Community Wellness
Restorative Practices
This week we welcomed Kirsty Lush back to St Mary’s, continuing her important work in supporting our journey as a restorative school. Kirsty spent Wednesday team-teaching and modelling with all of our new staff, as well as reconnecting with some familiar faces. It was an opportunity to see best practice in action, particularly in the use of restorative circles to build strong, connected classroom communities.
Kirsty reminded us that circles are a daily ritual that supports our commitment to nurturing a positive classroom culture. Circles help to centre relationships, build empathy and establish a consistent, respectful tone across our learning environments.
A key highlight of the day was our focus on affective language. Those small, intentional shifts in how we speak with learners that help to make feelings and expectations explicit. We can affirming positive choices (“I appreciate how you helped clean up after the activity, it shows care for our space”) or name the impact of actions (“It worries me when voices are raised, it makes it harder for others to feel calm and safe”). This shows that our intentional language builds relationships and supports emotional literacy. Kirsty challenged us to consider how our everyday words can reinforce the kind of respectful, restorative culture we aim to uphold school wide.
That same day, Kirsty facilitated our staff meeting, where we refined our shared understanding of what it means to be a restorative school. We explored the alignment between restorative practices and our behaviour curriculum, emphasising how both are designed to not just to address behaviour, but to also build capacity in both staff and learners.
School-TV - Confidence & Motivation
In this edition of SchoolTV - Confidence & Motivation
Building confidence and motivation in young people is essential for their overall wellbeing and is a key aspect of their development. These qualities can have a lasting impact on their success and happiness. Confidence helps children believe in their abilities and face challenges with a positive attitude, while motivation drives their desire to learn, explore, and achieve their goals.
Fostering these traits involves creating an environment that encourages children to take risks, learn from their mistakes, and celebrate their achievements. Confidence is built when children feel capable and valued, while motivation is fuelled by the belief that their efforts will lead to growth and success. By actively supporting both, we can help young people thrive in the academic, social, and personal areas of their life.
By offering positive reinforcement, setting realistic expectations, and celebrating their efforts, we can model a positive mindset that can go a long way in helping young people develop both confidence and motivation. Nurturing these qualities, will help them grow into self-assured individuals who believe in their ability to succeed, setting the foundation for a fulfilling future.
In this edition of SchoolTV, discover how to provide opportunities for autonomy and support your child in persevering through challenges.
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.
Here is the link to the Confidence & Motivation edition of SchoolTV
https://smechuca.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/confidence-motivation-au
School-TV - Confidence & Motivation
FREE WEBINAR: Digital Media Literacy & Safety (Part III)
DATE: Wednesday, 3 September 2025 TIME: 7:30 pm
Topics in this webinar include:
New Social Media Regulations Digital Footprint and Reputation Screen Time and Brain Development Parental Controls
**** IMPORTANT ****
This webinar will not be available to replay later.
Attendance
Despite a little illness doing the rounds in the community, our attendance has remained steady. Thank you for your continued efforts in helping make this possible. We really appreciate families keeping children at home when they’re unwell, which helps prevent the spread and keeps classrooms healthy and learning-focused.
Behaviour Curriculum
This week we welcomed Yolanda from Classroom Mastery, who joined our leaders for some classroom visits focused on our behaviour curriculum in action. It was a great opportunity to observe and celebrate the consistent work happening across the school to build low-variance, high-impact learning environments.
As we moved through classrooms, it was clear just how well learners knew their routines. Transitions were smooth, disruptions were minimal, and valuable learning time was maximised. This doesn't happen by accident, it’s a direct result of the intentional effort our teachers are putting in every day.
We’re proud of the way both staff and students are working together to create classrooms that are calm, focused and purposeful. It’s a strong reflection of our shared commitment to a high-quality learning environment for all.
Wellness Warriors Newsletter
PLAY Student Leadership Training – Our new SME Wellness Warriors!
Last week, a group of 30 Grade 4/5 students took part in PLAY Student Leadership Training, where they developed important skills in teamwork, leadership, and creating safe, inclusive play spaces for others.
We are very excited to announce that these students are now officially our SME Wellness Warriors!
The Wellness Warriors will be rostered on every Monday and Friday at recess or lunch to organise and run a variety of fun, inclusive, and engaging activities in the junior yard. These activities will give our younger students the chance to join in structured games, try new activities, and build friendships – all while having fun! The program will be supported by Miss Keath, who will work alongside the Wellness Warriors to guide and encourage them in their new leadership roles.
To help us make this initiative even more successful, we are seeking donations of:
- Outdoor play equipment for the sandpit and cubby house (buckets, spades, trucks, etc.)
- Materials for our quiet play area such as dolls, cars, puzzles, and board games.
If you have any items at home that are no longer needed and could be loved again at school, we would be very grateful. Donations can be dropped off at the school office.
We can’t wait to see our SME Wellness Warriors in action, helping to make our school yard a place where everyone feels included, safe, and happy.