School Chaplain

Hi there! I’m Larissa, the School Chaplain here at Mitchelton State High School. I started at Mitchie in mid-2018 with a Diploma in Youth Work and come from a background of youth work from over 20 years ago now! My passion, is to champion and encourage young people, and to come alongside their families and the community to support them on their journey in life.  

I see the chaplaincy role as being someone who supports, empowers and encourages all members of the school community in order to make their experience the best it can be. My aim as a chaplain is to provide ‘a listening ear’ and be a caring presence within the school that people can come to when they need a helping hand or would just like to have a chat. I aim to serve the individual needs of each person I come into contact with, whether that is a student, parent, community or staff member. I have supported students and their families struggling with various situations including family concerns, confusing relationships, friendship issues, peer pressure, self-esteem issues, bullying, depression, spiritual and worldview questions, school struggles, poverty and more. This is usually done through one-to-one appointments, (more info on how you can organise an appointment is at the bottom of this page).

I am very grateful to work here at Mitchie within our Student Support Service Team. This team is made up of Guidance Officers, Cultural Support Mentor, School-based Youth Health Nurse, Defence Transition Mentor, Youth Support Coordinator, and myself. As a chaplain, I liaise with student support staff members, but also work alongside the Mitchie staff in order to provide the best support possible for our community. 

The chaplaincy service works alongside various programs within the school to enhance the skill set of our students in order to build resilience and ensure a culture of well-being here at Mitchie. Some of the programs I assist with are – Mental Health Week, RU OK Day, Bullying No Way, and a variety of other important days we celebrate such as Anzac Day, World Teacher’s Day, Harmony Day, etc. 

​​School Life

I love to be involved in everyday life here at Mitchie​, including supporting students in the classroom, class excursions, camps, sports and swimming carnivals, various performances and events, year level camps, specialty camps, and just generally walking around at lunchtimes to ‘have a chat’ and check in with students. My goal throughout my time here is to build connections and be available to catch up with students to provide hope for their future endeavours and support when needed. In collaboration with some local churches, we also provide hampers and other items of necessity with the aim of enhancing the sense of community within our school. 

As part of the Chaplaincy Service here at Mitchelton State High School, we hold regular Local Chaplaincy Committee (LCC) meetings across each term. The aim of the LCC is to engage the community in the Chaplaincy Service and to be actively involved in fundraising, and assistance for the chaplain, programs, and the service as a whole. The grea​t thing about chaplaincy is that it is a community initiative, so we encourage community engagement as much as possible. If you would like to be involved in the LCC committee, or would like more information, please let me know via my contact details below.

I work Tuesday to Friday. My office is located in the Student Support Services Building in E Block (the toast room)!  Students can come and visit before school, during break times and after school to make an appointment. This can be to have a chat, or to just hang out during breaks. Participation in any chaplaincy activities, programs and conversations is completely voluntary and permission will be asked for when required. 

Please feel free to get in contact with either myself or the other student support services team by calling the Administration Office 3550 1111 and asking for the Chaplain. You may also wish to contact our wonderful Guidance Officer – Bianca, by the student referral form above.