Wellbeing

Jane Manton

Engagement Leader

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader | PBL Coach

At St Joseph the Worker, our Engagement Leader plays a key role in supporting student wellbeing and building a positive school culture. This role combines Mental Health and Wellbeing Leadership with Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) Coaching.

As Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader, the Engagement Leader:

Supports students, staff and families to promote positive mental health
Helps staff recognise and respond to students’ wellbeing needs
Coordinates referral pathways for students who may require extra support
Embeds whole-school strategies to create a safe, supportive, and nurturing learning environment

It is important to note that the MHWL is not a clinical role but works closely with staff, families, and external professionals to ensure students receive the right support at the right time.

As PBL Coach, the Engagement Leader:

Leads the school-wide PBL program and action plan
Uses data to identify needs and guide teaching of expected behaviours
Provides staff coaching and professional learning on behaviour strategies and classroom management
Ensures our approach reflects Catholic values and fosters safety, respect, and belonging
Supports school-wide systems, including behaviour matrices and acknowledgment programs

By combining these roles, the Engagement Leader helps ensure every child feels safe, supported, and ready to learn, while strengthening a positive and respectful school culture for students, staff, and families.

Commencing Our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) Journey at St Joseph the Worker

This year, we have officially begun our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) journey. Our goal is to build on the strong foundations already in place and continue to foster a consistent, safe, and nurturing learning environment for every child.

Background

St Joseph the Worker began important groundwork last year by developing our Behaviour Dispositions. This has provided a strong foundation for building a positive school culture where all students can thrive. Our Behaviour Dispositions - Safe, Respectful and Responsible - are now being referred to as our School Values, as they underpin everything we do in learning and play.

Our Why

We began to explore how PBL could help us embed our values in practical, meaningful ways -

ensuring a shared language and approach for students, staff and families.

By having one clear set of expectations across the whole school, along with consistent language and explicit teaching of what these values and behaviours look like in action, we aim to create a safe and supportive learning environment where everyone can thrive.

Initial Actions

As an initial step, our Religious Education Leader, Kate Hart, introduced our MJR 2.0 Awards as part of integrating our Catholic identity with the PBL framework. Grounded in the Mercy, Justice and Respect values central to our Catholic tradition, these awards recognise and positively reinforce behaviours that reflect our school values of Safe, Respectful and Responsible. Students are acknowledged for making positive choices, with awards drawn each Wednesday, as part of celebrating how students live out these values in their learning and relationships. This initiative strengthens the connection between our faith and PBL approach, creating excitement while reinforcing our shared expectations in a meaningful and engaging way.

Last year, our staff, including all teachers and education support staff, also completed Team Teach training, helping us understand behaviour as communication and implement proactive strategies to support students, de-escalate challenges, and build positive relationships.

Our Student Positive Behaviour Leaders team was also established last year. These students played an important role in defining our school values and promoting positive behaviour across the school through our PBL video podcast, assemblies, newsletter contributions, and classroom visits. This team will continue to work alongside Jane this year as our PBL journey progresses. This year, we have also established a PBL Staff Leadership Team, including Jane Manton (PBL Coach), Mikayla Colombo, Chloe Dewar, and Rosemary Bliss, to help guide and support our school community.

Next Steps

With the support of MACS, we look forward to continuing this work together as a community - building a school where every child feels safe, seen, and supported.

Our next actions are:

• To obtain baseline data using the Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI v3) and Self-Assessment Survey (SAS)

• The staff PBL Team will undertake professional learning supported by MACS to assist with our Systems, Practices and Data to inform our implementation. This team will also throughout each term and present at staff meetings our professional learning.

Important Dates for the Staff PBL Team

Day 1 – Wednesday 11 February

Introduction to PBL

Development of School-Wide Values

Expected Behaviour Matrix

Day 2 – Wednesday 29 April

Explicit Teaching of Expected Behaviours

Day 3 – Wednesday 22 July

Acknowledgement of Expected Behaviours

Day 4 – Wednesday 14 October

Behaviour Flowchart and Ongoing Monitoring

• Utilise a school action plan to assist with accountability of implementation

We look forward to undertaking training utilising the new MACS delivery model and implementing PBL as a framework to support our behaviour and assisting us in our implementation of MACS Vision for Engagement at St Joseph the Worker.

Introducing the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) Program at St Joseph the Worker

At St Joseph the Worker, student wellbeing is central to everything we do. To strengthen this focus, our school is participating in the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) program, a Victorian Government initiative being rolled out across all primary schools, including Catholic schools, by 2026.

MHiPS recognises the important role primary schools play in promoting positive mental health, supporting early identification of concerns, and connecting students and families with appropriate support. The program enhances our whole-school approach to wellbeing, helping every child feel safe, confident and ready to learn.

Our MHiPS team is led by Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader Jane Manton and supported by Jackie Hammond and Dermott Galvin-King. Together, the team undertakes MHiPS training and works collaboratively to embed wellbeing initiatives across the school.

MHiPS Training

As part of the program, our MHiPS team participates in comprehensive, evidence-based training delivered by the University of Melbourne. This equips staff with knowledge, practical strategies, and school-wide systems to support student wellbeing.

Training also involves school leadership to ensure consistent application of wellbeing practices across classrooms and the broader school community.

Key areas of the training include:

Mental Health Literacy: Understanding child development, mental health, and recognising when students need support.
Building School Capacity: Supporting staff to implement effective, evidence-based wellbeing practices across the school.
Supporting Student Needs: Practical strategies, referral pathways, and collaboration with families and external supports.
Ongoing Professional Learning: Participation in MHiPS Learning Communities, supported by a University of Melbourne Learning Leader, ensures our school remains connected to current research and best practice.

Through this training, St Joseph the Worker continues to strengthen a whole-school approach to wellbeing, supporting every child to flourish socially, emotionally, and academically.

Jane Manton

Engagement Leader Wellbeing & Diversity