THE VILLAGE
The Village: Supporting Students to Focus and Thrive
Building Healthy Habits
At Korumburra Secondary College, we often talk about the importance of developing positive habits. Whether it is getting organised for learning, looking after our wellbeing, building positive relationships or contributing to our community, healthy habits can have a significant impact on how we feel and function each day.
The challenge is that healthy habits take time to establish. We can decide that we want to do something differently, but turning that decision into something we consistently do takes practice. One strategy that can help is habit stacking; linking a new habit to something we already do regularly. For example, if a student already has a routine of checking their timetable each morning, they could add another small action to that routine, such as checking that they have everything they need for the day.
Building a Habit of Helping Others
Our Year 9 students have recently been developing the habit of community service, finding practical ways to contribute to and support others within our school community. As part of this, students have been making sandwiches for our Middle School students and helping out across the College wherever support is needed.
The focus is on helping students recognise that community service doesn't always need to be a big gesture. Small, consistent actions can make a real difference to others and, over time, helping and contributing can become a natural part of how we participate in our community.
We have been really impressed with the way our Year 9 students have approached this opportunity. Their willingness to give their time, help others and contribute to the College is a great example of how positive habits can be built through regular practice.
Pop Culture Parenting: Healthy Habits
For families who are new to The Village, Pop Culture Parenting is a podcast hosted by developmental paediatrician Dr Billy Garvey and his co-host Nick. The podcast uses popular films and real-life parenting experiences to explore evidence-based ideas about child development, behaviour and supporting young people.
This week, we're revisiting their episode on healthy habits, which uses the movie Whiplash as a starting point for exploring how habits are developed and the role that practice and repetition play in building skills.
One of the important messages from the episode is that developing positive habits isn't about expecting change to happen overnight. It is about creating opportunities to practise, building consistency and supporting young people as they develop the skills to make positive choices independently.
This connects closely with the work our Year 9 students are currently undertaking. By creating regular opportunities to contribute to others, we are helping students practise the behaviours we want to see become part of their everyday lives.
🎧 Pop Culture Parenting – Episode 134: Healthy Habits & Whiplash
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ecc0jpNMpXLGtftDwc2JN?si=fea547b527d84540
Evidence based discussion begins: 20 Minutes and 32 Seconds
Tyson Biffin Assistant Principal
Tyson Biffin Assistant Principal
Tyson Biffin
Assistant Principal - Wellbeing and Inclusion