Wellbeing

Mrs Mauriks

Hello families,

Many of you have known me as one of the Prep teachers for the school but this semester I have been working in the inclusion space, supporting a range of students and their families. In this role, I work with the teachers, educational support staff, parents and guardians, as well as allied health professionals to ensure that our students are provided with an inclusive environment. It’s been a term of lots of learning for me, but in the process, I have loved getting to know more about the students and finding ways to be a support to them.

Last Monday we had a curriculum day at school, and it was fantastic to hear from our School Wellbeing Action Team (SWAT) around what work they are going in this space. Over the next few newsletters, I will be sharing some great resources with families that can support you and your children. Keep an eye out for them.

Thursday, 12th September, is R U OK? day. This is an important day, dedicated to encouraging meaningful conversations about mental health and well-being, and we invite all our students, families, and staff to participate.

How Ballan Primary School is participating

Wear Yellow

We encourage everyone to wear a touch of yellow on September 12th to show support for R U OK? Day and to help raise awareness. This could be anything from a yellow ribbon, yellow socks, a scarf, hair clips, bow-tie or yellow accessories. Small touches can make a big impact! Division Athletics students, campers and families are also all encouraged to be involved in this way.

Buddies Sessions

Each Buddies group will be involved in activities designed to foster discussions about mental health and the significance of checking in on one another.

Middle Years Campers

3/4 families are encouraged to include a touch of yellow in their child’s camp items, for them to wear on the day.

What you can do

Talk with your child. Take a moment to discuss the importance of mental health and encourage your child to reach out if they need support or notice someone else might.

Be a listener. Sometimes, just being there to listen can make a huge difference. Ask your child, “R U OK?” and really listen to their response.

For more information on how to support someone in this conversation you can go to http://www.ruok.org.au/how-to-ask

Have a great week and take care.

Róisín Mauriks

Learning Specialist - Inclusion