Wellbeing News-Spotlight on our Social Emotional Learning Programs

At Carnegie Primary School, we implement evidence based wellbeing programs across the whole school. As our students start school, they are introduced to The Zones of Regulation, which is a comprehensive social-emotional learning program developed by an Occupational Therapist. It is designed to help children understand and manage their emotions and behaviours. The curriculum covers a wide range of social and emotional skills, beginning with basic emotional awareness and progressing toward more advanced concepts like self-regulation and handling social interactions.

Our Foundation to Year 2 staff follow this curriculum to ensure consistent use of the language, strategies, and supports that form the Zones of Regulation framework.

The program introduces four colour-coded zones that assist students in recognising their current emotional state and level of alertness, helping them to better understand and manage how they are feeling in the moment.

There are times where it is expected to be in each of the zones and times it would be unexpected.

• Blue Zone is used to describe low states of alertness (e.g. sad, tired, sick or bored) when our body and/or brain is moving slowly or sluggishly.
• Green Zone is used to describe a regulated state of alertness (e.g. calm, happy, focused or content). Being in the Green Zone shows control and is generally the zone we need to be in for schoolwork and being social.
• Yellow Zone is used to describe a heightened state of alertness (e.g. stressed, frustrated, anxious, excited, silly, nervous or confused). The Yellow Zone is starting to lose some control.
• Red Zone is used to describe extremely heightened states of alertness or very intense feelings (e.g. anger, rage, panic, terror or elation). Being in the Red Zone can best be explained by not being in control of one’s body.

As you walk around our school, you will see posters like these, hung in our learning spaces to support our students with strategies to move between ‘Zones’. 

A core belief of the Zones of Regulation is that ‘all the Zones are okay’. People routinely experience several of the Zones across a day. We believe it’s critically important that we not convey the message that the Green Zone is the only acceptable Zone to be in. We acknowledge, accept, and support all emotions, and never make anyone feel like the Green Zone is the norm.

The skills taught in the Zones of Regulation curriculum include:

• Vocabulary of emotional terms 
• How to recognise their own emotions 
• How to detect the emotions of others (read others’ facial expressions) 
• What may trigger certain emotions 
• How others may interpret their behaviour 
• Problem solving skills
• Self-regulation

For more information about the Zones of Regulation by Leah M. Kuypers, please view the website.