Mental Health Month

October is Mental Health Month

At Essendon North Primary School, we know how important mental health and wellbeing is for our students. Just as we take care of our physical health by eating well, exercising, and visiting the doctor when we're sick, our mental health also needs care and attention. It is simply another aspect of being healthy. This month is a great chance to talk about mental health and how we can support it!

Wellbeing and Mental Health at ENPS

At ENPS, we offer a broad range of wellbeing programs and learning experiences that help our students develop emotional skills, build resilience, and improve their mental health. Some of the key programs include:

• Resilience, Rights, and Respectful Relationships (RRRR): This program helps students build respect, form healthy relationships, and understand their emotions better.

• The Resilience Project: Through fun activities, students learn about gratitude, empathy, and mindfulness to support positive mental health.

• School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS): This framework promotes our school values of safety, kindness, and respect, creating a supportive environment for everyone.

• Health and Wellbeing Specialist Classes: Each week, students participate in Health and Wellbeing specialist classes, gaining valuable insights into healthy eating, active living, and wellbeing.

• Zones of Regulation: The Zones of Regulation help students recognise their emotions and teach them how to manage them in healthy ways.

• Who We Are Units of Inquiry: Learning experiences within our Who We Are units of inquiry build a sense of belonging and help students develop a growth mindset, making them more resilient when facing challenges.

   

As you can see, our students have so many wonderful opportunities to learn about and strengthen their mental health and wellbeing at ENPS!

How You Can Support at Home

Just like how we talk about health, nutrition or exercise with children, mental health should be part of regular conversations. It's important that children feel safe expressing their emotions, and when they do, parents and teachers can support them effectively. The Department of Education has developed wellbeing activities and conversation starters for parents and carers of primary school-aged children, suited to where they are developmentally. This resource can be found HERE.

We encourage families to view the resources and consider ways in which some of these activities may support your child and family at home. They are short activities which require minimal resources and cover six key elements that are important to wellbeing. There are also activities that focus on positive thinking and gratitude. These activities are based on the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships teaching and learning materials, which students access at school. 

You may have seen on Compass, in acknowledgement of World Mental Health Day, we shared Mental Health Australia’s 2025 calendars, each filled with simple daily ideas to support positive mental health and connection. We have included the links below.

• A general calendar with everyday wellbeing tips

• A young people’s calendar created with ReachOut

• A First Nations calendar developed with Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia

Need More Support?

If you have any concerns about your child’s mental health or want to know more about how we’re supporting students at school, feel free to reach out to a trusted member of school staff. We’ve also included a list of community services that support the wellbeing of young people and families, if you would like to explore these further.

• Better Health Channel 

• Beyondblue

• Headspace 

• Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (free call, 24-hour advice line)

• Lifeline 13 11 14 (local call, 24-hour advice line)

• Raising Children Network

• 13YARN

The Resilience Project GEM Chats

The Resilience Project aims to promote positive mental health and wellbeing by teaching the principles of Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness (GEM), and Emotional Literacy. Integrated into our curriculum, this program is taught in Years Two and Four, helping students develop key emotional skills throughout their education.

In our newsletters throughout Term Four, we will also share a 'GEM Chats' resource which may assist families to practise the foundational principles of The Resilience Project together at home. We start things off with Emotional Literacy below - keep an eye out for further GEM Chat pages each fortnight!

Serena Walker

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader