Wellbeing

Mental Health initiative for 2024

The Victorian Government has invested $217.8 million over 4 years to support student mental health and wellbeing. Recommendation 17 of the landmark 2021 Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System recognised the important role schools play in providing universal support for the mental health and wellbeing of young Victorians. 

The Schools Mental Health Menu is a list of endorsed programs, staff and resources that can support schools to improve the mental health and wellbeing of their students in line with their established priorities. At Elsternwick Primary School, we are allocating our funding towards the following three priority areas for 2024, as identified from our students’ responses to the Resilient Youth Survey:

• Digital and online safety
• Positive body image
• Managing anxiety

We have carefully selected a number of programs and resources to compliment our current Wellbeing and Respectful Relationships education approach. We look forward to sharing more details of these in the coming weeks. 

Green Zone open!

Furniture is in, and the Green Zone is open! We could not be more excited to open our new and improved inclusive Green Zone space to students. Our students have been enjoying the calming nature of the Green Zone and the variety of sensory activities it has to offer. The Green Zone provides students with a calm, comfortable environment to take a break from the busyness of playtime when needed. It is open to all students at recess and lunch time on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. Activities are varied and focused around meeting different sensory needs and encouraging positive coping strategies such as self-calming, energetic, movement, connection, social, shifting attention and relaxing. Students are welcome to come in and explore the different activities inside, or enjoy eating their lunch and mindfulness colouring around the beautiful garden outside. 

Take a look at some of our students enjoying our new space. 

First aid training for students

Students in all year levels participated in first aid training on Monday with St John’s Ambulance Victoria as part of the wellbeing curriculum. Students learnt the practical skills required to assess for Danger, check for a Response, and Send for help - specifically from a mobile phone. We recommend you follow this learning up with a conversation and practice at home. Students in junior year levels will also bring home an ‘Important Information’ card for you to complete as a family and display on your fridge. 

Safe play on our oval

Our wellbeing leaders spoke at assembly last week to share their observations of playtime on the oval, and their top tips of how we can play safely together. These tips are based on our Respectful Relationships learning around how we can create safe places free from physical, psychological, verbal and sexual violence. These posters are now on display in classrooms for teachers to reflect on with students prior to playtime each day.