of the research and development phase of MindMatters, the Australian school mental health promotion project and has been chair of the National Evaluation Committee in the program's dissemination phase. Louise has published widely. Her publications include "Mental Health Promotion and Young People" and "Grief in School Communities". She is frequently invited as a keynote speaker at state, national and international conferences. Louise can be contacted here

Maree Stanley, National Coalition Against Bullying: Maree is the General Manager, Prevention at The Alannah and Madeline Foundation, a national children's charity working towards keeping children safe from violence by providing care, prevention programs and advocacy. Maree has been a practicing teacher for more than 20 years. She developed Better Buddies, a new concept for buddy systems in primary schools and Buddy Bear, the friendly face of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation's Better Buddies program, is her brainchild. In 2006 Better Buddies was completing rewritten to include the learnings from schools and the two year research study undertaken by the Foundation. Maree has also managed the foundation's National Safe Schools Framework Best Practice Program, the Children Ahead Crisis Care Program, and has been the Acting CEO of The Foundation. Maree continues to establish ground-breaking initiatives for the Foundation including co-coordinating the National Coalition Against Bullying which raises awareness of bullying nationally and at all levels of society. 

Sue Cahill, St. Charles Borromeo Primary School: Sue is the Student Wellbeing Co-ordinator at St. Charles, a position she has held for 10 years. Sue is the Catholic Education Office Student Wellbeing Cluster Co-ordinator for 13 schools in the Eastern region of Melbourne. She is also the Values Education Cluster Co-ordinator for eight schools currently involved in the Federal Government's Values in Action Schools Project. This cluster is the only cluster Australia wide to have been funded through the three stages of the Federal Government's Values Education project. Sue works with schools as a mentor in the areas of student wellbeing, social-emotional learning and Values Education. 

James Park, Director, Antidote: the UK Campaign for Emotional Literacy

Sharlene Chadwick, Peer Support Australia: Sharlene is the Training and Development Manager an organisation she has been with for over 14 years. She has a background in secondary education and has been involved in the research, evaluation and development of peer led modules for several years aimed at developing skills in wellbeing amongst young people. The modules focus on transition, relationships, resilience, optimism, values and anti-bullying. She delivers training and professional development to educators and parents throughout Australia in the Peer Support Program. Sharlene has a Masters in Professional Education and Training and has researched the positive effects of Peer Support Australia's Anti-bullying programs through Deakin University and has presented at numerous state and national conferences. Sharlene can be contacted here

Sharon Austin, Peer Support Australia Sharon has been with Peer Support Australia since 1999 and is employed as General Manager.  During this time the reach of the Peer Support Program has extended from being a Program predominately implemented in NSW to a Program with a wider National focus.  Sharon's role is one of administration and governance and she has been successful in developing partnerships with Government bodies which has facilitated the national growth of the Organisation.