Student Wellbeing & Mental Health

From the Wellbeing Zone 🌿

It has been a big week for many of our students at Lysterfield Primary School!

Across the school we have seen students participating in NAPLAN, putting themselves forward for Student Voice Representative nominations, even speaking at assembly for the first time. Experiences like these ask students to step outside of their comfort zone in different ways. Over the past few days, this has opened up some lovely conversations with students.

One student shared that they were feeling nervous before their NAPLAN test, but afterwards said, “I just tried my best and it wasn’t as scary as I thought.” Another student reflected after their first test, saying, “You know, I quite enjoyed just getting to relax and feel calm afterwards - it gave me the chance to think about feeling proud of what I wrote.”

Another student told me they had been thinking about nominating for Student Voice but weren’t sure if they were brave enough to speak in front of everyone. Our conversation quickly turned to the many situations in life where we can feel nervous or unsure. We spoke about how those feelings are completely normal, and that while we cannot always control how we feel, we can choose how we respond to those feelings. Moments like these are powerful reminders that learning isn’t only about what we know - it is also about the courage it takes to try.

What stood out to me most this week was how many of our students were willing to have a go, even when something felt a little challenging. School provides many opportunities for students to try new things, build confidence and learn more about themselves. Experiences like these help students develop important life skills - managing nerves, persevering through challenges and recognising the value of effort.

These moments are also reminders of the wonderful qualities we see in our students every day. At LPS we see students who are:

✨ curious

✨ kind

✨ resilient

✨ thoughtful

✨ courageous

✨ supportive of one another

✨ willing to try.

Of course, there are also the messy moments along the way - times when things feel tricky, frustrating or uncomfortable. That is part of being human, and it is part of growing up. As educators, we feel incredibly lucky to support our students through the big moments and the small ones, the successes and the struggles, helping them grow into thoughtful, capable and resilient young people.

Wellbeing in Practice 💡 

Throughout the year we will occasionally share practical wellbeing ideas for families.

As part of ongoing professional learning, I recently engaged in a webinar series called 'Calming the Storm', which explored practical ways to support children and adults when emotions feel big. While the series focused on supporting people with ADHD, many of the ideas were highly relevant for all children and families.

Two ideas in particular stood out:

5-Finger Breathing to Calm the Body

When we feel stressed, anxious or overwhelmed, our sympathetic nervous system (our fight–flight response) becomes activated. One simple way to help the body settle, and one students often learn at school, is 5-finger breathing:

1️⃣ Trace up a finger as you breathe in for 4 seconds

2️⃣ Hold for 2 seconds

3️⃣ Trace down the finger as you breathe out for 6 seconds

Slow breathing helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which signals to the body that it is safe to calm down. This strategy can be helpful for children (and adults!) during stressful or overwhelming moments.

The '3 Rs' When Emotions Are Big

When supporting children who are upset, overwhelmed or dysregulated, a helpful framework is the 3 Rs:

Regulate → Relate → Reason 

This follows the necessary pathway to reach the 'Thinking Brain'.

1️⃣ Regulate – Help the child calm their body and emotions

2️⃣ Relate – Show empathy and connection

3️⃣ Reason – Once calm, talk about the situation or possible solutions

Our instinct is often to start with reasoning (“Why did you do that?” or “You need to…”), but when emotions are high the brain is simply not ready for that step yet. Starting with regulation and connection helps children feel safe and supported, making it much easier for them to problem-solve afterwards.

Supporting children through these moments - the big and the small - is an important part of helping them grow into confident, capable and resilient young people.

[For those who may be interested, 'Calming the Storm' is a free 5-part webinar series offered by Knox City Council. Two sessions have already taken place, with three remaining. The webinars run on Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm. You can register via the website HERE. If the scheduled time is not suitable, the webinars are also available to watch for up to one week after each session.]

We look forward to sharing more ideas and insights from the Wellbeing Zone throughout the year.

Kayla Pepper | Learning Specialist - Wellbeing

Upcoming Workshops / Other Information

Yellow Ladybugs 2026 Conference – Reclaiming the Past to Shape the Future

Yellow Ladybugs is a non-government organisation, dedicated to the happiness, success and celebration of autistic girls, women and gender diverse individuals. This three-day event, Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender-Diverse Students at School and Beyond, brings together over 50 lived and professional perspectives from around the world. It’s led by an autistic-run charity that has always stood proudly for empowerment, understanding, and community. Together, we’ll explore how far we’ve come and how much further we can go through neuro-affirming, trauma-informed discussions that celebrate growth, belonging, and hope.

For more information - 

Pop Culture Parenting Live Show

After a sold-out Melbourne show last year, Billy and Nick are returning to the stage with a brand-new live experience celebrating the beautiful chaos of raising kids.

When - Friday March 27th @ 7pm

Where - National Theatre, St Kilda 

Podcasts of Interest

Pop Culture Parenting - Pop Culture Parenting — Guiding Growing Minds

Well, hello Anxiety - Podcast - Dr. Jodi Richardson

Parental as Anything - Parental As Anything with Maggie Dent and Bec Sparrow  - ABC listen

The Imperfects - The Imperfects Podcast

Anglicare Parentzone Newsletter - Parenting in the East What's On Term 1 2026

News and information on programs, services, groups and events to support parents across the Eastern Region of Melbourne. Some of the upcoming (and free!) programs for Term 1 include Circle of Security Parenting, Tuning in to Kids, Tuning in to Teens, Surviving Separation, & the Strengthening Parents Support Program (for parents & carers of children with a disability, developmental delay or neurodivergence - including ASD, ADHD & AuDHD) - 

ParentZone Pods

Podcasts for parents, carers and those who support others with their parenting. The ParentZone Teams are delighted to bring you TWELVE ParentZone Pods. Each Pod identifies and explores common issues parents bring to our parenting groups and offers strategies to try in these situations. 

Podcast Series 1

Episode 1: Family Meetings

Episode 2: Dealing with Anxiety

Episode 3: Sibling Rivalry

Episode 4: Getting Children to Listen

Episode 5: How to Respond to Kids' Behaviour

Episode 6: How to Stop Yelling at your Kids 

Podcast Series 2

Episode 1: Positive Discipline

Episode 2: School Refusal

Episode 3: Parenting our Teenagers

Episode 4: Meltdowns vs Tantrums

Episode 5: Couples Parenting Together

Episode 6: Dads Parenting Today

ParentZone Pods can be found on our website, Apple and via Spotify