Wellbeing

Wellbeing update - Week 2, Term 1 2024

Wellbeing curriculum Term 1

A major emphasis is placed on our Wellbeing and Respectful Relationships Curriculum at this time of the year to ensure students settle in with confidence and feel ‘safe, valued and respected’. We acknowledge that students must have a positive experience at school both in the classroom and the yard in order for them to thrive as learners. Below we outline a number of areas we focus on throughout Term 1. Our full Supporting Positive Behaviour Manual and Inclusive Language and Practices guides are available on our website. 

Classroom Agreements

All students are currently working through the process of creating a Classroom Agreement specific to their class. These take various age-appropriate forms, reflecting the voice of our students. While the language of each agreement differs, the essence is based on the School Values of Responsibility, Respect, Personal Excellence and Curiosity. Agreements are co-signed by all students and supported with visuals. This helps promote a culture in which values, beliefs and expectations are shared together as a classroom community. 

The specialist team (Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Physical Education and Chinese) have also created a consistent agreement, which is relevant to all specialist subjects and is displayed and referred to in all learning.

A copy of your child’s Classroom Agreement will be sent home in the coming weeks and we encourage you to have a discussion around what this means to them. Teachers refer back to these regularly throughout the school year, to remind students of the commitment they have made to their learning communities.

Playtime options 

To support students to feel safe outside in the yard at playtime, we have implemented the following: 

• Calm options for playtimes, including Pat’s Patch and timetabled access to the Green Zone, Library, Colouring Zone and STEAM room. 
• Restricted access to the Brickwood/soccer area - reserved for Year One and Two students.
• Restricted access to the orange playground - reserved for Prep students. 
• A review of yard duty zones to place a higher level of supervision on the oval where students report it can get busy with multiple ball games occurring simultaneously.

We will continue to seek feedback from students with our termly survey to assess the effectiveness of these strategies. 

Online safety

As part of the Victorian Child Safe Standards, EPS is committed to working with families to promote safe online environments for students. The EPS Digital Technologies Agreement and EPS Acceptable Use Agreement provide students with clear and consistent expectations on the responsible use of devices and the need to communicate respectfully in the online world to the same degree as the real world. Alongside it sits a clear outline of consequences for inappropriate online behaviour. 

For resources and support with ensuring your online home environment is safe, including advice on screen time, parental controls and age recommendations for apps and websites, please see https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents .

We are pleased to be partnering with Inform and Empower this year to deliver sequenced, age appropriate workshops for students each term; we look forward to seeing you at our parent/carer workshop next term. 

Sexuality and Consent Education - online parent/carer workshop

Monday, 26th February, 8.00pm - 9.30pm.

We will be hosting an online workshop for parents and carers with our sexuality education consultant Vanessa Hamilton. This is relevant for parents/carers of students in all year levels, as Vanessa covers the content that will be taught in our classrooms throughout the year. 

Please see the attached flyer for booking details. 

Psychology, OT and speech therapy services at EPS

We have partnered once again with Domain Health and Nepean Psychology for 2024. These services have Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists and Psychologists operating onsite at Elsternwick Primary School several afternoons per week. We welcome Rachelle, Jane, Carmen and Eden to EPS!

We have had much feedback from families that sourcing private allied health professionals can present many challenges, including long waitlists, travel logistics and limited availability outside of school hours. 

For more information, please contact Nicola Smith on Nicola.Smith3@education.vic.gov .au 

Please note that these services are offered by private companies and are not affiliated with Elsternwick Primary School in any way. Services require payment from families and may be covered by private health in some cases.

Child safety and wellbeing at Elsternwick Primary School: information for families and the school community

The Victorian Government has announced new Child Safe Standards to further strengthen child safety across organisations, including schools. The new standards recognise the critical importance of families and the broader school community in maintaining and promoting child safety and wellbeing.

Elsternwick Primary School frequently reviews and updates our child safety policies and procedures to ensure they meet the requirements of the new standards. These are available to view on our school website as they are approved by our School Council in Term 1 each year. 

We are committed to continuous improvement in our approach to child safety and wellbeing and welcome feedback from families and members of our school community on ways we can further strengthen our child safety policies, procedures and practices.

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions, please contact the school at Elsternwick.ps@education.vic.gov.au

Finding EPS policies 

For more information on any of our policies, please head to our website.