Health & Wellbeing @ NLPS

Parents' and Carers' Coffee Morning

Our recent Parents' and Carers' Coffee Morning was, as always, a warm and welcoming highlight of our school community calendar. It was wonderful to see so many families come together to connect, share a chat, and take a moment out of busy schedules to be part of the school. These gatherings are such an important way for us to strengthen relationships between home and school and to build a strong, supportive community around our students. Hopefully next time we will see even more of our families join us.

A sincere thank you to everyone who attended, as well as to those who contributed food to share in the morning. Your generosity helps create the friendly, inclusive atmosphere that makes these mornings so special. We also extend our appreciation to Sheri Seyit, and Anna Terzi, for making the coffee and ensuring everything ran smoothly. We are very grateful for the continued involvement of our families and look forward to seeing you at our next Parents' and Carers' Coffee Morning

Wellbeing and Learning: Working Together to Support Every Child

At our school, we believe that wellbeing and learning go hand in hand. Children learn best when they feel safe, connected, confident, and supported. Just as we work closely with families to support children’s academic growth, we also place strong value on strong partnerships with families in supporting children’s social and emotional wellbeing.

The Victorian Department of Education recognises that wellbeing and learning are equally important. When children experience a sense of belonging and develop skills to manage friendships, emotions, challenges, and change, they are better able to engage in learning and experience success at school.

To support this shared commitment, we gather information about student wellbeing in a number of ways throughout the year. This includes teacher observations, conversations with students, and ongoing communication with families.

The Resilient Youth Survey and the Attitudes to School Survey provide valuable insights into student experiences, strengths, and needs across the school. This helps us recognise what is working well and where we may need to further strengthen our whole-school (Tier 1) wellbeing programs and supports.

In addition, we use the SAEBRS (Social, Emotional and Behaviour Risk Screener) several times throughout the year, which we refer to as our Wellbeing Tool. This is a brief, evidence-based tool completed by teachers that helps us identify students who may benefit from additional social, emotional, or behavioural support so we can respond early and provide the right support at the right time.

The Wellbeing Tool is one part of how we understand student wellbeing. It does not diagnose or label students. Teachers use it alongside their professional knowledge of students, classroom observations, student voice, and family insights. This helps us respond early and identify students who may benefit from additional Tier 2 support, including small-group wellbeing programs.

If teachers believe a student may benefit from additional wellbeing support, they may share observations with parents or carers and, where appropriate, invite the student to participate in a small-group wellbeing program as part of the school’s targeted support, based on identified needs.

By working together, we can better support children’s wellbeing, strengthen their learning, and help every child feel connected, capable, and ready to thrive.

Samantha Meddis

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader