Wellbeing

A message from Emily Murcott - Assistant Principal / Wellbeing Literacy Leader

Friendology has been recognised within Maroondah Council 

As you all know, Friendology is our school-wide focus on friendships. It includes child friendly language that everyone can understand and use, along with the accessible strategies for each child to use if they are experiencing 'Friendship Fires' or someone being 'Mean on Purpose'. You will all hear more about these stratageies throughout the year.

For those who joined us at the Language of Friendship last year at Eastland, I would like to share that this event won Community Event of the Year. Edwina Ricci (presently our wellbeing consultant) attended to accept the award on behalf of URSTONG. Here is an exert from Maroondah eNews, or click on the link here - 

Community Event of the Year

The Language of Friendship event was awarded Community Event of the Year. The sold out ‘Language of Friendship’ workshop was held at Eastland in February 2023 with over 700 bookings.

Presented in partnership with URSTRONG, Maroondah Positive Education Network and Communities of Wellbeing, the event showed parents how to support children to create healthy, feel-good social connections while using the ‘language of friendship’, including friendship tools such as a friend-o-meter to rate friendships as healthy or unhealthy, friendship facts, friendship values and skills to talk through ‘friendship fires’ and disagreements.

URSTRONG’s whole-school friendship strategy was also recognised for improving the social climate in schools across the world by connecting over one million children, parents and teachers with the common language of friendship.

Edwina Ricci accepted the award and said “The event was inspired by some research we did in 2019 … and was the extension of the ‘language of friendship’. The language of friendship is simple and easy to implement, and is a really important way for students to manage their own relationships, to be self-determined and have the language and skills to understand that friendships change and that’s okay."

"It’s four or five years down the track now and [the need] is still there, so that’s a sign of something that is sustainable and having a great impact,” Edwina said

Psychology availability

I am sure there are many families in our community who have endlessly tried to reach out for support over the past few years without success. I received the following information from Graham Psychology this week letting me know that due to moving to a bigger facility they are able to offer spots to those who get in quick. I do not know Graham Psychology and therefore I cannot personally recommend them. However, I am letting you know that they did have some vacancies early this week.