Glen Waverley Primary School Specialist Newsletter

Mind, Body, Us

Welcome to our Mind, Body, and Us 2025 and to our "Zones of Regulation" unit—an engaging and insightful journey for students from Prep to Grade Six! This term, students will explore key aspects of emotional awareness and resilience, including recognising and managing emotions, developing effective coping strategies, and building positive relationships. Through interactive lessons, hands-on activities, and meaningful discussions, they will gain the skills to navigate emotional challenges and transitions and make informed decisions that support their well-being. Our aim is to empower every student with the tools they need to thrive both inside and outside the classroom! 

Prep 

Over Term One, our Prep students will take part in a special program designed to help them recognise and manage their emotions, develop self-regulation strategies, and build positive relationships with others. 

 

Recognising Emotions & Zones Students will explore different emotions (happy, sad, angry, tired) using engaging activities like mirrors and drawing. They will learn about the “Zones of Regulation” by sorting emotions into different color-coded zones and playing interactive games to understand how feelings change in different situations. 

 

Regulating & Managing Emotions Students will discover practical ways to manage their emotions through calming techniques like deep breathing and stretching. They will also create their own “Zones Toolbox” with helpful tools such as stress balls and picture cards to support emotional regulation. Through guided roleplay, they will practice using these strategies in real-life situations. 

 

Building Social Awareness & Relationships Empathy and kindness will be key themes as students learn to recognize emotions in others and respond with care. They will participate in fun activities such as identifying emotions through body language and voice tone, creating a “Kind Words Poster,” and working together on a class mural to celebrate their learning journey. 

 

This program will equip our students with valuable skills to understand their feelings, support their friends, and navigate social situations with confidence. We look forward to seeing their growth in emotional awareness and self-regulation! 

 

Curriculum Links: 

  • Identify emotions they experience VC2HPFP04
  • Identify protective behaviours and rehearse help-seeking strategies that help keep them safe VC2HPFP06 
  • Practise personal and social skills to interact respectfully with others VC2HPFP03

  

Key Vocabulary:  

Emotions, regulation, zones, relationships, help-seeking, strategies, safe, social skills, respect 

 

Year 1 

In the coming weeks, our Year One students will take part in engaging lessons that focus on emotional awareness, respectful communication, and help-seeking strategies. Through interactive activities, they will develop important life skills to navigate their feelings and relationships effectively. 

 

Respectful Communication Students will learn how to ask for, give, and deny permission respectfully. They will explore emotions through discussions, role-playing, and creative activities like drawing and mural-making. They will also practice using polite words and tone when making requests and will learn how to say “no” kindly while respecting others’ boundaries. 

 

Protective Behaviours & Seeking Help Students will identify trusted adults and community helpers who can keep them safe. They will role-play different scenarios where they might need help and practice how to ask for support confidently. A key focus will be understanding the difference between safe and unsafe secrets, with an emphasis on always telling a trusted adult if they feel unsafe. 

 

Understanding and Managing Emotions Students will explore how different situations affect their feelings. Through storytelling, charades, and reflection activities, they will learn to recognize and express their emotions. They will also be introduced to calming strategies like breathing exercises and creating calming glitter jars. Finally, they will practice matching emotions to appropriate responses, helping them manage real-life challenges effectively. 

 

These lessons will help our young learners build confidence, strengthen their social skills, and develop positive ways to handle their emotions. We look forward to seeing their growth throughout this program! 

 

 Curriculum Links: 

  • Practise strategies they can use when they need to seek, give or deny permission respectfully VC2HP2P05
  • Identify and demonstrate protective behaviours and help-seeking strategies they can use to help them and others stay safe VC2HP2P06
  • Identify how different situations influence emotional responses VC2HP2P04

 

Key Vocabulary: 

Respect, protective behaviours, managing emotions, understanding emotions, help-seeking strategies, feelings, relationships 

 

Year 2 

Over Term One, our Year 2 students will take part in engaging lessons designed to help them communicate respectfully, seek help when needed, and manage their emotions effectively. Through interactive activities, they will strengthen their social and emotional skills, setting them up for success in their daily interactions. 

 

Respectful Communication Students will explore how emotions influence interactions and will practice polite ways to ask for and give permission in everyday situations. Through group activities, role-playing, and discussions, they will learn the importance of listening to others and making collaborative decisions. They will also reflect on their own communication skills and set personal goals for improvement. 

 

Protective Behaviours & Seeking Help Students will identify the trusted adults in their lives who help keep them safe. They will practice responding to unsafe situations through role-play and discussions, learning how to seek help in emergencies. They will also explore ways to be helpers themselves, encouraging kindness and responsibility in their school community. 

 

Managing Emotions & Making Positive Choices Students will recognise what triggers emotional changes and how different situations impact their feelings. They will explore and build a personal bank of calming techniques. Through problem-solving activities and role-play, they will practice making positive choices when faced with big emotions. 

 

This program will help our Year 2 students develop essential life skills, giving them the confidence to communicate clearly, seek support when needed, and regulate their emotions in a healthy way. We look forward to seeing their growth! 

 

Curriculum Links: 

  • Practise strategies they can use when they need to seek, give or deny permission respectfully VC2HP2P05
  • Identify and demonstrate protective behaviours and help-seeking strategies they can use to help them and others stay safe VC2HP2P06
  • Identify how different situations influence emotional responses VC2HP2P04

 

Key Vocabulary: 

Confidence, communication, emotions, techniques, skills, positive choices, regulation 

 

Year 3 

In Term One of Mind, Body and Us, our Year Three students will explore their emotions, learn how to manage them effectively, and develop skills to interact respectfully with others. In the first weeks, they will be reintroduced to the Zones of Regulation, helping them understand how emotions can change and identifying their personal emotional triggers. They will engage in hands-on activities like colouring their own "Zones Chart" and creating a class "Trigger Map" to recognise common emotional responses. Next, students will learn practical strategies to manage their emotions, such as deep breathing and mindfulness, and match coping strategies to specific emotional triggers. They will also design their own "Zones Toolbox" with personalised regulation tools. Finally, students will focus on building respectful interactions by exploring empathy, practicing giving compliments, and learning conflict resolution strategies like using "I Statements." Through engaging discussions, interactive games, and collaborative tasks, students will build essential emotional and social skills to support their wellbeing and positive relationships. 

 

Curriculum Links: 

  • Explain how and why emotional responses can vary and practise strategies to manage their emotions VC2HP4P06
  • Investigate and apply strategies that contribute to their own and others’ health, safety, relationships and wellbeing VC2HP4P10

 

Key Vocabulary: Emotional triggers, emotional regulation, Zones of Regulation 

 

Year 4 

Throughout Term One of Mind, Body and Us our Year Four students will explore their emotions, develop resilience, and learn strategies to manage change. They will begin by understanding the Zones of Regulation, recognising how emotions vary in different situations, and reflecting on personal experiences. Through discussions, scenario analysis, and journaling, students will deepen their awareness of emotional triggers and resilience. Next, they will practise managing emotions using mindfulness and regulation techniques, applying these strategies through role-play and collaborative activities. Finally, students will focus on coping with change and transitions by identifying common life changes, planning coping strategies, and reflecting on their effectiveness. Engaging activities like creating a Resilience Roadmap, playing Emotional Jenga, and writing to their future selves will help students build lifelong emotional and social skills. 

 

Curriculum Links: 

  • Investigate how success, challenge, setbacks and failure strengthen resilience and identities in a range of contexts VC2HP4P01
  • Explain how and why emotional responses can vary and practise strategies to manage their emotions VC2HP4P06
  • Plan, rehearse and reflect on strategies to cope with the different changes and transitions they experience, such as physical, social and emotional changes VC2HP4P02

 

Key Vocabulary: Resilience, Zones of Regulation, transition, emotional triggers 

 

Year 5 

During Term One of Mind, Body and Us, our Year Five students will develop a deeper understanding of emotions, how they influence interactions, and ways to regulate them effectively. They will begin by exploring the Zones of Regulation, identifying emotional triggers, and practicing mindfulness strategies to manage emotions. Through engaging activities like role-playing, reflection journals, and strategy toolkits, they will learn to navigate emotional responses in social situations. Next, students will examine how emotions impact relationships and conflicts, practicing de-escalation strategies and peer feedback to improve their emotional awareness. Finally, they will evaluate health information sources to make informed choices about emotional regulation, applying their knowledge to real-life scenarios and sharing strategies with peers. By the end of this unit, students will have built essential skills to recognise, manage, and communicate emotions in a positive and supportive way. 

 

Curriculum Links: 

 

  • Apply strategies to manage emotions and analyse how emotional responses influence interactions VC2HP6P06
  • Investigate different sources, quality and types of health information and how these apply to their own and others’ health choices VC2HP6P09

 

Key Vocabulary: 

 

Zones of Regulation, conflict, de-escalation, emotional awareness 

 

 

Year 6 

Throughout Term One of Mind, Body and Us, our Year Six students will deepen their understanding of self-identity, emotional regulation, and the role of informed decision-making in their well-being. They will begin by exploring the Zones of Regulation, recognising how emotions fluctuate and identifying personal triggers and strengths. Through activities such as identity Mapping and Emotion Check-ins, they will connect emotions to external influences and build self-awareness. Next, students will develop social-emotional skills by practicing empathy and respectful communication in Empathy Circles and role-playing scenarios, emphasising how emotional intelligence strengthens relationships. Finally, they will critically evaluate sources of health information and explore practical tools for emotional well-being, such as mindfulness apps and personalised Zones Toolkits. By engaging in reflective discussions, collaborative projects, and real-world applications, students will enhance their ability to navigate emotions, relationships, and health choices with confidence and critical thinking. 

 

Curriculum Links: 

  • Explain how identities can be influenced by people and places, and how we can create positive self-identities VC2HP6P01
  • Describe and demonstrate how respect and empathy can be expressed to positively influence relationships VC2HP6P04
  • Investigate different sources, quality and types of health information and how these apply to their own and others’ health choices (VC2HP6P09) 

 

Key Vocabulary: 

Self-identity, emotional regulation, critical thinking, emotional intelligence 

How can you support your child’s Mind, Body and Us learning at home?   

  • Ask your children throughout the day to describe to you how they are feeling. 
  • Look at images of people in books and magazines and discuss how the people may be feeling by their facial expressions and body language. 
  • Ask your children throughout the day to explain what Zone they are in and why. 
  • As a family, discuss the strategies you could use to cope with different emotional situations. 
  • Create your own family ‘Emotional Toolbox’ display that shows strategies and images of how to manage different emotions.