Leadership's Letter

Visible Wellbeing

The positive benefits of wellbeing have been researched widely over the years. A high level of wellbeing has been linked with happier relationships and prosocial behaviours, such as doing something to benefit, help or care for others. We know it can help people navigate adversity more effectively and recover from difficulties. Additionally, individuals high in wellbeing exhibit greater productivity, more effective learning, increased creativity, and problem-solving skills. 

While we know the role of personal wellbeing in helping us to feel good and function well in the moment, it can also be a resource to draw upon when we need support to cope with difficult times. Therefore, it’s important that we build this resource and capacity in our students, so they understand how their emotions influence their learning and they can cope with normal stress and be successful learners. 

This year, we have expanded our focus on Visible Wellbeing, by having students begin each day in their Pastoral Group with their Pastoral Leader. The principle behind this is that the Pastoral Leader will be able to develop a relationship with their students and nurture their prosocial skills, while encouraging organisation skills and independence. 

Additionally, there is an explicit focus on Visible Wellbeing during the timetabled Pastoral Period every Friday. In Years 7-9, the Resilience Project curriculum and various other resources are used to compliment and support the development of emotional literacy. The core purpose of this is to foster positive emotions in our students, so they become more resilient. There is a strong focus on developing peer to peer and student to teacher relationships, nurturing feelings of gratitude, empathy, mindfulness, and kindness. 

Likewise, students in Years 10-12 have also engaged with a variety of different partners to learn about age specific issues, such as consent, Respectful Relationships, and pornography. Additionally, Real Life Resilience delivered a presentation to our Year 10s, where they shared their stories of personal hardship and resilience and the necessity of having control over your own actions. 

Similarly, the Year 11 students participated in workshops with the Mancave, which enabled them to explore the concept of masculinity and the impacts of outdated societal expectations on men. They were taught the importance of sharing their emotions and how to build healthy relationships with themselves and others. 

The Year 12 students also attended a compelling presentation about the catastrophic consequences of anger-fuelled reactions, which often end in violence. They also focused on self-care strategies, such as good nutrition, mind and body exercises and healthy sleep routines.

The Push-Up Challenge

This year, the Student Leadership Team have signed the school up to participate in the Push Up Challenge 2024. This is a national initiative amongst schools and other motivated individuals to complete 3,249 push-ups in the month of June, to not only raise awareness for mental health, but to promote physical, and in turn, emotional wellbeing. We encourage all students to get involved and participate in this challenge! 

Social and Interpersonal Issues Webinar

We also have an upcoming Parent Information Webinar delivered by Tessa Opie, founder of inyourskin, on Tuesday 25 June.

You can find out details in the flyer below, and join the Zoom session via the button below.

Best of luck to all students with their exams!

Gabriella Warfe

Deputy Principal (Students)