Wellbeing

Week 4 - 13.02.23 to 17.02.23

Our wellbeing focus this week was: ‘Friendships’.

We learnt language that allows us to have a voice and helps us foster healthy friendships.

The key concepts we are learning are:

How to make friends – focuses on the importance of embracing your true colours and honouring the true colours in other people. Students learn the art of friendship-making starting with how to introduce themselves, find something in common, and have a conversation.

How to be a Great friend – focuses on the difference between healthy and unhealthy friendships using the attributes of a great friend, and the importance of spending the most time in healthy friendships. Students also learn what’s normal in a friendship through the 4 friendship facts.

1. No friendship (relationship) is perfect.

2. Every friendship is different.

3. Trust and respect are the two most important qualities of a friendship.

4. Friendships change….and that’s ok!

How to put out friendship fires – focuses on putting a voice to your feelings and conflict-resolution using the step-by-step approach for putting out friendship fires. Confront the fire:

1. Find a good time to talk, just the two of you.

2. In a calm, serious voice, retell the situation.

3. Explain how it made you feel.

4. Listen to their side and truly try to understand their perspective.

These concepts are important so we all go home from school: feeling happy, feeling better about ourselves, feel empowered and more in control of our social lives, feel more confident, feel more comfortable talking to our parents and teachers about peers and conflict and can transfer these skills in other relationships.

Introducing the Warrnambool Primary School Council Wellbeing Subcommittee 2023

Wellbeing Teacher - Tonya Ferguson

Days of work Monday to Thursday

The state government’s roll out of the school mental health menu funds have allowed us to employ a ‘wellbeing teacher’ in 2023 who will:

Promote Positive Mental Health within the entire school community.
Support the implementation of mental health and wellbeing, through face to face teaching of students in the classroom.
Enable schools to provide early intervention to support students who may be at risk or disengagement or mental health concerns, through individual or group work, guided by the need of the students.
Provide targeted and more individualised support for students who need it, through programs offered in school and referrals to services and supports available in our community.
Provide support to classroom teachers and school leadership in the development and management of required Individual Support Plans that promote both staff and student wellbeing.

Student Wellbeing and Counsellor- Jess White

Days of work Monday, Tuesday and Friday

Is a qualified social worker whose role at Warrnambool Primary School is varied, with an overall my aim to ensure every student’s wellbeing is supported and advocated for.

To do this Jess will;

Enhance the capacity to develop positive and engaging school culture and to support students who are at risk of disengagement and not achieve their educational potential.
Conduct one-on-one counselling for students for a variety of reasons, individual to student needs. These sessions promote positive mental health and wellbeing.
When required complete or support families with referrals to services including mental health services, CAMHS, DFFL, orange door, psychologists, family violence services and more.
To focus on priorities, particularly in tackling bullying and supporting students with mental health or welfare issues.
To support a case management approach to student interventions, including participating in student support groups and conduct follow ups.
To work in partnership with school and community-based and students support services and networks to develop programs that promote health and wellbeing.

Other representatives for the Wellbeing Sub-Committee 2023

Foundation- Julie Giblin

Grade 1/2- Edwina Medro

Grade 3/4 - TBC

Grade 5/6 - Lidia Allen

Koorie Engagement Officer- Gina Mills

First Aid- Gaye Welsh

The Wellbeing Committee hold monthly meetings and strive to support Warrnambool Primary School to be somewhere that every staff, student and community member can flourish, through inclusive education.

We can be contacted via the school office on (03) 5561 5955, if you would like to speak with a member of the Wellbeing Sub-Committee.

Every Day Counts

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind. Below is some information and tips on how to help your child.