Wellbeing

BeYou

Be You is a national mental health initiative for educators which aims to promote and protect positive mental health in children and young people in every early learning service and school in Australia.

Be You’s vision is to build an education system in which every learning community is positive, inclusive and resilient – where every child, young person, staff member and family can achieve their best possible mental health.

This week’s fact sheet from the BeYou website is about the importance of play for children. I have spoken to many of the SFS students since their return to school after the remote learning period. The most overwhelming response to the question “What did you miss the most about school?” is playing with my friends outside at lunchtime. 

Why play is important

Being interested and supportive of a child’s play helps them to feel connected, valued and accepted. Having fun together during play time enables children to experience pleasure and joy. Play helps children develop social skills Play is important for learning the social skills (including language and communication) that develop over time and will be the foundation for future relationships. 

Through play, children learn about: 

• the give and take of relationships with friends (negotiating) 

• how their behaviour can affect others and to develop empathy 

• how to lead and follow 

• repairing relationships. 

Play helps children develop emotional skills. Through play, children can express their feelings, even before they have the words to say how they feel. Play also fosters imagination and becomes the basis for creativity in art or music or other ways of self-expression. These ways of personal expression can help people cope with feelings all their lives. Play can also help children learn impulse control. They learn to think about what they want to do, to plan and to be patient. If they’re building a castle and get frustrated and knock it down, they have lost their castle. In these ways, children gradually learn they need to control their impulses to achieve what they want. Play is a way that children can work through and resolve problems For example, a child whose family has separated may feel very anxious about what’s going to happen to them. These feelings and possibilities can be explored through play. The child can practise having two homes set up with two houses and different dolls. There’s no need for you to take part, but being near while the child plays shows support and acceptance. Play helps children develop physical skills Children like games that test their physical abilities (motor skills) – running, climbing, jumping and exploring. These games bring children happiness and build their confidence.

For more information visit www.beyou.edu.au Another great resource for families to support their children’s mental health and wellbeing is https://healthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au/

Covid 19 Resources

There are so many great resources for students, educators and parents to help our children work through the complexity of this challenging time. You might find some of these resources helpful.

Soul Pancake is a series of short YouTube clips used as brain breaks with a focus on Positive Emotions

This article is explains how practicing gratitude each day can improve your mental health.

This article has some ideas of ways to practice gratitude each day with some activities.

Seasons for Growth

Loss at any time can be challenging. We recognise that when changes occur in families through separation, divorce, bereavement or other loss experiences, young people may benefit from learning how to make sense of these changes. To support our children and young people, we are offering an evidence-based education program called Season for Growth. Season for Growth is a small group program that supports children and young people to learn change is part of life, naming and caring for feelings, problem-solving, making good choices and developing support networks. I will be running a program for students in Year 5 and 6 in term 3 and a group for children in years 1 and 2 in term 4. If you think that your child may benefit from being a part of the program, please contact me on rlenko@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au

Lunch time lego club

The children have been enjoying coming to the Lego social skills club at lunch time. Here’s what some of the children have to say about the Lego club.

“Lego club is the best!” Maruis

“I like the lego boxes and my shooting rocket ship” Phebian

It is a great opportunity for children to interact with others and develop their social skills.

Lego club runs on Tuesdays in Learning Space 3 during the second lunch break.

Respectful Relationships

The Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships learning materials have been designed for teachers in primary and secondary schools to develop students’ social, emotional and positive relationship skills. Efforts to promote social and emotional skills and positive gender norms in children and young people has been shown to improve health related outcomes and subjective wellbeing. It also reduces antisocial behaviours including engagement in gender-related violence. At SFS we teach using the Respectful Relationships Curriculum. 

If you have any concerns about your child’s wellbeing, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Rachel Lenko

Student Wellbeing Leader

rlenko@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au