Wellbeing
Leader: Geenah Loughran
Community Partnerships update
Congratulations to the Men's Shed group! The students worked on a wooden caddy big enough to hold newspapers and magazines. Ben, Ryder, Maddison and Madeline built the caddies and also decorated them using paint. They also make nail art using wool to weave thier names. We would like to thank Wayne from the Tongala Men's Shed for guiding us with this project. When Ben got home, he used his caddy to hold his footy card book - clever!! Ryder, Maddison and Madeline made caddies for their parents.
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Tongala Community Centre - Sewing Group
Congratulations to Ollie, George, Charli and Edith!!! They completed their bags - with the guidance of Pat and Gillian the students gained valuable skills in using a sewing machine and stitching. They received a certificate and thier sewing license and we also celebrated with morning tea!!
GEM CHAT
A GEM Chat consists of 2-5 minute activities/conversations that you can have individually or as a whole family, at different points throughout the day (whenever works best for you). Each newsletter will provide a different chat prompt. Please see below this week's chat:
The Imperfects Podcast
Nas Campanella – The First Blind Newsreader in the World
Guest:
You might recognise her voice from the Triple J cinematic universe or know her work as the Disability Affairs Reporter for the ABC. But what you might not know is that Nas is vision impaired, or that a neurological condition means that she can’t read braille either.
In this episode of The Vulnerabilitea House, Nas answers the questions “what childhood challenges best prepared you for adulthood?”
Chatting to Hugh, Ryan and Josh, Nas talks about her relationship with her disability, and how it shapes her identity.
Nas also dives into a powerful conversation with the guys about the role agency and accessibility in the experience of discrimination, and shares why, if a magical operation could restore her sight, she wouldn’t change a thing.
Nas, it has been an absolute joy.
PBIS
Our PBIS Blitz for Week 9 and 10 is:
Showing Kindness to others
Introducing Our Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) Role at St Patrick’s At St Patrick’s Primary School, the wellbeing of our students is at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to share that we are part of the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) initiative, which helps us strengthen the support we provide to our students and families. The MHiPS program places a dedicated staff member within the school — our Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader, Mrs Geenah Loughran — whose role is to:
· Promote positive mental health and wellbeing across the whole school community.
· Identify and support students who may be experiencing mental health challenges early on.
· Work with teachers and staff to embed mental health strategies into everyday classroom practices.
· Connect families with external mental health services if additional support is needed.
· Lead wellbeing initiatives and programs that help all students build resilience, emotional skills, and a positive sense of self.
NEW - Support resources for families in the Loddon/Campaspe region -
Please click on the link below to see a PDF version of the below posters