Student Wellbeing

Kindness- Bruised Apple Activity

To finish off our week, in class groups we did the Bruised Apple Activity! We looked at two apples and talked about how they are the same. One apple we passed around the circle and said mean things to the apple. The next apple we said nice things to it. We then compared the similarities and the differences between the apples and then talked about what the apple might look like on the inside.

Inside the apple that we were mean too was bruised on the inside. We talked about how someone might look fine on the outside but feeling upset on the inside.

Each class had really authentic discussions about this including discussing thoughts and experiences. 

We then discussed Kindness and how we can be kind to others. This discussion and activity will continue next week!

Maria Ruberto

It was amazing to have our first Parent Workshop with Maria on Tuesday Night. It was great to see St Joes families come along to the night and to be involved in the learning. We are looking forward to our next two parent nights! Even if you can only make one night, please consider taking the time to attend this workshop. It is an excellent source of information and learning for all families that is integral to the development of our children. 

Some takeaways from the first Parent Workshop:

• Reset button- sometimes we all need to think about ourselves and how we can best support our children and students. That's a lot of weight that we need to carry. So what can we do to reset ourselves and provide ourselves with a level of self-care
• Dysregulation- Children don't like the feeling that they have when they feel Dysregulated, which is a very normal. As a parent and teacher we can help children develop and learn strategies they can use to help them return to their normal regulated state. Try making a Regulation Strategy chart at home!
• It is ok for children to feel discomfort with their emotions- this can help them grow and learn more about themselves.
• Asking your child Positive Inquiry Questions in times of crisis, help children think about their thinking. Ask questions like Who? When? Where? What? Save the Why questions for when they are in their normal regulated self.

We hope to see you at the next Parent Workshop on the 29th July at St Brigid's in Healesville!

E-Safety

Understanding and using parental controls to help protect your child online

Parental controls can be a useful addition to the strategies you use to help protect your child online. Parental controls can help protect children and young people by preventing access to harmful content, as well as helping manage time spent online and who they communicate with. Join us at this 45-minute webinar to find out about:

• the types of parental controls available and how to set them for your child’s safety including smart devices, in apps, gaming platforms and computers
• using parental controls with other online safety strategies to help your child build digital and critical skills to have safer experiences online.

It’s suitable for parents and carers of children in primary school.

Term 2 (Australian Eastern Standard Time)

• 3 June, 3.30pm

REGISTER NOW

Curriculum

This term in the classrooms and in Friendship Groups, we are doing lots of learning around Problem Solving and treating others with kindness. This learning that we do in the classroom, is so important to grow our students Social-Emotional Skills. We encourage your to check in and ask your child what they have learned in these activities. Something even better is encouraging this learning happening outside of the school environment. 

Start having Family Conversations at home:

• Problem Solving- Who can you get help from at school/home? What do you do when you have a problem at school/home? Who can support you to solve a problem? What is the size of the problem? (Small problem vs Big Problem)
• Treating others with Kindness- Who was kind to your today? Were you kind to someone today? How do you like to be shown kindness?

Positive Self Talk

• Model it yourself:

  Children learn by observing, so it's crucial to demonstrate positive self-talk in your own interactions. Avoid using negative statements like "I can't" or "I never". Instead, use affirmations like "I believe I can do my best" or "I can try again tomorrow". 

   

• Identify negative self-talk:

  Listen for negative statements your child makes, and discuss how they feel when they hear themselves use those words. Help them recognize the negative impact of self-doubt. 

   

• Teach positive affirmations:

  Introduce your child to positive phrases they can use when they're feeling nervous, afraid, or unsure. The Pathway 2 Success provides a list of 101 positive affirmations for kids and young adults. 

   

• Challenge negative thoughts:

  Help your child identify and challenge negative thoughts by thinking of alternative ways to look at a situation or asking them to provide evidence against the negative statement. 

   

• Emphasize self-compassion:

  Teach your child that it's okay to make mistakes and that everyone has moments of self-doubt. Help them see that mistakes are learning opportunities. 

   

• Encourage a growth mindset:

  Focus on effort, learning, and the process of achieving goals, rather than just focusing on the outcome. 

   

• Make it fun:

  Use games, activities, or stories to make learning positive self-talk more engaging. 

   

• Provide positive reinforcement:

  Praise and encourage your child's efforts and progress in using positive self-talk. 

   

• Be consistent:

  Positive self-talk is a skill that takes time and practice to develop, so be patient and consistent in your efforts to teach it to your child.