Wellbeing

Wellbeing Start Up

The Wellbeing team started work in term 4 last year to organise the transition process for students into their new classes. Classes were carefully built and processes put in place for students to get to know their teachers. Teachers met with each other to transfer relevant information about each student. We have an electronic recording system (COMPASS) which teachers use to get to know their students even further.

The next part of the process was preparing all of the information teachers would need to set up their classrooms for a positive start after the holidays. Staff have completed Berry St Education training and are familiar with our THRIVE positive curriculum. The wellbeing team melded all of this information together to make a consistent process for everyone to set up their classroom. Welcoming Circles are happening every day in classrooms to set the tone of the day, review the value of the week and reinforce the positive behaviours we are looking for.

THRIVE Diaries

Our THRIVE diaries are an integral part of this as there is an activity in there for each day of the week that the students complete. We combined our diaries, reading journals and THRIVE curriculum resources together to build these THRIVE diaries. Thus, in Junior School, they are the Reading Journal, the THRIVE morning activities and contain many curriculum resources for the year. In Senior school, they have the diary section for students to mark their reminders in, they have THRIVE daily activities and also senior curriculum content. THRIVE diaries include ICT agreements, Mobile Phone policies, Student Code of Conduct as well as helpful information for parents. Most of our students have now paid for their diary and are using it daily. If you haven’t paid for one yet, please just speak with Bridgit Dooley at the Front Office to get it organised for your child. 

Behaviour Management

We also reviewed our Behaviour Management processes to continue to build consistency and focus on the many positive behaviours we see our students do. We are really proud of our students in how they manage the challenges of school. They are positive, reflective and caring. Our Wellbeing Curriculum focuses on trying to help to coach them to be the best version of themselves. When students have conflicts, we speak with them all about acceptable and unacceptable behaviours. We discuss how people have felt when those behaviours happened and then how we might repair the relationship so that everyone feels happy and safe. 

In the classrooms we have a Behaviour Chart with student’s names on it. When they are seen to be involved in outstanding positive behaviours—their name moves up towards the Gold Star section of the chart. We select our THRIVE award recipients from this section each week. If a student is involved in unacceptable behaviours, their name is moved to the red section, and they are given a warning. If the negative behaviours continue a timer will be used for the period of time they are being uncooperative. They make that time up at recess and lunch to complete their work then. If after 10 minutes they are still not being cooperative, they are moved to a buddy class with their work. If they continue to be uncooperative, the Wellbeing Team or a Principal Class Officer is called to intervene. We have very few students going through this process and we work intensively with the families to help get the student back on track. 

Incidences are always followed up and documented according to what happened and what was done to try to resolve the situation. When students have 5 negative incidences against their name, they start weekly Behaviour Support meetings with their parents and a member of the wellbeing team until we can get the behaviours into a consistent positive mode. Aggressive behaviours are not tolerated and have serious consequences, including suspensions. All of these matters and meetings are kept confidential as our goal is to support the students to get back on track and work with families as a team to do this. We have great results with this process.

SUPPORTS OFFERED AT SCHOOL 

Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club runs for 3 mornings a week over near the Gym area. It is staffed by some of our Education Support staff. We firmly believe that students need to have a good breakfast to be regulated and focussed in the classroom. We are always looking for more volunteers, so if you think you could help from 8.25am please just contact Naomi Mc Master at school. We offer fruit and milk at the moment. We are aware of allergies alerted on student files. Toast will be on the menu again soon. It is a ‘grab and go’ set up so we can cater for lots of students to have a healthy snack before class.

As part of the program we are also establishing fruit bowls in the classrooms so students have access to fresh fruit on a regular basis. At the end of each term, we do a food hamper drive. We invite any family that needs one to come up and grab one from school on a certain day. If you are a family that could do with some extra food support, please just let me know and we will organise some for you. You can be assured that our processes are confidential.

Welfare

We understand the financial difficulties many families are facing, and we want to support your child. We have families that kindly donate second hand uniforms, books or make a financial donation to help those in need. Once again, our processes are confidential, but are managed through myself and Bridgit Dooley at the Front Office. If you need support with uniform, schoolbooks or school activities, just contact one of us so we can help.

Speech Therapist and Psychologist

We have 2 private practitioners who work out of our school one day a week, a speech therapist and a psychologist. We understand how difficult it is to get students to appointments out of school hours, and the long waiting lists people face. Thus, we feel very fortunate that we are able to offer you these services. There are further details in the newsletter. If you would like more information, please speak with Luana Lane in the Student Support Office.

NDIS

We have a comprehensive process to incorporate NDIS student support workers onsite as well. These workers are employed by the parents with NDIS for their child with special needs. They come on site to observe our processes, recommend adaptations and provide family support. Luana Lane manages this.

BELLA

Bella, our beautiful Therapy Dog is back and she has been very busy. She is at work/school 3 days a week. She is in the yard before school for ‘meet and greet’.  Then she spends her day in the Art room or completing THRIVE diary Wellbeing sessions in classrooms with her owner Mrs Hamilton. This week, she even had some duty at the pool 😊

Our goal is for Bella to come out to the yard at recess and run a Storytime club at lunchtime. We are working towards that at the moment as we build her stamina. She’s pretty tired with her full days of wok at the moment, but we are so lucky to have her. She just helps everyone have a positive start to the day and she is so clever. She can tell us who has a dog at home and also who might be having some struggles on a particular day—but hasn’t told anyone. She is simply amazing.

Bella has reminded me---SUNSMART. Everyone please wear your school hat or stay in the shade. From November until May, no hat means, no play.

PLAYLEADERS

Our THRIVE Program incorporates the Year 5 Playleaders and a Help Club to support Junior School students in the yard at lunchtimes. Training for Playleaders is next week and then they will commence out in the yard. Mrs Sarah Roney our THRIVE Network leader coordinates this. Ms Hart from Year 5 will be the school Playleader Coordinator.

THRIVE AWARDS

Week 1 - Try Your Best

Week 2 - Be Healthy

Speech Pathology at LPPS 

Katy will be working as a private therapist from a room at LPPS this year. Stay tuned for more details…….

Wellbeing Contacts

I have come across a few more contacts which might be helpful to our community members. So we’ll continue to build this resource for you.

Families needing food or support:

• https://askizzy.org.au/food/personalise/page/sub-food
• Peninsula Donations (check their page on Facebook)
• BK 2 Basics Melbourne (also on Facebook)

Deb Haddow

On behalf of the Wellbeing Team