Wellbeing

Wellbeing Leader - Mr Nick Flavel

At St Bernard’s, we believe that every child has the right to feel safe, supported and protected at all times. As a school community, we are committed to providing our students with the knowledge, confidence and strategies they need to recognise unsafe situations, speak up when something doesn't feel right and seek help from trusted adults.

While we hope our children never find themselves in a situation where they feel unsafe, it is important that they know what to do if they do. As parents and educators, we share the responsibility of empowering our children to recognise their feelings, understand their rights and feel confident to speak up when something makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

To support this, we have attached our ‘My Safety Plan’, which focuses on four important aspects of personal safety:

• My Safety Team: Identifying trusted adults who children can turn to for help and support whenever they feel worried, uncomfortable or unsafe.
• Don't Keep Secrets: Understanding the importance of speaking up and telling a trusted adult if something happens that makes them feel uncomfortable, worried or unsafe.
• My Body is My Body: Helping children understand that they have the right to make decisions about their own bodies and say 'no' to unwanted physical contact, even with someone they know.
• Know Your Warning Signs: Recognising the physical and emotional signs that something doesn't feel right and knowing when to seek help from a trusted adult.

Each classroom will have a copy of the My Safety Plan displayed, and teachers will be exploring these four areas with students in an age-appropriate and supportive way. We encourage all families to continue these important conversations at home and take some time to discuss each of the four aspects with your child. These conversations help reinforce the messages being taught at school and remind children that they are never alone and that there are always people they can turn to for help.

At St Bernard’s, our commitment to child safety and wellbeing is guided by the Victorian Child Safe Standards. By working together, we can help ensure that every child feels safe, knows their rights and has the confidence to speak up when something isn't right.

Our hope is that children may never need to put these strategies into practice, but knowing what to do and who to turn to could make all the difference when it matters most.

Thank you for your ongoing support in helping us create a safe, caring and supportive community for all our children.