Faith & Wellbeing
WELLBEING
Life is starting to recover and some of our routines are beginning to return. However, can we ever really go back to what life was before the pandemic? Not only have we all endured a significant time in the history of our lives but many of our lives will have changed. Adapting for some is such an easy thing, for others change can be brutal even if it is for the better. We must be mindful of this from everyone’s perspective and at the moment this can be very difficult. During the return, all of our students and staff have had a major focus on wellbeing and moving forward. Our first two weeks of learning have had extra time spent on transitioning back to face to face teaching. Our focus has been on character strengths and re-building relationships and routines.
In the last few weeks I have visited all classrooms and held a session on Comfortable Places. We have talked about what it feels like to be safe and enjoying time with our teachers and classmates again. At the end of these sessions students were introduced to the “Well Done Office” (as named by some of our Year 1 students). The "Well Done Office" is a place where students can come and draw, colour, read or play a game when they feel they need regulation or understanding around something happening at school. The Comfortable Places session has been followed up with a sport session, using game playing as a way to model positive behaviour in the playground. Students were able to express their feelings when one person makes all the rules of a game or changes the rules of the game without telling everyone. This week we will focus on what competition can do to games sometimes and how it is not always healthy.
This image of the Emotional Cup is a great reminder of what we all need to do to ensure we are looking after ourselves at this time. As you will notice play, friendship and connection are all very important. We must ensure that our students are re-engaging with healthy connections and relationships with their peers. I encourage you to ask your children who they may like to have over for a playdate or meet in the park to re-build and re-establish friendships.
St James School Counselling working Collaboratively
Our Vision for Student Counselling at St James is that all involved parties will work together to ensure our students' needs are understood by all team members directly involved with working with our students. During Remote Learning the Wellbeing Team had the opportunity to reflect upon our student counselling services offered at St James. We have now welcomed Ellie Nicolay to our Team and we are looking forward to her beginning with us this week.
Ellie will work with students every Thursday on a rotational basis, either fortnightly or monthly. The Student Wellbeing Leader(myself) will meet with Ellie every Thursday morning to discuss the students that will receive counselling that day. Any new information will be shared with Ellie as well as the general wellbeing of the student. Ellie will also meet with the classroom teacher to discuss strategies that may be used and implemented in the class to assist the students needs, however the content of the student counselling sessions will remain confidential, between the student and their family.
Ellie Nicolay, St James School Psychologist Bio
Ellie is a psychologist who has a strong interest in supporting the wellbeing and positive development of young individuals and is passionate about working with children. She holds a Masters in ‘Educational and Developmental’ Psychology from Monash University, and has had experience working in primary schools, secondary schools and private clinic settings.
Ellie provides a holistic, family-centred approach to therapy and draws from a range of evidence-based treatments including cognitive behavioural therapy, play therapy and mindfulness. She believes that a collaborative approach involving the child, their parents, teachers and other allied health professionals, is integral to achieving the best outcomes.
In her other world Ellie is also a Mum of three adolescent boys, and enjoys family time as well as reading for pleasure, cooking and walks with her Labradoodle Oscar.
If you have any questions or queries regarding our new school counselling services please do not hesitate to contact me. gmcnamara@stjamesbrighton.catholic.edu.au
Best Wishes,
Georgia McNamara
Student Wellbeing Leader
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
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