Wellbeing

Positive Behaviours for Learning

At SFS, our PBL (Positive behaviours for learning) school wide expectations are:

Respect, 

Responsibility and 

Kindness

The whole school has a PBL lesson on a Monday at 1pm. This week the teachers caught the lesson up during the week as Monday was a public holiday. This week we have focused on revisiting our routines around returning to class after lunch breaks. We have noticed an increased amount of incidents with children using minor physical contact with others during these times. The teachers discussed and practiced what it looks like and sounds like when we return to class and what the expected behaviours where. 

Here are some of our lucky raffle PBL winners from the last week who have been demonstrating our schoolwide expected behaviours.

NAIDOC Week is important as it’s an opportunity for learning, connection and community celebration. NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920′s which sought to increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. It recognises the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It starts the week beginning Sunday 7th July. We will celebrate NAIDOC week the first week back of term 3, leading into our Specialist day which will be on Thursday 25th July.

The theme this year is “Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud”. The choir have begun learning to sing the song Black Fella White Fella, which has an empowering message of treating everyone with respect, no matter what the colour of their skin. This song was chosen to fit this year’s theme. The choir will be performing this song on Thursday 25th July at a special assembly at 2.30 pm in the Multipurpose hall. 

Parents and families are most welcome to join us in our celebration. The children will be sharing what they have learnt throughout the day. Parents are also welcome to attend a special concert we are having on Specialist day at 9am in the Multipurpose hall. We have booked the concert “Didge and Dance Performance” with Digeridoo Australia. 

“This assembly concert starts with setting the mood with an acknowledgement of Country, followed by Barama presenting interactive storytelling & dance, accompanied by the mystical sound of the didgeridoo as played by Ganga Giri. Ganga will introduce the didgeridoo and gradually take the students on a musical, tribal didgeridoo and beats dance frenzy. A great concert with plenty of audience participation - the students enjoy learning rhythm and dance and celebrating multi-cultural Australia in the now.

Child Safe standards

The Child Safe Standards aim to protect children and young people, by requiring organisations to put policies, procedures and processes in place to prevent and respond to abuse. They aim to make keeping children and young people safe. There are 11 standards.

Standard 10

Organisations check and improve the ways they keep children safe from abuse and harm.

Your organisation must:

 • keep checking and improving what you do to keep children and young people safe

 • look into complaints, concerns, and safety incidents to find out how they happened. This will help you to improve what you do 

• tell staff, volunteers, the community, families, and children about what you have found

Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS)

A big part of my role as the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader (MHaWL) as part of the MHIPS program is to educate and promote mental health to the school community. The following summary is taken from the Emerging Minds families monthly newsletter.

“Mental health, like physical health, is something everyone has. It starts developing before we are born and keeps developing and changing over our lifetime.

Some people and organisations use the term ‘mental health’ to mean mental health difficulties or mental illness. Mental health isn’t just about not feeling well or having trouble coping with challenges.

When we talk about children’s mental health we mean all the elements of a child’s emotional, psychological and social wellbeing.

Mental health includes how children:

• think and feel – about themselves and others
• behave and interact
• form relationships
• learn, and play.

Why mental health is important for children:

Positive mental health is important for a child’s overall wellbeing.

Children need positive mental health to engage in and enjoy daily life – at home, at school or childcare, and in their communities.

Good mental health helps children to:

• grow
• play
• learn and try new things
• make friends and form healthy relationships with others, and
• cope with change and challenges.

Healthy development and strong mental health during the first five years is an important foundation for children’s physical and emotional wellbeing throughout life.”

The children at SFS are lucky to have a SWAP (Student Wellbeing and Performing Arts) specialist class fortnightly. Through the drama curriculum, the children are able to explore and learn about wellbeing concepts to help them with their mental health.

Twilight Market 

Our annual Twilight Market and biannual Art show will be on this year on Thursday 7th November 2024 from 5 to 8pm. The cost of a stall this year is 30 dollars. This is an event we always look forward to each year. If anyone has a small business they would like to promote or students and families would like to have their own stall, please speak with me or email me rlenko@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au with details of your stall. Please let your family and friends know as well. Let’s make this year’s market the best one yet. 

Make sure you tell your family and friends, Thursday 7th November from 5 pm to 8 pm. We will also have our Biannual art show this year at the same time!!

Lunchtime clubs

We have continued to have lunchtime clubs this term including Art club, DT club, Lego club and Bocce as well as Senior choir, Minni Vinnies, Rosary and training for District athletics with Lulli. Kristy has been running the lego club since returning this term and has had some senior students helping the Junior students with their lego constructions and creations.

If you have any concerns about the wellbeing or mental health of your child, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Rachel Lenko rlenko@sfslynbrook.catholic.edu.au

Mental Health and Wellbeing leader