TRP@HOME Spotlight
………..AND WELLBEING @ ST JOHN’S
As part of our commitment to your child’s safety and in accordance with the Child Safety Standards, St. John’s School teaches Protective Behaviours during Week 4 of Term 4
Why do we teach Protective Behaviours?
In accordance with Ministerial Order 1359, all schools must comply with the requirements of the order relating to safeguarding children.
At St. John’s, our Child Safety and Student Wellbeing Policy, states
We commit to teaching children and young people the necessary skills and knowledge to understand and maintain their personal safety and wellbeing.
By explicitly teaching protective behaviours with children, we are supporting your child to develop lifelong skills of assertiveness, self-confidence, problem solving, communication, resilience and help seeking.
What does this look like in the classroom?
In age appropriate ways , children will…………
- identify key trusted adults in their lives
- recognise body and emotion cues that signal an unsafe situation
- develop and practise protective behaviours that create boundaries for personal safety
- develop understandings about consent
- engage in role playing and discuss possible responses including scenarios that children may encounter that may lead them to feel unsafe (eg. such as being lost in a busy public place)
While this program at school aims to develop your child’s capability to respond in unsafe situations through an awareness of protective behaviours, it is very important that these conversations are ongoing in the home as this content impacts children and families in different ways. Keeping the lines of communication open with your child in relation to Protective Behaviours is the best way to ensure that your child can feel confident in recognising and responding to situations that make them feel unsafe as they grow and learn.
If you have any questions or concerns relating to this, please contact Karen on kdodemaide@sjfootscray.catholic.edu.au or 9687 3150
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