Wellbeing

Hello BSPS community,

A warm welcome to our new families joining BSPS this year, and a big welcome back to everyone returning! It has been so lovely meeting many of you already and spending time with your wonderful children - we are off to a great start.

For those who are new to our community, my name is Caro and I am the Lead Teacher – Wellbeing at BSPS in 2026. I’ve been teaching and learning at BSPS since 2019. I’m originally from Aotearoa, New Zealand, and last year I also became an Australian citizen. I share my home with a very special bunny named Teto, who has a fondness for peppermint tea and grapes!

I wanted to take a moment to share a little about my role at BSPS. Part of my work involves:

• building whole-school capability in mental health and wellbeing (identification, promotion and prevention)
• supporting staff to identify and respond to student wellbeing needs
• establishing clear pathways for referral for students who may require assessment or intervention
• monitoring and evaluating student wellbeing and progress

My role is different to that of a Student Support Services officer or psychologist. It is not a clinical role and does not involve counselling or direct therapy, but rather focuses on strengthening our whole-school approach to wellbeing and supporting students through prevention, early identification and connection.

One of the highlights of the year so far has been meeting our enthusiastic student leaders who make up the 2026 Inclusion Action Team. This empowered group is responsible for organising celebration days such as IDAHOBIT Day, Harmony Day and International Women’s Day, raising awareness around inclusion, and taking action across our school and wider community to promote and stand up for the rights of others. They are also the reason we have our outdoor inclusion space,  L’area degli Amici! Stay tuned for more exciting updates from this amazing group of action-takers! We meet on Friday at lunch time, so if your child is interested to join, they are very welcome!

Another highlight has been meeting Poppy, who recently completed her Therapy Dog certification! She is keen to come to visit us at BSPS with her owner Talie, to practice her new skills and spend time with our students. Lucky us! What is a Therapy Dog?

A therapy dog is a dog that has been professionally trained to provide comfort, joy, and emotional support to people in various settings. Therapy dogs are different from service dogs (which assist one person with a specific disability) - therapy dogs are for everyone in the community.

Meet Poppy: Poppy is an 18-month-old Labradoodle (hypoallergenic, low-shedding breed) who has completed professional certification through Annie's Dogs Therapy Dog Training. This included:

• Intensive obedience training

• Temperament assessment

• Real-world placements in schools, care facilities, and public spaces

• Testing for appropriate behaviour in unpredictable environments

Poppy is calm, gentle, and loves interacting with children

Taila White is an early childhood educator, support worker, and MIECAT arts therapy student. She has lots of experience working with children, particularly those with additional needs, and uses trauma-informed, neuroaffirming practice. 

Stay tuned for more information to come about Poppy.

Our Learning to Learn program has built a strong foundation for the year ahead. Our Year 4 students have been reflecting on their first two weeks back at school and shared the following thoughts: 

“The way I feel about coming back to school is excited. We learn how to have a friendly competitive spirit, and getting on with each other and making new friends.”Nico – Year 4

“I’ve enjoyed making friends and we learned about growth mindset and you should try to not give up.”Genesis – Year 4

“I was in the calming corner because I was so tired and felt in the blue zone. Then my friend cheered me up. These two weeks have been fun — most of the activities were creative.”Violette – Year 4

As part of Learning to Learn, students have begun learning about the Zones of Regulation. This shared language helps children recognise how they are feeling and identify strategies to manage different emotions. Using this same language at home can be really helpful in supporting your child to talk about their feelings and ask for help when they need it.

I look forward to continuing to work together to strengthen wellbeing across our school community. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to chat,

Caro

THE FOUR ZONES:  OUR FEELINGS & STATES DETERMINE OUR ZONE

The Red Zone is used to describe extremely heightened states of alertness and intense emotions.  A person may be elated or experiencing anger, rage, devastation, or terror when in the Red Zone. 

The Yellow Zone is also used to describe a heightened state of alertness and elevated emotions, however one has more control when they are in the Yellow Zone.  A person may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, the wiggles, or nervousness when in the Yellow Zone.  

The Green Zone is used to describe a calm state of alertness. A person may be described as happy, focused, content, or ready to learn when in the Green Zone.  This is the zone where optimal learning occurs.  

The Blue Zone is used to describe low states of alertness and down feelings such as when one feels sad, tired, sick, or bored.