Wellbeing

Safe, valued and respected survey 

This term, our Year 3/4 students reported increased results in terms of feeling safe, valued and respected in the school yard. The wellbeing leaders wanted to know more about why this was the case, especially as this data was collected while the oval was closed! Morgan, the wellbeing leaders and Mrs Smith had a whole cohort meeting, and the wellbeing leaders asked students the following three questions: 

• What helps you to feel safe in the yard? 
• How do you show others that you care? 
• What suggestions do you have to help everyone feel safe now that the oval is open? 

The feedback students gave us indicated that having friendship circles that are consensual, flexible, respectful and extensive are key factors to feeling safe, with students knowing they had a variety of peers they can play with and different play options depending on how they feel on a given day. This has prompted us to emphasise the importance of exploring why it is important to have more than ‘one BFF’ in wellbeing lessons in the junior classes, and to ensure all junior classes have a ‘playtime menu’. 

Students appreciated having quieter spaces to gather with their friends, and mapping these out has been key to identifying the spaces they feel most safe when they don’t want to be part of active play or ball games. 

Students also reported that it was important to give each year level the opportunity to explore new play spaces as smaller/mixed year level groups until we get used to them, but that they were looking forward to having access to the oval every day! Next term, we will trial open access to the oval, soccer pitch and playgrounds, with a timetable for the Green Zone and the new Multisports pitch (next to the orchard) for the first few weeks. 

How you can support conversations around being safe playground at home

As part of our learning on Consent and Sexuality Education, we have worked with Vanessa Hamilton this year to develop our curriculum in this area throughout the year. In one of Vanessa’s blog posts on consent in the playground, she writes, Consent is not enough – [we need to] teach children 'Ongoing Enthusiastic Consent'. This means that everyone who is involved in the activity is doing so freely and willingly, and their experience is positive and enjoyable for the whole time.

To read Vanessa’s full article which encapsulates the language we use with students at school, click here.

The Green Zone

The Green Zone is finally open! Morgan has been running lunchtime clubs for different year levels to come and explore the environment. 

The space is also used by Morgan and myself for small social skills and emotional regulation groups, wellbeing check ins, as well as by our partnered OT, speech pathologist and psychologist services. 

We look forward to our furniture arriving early next term and inviting families in to come and see it for yourselves!

School based psychology service at EPS

Due to the demand for access to our onsite psychology service, Nepean Psychology and Counselling Centre will be offering additional individual private psychology sessions on Tuesdays next term. We hope this reduces the current waitlist of families wishing to access the service. 

For further information, including assessment packages and psychology services based at their private practice, contact Nicola.Smith3@education.vic.gov.au. Please note that this is a user pays service and they are not affiliated with the school.