Our stories

She’s been invited to her classmates birthday parties for the first time: Rise student Carly’s wellbeing improving in leaps and bounds

Rise in Western Sydney is off to a wonderful first half of the year! We are so pleased with the achievements of all of our kids.

Here’s just one of the many success stories from the year so far.

Carly* first entered our program a few months after one of her parents was taken into custody. At school, she had been struggling to focus in the classroom and connect with her peers.

Carly got straight to work with her mentor to learn how to identify and name her emotions and connect them to everyday situations and scenarios at home and school.

By identifying her emotional triggers, Carly and her mentor brainstormed some simple strategies to help her de-escalate big feelings when they arise and remain focused and in charge.

We are so proud of the enormous progress Carly has made in her emotional regulation, both in the classroom and on the playground, and there’s also been a decrease in classroom incidents.

With the help of her new ’emotional toolbox’, Carly’s also built a great little group of supportive friends and is now regularly invited to birthday parties!

While a birthday invite might seem small, it is a huge achievement and a testament to the great progress she is making through Rise.

School is becoming a fun and happy place for Carly, and her teachers, school, and mentor could not be more thrilled!

By A Rooney, Lead Rise Mentor

Thank you, Rise Western Sydney supporters Waratah Education Foundation & FICAP. 

Please donate to support critical programs supporting kids in need of extra support. Every bit counts.