Wellbeing
What’s happening in Social & Emotional Learning?
For the first few weeks of this term, the educators and children have been engaging in what we call at St. John’s, our WoW Weeks. This is an opportunity for the children and educators in the Hubs to get to know each other, develop shared understandings of the Ways of Working in their learning spaces and on the yard and create opportunities to learn more about one another through the Ready to Learn routine each morning.
This is particularly important for the children in the Prep Hub who are learning new routines and engaging with one another in new learning spaces with new educators and friends. It is equally beneficial for children in the 3/4 and 5/6 Hubs as they get to know new friends with whom they may not have had the opportunity to be a learning partner.
We like to give this exploration of the WoW Weeks ample time to ensure that strong, positive and respectful relationships are forged early to enable the culture of the Hubs to feel safe, inclusive, welcoming and supportive. In addition to the wonderful models that are provided by our highly professional staff, it is also encouraging to see children stepping up to provide these important conditions to one another in their classrooms, in a way that allows everyone to work together to be their best.
As the WoW weeks draw to a close, the school wide focus for the Personal and Social Curriculum this term will be on Emotional Literacy. Across the school, the children will be engaging in conversations and be explicitly taught the skills to recognise their emotions and respond in prosocial ways to the multitude of situations and circumstances that occur at school. There will be time to develop strategies and practise self-awareness by identifying emotions and why our bodies respond in these ways. The children in the older year levels will engage in important discussion on social awareness and how we can contribute to socially pleasant and productive interactions and read the cues of others to offer support if appropriate.
The explicit teaching of personal and social capabilities is an important part of human growth and supports cohesive societies. We thank our families for your support in having age appropriate conversations with your children about emotions, attitudes and behaviours and their effects on ourselves and others.
If you have any questions about Wellbeing at St. John’s, please contact Karen