Wellbeing News
Wellbeing News
Sensory Garden
A huge thank you to Bunnings Doncaster for visiting us last week and supporting our sensory garden project!
A small group of students have been working on this project with me throughout the year. The garden was created to help engage students in attending school and participating in learning, and it has been wonderful to see them grow in confidence and develop a greater desire to be at school.
A special thank you also goes to Eva’s mum, Melissa, for helping us connect with Bunnings and organising their generous donations.
The students had a fantastic afternoon learning about different plants and getting hands-on experience planting them in our sensory garden. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to learn, connect and take pride in something they are creating together.
Thank you again to Bunnings Doncaster and Melissa for helping make this project such a positive and meaningful experience for our students!
Human Development Sessions and Family Night
Puberty can be a challenging time for adolescents and those around them. Understanding the physical changes our bodies undertake (whether we are ready or not) and the impact these changes have on our ability to interact with others is essential.
On the 4th, 9th and 16th November, facilitators from ‘The Workshop’ (www.theworkshop.org.au) will be coming to St Kevin’s to deliver education sessions for our Year 5/6 students on the physical, social and emotional changes of puberty. ‘The Workshop’ runs programs in a range of primary and secondary schools across Victoria. They deliver social and emotional education and have over two decades experience teaching children about puberty and reproduction while helping to remove the mystery and/or worries about this time.
On Wednesday 11th November ‘The Workshop’ will conduct two Family Workshop sessions:
-Year 3/4 students and their families - 5:00-6:15pm
-Year 5/6 student and their families - 6:30-8:00pm
This Family Workshops will be held in our school Library. There will be a $20 cost involved per family attending the Family Workshop. The payment has been setup through Compass.
We strongly encourage as many parents and carers as possible to attend the Human Development Family Sessions alongside their children. Having families involved in this learning provides valuable opportunities to support students, answer questions and continue conversations at home.
We want all parents and carers to feel comfortable and confident that the information shared with students is age-appropriate, factual and relevant to their stage of development. These sessions aim to help students understand the physical, social and emotional changes that occur as they grow, and to reassure them that these changes are a normal part of growing up and something everyone experiences.
If you have any questions or would like further information before the sessions, please feel free to contact myself or email Kate from The Workshop k.wilde@theworkshop.org.au. We value your partnership and look forward to working together to support students through this important stage of their development.
Sunsmart - reminder to wear your hat!
As the weather warms up, we kindly ask that you ensure your child/ren have a school hat in their bag each day. We also encourage students to bring sunscreen and apply it before heading outdoors, with support where needed.
Our students have been learning about SunSmart safety and the importance of protecting themselves from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Wearing a hat, applying sunscreen, seeking shade and making sun-safe choices are all important habits that help protect their skin and reduce the risk of sun damage.
Thank you for helping us reinforce these healthy habits at home and supporting our students to stay safe while enjoying outdoor activities at school!
PBL - I wear the correct school uniform
This fortnight, our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) focus is “I wear the correct school uniform.”
Wearing the correct school uniform helps students feel a sense of belonging, pride and connection to our St Kevin’s school community. It also promotes equality by reducing differences in clothing and helps students feel included as part of the school.
At school, we explicitly teach students the importance of wearing the correct uniform and
support them to understand how this expectation contributes to a positive, safe and inclusive learning environment. Wearing our uniform also helps students represent our school with pride and demonstrates respect for our school values and community.
Families play an important role in supporting this expectation by encouraging students to wear the correct uniform each day.
Throughout the fortnight, we will be reminding and encouraging students to:
- Wear the correct school uniform each day.
- Come to school prepared and ready to learn.
- Take pride in being part of our school community.
- Show respect for our school expectations.
By working together, we can help all students develop positive habits, strengthen their sense of belonging and take pride in being part of our school community!
Child Safe Standard 7: Strategies to Promote Child Safety and Wellbeing
Child Safe Standard 7 focuses on ensuring that schools have clear strategies, policies and procedures in place to promote child safety and wellbeing. It is important that all staff understand their responsibilities in keeping children safe, responding to concerns and creating an environment where students feel safe, respected and supported.
By regularly reviewing our practices, providing staff with appropriate training and ensuring child safety is a shared responsibility, we can help protect students from harm and create a safe, inclusive and supportive learning environment where every child can thrive.
Please find the following parent newsletter regarding this standard.
As always, if you have any questions, need support, or have any concerns about your child’s general wellbeing at school, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. I’m always happy to help and work together to support your child.
Kind regards
Dominique Abbey
Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader