Wellbeing News

NAIDOC WEEK Sun, 5 July – Sun, 12 July

This year marks an incredible milestone: Fifty Years of Deadly. It is a powerful tribute to everyone who built this movement from the ground up. We honor the Elders who stood firm, the organizers who carved out vital spaces, the artists who turned resistance into beautiful expression, and the communities who continue to show up year after year. As a school community, we are proud to celebrate this rich history and ongoing journey.

In Week 1 of Term 3 the students will be diving deep into NAIDOC Week to learn about the rich history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Through engaging storytelling, art projects and class discussions, they will explore this year’s theme and discover what it means to be a part of this enduring legacy. We are looking forward to seeing our young learners bring their curiosity, respect and enthusiasm to these activities as we celebrate the oldest continuous living culture on Earth together.

PBL: A Whole-School Foundation for Wellbeing and Mental Health

Our commitment to Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) is all about creating a space where student wellbeing can truly thrive. We know that when a school environment is stable and expectations are consistent, children naturally feel more secure. This clear structure takes the guesswork out of the school day, lowering stress levels and allowing students to channel their energy into their friendships and their learning. 

True wellbeing isn't just a classroom lesson, it is built through the everyday environment we create together. By sharing a common language across our entire school community, from the playground to the front office and at home, we wrap a network of safety and belonging around every student. Thank you for partnering with us to keep our school a calm, positive, and predictable place for our kids to grow.

Establishing consistent school routines helps our students feel secure, focused and ready to learn. That is why we are reinforcing our PBL expectation: "I wear the correct school uniform." When students follow this routine every day, it builds a sense of unity, removes distractions and sets a positive tone for learning. We appreciate the ongoing support of our families in helping our students build this important habit and come to school proud and prepared!

We highly encourage you to discuss and review the PBL learning that has been taking place in our school. PBL is successful when all stakeholders reinforce the expectations, teachers, leaders, office staff and families.

We are learning about the PBL expectation; I use strategies to manage my own emotions. This is because as a learner at St John’s it is important that I have a toolbox of strategies to use when I am feeling different emotions. I will feel big emotions and it is my responsibility to try to use my strategies. You may wish to practise these strategies with your child at home!

Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR)

 St John's Primary School is a proud Respectful Relationships school.

Respectful relationships education is part of the Victorian Curriculum and delivered by all Victorian schools. It supports students to develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed for respectful relationships, and helps to build respect and equality across the entire school community.

Research tells us that providing respectful relationships education at school can lead to positive impacts on students’ academic outcomes, their mental health, classroom behaviour and relationships.

Our school uses the Department of Education’s evidence-based teaching and learning resources to teach our students about Respectful Relationships from Foundation to Grade 6. 

The Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships resources have 8 topics that teach students about emotional literacy, personal and cultural strengths, resilience, problem-solving, stress-management, help-seeking, gender norms and stereotypes and positive gender relations.

This term we are working on Topic 2 which helps students to learn about Personal and Cultural Strengths. You can view a sample activity from Year 5/6 Topic below. 

If you have any questions about Respectful Relationships education, you can contact Alison Dean or Brooke Davis and visit the Victorian Government’s Respectful Relationships page: https://www.vic.gov.au/respectful-relationships