Community in Focus: Berrigan Public School P&C
1 December 2025
Nurturing Capable Minds at Berrigan Public School
It is so important for students at small schools to have access to the same educational opportunities and services as those who attend larger ones.
This could not be more critical when to comes to programs that promote positive mental health and wellbeing outcomes for children.
While many large schools have access to school counsellors and even psychologists, this is not always the case for their modest-sized counterparts; including Berrigan Public School (BPS).
To help ensure its students have the opportunity to learn strategies to support their mental health and wellbeing, the local school this year engaged the services of Finley-based counselling and therapy service Capable Minds, which is run by social worker Catherine Healy.
The school’s Parents & Citizens Association worked in collaboration with Catherine and school staff, led by Principal Dorothy Dore, to ensure the program was developed to specifically meet the needs of the students.
The four-week program was implemented during Term 3, using funds secured by the P&C through Murray Irrigation's 2025 Education Sponsorship Program, which the company introduced this year to support school projects and activities that promote student learning, development and wellbeing.
“We are so grateful for this support, which has enabled us to proceed,” BPS P&C Association Vice President Emily Walliss said.
BPS has an enrolment of approximately 65 students, and is staffed by four teachers (including Principal Dorothy Dore), as well as three support staff, two administration staff and a part-time groundskeeper.
“Like any education environment, it is imperative that we provide the right level of mental health and wellbeing support to each and every one of our students,” Emily said.
At Berrigan Public School, the weeks are full of rich, authentic and engaging learning opportunities.
“Without access to a school counsellor, we saw the need to engage Capable Minds to fill this gap and provide our children with life skills to help them thrive.
“Our school community comprises young people from a broad and diverse range of backgrounds, including a large farming base.
“We believed that greater and more equitable access to health and wellbeing initiatives would provide better outcomes, not just for our students, but for the wider community,” she added.
BPS recognised that collaborating with Capable Minds would promote a range of positive outcomes, in particular the program's focus on teaching basic psychoeducation on the brain, together with strategies for responding to perceived threats or uncomfortable feelings.
This aligned with the school's core values of respect, teamwork, embracing change and safety.
The program also offered key learnings in respect; both self-respect and developing respect for peers.
Upon completion of the program in August, Catherine reported that the students all engaged in the conversations and activities and were "fabulous to work with”.
She explained how the sessions explored the brain and protective responses to perceived threats and big emotions. Students explored how their body gives them signals and how they can keep the prefrontal cortex in charge with breath work, mindfulness, powerful thoughts and movement.
Above and below right: Catherine Healy from Capable Minds leads the program with Berrigan Public School students.
“It’s hard to assess how much information is retained, but of the kids I’ve seen in the community since (the program) they have been able to tell me the main points around the roles of the brain and the strategies we discussed,” she said.
Catherine has an impressive background working within education in both Victoria and NSW as a social worker
After founding Capable Minds in 2020, she now provides counselling to children, adolescents and adults.
“I have always believed that every person has the ability to change and grow from experiences that challenge us," she said.
"I feel privileged that people trust me to share their stories and experiences and that I can support them through their lives.”
Now calling Berrigan home, Catherine grew up in Finley and has a passion for supporting and empowering people in rural communities.
“I know and value the importance of connection and community, and these are both strong qualities in rural communities," she said.
"People’s mental health and wellbeing is strengthened when they are connected to others within community and as we have seen with the Berrigan P&C, where there is a need, the community will respond.”
Emily echoed Catherine's view that there has been a positive student response to the program, saying the P&C is keen to discuss how Capable Minds may be able to continue supporting BPS students.
Implementing this whole of school mental health and wellbeing program is just the latest in an impressive list of activities undertaken by the P&C to help make BPS a better place for student development and learning.
Earlier this year, the group hosted its inaugural Colour Fun Run, which raised a significant amount of money for the school, and will allow it to continue undertaking development and support programs.
This was a rather amusing event, in which BPS students, joined by youngsters from Berrigan Children’s Centre, ran through a designated obstacle course sporting white t-shirts while being blasted with colour at various points by parents and family. The aim was to make participants as messy as possible.
To top off the day, and to ensure adults were in on the action, a total of five teachers, P&C representatives and the school principal were dumped with a bucket of slime.
The school's Colour Run fundraiser proved a great success.
The money raised will be allocated to school projects, which may include further work on a current sandpit expansion; an area that is popular with the children.
Last year, with the assistance of community funding, a velociraptor fossil was installed in the sandpit as an additional nature and science play activity. The velociraptor sandpit allows the children to play, dig and discover a hidden velociraptor skeleton that is buried inside.
The P&C also provides every new enrolment at BPS with their school hat, and this year also gave every student and teacher a beanie, personalised with their name stitched on it.
The P&C has also installed a water cooler bubbler, provides free lunches at school events, and funding support for some school maintenance.
Although Berrigan Public is a small school in a relatively small Southern Riverina community, it goes ‘above and beyond’ to ensure its students are provided with the widest possible range of educational and development activities during their primary school years.
Principal Dorothy Dore summed it up perfectly, saying:
“As is the Berrigan Public School way, the weeks are full of rich, authentic and engaging learning opportunities; there is always something happening!
"Everyone plays their part to make every day count. We set out to create a happy, healthy, peaceful and productive environment where everyone can be their best and bring out the best in others.”
