Wellbeing News

Helping Children Feel Calm: The 5‑Step Grounding Strategy

At school, we teach students simple ways to calm their bodies and minds when they feel worried, overwhelmed or unsettled. One of the most effective techniques is called 5‑Step Grounding, a quick, gentle way to help children reconnect with the present moment using their senses.

Grounding helps children notice what’s around them and what’s happening inside their bodies. It’s a skill that supports emotional regulation, focus and safety. 

Our students learn to:

1. Name 5 things they see around them
2. Name/touch 4 things they can feel
3. Name 3 sounds they can hear
4. Name 2 things they can smell  in the air
5. Name 1 thing they can feel inside, like their heartbeat or breathing

These steps help children slow down, breathe and remind their brains that they are safe. You might like to try this at home too. It’s a wonderful way to help children (and adults!) find calm in busy moments.

The Orange Door 

Galilee cares about the safety and wellbeing of our students and their families. 

Sometimes things at home or in a relationship are not OK or families can be worried about the wellbeing of their children or young people. The Orange Door can help you to get the support you need, quickly and easily. It’s free and you don’t need a referral. 

The Orange Door can help families. They provide support for concerns with parenting, relationships and family violence. 

The Orange Door is a free intake and assessment service for: 

• families requiring support for their child or young person’s wellbeing or development 

• families needing parenting support 

• young, isolated or unsupported families 

• individuals and families experiencing family violence 

• adults using family violence 

• young people using violence in the home. 

If you contact The Orange Door, they can help by: 

• working with you to identify the help and support you need 

• supporting you with the wellbeing and development of your child or young person 

• helping you make a safety plan if someone is making you feel unsafe 

• connecting you to services that can help like counselling, accommodation, mental health and drug and alcohol services, parenting support groups, services for children, financial help, or legal assistance 

• supporting you to access funding for basic living expenses and some other costs 

• supporting you to change abusive or controlling behaviour. 

Each Orange Door location across Victoria has their own phone number and email. 

Students and their families can also visit their local Orange Door in person for support, Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm. No appointment is needed. https://www.orangedoor.vic.gov.au/support-near-you

How schools connect with The Orange Door 

Our school might talk to a student and/or their family about The Orange Door. We might encourage them to contact their local Orange Door to get advice and help if needed. 

Ideally, a student and/or their family will get in touch with The Orange Door to seek advice and support.  Sometimes, schools might make a referral to The Orange Door without the student or their family’s knowledge or consent. 

Schools will do this if: 

• informing a student and/or family increases the risk to their safety or wellbeing 

• not linking a student to support increases the risk of their safety and wellbeing. 

You can learn more about The Orange Door and how they can help you and your family here: https://www.orangedoor.vic.gov.au/who-we-are