Wellbeing News

Hello Fabulous Parents and Carers,

I hope you have been outside and enjoying this glorious winter sunshine! 😃 Studies say that sunshine can improve our mental health by boosting serotonin, which improves mood and happiness, and by regulating the body's circadian rhythm, promoting better sleep. 💤 Sunlight also helps the body produce Vitamin D, which further supports overall wellbeing! 🌞

Footnote; OK, so I typed this on Monday when the sun was shining, as is Melbourne, it’s a completely different story today (Wednesday). 🙄☔

Bullying No Way Week

This week, MEPS has taken part in Bullying No Way: National week of action!

Bullying No Way Week is a commitment being made by thousands of schools and supporters across the country. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to bullying prevention. It gives us an opportunity to connect with students, staff and school communities to implement workable solutions to help prevent bullying.

The theme for this year's campaign is Be Bold. Be Kind. Speak Up.

It takes a community to be brave and address bullying behaviours, within and beyond the school gate.

Students can be bold, kind and speak up to support others being bullied. While trusted adults are there to support children and young people learn how to be kind to each other and report bullying.

This Bullying No Way Week, we’ve asked the students to be bold and say something, be kind and support someone and be proud to speak up against bullying.

At school, we have been engaging students in meaningful discussions and activities aimed at promoting empathy, understanding and respect for diversity. We encourage families to take this opportunity to have open and honest conversations with your child about the impact of bullying and what they can do if they need support.

If your child tells you about things at school, or you observe something in public that involves conflict or bullying, take the opportunity to talk about what bullying is.

You can learn more about what defines bullying at bullyingnoway.gov.au.

Questions you could ask:

What do you think bullying is?
Have you seen it? How did you feel?
Have you ever felt scared at school because of bullying?
As well as me, who are the other adults you would talk to when it comes to things like bullying?
Have you or your friends left other kids out on purpose? Do you think that was bullying? Why or why not?
Have you ever tried to help someone who is being bullied? What happened? What would you do if it happens again?

Remind your child that bullying is never okay and discuss how they can respond safely if they experience or witness it.

Encourage them to seek help from a trusted adult and keep seeking support if needed.

By promoting open communication, we empower children to stand up against bullying and create a safer environment where everyone can feel that they belong.

For more information visit bullyingnoway.gov.au.

MEPS Breakfast Club🍞

Firstly, can I give a massive shout out to the Tincknell family for their generous donation of a fridge! 🧊 This is such a wonderful contribution to the breakfast club, ensuring we can easily prepare and store breakfast items as needed. THANK YOU Tincknells!

We have eased back on toasties these past two weeks, due to the fact that ham, cheese and butter are not part of the free staples offered to us from Food Bank. Although there were some disappointed diners at first, they were happy with Vegemite, Honey and buttered toast, spaghetti and baked beans. We will continue to offer a range of foods based on weather, supplies and popularity!

Remember, Breakfast Club is open for EVERYONE and it happens every Tuesday in the senior building from 8:30am. We do ask kids to tick off on a list as they come in, purely so that we can keep track of numbers.

Warmest regards,

Crissi Kippie

clarissa.kippie@education.vic.gov.au

Mental Health & Wellbeing Leader

🙂Reminder: We can order a limited number of Home Food Packs for students from households that may need some extra support. These packs contain a great variety of healthy and nutritious food, suitable for the whole family. Please reach out to your classroom teacher or send an email to myself or Bel if you require a Home Food Pack sent home for your family. These are available for anyone in need, no questions asked!

Bel - belinda.mccarthy@education.vic.gov.au

Crissi - clarissa.kippie@education.vic.gov.au