The well-being of and support for GESS students is our priority. Among the resources we have, a dedicated team of GESS School Counsellors offers a friendly, professional point of support for our students, helping students with personal, emotional and social development. We spoke with the team who is always here for students.
Please introduce yourselves, what brought you to GESS and how long have you been here?
Jennifer März
My name is Jennifer März and I have been the school counsellor for the German section at GESS since 2013. I studied social work at Georg Simon Ohm University in beautiful Nuremberg and completed my master’s degree with a focus on education and pedagogics in 2011. I had already toyed with the idea of going abroad after completing my diploma studies with a focus on International Social Work. I would never have thought that it would work out so quickly. Back then and still today, it feels like a great adventure and I am very grateful and excited to be a part of the GESS community for over 9 years now.
I would describe myself as a perfectionist chaotic – I always wanted to learn a profession that has to do with people – and until today school counsellor is still my absolute dream job. Here, I can bring in all my strengths – I am communicative, creative, intuitive, humorous, empathetic and warm-hearted. I am a talent for improvisation and an optimist. I love dogs, good coffee, sushi, dancing, music and concerts, traveling, scuba diving, the sun, children’s books and flowers, I enjoy the little things in life and much more. I am not perfect; I make mistakes and I am constantly trying to evolve. I find my job immensely meaningful and diverse. As cheesy as it sounds, the radiance of the children makes up for all the strenuous bits of the job! To accompany, encourage and motivate young people in their development is simply an invaluable task!
I am looking forward to another great year at GESS and don’t forget: Be good to yourselves! And to others ♡
Enrico Fabian
In 2006, at the age of 24, as an IT system administrator for a respected German company, I thought I already had everything one could wish for. However, certain insights and impressions from my previous life would not let me go, and slowly but intensely shook me awake. I began to look at many everyday things that directly or indirectly affected me in a different light and thought more and more about my responsibility in this life, and what I could and had to do with the privileges I was born with.
This search led me to India where I lived and worked for more than 10 years as a freelance photo and video journalist. Fundraisers, exhibitions, educational programmes, sports initiatives, long term reportages and other freelance non-profit work were a cornerstone of my socially driven work and attempt to achieve something good for the people and their communities. Later, the desire to achieve an even more direct, lasting positive impact on people’s lives grew in me, which is why I enhanced my practical life experiences with extensive theoretical knowledge within my Social Work studies in Berlin.
With a degree in my pocket and a head full of ideas, I found a new home in Singapore and at GESS in 2021, and with it the opportunity to give back to the students some of what I have experienced throughout my life: hope, support, confidence and assistance, and these in all conceivable life situations.
Tomas Bown
I am the school counsellor in the European section at GESS since 2021. After growing up in Vienna, Austria with Krapfen, Schnitzel, Waltz and Wienerwald, I moved to Chile as a teenager, where I finished High School in the Swiss School of Santiago. I followed my curiosity by studying how the mind works and received my Psychology Degree in 2001. Subsequently, I moved to the US and worked as a mental health counsellor with children, families and individuals, mostly treating issues related to trauma and attachment. 4 years ago, my family and I decided to pack up our bags and start a new adventure in Singapore.
From the experience I gained as a trauma therapist, I can reach into my “toolbox” to share practical techniques with students, give parents advice and referral information, as well as coordinate with teachers when a student needs my support.
On a more personal note, music plays a very important role in my life. It is my main source of resilience, joy and my most used coping mechanism. Skateboarding on my cruiser board around Marina Bay area, biking around my neighbourhood, playing the Didgeridoo or swimming are some of the things I enjoy outside of school.
I am fortunate to work with a great team of fellow counsellors (Jennifer and Enrico), where we all support each other and bounce off ideas when we need to. Our initiatives are truly a team effort and I feel blessed to be part of this awesome group of people with the same goal of supporting our students and community here at GESS.
What are your main tasks as Counsellors at GESS?
In our work as school social workers and school counsellors, we are primarily here for our students. They can come to us when they have concerns or issues they don’t want to discuss with friends, teachers or parents. Sometimes it takes an outsider with a different perspective or someone with “professional glasses” who sees things differently. We can be that person.
With us, students can talk, exchange their thoughts and develop new ideas. Very importantly, they can also drop by any time even if they just want to chat.
School social work/counselling offers confidential and neutral counselling, companionship and support, as well as help in crisis situations, e.g. with questions and problems at school and in the family.
School social work is confidential, respectful and appreciative. It follows a resource- and solution-oriented approach and provides tools for self-help.
Our service is voluntary and free of charge, and of course teachers or parents can also contact us if there is something they are concerned about.
What have been some big projects or initiatives you worked on last school year?
One of the major initiatives was the annual Pink Shirt Day. Students and staff wore pink to demonstrate their commitment against bullying, discrimination and exclusion. In class, these very topics were addressed and discussed through various quizzes, book tips, games and videos. Another eye-catcher were spray chalk stencils of well-known personalities that matched the theme and could be found all over the school. We also surprised the students with self-made motivational fortune cookies and the staff members with a small sweet gift in pink.
An initiative on the GESS calendar every year is the Police Talk. During this event, our secondary school students are taught and instructed by the police about a variety of everyday and not-so-everyday matters. These include the legal consequences of theft, cyberbullying, vandalism, and also gun possession and other activities that are illegal in Singapore.
Then there is our “T.O.P.S. Schüler helfen Schülern” programme. This peer support programme is active throughout the year and encourages and empowers students to contribute positively to the GESS community by planning and delivering social and emotional skills lessons in different grades. As part of this programme, peers also offer support to their fellow students during weekly meetings.
Last but not least, we would like to mention the screening of the documentary film “Angst”. This is based on the experiences of primary and secondary school students dealing with anxiety. The people talk about how through open conversations and the search for support, they have realized that they are not alone with their worries and have found ways to look into the future with optimism. The film was streamed to both the students and the entire GESS community and even found its place on to the big screen in the auditorium.
The importance and also popularity of many of these programmes have made them an integral part of the not-so-everyday life at GESS, especially as we begin another new school year. For everything else: let us surprise you!
Which initiative is especially close to your heart?
Each of the initiatives we offer students throughout the year plays an important role in our overall concept of nurturing and challenging both individual personalities and the GESS community. Certainly, there are some events that are more memorable than others, but nonetheless, all programmes are equally important to us, especially the well-being of the students. Therefore, we can only say: all our initiatives are close to our hearts.
Is there anything else that you would like to share about your work with our students?
Each new day is like a roller coaster ride, complete with twists and turns, surprises, and headaches, soaring highs and inevitable lows. But we love our job and we can’t wait to get to know each and every one of you on campus!
For more information, visit: https://www.gess.sg/en/parent-portal-1/help-for-students/
