Wellbeing News
Wellbeing and Mental Health at Our School
At our school, wellbeing and mental health are key priorities. We are proud to integrate a range of evidence-based programs and supports that foster a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for all students.
Our School Counsellor, Respectful Relationships program, Berry Street Education Model, Social & Emotional Learning (SEL), and our much-loved Therapy Dog Program are now central to our whole-school approach to student wellbeing.
These initiatives work together to help students build emotional awareness, resilience, and positive relationships, while equipping them with practical strategies to manage their mental health. Our therapy dog adds an extra layer of emotional support, creating a calm and nurturing presence that enhances connection and wellbeing across the school.
Together, these programs create a school culture where every student feels valued, supported, and empowered to thrive.
Miss Paglianiti
SEL program
Social Emotional Learning
This term, all year levels have been taking part in our new Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program run by Miss Jess and Miss Tara every Thursday. SEL helps students develop skills to understand and manage their emotions, build positive relationships, make thoughtful decisions, and show empathy for others. Each week, lessons are tailored to suit the age and needs of each year level, with a mix of honest discussions, fun games, and role-play activities. We have been working in partnership with the Respectful Relationships program.
Here’s what we’ve been working on so far in the first two sessions:
- Prep: Learning about personal space and boundaries: understanding when and how to keep our hands to ourselves and respect others’ comfort zones. We played lots of games and listened to a story about "our personal space bubble" we learnt that everyone has a bubble, even if we cant see it, we need to respect it. We loved holding Rexy and Spike when taking it in turns to hear each other speak.
- Year 1/2: Exploring how to be a good friend and how we mirror emotions: using kind words, listening skills, and problem-solving when conflicts arise. The 1/2 cohort played the emotions mirror game, were we show a emotion on our face without saying anything, and we need to guess by looking at body language. We also learnt how to deal with "Traffic light problems" what is green, which is safe, inclusive play. Yellow, which is slow down..., have a think about what you're doing. Red, which is stop! this behaviour is not safe or kind. We also discussed, what problems we can solve on our own, and what problems need assistance from a safe adult.
Year 3/4: Discussing Feelings and Reactions: identifying emotions in ourselves and others, and practising strategies to respond calmly in tricky situations.
The biggest talking point is our "emotional backpacks' which is a simple way to describe how we all carry our feelings and experiences with us just like we carry things in a real backpack. Throughout the day, little things get “packed” inside: happy moments, worries, frustrations, or excitement. If we don’t take time to unpack or deal with those emotions, our backpack can get too heavy, making it harder to focus, learn, or be kind. We also learnt that we dont know what is in everyones backpack, and have to be patient incase they have an overflowing backpack. We decorated and filled backpacks with our worries and we also contributed to the SEL letterbox incase we need to discuss anything thats on our minds.
- Year 5/6: Looking at Perceptions of us in others minds: We’ve discussed how all perceptions that others have of us can be positive or negative and definitly not the same as how we view ourselves. While we can’t control what everyone thinks of us, we can influence the way we are seen by being respectful, consistent, and true to our values. The 5/6s reflected on how people’s perception aren’t always the full story, and the importance of staying authentic while also being mindful of how our choices affect the way others see us. A fun way to learn about this was getting into partners and completing a 'All about me template', where the partner will pick what colour, animal, season, food, outfit, movie and place the other person represents to them.
We look forward to sharing more about our SEL journey with you as the term progresses!
Thanks,
Miss Jess and Miss Tara :)
Important Information for Parents about NCCD
Please read the attached document if you have a child currently receiving NCCD funding or may be eligible to receive funding due to being recently diagnosed with a disability.
Berry Street Welcome Circles – Building Connection and Routine
After our insightful staff PD with Berry Street, we have taken our new learnt knowledge back into our classrooms for the start the day with a Welcome Circle – a powerful practice designed to foster connection, set a positive tone, and create a sense of belonging for every student. While the structure may vary slightly from class to class, the key components remain the same: greeting each other warmly, discussing our targeted values and class expectations, reviewing the day’s schedule, and ending with a quick, positive primer game to energize and engage. These circles not only help students feel seen and valued but also set them up for a successful day of learning. Ask your child about their favourite part of the Welcome Circle – it’s a great way to stay connected to their school day!
Ziggy Timetable Term 3
Below is attached the timetable for Ziggy the Wonder Dog to visit the classes throughout the term.