Student Wellbeing 

Week 5 has been another wonderful opportunity to celebrate the positive relationships, leadership and sense of belonging that make our St Fidelis community so special. Throughout the week, students have continued to develop the skills to build friendships, show empathy, and make a positive difference within our school.

At St Fidelis, we believe every student has a voice worth hearing. Creating opportunities for students to share their ideas, perspectives and experiences helps us build a school community where everyone feels valued, respected and connected.

Building Positive Friendships in Year 1 

This week, Ms Karalis worked with our Year 1 students to explore the qualities of positive friendships. Using a See, Think, Wonder thinking routine, students observed friendship scenarios and shared what they noticed, what they thought was happening, and the questions they had. This encouraged rich discussions about how our actions can make others feel and what it means to be a kind and inclusive friend.

Together, students identified the qualities they value in a friend, including kindness, honesty, respect, empathy, sharing, listening and including others. Their thoughtful responses highlighted the importance of making everyone feel welcome and recognised within our school community.

Next week, students will continue this learning by creating a Friendship Recipe, identifying the key "ingredients" needed to build and maintain strong, healthy friendships.

Student Voice Matters

One of our priorities this year is strengthening student voice and agency by ensuring students have genuine opportunities to contribute to decisions that shape our school community.

Recently, our GEM Leaders met to share ideas about how we can continue promoting kindness, empathy and positive relationships across the school. Their thoughtful feedback has already inspired several new initiatives, demonstrating just how valuable it is to listen to the perspectives of our students. We know that some of the best ideas come directly from them, and these opportunities to share, reflect and lead will continue throughout the year.

A special congratulations to Daniel from 4ZK, who recently facilitated our first Foundation GEM Chat. We are incredibly proud of the way all of our GEM Leaders are embracing opportunities to support younger students and contribute positively to our school culture and community.

Coming Soon

Over the coming weeks, we are excited to launch several student-led initiatives influenced by student ideas and feedback.

Playground Helpers Program

Students will soon be invited to express their interest in becoming Playground Helpers. Following parent consent, selected students will participate in four training sessions where they will develop skills in communication, teamwork, inclusion, and age-appropriate problem-solving. Once trained, Playground Helpers will support younger students by facilitating games and encouraging inclusive play during recess and lunch. They will also assist peers to work through minor playground challenges, helping to create a welcoming, connected and positive environment where everyone feels included and supported.

Kindness Wall

Our GEM Leaders are creating a Kindness Wall, where students can recognise acts of kindness, empathy and inclusion they see throughout the school. This space will celebrate the positive actions that often go unnoticed and remind us that even the smallest acts can have a lasting impact.

Shout Out Box

We will also be introducing a Shout Out Box, where students can acknowledge peers or staff who demonstrate our school values through kindness, encouragement, resilience or inclusion. These messages will be shared and celebrated, helping us continue to foster a culture where everyone feels recognised and appreciated.

We look forward to continuing to work alongside our students as partners in creating a safe, inclusive and connected St Fidelis community. By listening to every voice and empowering students to take on meaningful leadership opportunities, we are helping them become confident, compassionate and active contributors to our school.

Vicky & Bianka | Wellbeing Leaders