The View

Wellbeing & Engagement 

Today is a great day to be you!

Annual Principal's Conference

On Thursday and Friday last week, Marika, Kate and I were fortunate enough to attend the Annual Riversdale Principal's Conference. We participated in many wonderfully informative sessions, providing us with new research and educational practices to bring back and explore at Rangeview. 

 

Some of the 'Wellbeing and Engagement' related sessions are summarised for you here:

 

Berry Street Education Model

On the first day of the conference, Dr Tom Brunzell, who is the Director of Education at Berry Street, presented to the conference about the Berry Street Educational Model (BSEM). Tom presents internationally on topics of transforming school cultures, high expectations for differentiated instruction, trauma-informed practice, wellbeing and the application of positive psychology, and effective school leadership.

 

This session resonated strongly with the work we are doing at Rangeview. Whilst many of the approaches are designed to assist and support students from trauma-backgrounds, these approaches benefit all students - they are 'universal' approaches that have been proven to elicit positive outcomes for all.

 

With Tom, we explored:

  • Wellbeing check-in routines
  • Co-regulation and self-regulation strategies
  • Gratitude
  • Indicators of student 'readiness to learn'
  • What happens in the brain during challenging moments for students
  • The importance of educators providing students with a 'safe haven' and bringing them into our calm
  • The power of brain breaks
  • The power of movement
  • Stress responses

 

Belonging at the heart of learning

Dr Kelly-Ann Allen, Associate Professor and educational and developmental psychologist at Monash University, shared her research about the sense of belonging. 

“Human beings are pervasively and fundamentally motivated by a need to belong” (Baumeiseter and Leary 1995).

 

"School belonging is the extent to which students feel personally accepted, respected, included and supported by others in the school social environment" (Goodneow & Gradey 1993).

 

With Kelly-Ann, we explored:

  • The sense of belonging at school
  • Importance of engagement
  • The power of greetings
  • Positive psychology
  • The signs and benefits of belonging
  • Inclusive and exclusive belonging
  • Challenges our students may face
  • Teacher/staff belonging at work
  • Parenting and community belonging

High Impact Wellbeing Strategies

Over the past two weeks, our staff (teachers and education support) have undertaken some professional learning on the newly released High Impact Wellbeing Strategies (HIWS). 

 

The HIWS complement the High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS), which are a set of ten, evidence-based teaching strategies proven to have positive outcomes on student learning. 

 

The development of the HIWS, which came out of a partnership between the Department of Education and Monash University, links to FISO 2.0 (Framework for Improving Student Outcomes) and clearly demonstrates that Wellbeing is now considered 'on par' with Learning in schools. 

 

The HIWS outline seven key strategies to improve student wellbeing at school. 

  • Building relationships with students
  • Facilitating peer relationships
  •  Establish and maintain clear classroom expectations
  • Support inclusion and belonging
  • Foster student self-efficacy
  • Engage students
  • Promote coping strategies and facilitate referrals

The great news for our staff is that all seven of these strategies are well and truly already embedded in our everyday practices at Rangeview. Staff had a chance to explore each strategy and reflect/critique what we are currently doing, and what we can do to continually improve student wellbeing. Some highlights were our strengths in supporting inclusion and belonging, building relationships with students, and clear classroom expectations.

 

The school wellbeing team will continue to explore the HIWS and ensure we are actively doing everything we can as a school to keep student wellbeing at the forefront of everything we do.

Student Attitudes to School Survey

Our Year 4, 5 and 6 students have now begun participating in the Student Attitudes to School Survey (SAtSS). This will run over the next fortnight with all of our senior students. The survey provides us with valuable feedback directly from our most important stakeholders - the kids!

 

The survey focuses on areas such as:

  • Effective teaching practice
  • Teacher-student relationships
  • Learner characteristics and dispositions
  • Social engagement
  • Student safety 
  • Student online experiences
  • Social and emotional wellbeing
  • Physical and mental health
  • Emotional and relational engagement

The survey gives our senior students a chance to demonstrate student voice and provide us with data to reflect on as a school. One example of how this survey has led to positive change was feedback gathered in the 2022 survey from Year 5 girls cohort - their overall responses sought additional wellbeing support, and this year our P.E. and 5/6 teachers have put in place additional measures - such as a fortnightly wellbeing group in the gym for these students (which has been wonderfully received and attended!).

 

We look forward to analysing this year's data and ensuring our students' voices are heard.

The Resilience Project

On Wednesday afternoon, our staff participated in a live online webinar with Martin from The Resilience Project for further professional learning. Martin's presentation was titled 'Authentic Connection' and he spoke passionately about our role of creating connections with students and families at our school.

 

We explored topics such as:

  • The impact of peer relationships on confidence and self-esteem
  • Fitting in... or belonging?
  • Being your unique self - and celebrating it
  • Talking to students about things that are uncomfortable (modelling vulnerability)
  • Replacing 'perfection' with the words: "I'm enough"
  • Taking measured risks
  • The efforts it takes to maintain connections.

It was a powerful and emotional presentation and our staff will have many valuable takeaways to continue to provide the best environment we can for our students.

 

We are very proud of the work we are doing with The Resilience Project!

 

Liam Sommers
Assistant Principal
Wellbeing and Engagement