Published on: 30 July 2026


The Centre for Health and Wellbeing recently welcomed internationally recognised wellbeing educator Justin Robinson, co-founder of The Wellbeing Distillery and former Director of Positive Education at Geelong Grammar School, for a day of presentations with our Year 11 and 12 students and their families.

During the day, Justin presented Control the Controllables: Thriving Through Senior School, encouraging students to focus their energy on the three things they can influence every day, their response, their routines and their relationships. Through practical examples and evidence-informed strategies, students explored how their attitude, habits and support networks can shape both their wellbeing and performance during the final years of Senior School.

A key message throughout the presentation was that the senior years are not about avoiding challenges, but about building the capacity to achieve despite them. Students were encouraged to focus on the next controllable action, establish routines that support high performance, prioritise recovery alongside hard work, and seek support from trusted peers, teachers and family when needed.

That evening, parents and guardians attended Guiding the Journey: Supporting Your Teen to Thrive Through Senior School, where Justin explored the important role families play in adolescent development. Parents were encouraged to focus on influence rather than control, strengthening relationships, creating calm during periods of stress, and establishing routines that help young people develop confidence, resilience and independence.

Director of the Centre for Health and Wellbeing, Brad Gardner, said the presentations reinforced the importance of a shared approach between school and home.

“Justin’s message reminded us that we can’t remove every challenge our young people will face, but we can build their capacity to respond to them.”

“By sharing practical strategies with both students and parents, we are creating a common language that strengthens the partnership between school and home while helping our young men thrive throughout the senior years and beyond.”

The Centre for Health and Wellbeing thanks Justin Robinson for sharing his expertise with our students, parents and staff, and for inspiring our community to focus on what matters most – controlling the controllables.