Defence School Mentor (DSM’s) are located Australia wide in primary school’s where there are large numbers of Australian Defence Force families.
Who Are The Amberley District State School DSM's ?
Here at Amberley District State School we have two DSM’s who work within our school community. Mrs Tarissa Flesser and Mrs Vanessa Ly. Mrs Vanessa Ly began her DSM jorney at Amberley District in 2021. Mrs Ly's husband is a current serving member in the RAAF and she has come from a defence family. She has two children.
Will my child be involved?
We offer a variety of support mechanisms to help our students including in-class assistance, games club, specialised support during deployments (care packages, letters, emails, cards), craft activities, Milo morning teas and parent get-togethers to name a few. We also organise special services to commemorate ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day.
What does a School DSM do?
The DSM can assist you and your children become familiar with our school and its facilities, co-ordinate welcome and farewell activities for ADF children and monitor and report on children’s personal issues such as peer groups and friendships. The DSM’s are not teachers, however we can help you liaise with all school staff and will always seek to source information for families from within the school framework.
How can I contact the DSM?
Defence families can access either of the DSM’s Mon-Fri. The program we offer aims to support children and ADF families during transition in and out of school due to posting, deployment or parental absences. The roles are funded by the Department of Defence through the Defence Community Organisation.