Mental Health & Wellbeing 

SAFER INTERNET DAY - TUESDAY 11 FEBRUARY

Today we are celebrating Safer Internet Day at Buninyong Primary School. This global event is dedicated to promoting a safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile devices, especially among children and young people.

As a school, we are committed to supporting students in developing the knowledge and skills they need to navigate the online world safely. We encourage you to take part in this important day by having conversations with your children about online safety.

For useful tips, resources, and advice, we recommend visiting the eSafety Commissioner’s website, which provides a wealth of information to help parents and carers support their children online:

• Online Safety Advice for Parents and Carers: esafety.gov.au/parents 
• Tips for Safe Online Gaming: esafety.gov.au/gaming 
• Advice on Screen Time and Social Media: esafety.gov.au/socialmedia 

We encourage you to explore these resources and take the opportunity to help your children stay safe and responsible while using the internet.

Introducing Buni Money: Encouraging Positive Behaviour at Our School!

You may have heard your kids talking about Buni Money this term!

At BPS, we are always looking for ways to create a positive and supportive learning environment where students feel motivated, valued, and engaged. This year, we are excited to introduce Buni Money—a fun and rewarding system designed to encourage and celebrate students who demonstrate our school values of Respectful, Responsible, and Kind.

How Does Buni Money Work?

Buni Money is our new school-wide acknowledgement system that reinforces positive behaviour.

Here’s how it works: 

✅ Students earn Buni Money when they go above and beyond in demonstrating our school values. This could be helping a friend, showing great listening skills, or taking responsibility for their learning. 

✅ Each student has a keyring in their classroom where they collect their Buni Money tokens. 

✅ Once they reach 10 tokens, they get to spin the reward wheel! Instead of physical prizes, students will earn exciting privileges and experiences, such as sitting in a special seat, choosing a class game, or even being the class DJ for the day!

Why Privileges Instead of Prizes?

Research shows that privilege-based rewards are more effective than material prizes in promoting long-term positive behaviour. These rewards: 

🔹 Help build intrinsic motivation, so students continue making good choices even when rewards aren’t involved.

🔹 Are fun and engaging, giving students special experiences that make school more enjoyable. 

🔹 Encourage a sense of belonging and pride, reinforcing positive behaviour in a meaningful way.

How Can Families Support This?

Parents and caregivers play a huge role in reinforcing positive behaviour at school! Here are some ways to support Buni Money at home: 

✔️ Ask your child about the Buni Money they’ve earned and what positive choices they made. 

✔️ Celebrate their efforts—focus on the behaviour rather than the reward itself.

✔️ Encourage them to keep demonstrating Respect, Responsibility, and Kindness in all areas of life!

We are excited to see the impact of Buni Money in our classrooms and school community. Thank you for your support in helping us create a positive and encouraging school environment for all!

Respectful Relationships at BPS

At BPS, our Respectful Relationships program takes a research-informed approach to support students’ social and emotional learning. Through age-appropriate activities, students develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to foster positive and respectful relationships. Research shows that structured social and emotional learning (SEL) programs not only enhance students’ overall wellbeing but also improve health outcomes and reduce antisocial behaviours.

Why Teach Social and Emotional Learning?

Social and emotional learning (SEL) explicitly promotes mental wellbeing by helping students develop key life skills. Studies have shown that well-designed and well-implemented SEL programs strengthen students' ability to manage emotions, build empathy, collaborate effectively, and navigate challenges. These programs support skills such as emotional awareness, self-regulation, problem-solving, positive coping, responsible decision-making, and seeking support when needed.

This Term’s Focus Areas

Each term, all students at BPS in years prep to six explore two key topics from our Respectful Relationships program. 

This term, we will focus on:

We look forward to working together to support our students in developing these essential life skills.

Action for Happiness Calendar - Friendly February

Be friendly to others and give your relationships a boost.

https://actionforhappiness.org/calendar