Wellbeing

The start of a new year, with a new class, can be a time of excitement, and it can also cause anxiety for some children as they enter a new learning environment. 

The first few weeks of the year are focused on building a community of learners – teachers are supporting students to make new connections, learn each other’s names, getting to know likes and dislikes, and their own personal strengths. Teachers use The Resilience Project curriculum in partnership with the Respectful Relationships program to inform the activities and processes they use within the classroom to facilitate relationship building. More on this throughout the year. 

Friendship Skills: Parents and Carers are our children’s first and most important teacher when it comes to relationships. You can help your child develop and maintain friendships by modelling effective social skills, providing opportunities for children to practise interacting with others, and offering support when they need help to navigate the nuances of friendship. Take the role as coach, empowering your child to use these skills themselves in the playground.

The following are some suggestions to help your child connect with new members of their class, provided by KidsMatter – an Australian Mental Health and Wellbeing initiative in partnership with the Australian Government. Be You is the current initiative – and useful resources promoting positive mental health can be found on their website https://beyou.edu.au/