Ms Hall AP Message

Brain-Body Connection

At Toorak Primary School we incorporate the Zones of Regulation into our Wellbeing Program. We do this because if our nervous system is regulated, we are better able to engage with the academic curriculum. The nervous system is the “control centre” for our brain and body’s responses. The nervous system at rest, frees up the brain to attend to the complex tasks involved in learning.

To assist with this we explicitly teach regulation strategies, such as the ones pictured below so that all staff can assist students to help calm their nervous system and be able to re-engage with learning.

I encourage you to ask your child/ren which of the strategies below help them when they are experiencing big emotions and use them at home as needed.

The Victorian Department of Education has introduced a framework called “Respectful, Safe, Engaged: Shared Expectations to support student behaviour” to help schools create positive learning environments and support student wellbeing. This approach encourages collaboration between schools, students, and families to foster respectful behaviours and create learning environments that enable students to thrive.

At school, all students are expected to be respectful, safe, and engaged.

Students meet these behaviour expectations by demonstrating the following:

Respectful

Following staff instructions and school rules.
Caring for school property and others’ belongings.
Using respectful language.

Safe

Keeping themselves and others safe from harm.
Speaking up or seeking help from an adult if they or someone else is being treated unfairly.
Only bringing safe and necessary items to school.

Engaged

Going to school every day, being on time, and ready to learn.
Taking part, doing their best, and asking for help when they need.
Knowing and following the school’s policies, including the mobile phone policy.

What this means for families:

When families and school work together we achieve the best outcomes. You play a vital role in helping your child to understand and meet these shared behaviour expectations.

Together, we can build a school culture where every child feels valued, safe, and ready to learn.

Respectful, safe, engaged: shared expectations to support student behaviour | vic.gov.au