Wellbeing

Good Afternoon Parents, Carers, Guardians and Community Members,

To streamline communication and ensure confidentiality, we have established a dedicated email address specifically for wellbeing concerns.

Starting from Monday the 26th of February 2024, you can reach out via wellbeing@gsm.vic.edu.au for any issues related to mental health, emotional wellbeing, or any other personal concerns you may have. This email address is monitored by Julie Ferguson and Paddy Edwards, our Wellbeing Leaders.

This email address is here to offer;

Confidential Support: Seek confidential support for any mental health or personal concerns your child may be experiencing.
Resource Referral: If you need information about mental health resources feel free to reach out to us. We can provide you with relevant information and referrals to help you access the support you need.
Wellbeing Hub: If your child has been accessing The Wellbeing Hub on a regular basis and you’d like to touch base.

Please note that the wellbeing email address is not intended for emergencies. If you or someone else is in immediate danger or requires urgent assistance, please contact emergency services or a crisis hotline immediately.

We look forward to serving you through this new channel of communication.

Julie Ferguson and Paddy Edwards

Wellbeing Leaders

wellbeing@gsm.vic.edu.au

Term 1, Week 4

Welcome to Galilee’s Wellbeing Toolbox where we share tips and tricks on how to boost your child(ren)’s social, emotional and physical wellbeing.

Getting back into the school routine can be tricky for our students (and for the adults at home too!), so opening up some dialogue to debrief the day is a great way to stay connected and show interest in your child(ren)’s school day. We understand that sometimes it can be challenging to get more than just a "good" or "fine" when asking about your child(ren)'s day, so here are some ways that might help open up the conversation.

Ask Open-Ended Questions: Instead of asking, "How was your day?" try asking questions that require more than a one-word answer. For example:

What was the best part of your day at school today?
Did anything interesting or exciting happen in class?
Who did you spend time with during recess or lunch?
Was there anything challenging or difficult that you faced today?
Did you learn something new that you found interesting?
Did you have any interactions with your teacher that stood out to you?
Did you work on any special projects or assignments?
Did you participate in any activities or games during PE, recess or lunch?
Did anything funny or amusing happen that you'd like to share?
Is there anything you're looking forward to tomorrow at school?

Listen Actively: When your child is sharing about their day, give them your full attention. Make eye contact, nod, and ask follow-up questions to show that you're interested and engaged in the conversation.

Celebrate Achievements: Whether big or small, celebrate your child's achievements and successes. It could be trying their best on a tricky assessment, they stepped out of their comfort zone, made a guess in front of their class, they made a new friend, navigated conflict in a respectful manner, took a risk in their learning, or mastered a new skill. Acknowledge their efforts and praise their accomplishments.

Address Challenges with Empathy: If your child opens up about any challenges or difficulties they faced during the day, listen empathetically. Validate their feelings and offer support and encouragement. Let them know that it's okay to make mistakes or to feel the way they do and remind them that you're there to help them navigate through tough times.

Establish a Routine: Make discussing their day a part of your daily routine. Whether it's during dinner, before bedtime, or on the ride home from school, find a time that works best for both of you to have these conversations consistently. Some children aren’t ready to open up straight away and may need some time to decompress independently, so be kind to yourself and them in finding a time that works best for you both.

Share Your Own Experiences: Share stories from your own day or from when you were in school. This not only helps your child see you as someone they can relate to but also encourages them to open up and share more about their own experiences.

Stay Positive: Keep the conversation positive and uplifting. Even if your child had a rough day, focus on the positive aspects and help them find something to look forward to or be grateful for.

Reach out: If your child shares anything that you think would be beneficial for their teacher and/or the Wellbeing team to know, get in contact.

If you would like any more ideas, check out this great article from raisingchildren.net.au.

https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/school-learning/school-homework-tips/talking-about-school

Building a strong and open line of communication with your child(ren) takes time and patience. Hopefully these tips and tricks will help make your daily debrief an interaction that both you and your child(ren) look forward to.

Happy chatting!

Julie Ferguson and Paddy Edwards

Wellbeing Leaders

wellbeing@gsm.vic.edu.au