General News
25 March, 2025
Primary school to host mental health expert
Dr Billy Garvey, a developmental paediatrician, will be at Carisbrook Primary School for a free session.
Carisbrook Primary School are continuing the conversation on children’s mental health and parenting on Thursday.
Dr Billy Garvey, a developmental paediatrician, will be holding a free session at the school to bring the science of childrens’ development and mental health to parents across the community.
Dr Garvey has over 20 years of experience working with kids across many settings. Among them is his role as senior specialist at the Centre for Community Child Health and the General Medicine department at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne.
The session between 5.30 and 6.30 pm is open to all local community members. Carisbrook Primary School principal Chrissy Drummond said this is because the session is important to locals.
“We want parents and families to understand the foundations of good mental health so we can work as a team to help our kids thrive at every stage of development,” she said.
“We want to bring the science of child development and mental health to the real world, so that all children have the best opportunity to reach their potential and succeed in living rich and meaningful lives.”
Ms Drummond hopes the session will highlight the importance of supporting each other. Supporting not only families in their parenting journeys but also children in achieving a bright future.
“We want to start [a] conversation with our families and community so together we can nurture every aspect of our children,” she said.
Ms Drummond said the session is another effort of the school to enrich the lives of its students and the broader community.
This includes Dr Garvey working with the school’s staff prior to the session to help them take a holistic approach to student wellbeing.
“The relationship between educator and child is so important,” she said.
“Children learn best when they feel connected and secure at school and we believe we provide that and will always strive to learn off the experts in this area.”
Ms Drummond said the community’s reaction has been “fantastic” with the session almost at capacity.
Those interested in attending can find more information on how to register on Carisbrook Primary School’s Facebook page.